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linzh1974
linzh1974

hi guys, my mother in law has been diagnosed with diverticulitis, however she is awaiting all hospital tests. 

I really don't know much about this condition, what food to eat etc to try and educate her, if I don't know myself! 

I know I can't learn everything in a day, I will be following this forum with interest.

linzi

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • jennyo
    jennyo linzh1974

    Posted

    Hi linz i keep mine at bay by eating high fibre but i do not mix my vegatbles i only eat veg that grow above ground as veg grown below ground is harder for me to digest i also put a small handfull of bran in my porridge for my breakfast i eat plenty of fish and lean chicken do not eat nuts or anything with seeds in like tomatoes eat seedless grapesi hope this helps
  • vivian89329
    vivian89329 linzh1974

    Posted

    Hi

    It all depends on the individual. Look up the fodmap diet. This may help her until she gets the testing done. How was the diverticulitis diagnosed? How was she treated for it?

    Vivian

    • linzh1974
      linzh1974 vivian89329

      Posted

      She went with left tummy pain and various other symptoms to the hospital, where they said it was and gave her antibiotics and sent her for further tests, she was admitted for a few days too.
  • CauliColon
    CauliColon linzh1974

    Posted

    Hi Linzi,

    If you haven't already, look up the Wikipedia treatise on "Diverticulosis" as a start.  You will quickly see that Diverticulitis is the acute infection phase of the chronic disease that is the 'osis.  Look closely at the 'Management' and the 'Complications' sections.  There are some rather diverse management methods that different people follow here.  I'm sure each is right for their particular situation (well, reasonably!....) and that one treatment 'size' does not fit all.  However, the basic aim as I see it is to avoid the 'itis at all costs.  Especially with older folk, infections can get more serious to a depleted immune system, maybe.  Therefore, I tend to apply this logic to clearing the colon completely every 3 - 4 weeks with Bisacodyl 5 mg (a stimulant laxative) thereby avoiding the long-term build-up of decaying matter in the diverticular pockets in the colon. The Wiki' article mentions avoidance of nuts etc - something I really don't avoid because of the nutritional benefits - but the article indicates that the avoidance advice re seeds and nuts is not proven.

    As I'm male - and only mid 50s - my 10 year affliction makes me a bit younger in onset than some others.  It might be that my 3 - 4 week radical 'clearout' might not suit older folk, but provided your time is your own, these things can be planned-in.  I can  say with certainty that I have not (yet!) suffered from the 'itis since the 'osis was diagnosed by colonoscopy! 

    I'll just restate something I said a while back:  Pockets will fill up - no matter how much fibre you have in your diet - all you can do is empty them before they become infected.  I have found that I feel 'bloated' around the 2-to-4 week period and that's the time to act.... imho!

    You could always run a copy of this past your MiL's gastro-enterologist or GP!

    Best Wishes,

    Pete.

  • Dixieb
    Dixieb linzh1974

    Posted

    Well I suffer from this as well and am almost 70.     I have to say that I eat everything and anything.    Sometimes I get a gripe or two after eating strawberries which we have in abundance at the moment in the garden along with lots of fresh vegetables.   I suppose it depends on what degree of severity your MIL is suffering from.   Mine is minor compared to others.     I do have the worry of travelling,  I never eat anything but just sip water on any journey because as soon as I eat, my bowels seems to think it is a signal to perform.    When I go out to the supermarket I usually take a couple of codeine tablets to calm things down and if I do have episodes of 'the runs' I take Loperemide tablets.

    Tell your MIL to keep her chin up.

    • CauliColon
      CauliColon Dixieb

      Posted

        Hi Dixieb,

      I'm NOT a medic - just an engineer:  The symptoms you describe suggest you have (at least) IBS - in that the reaction you get after eating a trigger food seems immediate.  I imagine there's a lot of crossover between the two disorders.  It seems that IBS is the bigger day-to-day management problem - because of the triggering of 'explosions' that make predictability so difficult and cause the sufferer to make radical dietary exclusions sometimes.  Diverticulosis probably co-exists in older folk anyway and colonoscopy - as in my case - found pockets.  But the symptoms of IBS and DD are different in that triggering is not very likely in DD, imho.  The nature of it is not immediate!  It's the build-up over weeks that causes the toxic reaction that can end up as diverticulitis (again, imho). 

      There seems to be a lot of possible misdiagnoses - with the only true way of knowing being by imagery (colonoscopy or scan).  Even then, maybe the two (or more?) disorders co-exist!  And the 'big C' needs ruling out, of course.

      HTH,

      Pete.

  • Dixieb
    Dixieb linzh1974

    Posted

    Yes I have had a colonoscopy that is why I was made aware of the Diverticulitis    I had been suffering (not constantly) with what I thought was IBS but they said there was evidence of Diverticulitis on examination.       

    Not a nice thing to discuss I know, but, the fact that my bowels seem to react after food is a flaming nuisance.   I love my food and to go out in the car and have a picnic on a summer's day without any consequences (if you know what I mean) would be a dream.     Saying that if that is all I have to put up with then God has been good to me.

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