Diverticular Disease

Popcorn I reckon is one to avoid. We started eating lots of it as a healthy snack option and I had lots more flare ups before the penny dropped. Have avoided it since and not had a flare up either. Keeping my fingers crossed. The fluffy bit gets digested but the hard husk on the inside does not I think.

Interesting reading here and quite informative although it would seem at times what works for one does not work for the other which is perfectly normal because we are all individual human beings.

My first time at losing blood was around 1986 and l had no idea what it was until much later and l found that vitamin C was the culprit, after having a severe cold and never one to take days off work l was told to take Redox Vitamin C tablets which l did regularly, l went to a doctor for a stomach problem and he prescribed Tagamet(now SIM) and although it helped a lot l told him about my bleeding problem and by this time l had stopped the Redox but ate Oranges, he was not phased by this and merely asked if it was old blood or new, on hearing it was fresh he said nothing. I also drank beer, lager beer and the same thing happened. The seed thing was new to me but between that l found l could not eat Pork meat, l gave up pork, lager, oranges and anything that contained these things. Now nearly 30 years later l have been good and had occasional flare ups but the most recent was a large amount of blood loss, lower stomach pain and after going through carefully what l had eaten turned out to be Raisins, l had bought Green Grapes and changed to Red Grapes too, so l found my problem and these 3 things combined had taken me back to zero. Normally when l suffer a severe lower back pain l know that something is about to take place but having been good for around 9 or 10 months l thought l was in the clear, l also found that if l use force by lifting of pushing l also can possible suffer a bleed, its obviously to do with the lower back area. As for antibiotics l have never thought of taking them and merely soldiered on by doing my own thing to be as comfortable as l can, l live in Spain and Portugal too and do not have a diet of "egg and chips" even though l was born in the East End of London so l get lots of food that the locals eat, grilled meat, Turkey breast cooked in Olive oil is a favourite so that l keep off of red meat, grilled Chicken, very few chips, maybe none from one month to another and only in a restaurant, which is a big problem here because of the large quantities of salt used on restaurant food and certainly nothing fried. If l get a bout l normally opt for mashed potato whipped with some butter but l never use any salt in my food, absolutely none, the only salt l keep in the house is purely for washing my mouth after cleaning my teeth.

Just read every ones comments on here and I understand your pain. I am a 46 year old female with 3 teenage kids and work full time now here in Australia. I had two attacks in less than 12 months and had two hospital stays. They confirmed Diverticular Disease by having a colonscopy and I found it impacted so much on my quality of life. I asked to be put on the waiting list and after 5 months had elective surgery in February which was a success and a relief from all that pain. The recovery time was longer than the suggested 6 weeks which was very disappointing but now 8 months on I feel without a doubt that I made the right decision. I would certainly recommend the surgery to all those sufferers.. Good luck and no offence to anyone who doesnt want to take that path, but it changed my life.. x

I've just been discharged from hospital following my first bout of diverticulitis. I'm 49 years old.

I had 8 days on intravenous Antibiotics and intravenous fluids for 5 days. I was diagnosed following a CT scan and blood results. 

Ive been home for 1 week now. On discharge I was prescribed 5 days of oral antibiotics which have now stopped. My bowel movements returned to normal following my discharge but for the last 3 days I have lower left sided abdominal pain with diarrhoea, my appetite was also beginning to improve but this has declined over the last few days. 

I visited my GP today who said that this was to be expected and to wait for things to settle down. 

I have a blood test booked in one weeks time with a follow up GP appointment 

after a couple of days post discharge I was starting to feel stronger but the last few days have really knocked me back. 

Im confused over what foods I should avoid and which are good for me. I usually follow a high fibre low fat diet but there is so much info out there that I'm now not sure what to eat/ drink. 

I have a colonoscopy due in about a months time as I had thickening on my bowel wall which they want to look at further. 

Any advice would be very welcome. 

Hi, I can support what you say exactly. I was diagnosed some years ago but I never took any notice and just carried on, as I have a colonoscopy every 3 yrs I thought that was normal as I have pollipps. Just before Christmas I was admitted to hospital under emergency, with acute stomach pains, I had so many bottles of antibiotics, twin canulars and all sorts of stuff, was a really bad 4 days. Was told had to have a high fibre diet, I went on the net to all the wrong sites looking for help. One site will say you can eat this and another says you can't. I went to my GP today and asked to see a dietician and was told I could not see one unless I was diabetic or having a gastric band fitted. It seems that you can eat most foods as you get different nutrients from all sorts of foods, but NOBODY will tell you what you can't eat, if you know what foods to not eat then you avoid them, but who will tell you, one good food is baked beans on whole meal bread. The one thing to do is keep a food diary day by day, should you then get stomach pains you can look back 24hrs to see what you ate, I guess nobody will advise what you can't eat in case you do what they say and you have a problem, and then take it further. Ask your doctor for some Laxido which I have on the side just in case. Maybe with all the people who have Divertickulitus someone could devise a list of what people eat, good and bad, and would all benefit from it, maybe joining this site will help myself and othes overcome living with this condition.

Many thanks for listening to my story.

Barry

Hi I had a colonoscopy two weeks ago and had polyps removed for the third time in 10yrs due to mum and dad having bowel cancer .10yrs ago I was told I had IBS because my stools were like rabbits poo and there was a lot of mucous with it . For the past two years I've suffered with bloating so bad I look 9months pregnant and pains in my tummy been to the Dr many times to be told it was my IBS . After coming round from the last colonoscopy I was handed papers to give the GP and on it it had photos and on it it said they found Divercullitis .Since my colonoscopy I've had no follow up appointment and nothing has been explained to me .Ive read on this site about flare up can someone explain them to me as I am in pain in my stomach most days and it's very bloated .I have been eating more fibre etc .But I'd like to know how I will know when I need medical help and should I be taking painkillers every day .

I have both Ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis and have difficulty knowing which causes my symptoms. Consultants at the hospital have been no help in giving dietary advice with leaflets giving same advice that I was taught as a nurse in 1965. The best help was from my own. GP who said research showed it best to avoid foods which have been dried one stored over time. This includes rice, pasta and oatmeal . Nuts also upset me. I do avoid rice and find that if I am tempted, I have a reaction about 48 hours later, the last one quite severe. So no more rice for me. Good luck Evelyn

Hi Elaine-

I see that your post is old. However, one year ago I was rushed to the hospital with acute diverticulitis, had emergency laproscopic surgery to repair the perferations in my intestines. My friends and family were quite surprised. I thought I was living a VERY healthy lifestyle - eating a wide diet including lots of fresh vegetables, organic foods, excersise almost every day. However, after my hospitalization, my research uncovered OVER-THE-COUNTER PAIN MEDS, as a big contributer to this problem. Medical professionals never indicated to me that I should resist taking those. Motrin, Aleve, Advil, aspirin, and the like contribute to this disease. 

I have quit taking these - as prior to my emergency surgery, I would take these pain meds after a workout, or anytime I felt a little pain. NOT ANY MORE.

AS for my diet - adding homemade broth - bone broth on a regular basis. Not the broth purchased in the soup aisle at the grocery store. Instead, I go to the butcher, ask for the MARROW BONES FOR SOUP. Using different recipes, very simply, roast the bones in a covered roasting pan in the oven for 3 - 4 hours with onion - then transfer the concoction to a slow cooker, add celery, carrots lots of garlic a splash of vinegar and cook on high for 30 min. then for 24 - 48 hours more. Yes 1 - 2 days. Incorporating this bone broth into a daily diet is a great way to heal the digestive tract. 

These things, and reducing stress, I believe have been working for my benefit.

I have not had a flare up since my emergency room visit.

I hope this helps you.

I had diverticulitis for 6 years and been through all the meds and fiber speech. Finally went to surgeon and he told me no surgery. He told me to get some Metamucil and you will be fine.

Since that meeting I have had not one flare up and pain free. I take it twice per day.

I had diverticulitis for 6 years and been through all the meds and fiber speech. Finally went to surgeon and he told me no surgery. He told me to get some Metamucil and you will be fine.

Since that meeting I have had not one flare up and pain free. I take it twice per day.