Diverticular disease

    Diverticulitis can cause symptoms for awhile weeks or months. Everyone is different! I would rec doing a food diary to see what irritates the bowel. Usually you have liquids for several days to give the bowel rest. Then to a low residue until diarrhea and pain is gone. When you are healed start fiber gradually. Cook vegetables till soft stay away from fruits that have skin unless you peel them. My first flare started with grapes! 

Take a probiotic that is taken 2 x a day that has a billion cultures. This will help to protect your gut.  Especially if you are on an antibiotic. Good luck!

Hi

Sounds just like a doctor with no empathy!  And as the scalpel was not waved, you must be UK! 

Yes the disease is for life and has to be managed, but once the flare has passed, and you have learned how to manage it, you should become pain free.  Are you on medication?  If you are, you can expect it to take 4 - 6 weeks for the pains and side effects of the medication to subside.  You should have been told to follow a liquid only diet for the first few days, then a low residue (no fibre) diet until the pains and cramps subside mostly.  Then you can start introducing soluble fibre back into your diet slowly, building up until you are following a healthy diet with soluble fibre, that the doctors recommend for everything. You will also find out by keeping records if any particular food upsets you, so you can avoid it.  The idea is to keep yourself regular and be able to go without straining.  Many of us take a daily stool softener to keep the bowels moving, and you should also take a probiotic to replace the good bugs stripped out by the medication.  Once you are over the worst of it, you'll find lots of helpful tips on diet and management.  I have been doing this for 18 years now.  Best wishes.

Hi Teresa,

I am new to this myself.  I have known about my condition since Feb 2 and have read probably every post on this forum some as old as 2 years ago so keep reading.  I ate mashed potatoes, or boiled potatoes without the skin, soft white rolls with a tiny bit of butter, white buttered toast without crust, hot tea, no rice.  You may can do pudding and a milk shake but I found I did not do well with dairy. 

My Dr. suggested quality deli turkey sliced extremely thin but only a little bit.  I put the turkey on a small white roll with a little butter.  Think white foods.  This is the time to go to the store and see all the white bread that we should not eat on a normal basis and eat it.  I would switch it off with french white bread sliced and toasted in the oven. You could probably try pears that are canned.  This is not a long time eating pattern, but it gets you through the time while you are still recovering. 

Remember to take small bites and chew well.  I have started to count while I chew to make sure I am chewing enough.  Drink plenty of water.  I added a lemon slice.  I also reached into my cabinet and got out my crystal goblets from 31 years of marriage that I never use.  Make your water attractive to drink. 

As soon as you feel up to it start walking.  It helps to keep things moving in your gut.  My Dr. stressed no more large meals for life.  Think 5 small meals was his advice.  I haven't really done that but I graze along.  When I finally felt better I went shopping for pretty plates in flea markets etc. that were smaller than normal and I eat my food on those pretty small plates.

On the bright side I have lost 25 pounds since Feb. 2.  My friends are jealous that I now get a new spring wardrobe.  Of course they have no idea how I suffered during those 2 months!  I am walking 30 minutes every day.  I am still very careful what I eat and how much.  I had a twinge of pain the other day and it scared me to death.  I am not the expert that many on here are.  But I can tell you it will get better.  I have to say that there is something about eating those small meals that has been better for me and I have more energy than before and I am not drinking any soft drinks, only water and hot tea in the morning.  

It will get better.  I am still trying to figure out what to eat for the long term.  I am a big salad eater and I am wondering if I will ever eat salad again!?  Fortunately, there are many people who are willing to share their experiences on this forum.  You are not alone.  It will get better I promise. 

Can you get the deep stomach cramps and it not be infection?  I hate this diverticulisis I been on antibiotics off and on like 5 times in one year!!!!!!! I am confused is every cramps and that last a week off and on throughout the day and night is it ALWAYS infection and I must run and get antibiotics? I'm at my Witts end this thing keeps me a nervous wreck and scared of bursting and infection spreading. ANYone her moire experienced with this mess that can shed some light? 

Teresa, I had my first intro to diverticulitis when I was hospitalized in 2015. Nothing since then 'til about 4 months ago when I had a flare up that landed me in the hospital again for IV antibiotics after the by-mouth Amox Clav had no effect. Since then, I have been largely bedridden, unable to eat normally or go to work regularly. I drink at least 10 glasses of water daily. My GI doc suggests the Da Vinci method surgery to remove a section of colon that has a moderate amount of diverticulae, according to the results of a colonoscopy. I am scared to death of having surgery, but I don't feel I can go the rest of my life in constant pain either. I'm hoping to learn from other people's experience with the surgery. To me, it's a last resort.