1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Diverticula

How long do other people's diverticulitis attacks last? Just read someone on soft diet x 2months?!

Posted , 153 users are following.

caz45653
caz45653

I'd love to know how long other people's flare-ups last on average. Have had D disease x 15 y. Had 3 attacks in past 6 wks. Urgh! I usually take antis & get up after 1 or 2 days, liquids only x 36hrs then soft foods x about a week, then gradually reintro fibre, seeds, pulses. Maybe I should stay on soft food more than a few days after 36h on liquids?? Opinions please! And btw its almost impossible to lose weight when this rotten condition dictates eating all the wrong stuff after an attack.. White flour pasta, mash..all those carbs! And stodge! Not helpful. Any ideas? Thanks. New to forum. Am 63 now & desperate to do anything to avoid surgery. Hi to all fellow-sufferers..this thing is a so 'n so & invades at the drop of a hat. Oh..and...

If anyone has ideas about how to address core strength safely please...do tell. Caz

7 likes, 498 replies

498 Replies

Prev Next
  • deirdre51215
    deirdre51215 caz45653

    Posted

    Hi All,

    I'm 40 and was diagnosed in November 2016, I have had 3 flare ups since then and have 3 stays in hospital in IV antibiotic. Im at a complete loss and I have no idea what my triggers are. I left hospital 13 days ago and only finished my antiotics 3 days ago and in paranoid at every feeling and every pain. I have my period now and I don't know if I have period pain or a flare up but really what is a flare up? Does this mean visits to the bathroom or pain? How do you know you have a flare up is it by pain? I'm eating hi fiber as this is what the doctor told me to do. I'm in Ireland and am going on holidays in 10 days to New York. I'm afraid to go now as the last time it hit me it was the worse pain of my life and I had no warning signs😟It's taken over my life, work life, social life!

    • sally03642
      sally03642 deirdre51215

      Posted

      So sorry for you.  I am 68 and was diagnosed with diverticulosis 13 years ago. I never had a problem until we moved from CT to FL.  I have had 4 attacks since June 2016.  Like you I don't know what my triggers are.  I have been told that the current medial attitude is that there doesn't have to be a trigger, it can just happen. 

      Everbody's symptoms are different.  Some have diarrhea, some are constipated and some experience both. I would suggest that before you come to NY, talk to your doctor, get a prescription and fill it before you leave on your trip.  It is also dificult to describe the pain, but like you, I panic at every little twinge.  I call it "window frame" pain.  The pain seems to follow the entire path of the colon.  Sometimes it will be concentrated in the left descendending colon.  I wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy your trip.

    • marie28646
      marie28646 deirdre51215

      Posted

      Hi deirare I'm also from Ireland, we are in the same boat. I was diagnosed last November had 2 flare ups was in hospital for 3 days, and i don't know what to be eating and what not to eat. It is terrible. Im 47. It's trile and error.

    • pjrom
      pjrom deirdre51215

      Posted

      I am 49. I do not have my female parts anymore and I can tell you if I did I wouldn't be able to tell either.

      I believe now that when I thought I was having pain in my left ovary from a cyst it was probably my colon. 

      Think 5+ years ago, did you have pain in your left ovary when your cycle was on? If not it probably is not your colon.

    • pjrom
      pjrom

      Posted

      *it probably is not your ovary.
  • donna54364
    donna54364 caz45653

    Posted

    Hi Caz:  I am new to this forum.  Read your post and wondering how are you feeling now.    I was in the hospital a year ago for a weeks - sent home with antibiotic probably for another month.  Took about 3 months to feel ok.  Every day I worry about getting another attack.
  • pjrom
    pjrom caz45653

    Posted

    Caz are you doing any better? I just got diagnosed 1 week ago and this is debilitating!  

    No more stomach pain but i've lost alot of weight because I can't eat. Ho do I put weight on?

  • julie43388
    julie43388 caz45653

    Posted

    Hello everyone I recently was diagnosed with D after having terrible pains and thinking it was ibs flare up pains were so bad was taken in to hospital and given antibiotics for 6 days came home for a week and pains just got worse went back to hospital kept in again more antibiotics for 5 days and also had an abscess which apparently can happen with this disease. I have been reading all your comments just trying to get as much information about this horrible thing as I can. I got out of hospital Saturday still getting funny little pains and feeling paranoid it's going to come back. Not knowing what to eat eating stuff with more fibre and trying to go the toilet everyday. Helps to know there are other people out there a lot of people never heard of it I didn't till it happened.

    • AntonioIdaho
      AntonioIdaho julie43388

      Posted

      Hi Julie, just a suggestion don't eat fiber if you just got out of the hospital. Try soft foods that are easy to digest, in my case if I eat fiber when I'm with a little pain when food moves through your bowls it gives you pain since your bowls are still tender and you my end being constipated. Usually it takes like a month to be able to eat fibers and with a lot of liquids.

      Eat eggs, potatoes, jello, sweet potatoes, pure vegetables and fruits preferably cooked and with no seeds, never blueberries. Natural Shakes and juices with no seeds. Avoid sugar and dairy, although you can have culture dairy like yougurt. Try to take a probiotic everyday after you finish with antibiotics since they kill everything in your gut. Hope this helps a little.

  • amia1
    amia1 caz45653

    Posted

    Hi everyone, I'm finding this discussion really helpful.  I've just been diagnosed with diverticulitis last Saturday and returned home from hospital last night, with a bucketful of drugs.

    I am trying to get myself up to speed with the new foods I can eat.  Consultant has told me I must slowly introduce a high fibre range of foods washed down with gallons of water.  So, I can see from some of your posts you have a low fibre diet.

    what is best for this condition? high fibre or low fibre. I realise we are all different and what works for one won't for another, but I'm right at the start of this and finding it quite hard to get my head around this big change I'm now going to live with, along with the excrutiaiting pain when there is a flare up.

     

    • pjrom
      pjrom amia1

      Posted

      I was diagnosed 1 month ago. Tried taking metamucil last week and it constipated me. Your bowels need to heal, so I think the fiber is too much for us now.
  • madeline27614
    madeline27614 caz45653

    Posted

    Hi again.  I just got out of hospital after a 3 day stay.  I actually had been on an antibiotic (Augmentum) for 15 days and the 16 day I was doubled up with pain and had to go to ER.  They did a cat scan and immediately said my whole abdomen was loaded with diverticulitis. Put on IV of Levocor and Flagyl for three days.  Sent home with a week on them orally.  I still have slight cramping and do not feel good yet. My back also hurts(low) and I don't know if it was the hospital bed or infection or antibiotic causing it.  I am so scared and right now on a vacation of 1 month left.  Out of state doctor and hospital and possiblity of abcess scares me so I'm hoping I can hold out without conplications with the antibiotics are finished.  When I go home I am going to my PCP and then talk with gasro doctors(getting 3 opinions) the talk with surgeons too.

    After reading so much about pros and cons of surgery I still am fearful because I had had two abdominal surgeries in 20 years and some say it's not a sure bet to work and additional surgery may be needed or a total removal of colon. Colonosopy .....Scarey stuff.

    • marie28646
      marie28646 madeline27614

      Posted

      Hi madeleine i was in hospital for 3 days and was sent home with antibiotics for 10 days, i also got lower back pain, i got it on my 2nd day in hospital and had it for a few days after. I also thought it was the bed, may be not
    • pjrom
      pjrom madeline27614

      Posted

      I had an upset stomach yesterday from drinking an Ensure.

      I used the bathroom a few times and my left lower back was hurting.

      After a few hours the pain went away. So it was probably from your bowls moving if they moved. If not could've been from something else.

  • tj76527
    tj76527 caz45653

    Posted

    I'm never clear of it and have acute attacks 2-3 times a week. Today's lasted 15 hours and was terrifying and horrific...I've given up even trying to know what to do. I eat all the right foods, take my anti-biotics, drink lots of water and occasionally small amounts of chilli based dishes help me?? Everyone is different and it depends what other ailments you have 😑

    • pjrom
      pjrom tj76527

      Posted

      Can you please describe your acute attacks?

      Is it more than the pain in the lower front side?

      Also do you work with this condition?

    • pjrom
      pjrom tj76527

      Posted

      You are so right it probably does depend on what other ailments you have.

      But I thought with this condition you should not eat spicy foods.

       

    • Guest
      Guest pjrom

      Posted

      Chilli is one of my triggers,I never have it now.
    • pjrom
      pjrom Guest

      Posted

      I have been trying to get some opinions on the air fryer.

      I am wondering if using this will allow us to be able to eat fried foods without the oil and batter.

      It is the heat that so call fries the meats.

    • Guest
      Guest pjrom

      Posted

      Yes i use the airfryer but only for cooking chips rather than frying in deep fat or oil.

       

    • pjrom
      pjrom Guest

      Posted

      Are we talking about the same air fryer?

      With an air fryer you do not use oil or flour(batter) to fry.

      It fry's using the hot air of the machine.

      It is the one that they show on the informercials.

       

    • Guest
      Guest pjrom

      Posted

      The Airfryer I use in the U.K. Uses one teaspoon of oil.
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.