Diverticulitis recurrence

hello brannie,

skins, nuts, and seeds are excellent sources of fiber and by avoiding them due to diverticulitis by thinking they will get caught in pouches is a MYTH . some of the very best in the U.S , such as the MAYO CLINICS will tell you that there is NO Scientific evidence of this! I highly doubt any Doctor is giving this bad advice today -- its what they thought years and years ago.....

Yes, I understand that this is now the case....insoluble fibres that are found in seeds, nuts etc. ought to be fine to eat if you have diverticulosis. However, as a long time sufferer all I can go on is my own experience. Since I have given up eating anything that has skins, seeds, nuts, corn and spices ( 9 months) I rarely get abdominal cramps and so far no flare up of diverticulitis, either. For 6 long years I had a low quality of life with daily pains and frequent flare-ups but now I am getting my life back. Therefore, I have found that one size does not fit all and the medical profession needs to go back to do more research.

Hello Brannie42, I tend to agree with you about one size does not fit all when it comes to diet. I was diagnosed after colonoscopy in 2017 with multiple diverticular all down the left hand side. The scope was done because I had bad constipation with some blood in stools. I never actually felt ill or had a fever or temperature. The consultant could not tell me where the blood was coming from except to say either the internal haemeroids or diverticular. Whilst it was good to find out there was nothing serious like cancer and only 1 benign polyp I was left really to try and sort out the bleeding which has continued off and on since because I just can't sort out the constipation. I was taking fybogel but I thought it made it we worse so stopped. Also suffer from anxiety which does not help. Never thought that at 71 I would have to think so much about what to eat. Back to now this week constipation has been a problem. I should add that I was told I have ibs bout 8 years ago wonder now if it was DD. I have decided to do a liquid diet for 24 hours to give the bowel a rest then low residue but not sure for how long. What really worries me is won't it make the constipation worse. I was then intending to try Lowfodmap again but I did have trouble with constipation. I am still not sure how much fibre I need. I try to concentrate on soluble fibre but still hit and miss. So could you tell me what foods you eat. Like you I am not sure about fruits raspberries etc. I never really ate them until about 3/4 years ago you know how gps push fibre. I have always eaten veg and lots of salads but not much fruit. Never had trouble back then. Any advice you can offer appreciated. I am hoping I won't need antibiotics as before Christmas had 2 courses close to gether for other problems the last being ciprofloxacin which you may know should not be given for simple infections. This probably did not help the digestive system.Am due to see gp on Thursday not just about this but about my arthritis spine neck and knees. Might try and get one Monday morning if I can.Thanks for reading this, sorry to ramble on. Forgot to say I also have gastritis endoscopy last year so have to be careful with acid foods.

Hi Libralady13,

You don't actually say in your post but are you going through a flare right now?

X

Hello brannie42

This might sound mad but I don't ever know what a flare is. Just know I have diverticulitis Ibs (although maybe it was DD all the time). I seem to suffer most of the time with constipation odd pains left and right hand side low down backache and bloating plus arthritis pain and of course gastritis. Each time I have been to gp I have never had a temperature or fever proved by finger prick blood test so not been given antibiotics. Everything is put down to anxiety and constipation. I feel a bit of a fraud as I know how much you all suffer with a flare. My gp says If I had diverticulitis I would have bad pain and feel ill. I still have small amounts of blood in stools when constipated on the odd occasion that I have a normal bowel movements there is no blood. The consultant after doing the colonoscopy did not know if the blood was from diverticular or internal hemorrhoids which they also found.

Bless your heart, I'm so sorry you have such a bad time. I don't know where you are in the world but in the UK when we have been diagnosed with diverticulOSIS

we are told to eat a high fibre diet. Many people will never get diverticulITIS and will never have symptoms from their diverticulosis. Some people will get symptomatic diverticulOSIS.....no inflammation or infection but symptoms related to the pouches.

If you get diverticulITIS you are told to go on bland low residue foods until the symptoms improve. It can be very confusing.

I have never had a fever with my flare ups of diverticulITIS but the pain has been severe and also affects my back, pelvic floor and left thigh and I pass small amounts of blood and mucus.

From your description it sounds as though you suffer from symptomatic diverticulOSIS......but it's possible you could have had some inflammation during your painful bouts that took you to your GP. I am no doctor so I am simply going on my own experience here. If the blood was mixed with the stool then that is not usually from hemorrhoids. Bleeding from hemorrhoids is bright red and streaks or coats the stool and you might get bright red blood in the toilet.

As for your diet I don't really know what would be best for you. I found that limiting insoluble fibre and eating more soluble fibre has helped me so much. However, I have never suffered with constipation...more the other way, really!LOL! So what works for me might not work for you.

I take psyllium husk capsules which can work for constipation and loose stool. But this is really Fybogel which I see you couldn't get along with.

I would advise you to go back to your GP and see if you can have something that suits you better to deal with the constipation as you really don't want to be constipated when you have diverticulosis as it can make the condition worse.

I don't think that low residue would be right for you at the moment unless you really are getting a flare up of diverticulITIS! You could make your constipation worse. If you are having pains it could be from the constipation and not from inflamed diverticula.

Please see your GP to advise you on this before trying to treat it yourself.

Please let me know how you get on.

Sending hugs

x

Thank you brannie 42 for your kind words and advice. Yes I am in the UK. I was born and brought up in Greater London what was Middlesex although I still refer to it as that. We moved to Greater Manchester nearly 3 years ago to live near our daughter and her family. All my son in-laws family are here which is great for my granddaughters.It' s lovely to be near them but the down side is that we don't see our other 2 children and their families as much. When I was diagnosed with the diverticulosis and hemorrhoids I was not given any advice I looked again yesterday at my colonoscopy report and it says multiple diverticular from as I understand it where the transverse colon would start all down descending colon and sigmoid colon so really all down the left hand side. The house move was very stressful and I think this is where the anxiety and constipation stem from. I found out about high fibre diet from gp , on line and forums like this.

I think that given the wide area of diverticular pouches I probably have symptomatic diverticulosis. however since I was also diagnosed with Ibs some years before given the similar symptoms it is hard to know which it is. I suppose it is also possible that I might have had flare up with just inflammation. When constipated I too get back pain and thigh pain. The medical profession is beginning to realise that you don't always have a high temperature with a flare. I have read that they are not always so quick to give antibiotics because of antibiotic resistance. Not to make light of those who are really ill during flare, I feel for them It is just sad that the strong antibiotics that deal with their infection also mess up the digestive system and make recovery longer in some cases. You mentioned about blood in stools I may not have explained it properly. What happens and sorry to be graphic is my stools are lumpy so there are,streaks of blood on the outsides of the separate pieces which are stuck together. I do get the odd blood actually in the toilet bowl and red when I wipe not frank liquid blood but more like wiping a graze. When the stools,are smooth there is no blood. Whether this from my internal hemorrhoids or pouches being grazed from constipation is what no one seems to know.I see my gp next week so will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.

sorry meant to say decided not to do low residue. Just watching what I eat small portions plenty of water and trying to limit insoluble and get more soluble into the diet.

Yes, water is good, keep hydrated.

I will PM you when I get some time tomorrow.

x

oatmeal is soluble fiber. INsoluble fiber does NOT dissolve in water. therefore OATMEAL is a SOLUBLE FIBER because it dissolves in water.

Hello Oatmeal is I believe soluble fibre but I don't think you are supposed to eat it during a flare.