Is Diverticulitis manageable

hope it goes well I've had a colonoscopy 3 years ago now never again, I didn't have any anesthesia so I didn't have to stay longer at the hospital wish I had after,

Have you tried prune juice?

So you don't take Metamucil or the husky stuff do you eat oatmeal ?

Metamucil twice per day and oatmeal as much as possible.

No - I have not tried prune juice.  My gastro doc suggested Miralax everyday and that has worked.  I am afraid to upset the apple cart at this point as this seems to be working, although I don't like the though of putting a chemical into my body.

I used to eat steel cut oats and loved them but scared they might cause a flare as sometimes there are some hard pieces in the oats.  I hate rolled oats.

Thank you so much for your post! I had my first attack almost 2 years ago since than I have had at least 7 attacks never had to go to Hospital yet. Like you I would rather eat grass and water if it keeps me from another attack. 

I started foiiowing a diet which says on stage 4, the part where you eat alot of fiber, because " it can keep you from an attack" so I had been eating alot of granola 1 or 2 cups a day!! I have been in an attack now almost 2 weeks. I also take 1/2 does Mira lax per day, except during attacks, and that keeps things going.

 Do you eat alot of fruits and veggies after removing skins? What do you eat on an avg. day? I'm sorry I have alot of questions for you.

Thank you for taking time and caring

Hi I agree with you.  Just got out of hospital for complicated diverticulitis with abscess and I do eat very high fiber and very healthy diet.  But I ate a lot of popcorn and seeds in salads etc last week right before this.  I know they say that it isn't true about the seeds but I'm thinking for me it is. I also remember a few years back eating a lot of cauliflower and having such severe pains that I almost went to hospital.  I never had it checked out but now I'm thinking this is what it was.  I'm on a low fiber diet right now until I feel better and can slowly add in fiber. I hear everyone on here takes Miralax but I'm not sure if I should start this now or wait a few weeks.

 

Did you eat the  cauliflower raw or cooked good?

I don't do alot of raw veggies either although I love them.  Most I will eat raw are carrots, radishes and mushrooms.  If I eat any veggies or fruits with skins, I peel the skins.  I was 2 weeks from voluntary surgery about a year ago.  What stopped me dead in  my tracks was the word "stoma".  They wanted to be cautious and mark an area on my abdomen, "just in case".  Then I started to rethink and do a lot of research on  my own about the surgery.  I did go to a  new gastroenteroligist who says he very rarely refers anyone to surgery that suffers from diverticulitis, no matter how many attacks they've had.  All the docs I talked to about this were surgeons.  And what do they do best, they operate!!

I'm sorry.  Your request was in my spam folder.  I think the last attack I had a year ago was due to a baked potato that had a really tough skin.  I love baked potatoes with skins but two days after this, I had an attack.  I also had a few sticks of raw red pepper that still had the skin on.    I started to do a little research on soluble versus insoluble fiber and try to stay away from anything with insoluble fiber.  It's  not easy to do.  I will eat romaine lettuce with a few "smooth" veggies, i.e. mushrooms, radishes, carrots.  I try to stay away from anything that comes out the same way it goes in!!  Ask away, I'll try to watch my spam folder.   I don't  miss a dose of Miralax.  It's my miracle drug.  Forget the fiber!.. I think  my intestine was damaged several years ago due to food poisoning.  I went to the hospital with the worst pain in my life.  It felt like somone was pouring hot lava through my intestines..  I was passing a lot of blood and, excuse the mental image, undigested corn on the cob.   Of which I had been eating for a week prior to attack.  When I went to the hospital, the did a CT scan and some other tests.  No sign of diverticulitis but diagnosed diverticulosis and  food poisoning.    Shortly after that, anytime I ate corn, nuts, popcorn or anything with a lot of fiber, I noticed I had an attack.  Several times with no fever, but a couple of times with fever  which sent  me to the doctor.  Did this poison set me up to have diverticulitis?? and make my intestine more susceptible to an infection?? Odd coincidence!   I've read that only a small % of people that  have diverticulosis then go on to have diverticulitis flares.  So why do we???

As are as I am concered, the cat is out of the bag by the time they know you have diverticulosis - damage has been done due to our diets (at least that is what the major consensus is).  You aren't going to reverse it by now adding all this fiber to your intestine to process.  Let me know how it turns out - try an almost fiber free diet for 6 months and see how you feel.

I roasted it... but ate alot of it lol.  And then had a horrible attack that I thought was gas at the time.  But I love veggies and eat broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, cabbage every week. Now I'm not so sure what to do.  Maybe just everything in moderation.

 

Thank you for this.  I do not want to have surgery and will do all it takes to avoid it.  But my doctor said that if you have one attack, the chances of getting another is much greater and that it is never optimal to have to do emergency surgery.  

I have read that once you have an attack, you most likely will suffer from another one. I have had two substantiated attacks (CT scan verified) and several unsubstantiated ones that I treated myself over the past 6 years.  The old school of thought was subsequent attacks would be worse and more dangerous.  That is not true.  I've read alot about this disease and try to separate the good from the not so good.  My attacks have not gotten worse, they are always the same and my gastro doc agrees that subsequent attacks aren't worse.  I was placed in the hospital one time due to an emergency room doc who said I had an abscess.  When the surgeon visited me while in the hospital, he said I absolutely did not have an abscess and this was verified by another visit to another surgeon when I was considering surgery.  Who said you should have surgery?  Your gastro doc or a surgeon?  I'm just glad I found a doc who will work with me in trying to control this disease and not suggest the need for surgery just because I've had several attacks. It is a major surgery - even if it is laproscopic.  Read up about the potential after effects of the surgery - it is not without further complications.  I am just going to keep doing what I am doing and hope for the best.  

Hi Linda,  Thank you so much for these words.  I agree with you as I have done a lot of reading in a short time on this subject.  I saw two doctors in the hospital... one was GI doctor and the other was a GI specialist and surgeon. I liked the surgeon very much and he was the one that said that we would need to have a "conversation" about surgery.  He said I was a canidate because of the abscess and the fact that he was unable to drain it because it was surrounded by my bowel and could not get to it safely.  I made an appointment with a GI doctor in two weeks and I believe the next step is a colonoscopy.  I am sure they will be able to tell me more after that.  I agree with you that it is a major surgery and I will do everything I need to to avoid it at all costs.  Right now I am on a low fiber diet and eating very little meals.  Mostly yogart, eggs, chicken and broth.  I had some cooked carrots and canned green beans and so far have been feeling very well. 

Hi

I've never had complicated diverticulitis such as an abscess, but always diagnosed as "uncomplicated"  I might be thinking differently if I had an abscess.  Since all of my flares have been uncomplicateds,  does that mean complicated always equals complicated again and you will always have an abscess?  Who knows?  Obviously the docs don't know.  I'm sure the docs know what they are doing (!) but your  intestine is supposed to heal prior to an invasive procedure that could cause a rupture.  Again, this is just my reading online but it certainly makes sense.  

Lindalaz, have you ever had the infection that required antobotics?

I had porridge (oatmeal) made me have a flare up so I won't be eating again I also had one with sprouts a veg a xmas so no more for me don't want an operation so I'm trying see what helps probiotics have helped as I have ibs also