OUCH!!! DIVERTICULITIS AGAIN!!!

Glad to hear you are doing well.

Trouble with these chat sites is that you tend to get the negative stories and read how people are suffering.

It would be good to hear some positive stories, such as yourself and more info on preventative measures to try would be very useful.

After all anything is worth a try,,,yeah?

Hi Jeremy ,hope you OK. I would be interesting to know how many sufferers where on co codamol and other paracetamol tablets,this is what caused my problem,they dry up your stools and cause constipation big time, the flourish powder from natures garden is the best ever for kelping you regular.john.

DD gets very little mention in the press. I think it is because there is no known cause, some theory which to my way of thinking is hocus pocus and no cure, no medical trials of any sort and no way my that big pharma can make money out of it.

I'm a 58 year old woman. For the past 16 years once in a while I would've had what I called "phantom " cramps. Usually Midol would take care of it. Little did I know it was diverticulitis. It wasn't until 7/16 I was officially diagnosed with acute chronic diverticulitis., confirmed by CT scan. I had never heard of it until then. The first question the ER doctor asked me was who or what was causing me a lot of stress. According to him stress is the number 1 culprit. I did have the surgery 4 months ago and it has made a world of difference and has given me hope of a normal life.

Hi Glenda,

I read your entry with great interest. I am curious to know what form of surgery you have had. I am so pleased to hear you are feeling better now.

The stress comment was very interesting as my attacks tend to flare up during times of stress.

I feel at my worst first thing in the morning, waking up to that familiar cramping sensation.

Looking back can you pin point when you felt at your worst?

Thank you for such a positive story very much appreciated

For 8 years I worked 4 full time positions (they fired the other employees and gave me their jobs), which caused an immense amount of stress. It was a government job and I had caught my boss and another employee committing fraud, needless to say I was fired. It was during this time that I began having "phantom " cramps and noticed my stomach bloating. Thank God I have my boyfriend, but the stress has already done damage. In 2015 I was at the doctor constantly with the "stomach flu". In my whole life before I had the flu maybe 5 times. The 1st week of July 2016 I was nonstop vomiting. On July 7 I was in extreme pain and couldn't walk because I kept passing out. That's when I went in to the ER and was 1st diagnosed. Needless to say the next 2 years my food list was extremely limited. I never could get beyond the soft diet. Had my last attack this past February, it was 14+ attacks. I told my doctor I knew in my gut I wouldn't survive the next attack. My surgeon opted for open cut since I have a family history of colon cancer and because of the amount of attacks. Usual rule of thumb is surgery if you have 2-3 attacks in a year. The cut runs from right below my bellybutton to the top of my v bone. When he opened me up all my organs from the stomach down were completely infected, twice the size they should've been, so he had to flush me out before starting the process. Now keep in mind, because I'm on Medi Cal, they are notorious for handing out pills, don't like to approve surgery. My situation was so dire because of insurance lagging. The surgeon told my boyfriend if we waited 1 more week, I would be dead. I just found out this the other day. Open cut healing process is longer than lapriscopic, either one is major surgery. It takes your muscles and nerves 6 months to completely heal, my organs a full year. The diverticulitis symptoms are completely gone, with in a couple days after the surgery. Still careful about what I eat and how much, but it's more than I've had in the last 2 years.

Hi Glenda,

Thank you for sharing your story with all on here.

Yes by the sound of things you are lucky to be alive, we are constantly warned about ignoring these pains and the "stomach flu" once we have been diagnosed as having diverticular disease and the ultimate peritonitis that would result in extreme cases.

I presume you are from the US, please tell me if I am wrong. In the UK I have no idea how many attacks would reach the criteria for referral for surgery. I feel perhaps glad that I was diagnosed with diverticular disease after a sigmoidoscopy to investigate rectal bleeding. I had very severe piles which bled profusely, ultimately leading to one very painful but necessary operation to remove them some years ago.

I am at least aware of what these pains mean and get the treatment as soon as possible. I have had more attacks than usual recently and yes I have been under a lot of personal stress recently.

I have to see my GP when I have finished this course of antibiotics to see if further treatment is necessary.

Your story is an example to us all that there is life after diverticulitis, even if surgery is needed.

Thank you once again 

Dear Anne. Oh my that’s awful you have another full blown attack. I’m so sorry. Yesterday I had a sigmoidomy. Have been in and out of pain for months. All he saw was divertular disease with no infection. I had DD active a few weeks ago. Took the usual Coreg and Bentyl. Checking my urine for bladder stones as cause of the pain. I’m afraid to eat anything much for fear it will hurt .  I stay swollen most of the time. I think all we can do is watch our diet very closely, rest as much as possible. It is so depressing as we all know. That’s a huge problem. Not on antidepressants but maybe should be. Pray we all get a break from this miserable stuff. Take care. 

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for your message of sympathy, no body can understand just how vile this disease is unless you have it yourself.

Sigmoidoscopy…...EWWWW horrible but necessary. Had my last one 10 years ago.

Yes perhaps a food diary would help and staying away from stress if possible. But in this day and age it is so difficult. There is so little useful info out there on DD. I find high fibre makes me worse.

All we can do is keep on trying.

Try not to do the antidepressant route if you can,

Best wishes

Hi Anne

Sorry to tell you but the criteria for surgery in the UK is NOT the number of attacks, only if you have a life threatening complication like a blockage, fistula, perforation, sepsis.  However I have heard of the rare cases where the quality of life is so severely compromised surgery is actually carried out.  We are expected to soldier on by ourselves, watch our diet and take pills when they condescend to prescribe.  My GP now won't prescribe due to fears of antibiotic intolerance, unless absolutely essential.

Hi Felinia,

Thanks for that info. It sounds very much like the NHS service.

You have to be half dead before anything is done!!! how do you cope without antibiotics? I hate taking them but have no choice.

I find there is very little info on control and prevention of flare-ups, watching our diet would seem sensible. I just wonder if other prescribed drugs have the effect of exacerbating symptoms, maybe drugs given to us for different reasons. Very little info on that.

I suspect diazepam for making my stomach problems worse in the beginning but no one will own up to that will they, not the drug companies or the medical profession.

Take care