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Going against the 'grain'? Not me!

Posted , 6 users are following.

CauliColon
CauliColon

Hi, fellow diverticularians(?),

I'm 56, male, and was diagnosed by colonoscopy in 2012 after having a number of years of 'management' issues (or lack of,) for what was provisionally labelled "a touch of IBS" by my GP. I have to say that I have never been hospitalised - or even medicated - due to a 'flare-up' ....yet!

I don't think it's just good luck. It might be that the amount of pocketing is minimal - or that the proximate cause of my problem is (as yet, undiagnosed) intractable colon, but I can only share again what has kept me from darkening GP doorways and A&E trolley queues. The word is Bisacodyl. It seems to send some screaming in fits, muttering, "last resort" and "you don't want to rely on that!" kinds of sage-like 'wisdom'.  But the evidence is that I only feel mildly uncomfortable every week-to-ten-days, prior to medication/evacuation by a single 5 mg pellet.  The reason?  Because pockets will fill up with whatever they will - seeds, porridge, cellulose, fat - and it will embed and ultimately rot!  As I have said before - and in light of so much suffering by posters here who carry on holding onto rotting matter for months - I must pose the question, "what is so wrong with total evacuation every 7-10 days?"  No rotting residues, minimal discomfort on a predictable basis with just the need to keep 'local' for one day after a night time dose?  No more antibiotics - and a great feeling of levity when all has passed!  Sounds almost good?

There are no foods I can't eat - because seeds or no, all residues will be discharged before they decompose.  I figure that to medicate more frequently than 7-to-10 days is to risk loss of nutrients from foods eaten.  I've stayed within my 10 year weight range of 14 to 14.5 stones using this strategy. 

Bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative.  I use it sparingly in this way and my bowel is still mine - in terms of sensation and knowing when it needs to 'go' over the 6-to-9 days after medication - before everything stops again. 

I suggest it's a reasonable trade-off:  Long-term use of stimulant laxatives vs. 3-monthly admissions  .... ?  'No-brainer'?

See your GP and discuss.

Cheers,

Pete.

0 likes, 50 replies

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  • sam52768
    sam52768 CauliColon

    Posted

    That is how my sister deals with hers also. She also keeps on hand some antibotics and will take a couple and then save the rest when she gets that feeling again. She has managed this way for maybe year and a half and eats what she wants except lots of chocolate and hot peppers.
  • appendectomy
    appendectomy CauliColon

    Posted

    Taking antibiotics like that us not any good whatsoever. If there is anything growing in the stomach she will make it resistant by using antibiotics this way. This is how mera was created. Inproper use of antibiotics. I would strongly advise against it. It does not cure any suspect infection by taking only a couple of doses. Most likely it's only a flare and then antibiotics won't help anyway. Use the antibiotics when they will work and are necessary, when you have confirmed infection from blood test or fever. Get the medication from a Dr. Please do not self medicate antibiotics as it will affect the whole population Creating more super bugs 

  • sam52768
    sam52768 CauliColon

    Posted

    You can tell her that.. Believe me she has been told.  My flares do not cause fever and blood comes out o.k.
  • appendectomy
    appendectomy CauliColon

    Posted

    I bleed too but that's not unusual in diverticular disease. Its a shame your sister won't listen to the health professionals. Be rest assured she is not the only one. I gave a sister in law doing the exact same thing. It's a shame as the antibiotics will stop working. There are now strains of mrsa that can handle all antibiotics apart from one or two. Then there's other infections that have been made resistant to all antibiotics on the market. I find frequent bowel motions, plenty of fluids or even fasting helps when flare starts. I take aloe Vera every day. I tried the bisocdyl but it's not for me. Too hard for my stomach. I do understand it must help a stuck bowel though as in your case. I'm now on amitryptilin for the chronic pain this has left me in wbc has been a gid send. There gas been recent research, blind study both in Sweden and new Zealand. They showed unless you have complicated diverticulitis 

    • sam52768
      sam52768 appendectomy

      Posted

      I agree.. she is hard headed. Are you sure you dont have Colitis or Cohns with the bleeding? We all must find what works for us individually because health professionals have not found a way to cure or really help except to cut out.
  • CauliColon
    CauliColon

    Posted

    Oh dear! ....

    My opener has been side-swiped by 'drug abusers'! (apologies! lol )

    The 'snacking' on antibiotics - as if they were analgesics - is of course a wrong tactic.  That response has largely derailed my premise that a '7-to-10 day' evacuated gut should preclude the need for antibiotics - at all.  The mild discomfort of bloating towards the end of my cycle is predictably tolerable and clears after .... clearance!  (In my case).

    In my book, keeping out of hospital is a worthwhile aim.  People die there, don't they? (rhetorical)   

    I'm hoping Sam's sibling can cope without their frequent use in that way - but I'm glad that Bisacodyl works for her from a 'plumbing' pov!

    Pete.

  • jacqueline01135
    jacqueline01135 CauliColon

    Posted

    Dont' you think that if you didn't eat anything and everything. you would not have

    to endure the major evacuation every week.  No brainer is about right rolleyes 

    • CauliColon
      CauliColon jacqueline01135

      Posted

      I do tend to stick to recogbnised foodstuffs of the world, but.....

      To answer your enquiry: My premise is that so long as the percieved more aggravating foodstuffs are cleared through the system, then any non-allergenic food might be eaten.  If one only has diverticular disease then surely one only has to empty the pockets to avoid infection - whatever the contents?  Choosing to avoid certain foods surely does not prevent the pockets from filling with other foods.  It could be that some foods are less likely to cause infection in the short term, but ultimately anything that stays in pockets for weeks is going to become toxic, isn't it?  

      Of course, one can have more than one complaint in this region.

      Pete.

  • doglover
    doglover CauliColon

    Posted

    What about those of us with the opposite to constipated Turds? I really don't need bowel Evacuations with Medication. !!! I can manage that ok.. Thank You..

                  Doglover

    • jonnojohn
      jonnojohn doglover

      Posted

      Then clearly it's not for you but it just may be the answer for other suffers.  Don't be dismissive, Doglover.  The idea of a forum such as this is for anyone to post that which they have found good for themselves which might be just good for others. If you don't like the input - go walk your doggy.
  • jonnojohn
    jonnojohn CauliColon

    Posted

    Pet.I wonder if you have something there,  Clearly it's working for you. Although I have suffered for so many years now I can't honestly recognise most of the problems encountered/posted by other suffers in this forum (a lot of them newly diagnosed). The whole idea (I thought, perhaps mistakenly) of this forum was for suffers to share, learn and possibly , and with much hope, find relief and solutions.

    A seed planted.

    Jon

    • CauliColon
      CauliColon jonnojohn

      Posted

      lol John! - "a seed planted" ... ouch!  I will keep that one embedded .....in my memory and not my gut!

      It is a sad fact that most commentary here is about the fallout of flare-ups.  There's an 'incovenient' acceptance by frequent posters that it's all quite enevitable.  As I've tried to make clear, there may be many causal aspects to the symptoms we suffer, but maybe the bland popular sound bute that "we're all different" is just a progress killer and a thread stopper?  Stimulant laxatives are things that people avoid.  I prefer to avoid acute illness and hospital!  I'll settle for chronic management!

      Good to hear from you OM,

      Pete.

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 CauliColon

      Posted

      I have to ask you if your doctor approves of your rather drastic self help

      regime and surely your bowels must eventually give up the effort of 

      working, because the muscles don't have to do any work

      Do you honestly eat everything that we are told to avoid ?

      Jac

    • CauliColon
      CauliColon jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Good questions, Jac.

      My GP puts his mark on my repeat prescription!  To be honest, we haven't needed to discuss the application, since I haven't had a flare, or needed to see him for anything else recently.  I'm quite sure he's 'happy' not seeing me.  Whether that's quite an 'approval', I can't say! 

      As far as gut motility goes: The 'urge' is slight at best, but the retention is on my terms!  The general experience is described by the typical cycle:-

      Day 1 (after a reset dose)  is 'unreliable' - clearance can begin anytime from 8 am to midday, but does not complete until around 4 pm sometimes.  Eating normally all the time (...well, not continuously, you appreciate!...) I make an effort over the coming days to pass the majority of content on a daily basis.  That often requires patience and deep thought!  After between 4 and 8 days, the throughput ceases completely one day, and that is generally when I take the night time 5mg dose.  So, missing a days output is the cue to medicating that evening - or the next if I really must stay active for a particular day. 

      Very occasionally especially if I have to defer the treatment beyond the10 days (which I really try to avoid) I use 10mg for the reset.  That can be quite explosive and uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say 'painful', for me.

      Apart from a regular breakfast diet of plain oatmeal porridge (no milk) with creamed honey added at serving, orange juice (with bits!), ASDA probiotic drink .... oh, and the mandatory strong, sweet, fresh black coffee  - I can eat anything the rest of the day - including onions, chilies etc - and favoring good extra virgin olive oil and butter to other fats - used hot or cold -  I'm generally 'predictable'.  BTW, the thing about olive oil is that it does not break down or emulsify like some other oils, so probably remains useful as a lubricant for normal gut action to work with.  It's also more agreeable than castor oil! lol

       Cheers,

       Pete.

    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 CauliColon

      Posted

      Heavens above Pete , NO BITS in the juice PLEASE, be a little

      supportive to your  system .Now you have ""come clean " about your 

      cleansing equipment ,it sounds as though your urges are turning into

      "Don't care ""mode and wait for the refuse collectors to call

      Even though you are set in your ways .Have you tried capsule probiotics.? Save you the journeys to ASDA, and, they don't go off

      Sounds as though you are housebound for long periods of time.

      I use, and always have Olive oil,  so I applaud you for at least one

      good habit that you have I may have to do some work on your  others

       cheesygrin rolleyes   Jac

       

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