Hi I'm New here I had a flare up of diverticulitis and am on anti biotic ,started with diarrhoea

hi susan

my flare ups usually last about a week to ten days . I've only been diagnosed since September 2017 and have been in hospital twice ...my last flare up and in hospital was last October. Have just had another small flare up last month and was put on 2 lots of antibiotics. I am so careful with what I eat and take fibre gel every day...... absolutely hate having this and hate eating but know I have too! I hope you feel better soon.....its such a painful condition

Thank you for replying I hope your settle down .do you no if buscopan help someone said try them

I would say to everyone on this board, if your diverticulitis is repeatedly bad, and you have the option of surgery, go for it. As i have said on here many times, i had one massive infection, because my gastro kept telling me my diverticular pockets appeared "unremarkable" on colonoscopy , and that i had IBS! Inever ever had the symptoms of IBS , As i kept telling him! Since my surgery, apart from a few blips, i have never had a healthier bowel. Its big surgery, but well worth it. I have a few other problems not related to my bowel, but my bowel is working perfectly. I am 63 and firmly believe that my bowel problems have been going on for years, but no inflammation etc ever showed on blood tests, even when i had a festering abscess! So not a big believer that everything shows on blood tests. My wonderful colorectal surgeon said he always listens to symptoms, doesnt always go by blood tests, and he was correct. Listen to what your body is telling you.

Hi Susan

I've been dealing with Diverticular Disease for 18 years now - it's a condition for life. But unless you have other underlying conditions it is very manageable. The medications you are on will have knocked the stuffing out of you, and destroyed all your internal bacteria, good and bad. The side effects of the medication include diarrhoea and constipation, plus nausea, depression, metallic taste, loss of appetite etc. The internal infection/inflammation can take weeks, or even months to clear up - there's no quick fix with this disease. My first attack I was in pain for 4 weeks, and my last it was 18 months. Now I just get the odd early morning niggle until I've "been". It takes time and patience.

It is very important to drink plenty of water, monitor your food intake, and keep your bowels open. I take a sachet of Fybogel daily and have done all these years. I also found by keeping a food diary, I can't eat gluten or full fat products. Others have different food intolerances - we are all different. I also took a daily probiotic to replace the gut bacteria and pure Aloe Vera to reduce the internal inflammation. Others have different systems, but this is what worked for me.

On the whole the medical profession is pretty useless in its advice and is full of conflicting information. I suspect it's because we all differ. You will get the best advice and information from this forum, because we KNOW, it's not just book learning. Most people join the forum, get the information they need, and leave once they feel better. Best wishes.

Hey Susan - yes left side pain is pretty common but DD pain can also manifest centrally or even sometimes to the right side ( though this seems to be less common). I tend to get it centrally. DD problems often occur in the last section of the colon (sigmoid) where the diameter is smallest and the gut has to work hardest. Eating right is important. There is lots of advise on this site about diet but generally in the first few days of an attack you should go fully liquid, then move to very low fiber foods (I tend to eat mainly pasta) then when you're well again eat high fiber foods and lots of veg? The pain is boring I'm afraid - most days for me it is there as a dull ache - during attacks its more intense and one can take paracetamol for example to help. Hope you feel better soon (I'm just getting over an attack myself) its a really boring disease but it is manageable so keep positive, you will feel better soon!

hello ,

i am 67 and have had diverticular disease since i was 52 .

I cant take cipro flagyl . i take AUGMENTIN 875 /125. it seems to work for me . my question to this group is i had a bout on MARCH 17. I am still getting some twinges and some residual pain . i am hoping that the augmentin was enough . i had a perforation in 2009, so i get freaked out . is there something great as a prophylatic i can take . i do fiber and probiotics .

i will be searching around to see if i can get some info . plus have any of you heard about not treating if no elevated wbc ? my md says that sonetimes it will resolve . i woukd like to get feedback on meds you take too. thank you for your help .

I have had the same for past 3 weeks with diorhhea on and off with terrible pain on left side being given loperamide wouldn't be able to have antibiotics as they give me diorhhea too and I've had enough this week.

Hope you feel better soon.

Dolphin500.