I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis. Have been taking antibiotics days . help

Thanks for your reply. I cant believe how little information i got from emergency. Just a prescription and told to look it up on the internet. Am at day 8 of the antibiotics but still have loose stools and abdominal pain and nausea. Dont know if is from the anti biotics. Went on liquids only and am now on low fibre diet and not able to go even though i feel i need to. Is it too soon to start with fibre?  I hope we can both get some answers from people on this forum who seem to have more info than the drs!

We do - and it's all from bitter experience!!!  As there is no set answer, that is why the official advice, such as it is, is so vague.

Firstly, the diabolical medication will be contributing to your bowels and nausea problems, as well as the Diverticular Disease (DD).  The side effects are nasty and will take a couple of weeks or so to flush out of your system once you finish taking them.  The pain from the DD can take weeks or even months to slowly disappear as you heal internally.  Not what you wanted to hear I know, but at least you know what you are going through is common.  I used to reckon 4 - 6 weeks to start to feel more or less back to normal, but last time it was 4 months on the special low residue diet and 10 months before I was more or less OK.  I still get twinges.  Having said that, if the pain gets worse, or you get other symptoms like fever/chills, swamping cramps, go back to the doctor - sometimes it takes more than one course of medication.

As for diet, everyone varies and its a case of trial and error to find out what suits you.  You should start off on fluids only, like broth, tea, jello, applesauce.  But of course it does leave you feeling tired, as well as the illness and medication.  I then go on to meal replacement drinks (for the minerals and vitamins we all need), home made blended soups, veggie puree, yogurt, and bland food like steamed fish, broiled chicken, white rice, white pasta, crustless white bread, scrambled egg or omelette.  Small meals, well cooked, thoroughly chewed.  I learned that gluten products and full fat products aggravated me, so I cut them out.  Other people have other trigger factors like dairy, red meat, nuts, pips, skins, seeds, popcorn, which I can eat in small quantities.  I suggest you keep a food diary and note any foods that appear to irritate.  Start with very small quantities of fibre food at first then build up.  Please don't do what I have read on here before - the person who was told eat more fibre so had a huge bowl of All Bran (and suffered as it's too rough on healing insides) or the person who had a fried rice takeaway on the way home from being discharged from hospital.  Both learned and had the sense to post a warning!!

As for fibre, soluble fibre is best, and I start my day with soluble fibre powder in a full tumbler of water, prescribed by my doctor.  Some have this twice a day.  It helps to bulk and soften the stools and makes them easier to pass.  When on the low fibre diet there is not much to make you "go" so I start the powders once the pills are finished.  For some this is not enough and they take things like Dulcoese, Miralax or Lactulose.  Your doctor could advise.  But you must try and avoid getting sucked into the circle of emetic/binder.  Google will give you lists of soluble and insoluble fibre.

This forum has lots of posts on food - Divi Diners and one 18 months old by julia1040 spring to mind.  The search engine at the top should help you find them.

Time and patience are what it takes, and I know that is hard if you have a job to return to, and a home to run.  Best wishes.

Thankyou for taking the time to reply in such detail. That is all very helpful info.  Having never had an issue with anything to do with the bowel, this has really thrown me for a loop (no pun intended!) I now know this is going to take time and patience.!  Am already keeping a food diary and will implement some of your other suggestions. Hopefully this has helped Linda also.

Thank you I hope your feeling better too.  It’s nice to have someone to talk to that understands. I feel like everyone thinks I should be over this already and they just don’t understand. Best Wishes 

Thank you so much for your information.  How long do you need to stay on bland diet? I’m having to force myself to eat because everything tastes horrible and this maybe due to the antibiotics.  Toast with applesauce has become my favorite.  I’ve also been able to tolerate cottage cheese. I bought meal replacement shakes today.  Im so sick off chicken....I think I may sprout wings. This being my 2nd flare up in 6 weeks and 2nd round of antibiotics is really depressing. I think I may have started back on regular food too soon.  Amy suggestions on something to add flavor to chicken and fish? Thank you for all your help, your an angel 😇 

It does take some time for the taste buds to recover from the meds.  I found I had this foul metallic taste for at least a week after I stopped taking them.  I'm afraid I'm not much help with flavours - I have always preferred my food very plain.  I loathe things like chilli, horseradish, wasabe, spices, herbs and actually find it difficult to find foods out, without all the additives, so mostly cook for myself.  If you can take tomatoes (skinned and de-seeded), I make parcels where I put tomatoes and mushrooms on fish and chicken, wrap in paper, and then bake them for about 20 minutes.  I also bash a chicken fillet flat, then wrap it round a small banana, and wind a couple of turkey rashers round, wrap in paper, then bake.  It's actually an old WeightWatchers recipe.  You could try stuffing some Philly with garlic and herbs in a chicken breast, or ham or bacon medallions if you can eat them.  But my diet basically bores for England!

Drat - my reply got suppressed!  Hopefully the moderator will pass it in a day!

After a couple of DD attacks, I am now EXTREMELY careful what I eat, namely soft foods like yogurt, oatmeal, broths, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, a milkshake, juice drinks, Boost, Ensure, and I drink LOTS of water. So far so good. I can't eat anything that I really like to eat, but as long as I can keep from aggravating my gut and landing up in the hospital, I don't care. Please keep up your nutrition. You will get through this.. 

Thanks for this