1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Diverticula

diverticulitis and bleeding

Posted , 5 users are following.

jennyo
jennyo

Have got diverticulitis and had it for 18 months having the worse flare up l

Have ever had im constantly bleeding and havnt had a decent bowel movement in weeks doctor sent me to hospital as she thought i had a perforation as i had a pain going from my right side up to my shoulder had a scan and they found what they thought was a mass in my bowel and something on my lung . Had a deep colonoscopy and my bowel was seen to be clear but have found cancer in my lung since colonoscopy i have not stopped bleeding passing blood and clots so went for another colonoscopy they could not finish it as my right side was swollen so they gave me another ct scan and have ruled out cancer of the bowel i have to build myself up for chemo and radiotherapy but im so stressed i feel sick and dont know what to eat any more

1 like, 19 replies

19 Replies

Next
  • sunni13905
    sunni13905 jennyo

    Posted

    Hi Jenny,

    you've just partly described my pass two weeks.  I got diagnosed 3 1/2 weeks ago when I went for a CT Scan for something else.  Very bad abdomen pain  and up my right side around to my back.  I too have the clotting.  I spoke to my doctor but he didn't seem too concerned.  Maybe I better press harder for another scan.  As it is right now I dreads going to the bathroom.  It's a pretty tender spot right now.  I was told to eat lots of fibre and take Metamusil.  To me this seemes contradictory because It causes wicked pains to have a bm.  I've been told from others on this site to stick to a liquid diet the first couple of days when you have a flare up to rest your bowels then slowly start introducing fibre back into your diet.  Fiber helps your bowels absorb water better to help it go out easier.  Hope what little info I'm giving you helps..

     

    • jennyo
      jennyo sunni13905

      Posted

      Hi sunni i am taking 2 different kinds of antibiotics at the moment 3 times a day have managed to eat a baked potato and tuna fish for my tea i hope it will be ok as a low residue diet after being on water only for 3 days in hospital i do have porridge in the morning with a little bran in it i have been to the loo about 6 times again today passing hardley anything but mostly blood and clots and just like you am totally fed up with it i have to go to christies cancer hospital on fri and they want me to build myself up to be able to take the chemo and radium but how do u do that when you feel sick at the thought of food if i was u i would push for another ct scan what is metamusil i am really gratefull for your reply if one thing has come out of this it is they have caught my lung cancer early and that was by accident wishing u all the luck in the world and a pain free life

    • sunni13905
      sunni13905 jennyo

      Posted

      metamusil is a fibre supplement that helps lower cholesterol and keeps your regular.  It comes in a orange flavored powder and a pill form.  It's along the same lines as benefibre.  I do find eating probiotic and greek yogurt helps keep me consistent.  I can't eat most red meat..makes me run right to the bathroom... Chicken and white fish so far is fine. I do eat oatmeal most mornings for breakfeast.  I can agree I'm glad they caught mine early too. Right now all my numbers are low so I've started walking more..which is a bit difficult because of joint issues.  eating more fibre rich foods.  and I did a 2 day liquid only to rest my bowels.  I don't want to end up in the hospital so I'm taking this seriously.  I'm glad I found this website.  It seems that the people on here know more about it than the doctors which makes sense because they're living with these conditions everyday.  I was on 2 antibiotics too. Cipro and meta.  I never responded well.  I found out from a relative that there are actually 9 or 10 people on my father's side of the family that have Crohns so I researched could you have both and learned that in rare instances you can have diverticulitis and present with Crohns symptoms.  So now my GP is sending me to a Gastric Surgeon for further investigation along with my first ever colonoscopy..yay me.  

      I hope everything works out for you regarding the Chemo.. I have seen how it can rob a person of their appetite. and with this type of bowel issues we really don't have a lot of variety to chose from that does seem to peak your hunger. 

      All the best

      Sunni 

  • gail41827
    gail41827 jennyo

    Posted

    I have been having a pain under my left breast for years. It seemed to come and go but lateley it has stayed around. I spoke to my Dr and I had a scan and there was nothing. But its back again. How can you have pain but have nothing. One of the Dr's told me he had diverticulitis and he had it up in the adomen but he has never had a bout now for years. Im always worried when I have pain I will have another flare up but have managed to keep it under control by using aloe vera juice, probiotics and watching what I eat as the dietician told me to do but I still have this pain all the time. I feel so sorry for you that you now have to go through chemo on top of what you have. Please keep me informed as to how you do and maybe now I think I should go back to the Drs myself and push for further test to see why I have this pain all the time as well. 
    • jennyo
      jennyo gail41827

      Posted

      Hi gail keep pushing for a ct scan what you have may be just muscle pain my pain was like a spasm that made me jump i think i will try aloe vera juice and pro biotics what did the dietician tell you to eat as all i found i could eat was fish chicken and veg ie cauliflower broccoli and a few green beans but have now started to eat mashed potatoe lf u can give me a few pointers i would be gratefull i hope all goes well for u i will keep intouch and let you know how im getting on thank you xxx
  • sunni13905
    sunni13905 jennyo

    Posted

    hi Jenny

    Completely off food topic but was just wondering.. Obviously since you're going frequently it is tender down there.  What do you use for pain relief and do you have any suggestions for topical ointment.  I swear I feel like a baby with diaper rash.

    • jennyo
      jennyo sunni13905

      Posted

      Hi sunni i am not in much pain just an annoying ache the only time it hurts is when i actually go to the toilet its like your going to have dioreah but im not i know what u mean about soreness i just used baby cream it worked for me xxx
    • sunni13905
      sunni13905 jennyo

      Posted

      Hi Jenny,

      thanks for the advice on the butt cream...went and got some and just overnight it seems to have worked really well!

      Again, me and my tender tush thank you..lol

      Sunni

  • gail41827
    gail41827 jennyo

    Posted

    Hi Jenny. Well everyone seems to have a different opinion but the dietician told me I can eat nuts, seeds grains etc. That was thought to be the old fashioned way to avoid all these foods but now they say you can have them. You can eat red meat but usually just small amounts like the size of your palm. I am to avoid cauliflower,broccoli,garlic and onion. These foods have something in them that trigger the diverticular but I do still have them occasionally without any problems but only small amount. Bannanas are good but they bind you up and again try to avoid mango. Try to have at least 2 litres of water a day and yes fibre is good for you when you don't have a flare up. If you do it is suggested a liquid diet to help the bowel.

    They also say being relaxed is very good as that helps the bowel as well. I go to an acupuncturist about every 4 weeks. A bit of exercise is recomended also.

    I have IBS in my family and my brother has Crones Disease so it looks like this sort of thing runs in our family. I have been in hospital 4 times but have had a brak for 2 months now since I decided to get more help. I know this will never go away but I'm hoping I can keep it under control. I will take your advice on the ct scan again and see what it comes up with. You try to be possitive and all the best.

    Gail

    • sunni13905
      sunni13905 gail41827

      Posted

      Hi Gail,

      Crohns runs in my father's side of the family too (9 of them).  I can't eat some red meat (Steak cry) but I'm ok with small portions of hotdogs and sausage.Chicken and fish I do well with.  Right now I'm on a mostly liquid diet. I'm having a flare up now so and the antibiotics I'm on have to be taken with food so I'm eating high fiber foods when I do have to take them. I've also upped my intake of water drastically too.  I've gone from 6-7 bm a day to 1-2 since starting and everything is starting to feel better.

      All the best,

      Sunni

    • jennyo
      jennyo gail41827

      Posted

      Hi gail i have been eating broccoli a lot and cauliflower dont eat much fruit as this produces acid so afraid of having acid indigestion as it is very painfull i do drink lots of water and am on high energy drinks i hope this works for me xx
    • madge07350
      madge07350 gail41827

      Posted

      I would be very wary of your dietician's advice about nuts,grains and seeds, SOME people can eat these things without problems, others cannot. Same with brassica and onoion family which are good for feeding the good bacteria. The fact you can eat them without problems shows there are no hard and fast rules. I can eat garlic,onions and broccoli but find cauliflower gives me twinges. I can eat nuts if I chew them up really well but have had flare ups after eating strawberries and cherry tomatoes. Deseeding tomatoes seems to be ok but is tedious. Tough meat is a problem and I avoid sausages and chicken skin. After settling the colon with the low fibre diet one has to introduce "problem" foods gradually to see if they really do give problems. It is very much trial and error and quite often hard to pinpoint and this can be depressing!
  • sunni13905
    sunni13905 jennyo

    Posted

    I've got to say it's so nice to have people to candidly talk to about this.  People who don't have this really can't understand what we go through.  When I know a BM is coming I get so scared it's going to be another painful bout so I cringe at the thought of having to go.  Then when you're socializing and have to turn down offers of food and drink they quiz you like your being interviewed.  In the Newfoundland culture drinking and eating are a big thing.  When you refuse it's almost an insult to some.  I had wanted to keep this to myself for a bit while I came to terms with it but people here are really nosy and I got tired of making excuses as to why I wouldn't take anything.  BM's isn't exactly an interesting topic of conversation around the fire..lol 
    • jennyo
      jennyo sunni13905

      Posted

      Hi sunni know what u mean but i have 2 friends that will listen about my bm and try to help my hubby is my rock just taking it a day at a time now still bleeding though and that s what is worrying i a.ways have a glass of water at hand so im drinking plenty dont worry what other people say its your body and u deal with it as u feel is right xxx

    • madge07350
      madge07350 sunni13905

      Posted

      I can sympathise about social occasions which here in France revolve around food! I have found I can only eat small meals so it is hard to go out for a meal either in a restaurant or to friends and have to explain why you cannot have a 3 course meal like everybody else!
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.