Diverticulitis or not?!
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi everybody!
?I have always suffered with stomach problems, but have been on various contraception my whole life to try and ease/help with the pain. I thought at first that the excruciating pain was just my period pain/primary dysmennorhea, after a while though with it getting worse and more symptoms cropping up, my doctor and I thought it may be endometriosis so I was referred to a Gynaecologist. On meeting the specialist, and him examining me, I was informed that he didn't think it was anything 'Gynaey' but more so to do with my bowels. He said my colon seemed very tender and that I had a blockage on my left side. I have always since I was a little girl suffered with chronic constipation and from time to time bleed when going to the toilet. I don't eat much fibre and don't really drink that much. I have been to a dietician in the past but didn't feel like her advice was any good.
?My flare ups were coming on every other month and lasting about 4-5 days. Now it's happening to me every 3 and a half weeks and lasting 10/11 days. I suffer with severe abdominal pain, to the point where I am vomiting and nearly pass out. I cannot walk on my legs properly, I feel sick all the time and have loss of appetite. My legs, lower back and hips throb like crazy, like they're being pushed down with great force. I feel dizzy, I have sweats and go from hot to cold within minutes. I'm in a right state when it comes on! Paracetamol weren't doing anything, not even touching the sides. I was prescribed after a while, cocodamol - 30mg of the stuff! Makes me go really dizzy but takes the pain away within 10 minutes, I don't really care about the dizziness when I'm at the stage when I'm crawling on the floor in pain just to get to the medicine box. I keep being told it's IBS but this pain is SOMETHING ELSE! Honestly, it's a nightmare. I find that I'm pretty good with any types of pain but I CANNOT handle this! I'm thinking of asking for a CT scan? and maybe even then a Colonoscopy?
?Does this sound like Diverticulitis?! I just want some sort of a diagnosis so I can then learn how to manage it! Thanks in advance for any advice!
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0 likes, 21 replies
Guest tammy271093
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tammy271093 Guest
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I am 24. I'm definitely going to ask for one!
kate65092 tammy271093
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Hi Tammy, sounds like you are describing exactly what I've been going through since start of May, my gi doc sent me for a Lowe back mri because of severe lower back and leg pain, scan wS clear, so tomorrow morning I go for my colonoscopy, I've felt lightheaded, dizzy, exhausted, Abdominal pain, and leg, hip and back pain, like you I feel something bad is going on, just praying for a good result tomorrow, keep on at your doctor for answers
tammy271093 kate65092
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Hi Kate,
?Poor you! Isn't it just horrible?! Good luck with your colonoscopy tomorrow! I'm sure it will be fine and I hope you get the answers you're looking for!
?I literally feel like I live at my doctors! Drives me mad. They just keep missing things!
Thank you. x
vickie47128 tammy271093
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ellen_46197 tammy271093
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Tammy I would definitely have a colonoscopy to rule out diverticulitis I think a cat scan with contrast would also b helpful it's quite expensive if you have decent insurance well worth the cost a blood draw would show bacterial infection You should not wait to do these things for if DD infection the wall of your colon could rupture and this could b life threatening good luck
tammy271093 ellen_46197
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Thank you so much. I'm going to look into it!
1231Pecan tammy271093
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Yes, it sounds like DD, but a ct scan and colonoscopy will tell you for sure. One issue in your description hit home, and that's your comment that you didn't eat much fiber not did you drink much water. Me too. And that's exactly what led to my DD. Since a major flare up that led to hospitalization, I have totally changed my diet to include a lot of fiber and tons of water, and it has made all the difference. Never again will I go back to my old ways which caused my DD.
vickie47128 1231Pecan
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tammy271093 vickie47128
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I have only ever tried a Gluten-free diet. Hopefully be seeing a dietitian or nutritionist soon to try and start the FODMAP diet. Maybe you should look into that!
tammy271093 1231Pecan
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Hi there,
?Actually spoke to my doctor this morning - she is not sure. She says that older people tend to have it and that she wants me to wait for another flare up so that they can do a blood test as Diverticulitis would show up then. I'm feeling a little down about her response as blood tests have never shown up anything useful for me in the past, I find them utterly useless! I will definitely be taking myself to hospital next time I have an attack. The majority of the time the attacks are in the middle of the night so I would have to wait till morning to make an appointment anyway!
heather91287 tammy271093
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tammy271093 heather91287
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Hi Heather,
?Have asked for tests but she wants me to do a blood test next time I have a flare up. I don't think she realises just how much of a state I can get in when I get like it. What symptoms do you have with your IBS if you don't mind me asking? Do you find them all to be very similar or? My doctor is adamant that its just IBS with me but I know my body and I know that the pain I experience is just not normal. Not if it lasts for long periods and I'm throwing up with it!
Guest tammy271093
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At 24 you are young for Diverticular Disease, but as you admitted you don't have much fluid or fibre, you are certainly more likely to develop it than someone eating loads of fruit, veggies and drinking plenty of water. Lack of fluid and fibre would also cause you to strain and might be a cause of the bleeding. So in that respect you can help yourself. But a colonoscopy or CT scan would certainly help in a diagnosis. But it is very difficult when someone has multiple conditions, as one can have a knock on effect on the others. I hope you get some answers.
tammy271093 Guest
Posted
Hi Felinia,
Actually spoke to my doctor this morning - she is not sure. She says that older people tend to have it, yes and that she wants me to wait for another flare up so that they can do a blood test as Diverticulitis would show up then. I'm feeling a little down about her response as blood tests have never shown up anything useful for me in the past, I find them utterly useless! I will definitely be taking myself to hospital next time I have an attack. The majority of the time the attacks are in the middle of the night so I would have to wait till morning to make an appointment anyway!
Guest tammy271093
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All a blood test would show is infection, not what caused it! In the meantime I suggest you keep a food diary to see if your attacks follow certain foods. My problems are caused by gluten and full fat. Also I have purchased a set of dip strips over the Internet and when I have a problem I test my wee to see the marker for infection. This will give you more information to provide to your doctor in future. When you lie down and press fairly firmly on your tummy do you have any painful "hot spots"? That is how my doctor got a rough idea of the location of my diverticula. Or is the pain all over, not in one particular spot? Does it come over you in swamping waves like birthing pains? The nurse at my GP practice has both children and DD and said that is how she compared the pain, and DD was worse. Do you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, as that can also be a trigger, and everything always seems worse at night? It sounds like you are UK based (do nothing until you have to) - in the USA you would be hospitalised, tested, and much poorer!
tammy271093 Guest
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I have tender areas, mainly on my left side. I had an ultrasound scan for another reason not long back and that included a transvaginal screening, when she used the rod inside and moved it to the left hand side of me I squirmed. It was quite sore and throbbing afterwards.
?The specific pain that I get when I flare up is mainly in the centre deep in my stomach just above my pubic bone but sort of spreads along the bottom. Yes, that's exactly how the pain is, it just comes in these intense waves, where I will then break into sweats, throw up from the pain and nearly pass out. Everything just goes really dizzy and I cannot seem to concentrate on what's going on. Yes, it is worse in the middle of the night too. I suffer with Generalised Anxiety Disorder too so stress easily which obviously doesn't help my stomach out either so trying to sort the both of them out! Seems neverending.....Yeah, that's how I am feeling. They keep fobbing me off with IBS which I do suffer with naturally on a daily basis anyway with a few little stomach cramps and bloating etc but this other pain is severe so something is not right.
ellen_46197 tammy271093
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Hi tammy yours and felinias comments so hit home my pain when in a flare up is exactly as you describe it is just like labor pains and comes on just as contractions did The ER doc acted like I was crazy when I described the pain When not in a flare up dull pain whole lower abdominal and twangs that hit whole abdominal If I had a magic wand I would remove this disease from all ! Good luck to you and everyone else!!!!!😁
vickie47128 tammy271093
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Sound like me, my pain is belly button to the left and Down to pelvis area with burning sensation and left lower back, hip and leg pain. I to developed chronic anxiety and panic attacks due to all this. Which makes matters worse. All the meds they had me on my body rejected and made me worse. I’m on Xanax only now. Waiting to have tests done for SIBO and IBS. Had tests done for Candida, parasites and SUDD, all normal and had many Cat Scans done with blood tests. Only showed Diverticulitis with abcess many rounds of antibiotics,still not better, so colonoscopy is what you need it showed more than Cat Scans. Hope you get answers soon, but I would definitely demand , advocate for yourself, to your Dr to do these tests. Or change Dr. 🌸👍
heather91287 tammy271093
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