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OUCH!!! DIVERTICULITIS AGAIN!!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

anne28866
anne28866

Hi there,

Does anyone know how to deal with this horrible condition without the need for antibiotics.

I have had 3 attacks this year, more than normal.

Was diagnosed some about 10 years ago, have tried high fibre diets, low fibre diets.

I am despairing now as it is creating cramping pain in the lower abdomen especially after going to the toilet, never constipated. It is sometimes hard to sit down, like sitting on a poker, horrible!!!

Any suggestions would be welcome

0 likes, 32 replies

32 Replies

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  • patricia58637
    patricia58637 anne28866

    Posted

    Oh Anne I’m so sorry. I feel your pain literally. This is my 3rd flare up within a few months. Am on the usual Cipro and Flagyl. Pain in my left lower abdomen is almost unbearable. I talked to the Gastro Dr on call last night and he wants to admit me to hospital for intrevienous antibiotics. The week end you have to go through the ER and I’m not willing to take that chance with all the sick people there. To answer your question I don’t know of anything we can do outside antibiotics. I have scourged the net looking for natural means. Then the antibiotics in my case by mouth are not working. I’ve found a heating pad relieves some of the pain. Wish I had the answers but looks like we are pretty much in the same boat. (Sigh) well at least we are not alone. 
    • anne28866
      anne28866 patricia58637

      Posted

      Thanks Patricia,

      Sounds like it's a trip to the docs tomorrow then, Flagyl normally works for me as long as I don't leave it too longsad.

      Yes indeed we are not alone, sometimes I wonder what I have done wrong to suffer from this.

      I too have scourged the net and found some useful info, going to try flaxseed as a preventative measure.

      A lot of stress lately ?which I am sure does not help...…..

      Wishing you all the best and hope the IV antibiotics do work for you

       

  • glenda_82112
    glenda_82112 anne28866

    Posted

    I've got you beat, 14 confirmed attacks in 11 months, 2 more I caught before going to the ER. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but once you're having those pains you must take the antibiotics because your colon is already infected and inflamed. I'm 3 months post op from sigmoid colectomy where they removed 4" of my colon. Believe me I tried everything possible. Now I'm diverticulitis free, still healing from my open cut surgery, and just barely started reintroducing foods, but still stay away from fried,gassy vegetables and fruits,and spicy. My situation was dire, 1 more week and I would have died.

    • anne28866
      anne28866 glenda_82112

      Posted

      Oh Glenda,

      I really feel for you but at least you are free, sounds like you have been to hell and back hopefully.

      Thanks for the feedback and so glad that you are on the road to recovery.

      All the best

  • carol63431
    carol63431 anne28866

    Posted

    Hi

    Sounds like the gripping pain I’ve only had a couple of times.  It’s Not nice!

    Are you drinking enough water?

    I don’t know what causes the cramping, but I immediately think of water.  I’ve never been a water drinker, but I’ve been working at changing that and I haven’t had the cramping again.

    Also, when I start getting sharp twinges in my gut, I take slippery elm (powdered bark in water).  That seems to work for me.

    • anne28866
      anne28866 carol63431

      Posted

      thanks Carol,

      Will give both of your suggestions a try, nice to get some alternative feedback.

      This time I think the antibiotic route is the only way then I will try and work on the preventative measures and see how things go.

      Missed a holiday recently because of this horrible condition, may well ask GP for some standby antibiotics should this happen again.

       

  • jeremy04220
    jeremy04220 anne28866

    Posted

    I can only suggest you persevere with the antibiotics and painkillers. I omitted the antibiotics on an occasion and had a major bleed.

    • patricia58637
      patricia58637 jeremy04220

      Posted

      Jeremy what painkillers do you use.? I’ve tried Tramadol. It’s suppose to be pretty powerful but it doesn’t help the pain that much. This is the most severe attack I’ve ever had. The discouraging part is after weeks of oral antibiotics I’m still in the same boat. Now have to resort to the IV and the hospital. This disease is really a cross to bear. I’m sure you all agree to that. You’re right about stress it’s a killer too. God bless us all. 
  • jeremy04220
    jeremy04220 anne28866

    Posted

    During the very worst attack, the first session that lasted several weeks I was on codeine and paracetamol. The codeine caused me to have the most awful blockage which took some working out. That was 14 years ago since then I have had many attacks which is pain, the runs and feeling ill. My left lower tummy hurts all the time but if the level increases to cause distress I take paracetamol (Tylenol in USA and Canada). As an indication I got through 500 paracetamol in 1 year. Not so much now though. (I hope that is not famous last words). I buy the Tylenol in Canada as it comes in bottles of 500  and are smaller, easier to swallow tablets. I always have a course of antibiotics with me and take it when I feel I need to. I have had 2 major bleeds and the description of what happened in A&E is not for the faint hearted. Suffice it to say the A&E consultant said I even frightened them it was like a horror movie. The second one was more controlled because I knew what was about to happen. The second hap penned because I failed to take the antibiotics when I got ill. My Dr was not a happy bunny afterwards. He didn't quite say I was an idiot but I knew I had been.

  • ann55375
    ann55375 anne28866

    Posted

    To all whomhave answered here, i am sure stress is causing mine.  Do any of you suffer it or have depression anxiety like me?   Before that my bowel never did anything like this.
    • anne28866
      anne28866 ann55375

      Posted

      Hi Ann,

      I noticed your entry on the Z drugs section. strange that we should both suffer from the same bowel problems.

      This begs the question...….

      Anyone out there...IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN DIAZEPAM AND BOWEL PROBLEMS?????

      Yes I am sure stress makes this condition much worse.

    • patricia58637
      patricia58637 anne28866

      Posted

      Oh yes Anne I’m sure stress plays a huge rule in this but not by itself. Our bowel system is a complicated thing that really almost controls our whole body system. I think we all need to be cautious  about what we eat. I was doing better then I ate some crackers and it set me off again. Something as simple as that. I deal more with pain than anything. 
    • glenda_82112
      glenda_82112 anne28866

      Posted

      Yes, Diazepam will constipate you. Because of the severity of my diverticulitis I was already in the habit of drinking 2 Tablespoons of Milk of magnesium every morning to prevent constipation along with a small bottle of Gatorade (not the red) so I could control and monitor my bowels (making sure there was no blood, that's why I stayed away from the red). It helps to keep your colon clean. After my surgery the doctor put me on percocet and valium (diazepam) so I just upped my milk of magnesium, drank a ton of water.

    • anne28866
      anne28866 patricia58637

      Posted

      Hi Patricia,

      Just a bit of feedback, now on my course of antibiotics Metronidazole and pain easing slowly.

      Feeling very low in myself and very tired.

      Does anyone else feel like this on these antibiotics? they are indeed horrible things but necessary I know.

      Just a little moansad

    • jeremy04220
      jeremy04220 anne28866

      Posted

      I had Metronidazole many times (14 day courses) over 13 years and found it did not bother me and possibly the total alcohol ban did some good. I had another issue with the drug but the hospital said it was nothing to do with it. It always seemed to do the business for the DD.
    • anne28866
      anne28866 jeremy04220

      Posted

      Hi Jeremy,

      Guess we are all different. I don't always react to them this way....very strange.

      The alcohol ban doesn't bother me as I am tee total anyway. Thanks for responding to my little moan.

      Hope you are doing OK today,

    • ann55375
      ann55375 anne28866

      Posted

      Yes, yes, yes! I am sure theres a connection.  Here are you and i in same boat, stress isnt helping and i dont know about you, but my bowel is abit better but i want to get rid of diazepam, how many do you need in a day?  I try to keep mine as low as i can as i think they make me a bit depressed.
    • anne28866
      anne28866 ann55375

      Posted

      Hi Ann,

      I have a full blown diverticulitis attack at the moment, taking antibiotics yet again.

      Yes the connection is rather a co-incidence??? Like you say we are in the same boat. I have been taking diazepam for 22 years and for the last few months I have been doing a slow taper to get off them.

      I used to take 19mg per day now reduced to 14mg per day. Taking advice from GP and addiction specialist. thinking about it I had no stomach troubles until I was put on these wretched tablets.

      You are wise to want to get rid of the diazepam but you must be careful to do it slowly with help.

      I wonder if anyone else has picked up on the connection???

      ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE SUFFERING FROM DIVERTICULAR DISEASE AND ALSO TAKING DIAZEPAM LONG TERM???

      Hope we get some feedback from that eh?

      Wishing you all the best .

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