Diverticulitis flare up with pain on right side

Hi Felinia

Thanks for your helpful comments.  I am not quite sure what questions I should ask when I get the colonoscopy done.  I guess I should ask things like which part of the bowel has worst diverticulitis is and what I need to do to help this?

I suppose they will just tell me during the colonoscopy or afterwards if they have seen polyps and which side they are etc and if they've removed any.  

Are there any other questions you think would be good for me to ask?  Sorry I sound stupid but I'm just not too sure if I fully understand diverticulitis yet.

I am sending you a private message about the disease and colonoscopies.

I’ve been diagnosed with diverticulosis but every two months have a flare up  and the pain is through the roof!!! I had a colonoscopy three months ago and doctor said I wasn’t clean enough so I need to redo in one year.  I honestly feel like the doctors are confused about this disease. I’m new to this and don’t know what to do. I’m a single mom and have to work full time which makes it hard to deal with.  I’ve been on Flagyl for 7 days now and still feel bad 😞. Is this normal?  I vomited last night and feel awful...don’t know if it’s the Flagyl or the diverticulitis.  This is so confusing and scary. Don’t know if this pain is normal after  being on Flagyl for 7 days. Thought I’d feel better but feel worse😫

Hi

This is a nasty disease that is with you for life.  And Flagyl is a nasty antibiotic with severe side effects.  So what you are experiencing is probably a combination of side effects and infection.  I'm sorry to say it takes 4 - 6 weeks to get over an attack and start to feel better, and the more attacks you have, the longer it can take.

You are right in thinking the doctors are pretty useless.  The problem is there is not one simple solution - everyone is different and has to find out what triggers their flare ups.  Although the common thought now is it is not diet related, that is not strictly true.  Most of us on this forum have discovered there are certain foods each of us cannot eat.  For me it is gluten/wheat and full fat.  For others it might be dairy, red meat, popcorn, seeds, skins.  In fact all sorts in various combinations.  We identify these by keeping a food diary and noting down if anything seems to make us feel worse over the next 48 hours.  One recent post from a sufferer who was feeling much better after a few weeks, reported she had tried to introduce back a food and suffered a setback.  Another trigger, not food related, is stress which as a single working mum, you will undoubtedly be suffering.  The 3rd component is genetic, but you didn't get to pick your birth parents!!!

To deal with a flare up:  At the first sign, immediately go on a fluid only regime for at least 48 hours.  That gives the bowels a rest and hopefully stops it.  But once you are given medication, you should follow a fluid only diet as well - broth, jello, water.  As you start to feel a bit better, you can introduce low residue foods like mash, steamed fish, grilled chicken, yogurt, white bread.  Then slowly reintroduce SOLUBLE fiber back into your diet.  GOOGLE will advise you.  One poster found All Bran too harsh and instead has bran flakes.  I have proper porridge (not the pre-packaged dust).  I make a lot of home made soup which I freeze in batches so it is quick and easy to re-heat (and cheap).  I also have veggie purees like carrot/swede/parsnip/celeriac/potato in various combinations.  The meals should be small, well cooked and chewed thoroughly.  The final stage is to try and introduce back other foods and note the effect.  I would also advise you take a daily stool softener like Metamucil, which will help clear out your system daily and prevent a build up of matter in the pockets which can become infected.  Also a good probiotic to replace the good bacteria which will have been wiped out by the Flagyl.

It is a lifestyle change.  I was diagnosed almost 17 years ago and live a normal life.  I worked (missed only 3 days for hospital appointments/tests), played competitive sport, walked and gardened.  During that time I had 3 flares in the first 14 years.  When first diagnosed it can be hard to tell the difference between a flare up and the pain of inflammation during the healing process, hence the advice to have a 2 day fluid regime.  If it doesn't go away, it's a flare up!

This is just a brief overview of my experiences.  You will find loads of helpful and informative posts on this forum from people who are going through exactly the same as you - you are not alone.  Also lots of tips on how to manage your diet and this disease.  Best wishes.

I finished a seven day course last week. After first two days pain felt a bit better but then it seemed to come back along with feeling as if I was about to explode below my ribs. Tummy there would go tense and I could feel lumps. Finished the course and I didn’t start to feel better until I started taking probiotics again. Metronidazole also makes me feel a bit low about life and I have to keep telling myself that this will pass.