Problem Foods

hi sam,

I have not pinpointed any foods in particular. In fact my diet from pre-diverticular diagnosis and post diagnosis has remained about the same. I limit foods however that have been named by others eg nuts, seeds in breads, etc. However there is many commentators/reserachers who now claim say that the commonly named foods eg strawberry seeds, tomatoe seeds, peas and corn etc have no basis in the science. That this had been disproven.

However due to the last two severe attacks - (last one in April this year) - I am very concious of what I am eating and I am trying to see if there is any co-relation.

I have recently seen a gastroenterologist who has ordered tests to see if I have an intoerance to lactulose,lactose and fructose....this is a breath test. But I got the impression that she feels I have Irritable Bowel as well as diverticular....and I am beginning to accept this. Therefore diet will become more of a focus.

I have to own up to the fact that my 2 identified triggers are stress.....(all episaodes occured out of the blue at highly stressfulk times); and poor bowel health. I get very nervouse if I am becoming constipated/ or have bouts of diarrhoa - tell tale signs for me.

However the pain comes on very quickly - 'like out of the blue' - and is severe and has a temperature which just keeps going up....

my doc has said that apparently if I do not evacuate all in my bowel - faeces can get trapped and becomes infected quickly.

Long answer to a short question - Sorry about that 

If we knew the answer to your question ..we would not suffer "flares"

If only we could pinpoint the foods that trigger!!  I avoid all suggested seeds, pips, skins, try to stick with soluble fibre rather than insoluble fibre and still I suffer flare ups!!  They come on quickly with no warning and knock me off my feet.  I believe that everybody who suffers have different triggers and that makes. Very difficult to manager.

What I think needs to be taken into account is that a flare does not come on immediately after eating a certain food.  The flare is when a diverticulum fills with material that then festers.  This can take a few days, so it could be as much as three or even four days after eating your 'trigger' food that a problem arises.  Even all this time I still do not know what my trigger is.  This is why, on Divi Diners I advised reintroducing a food over a period of a week or so to see if it caused any problem within that period and if not, then it was reasonably safe to add it to the 'OK' list.

I miss food. I am doing as much research as possible on this disease. I am going to pick up some Taurine supplement. It is to help bile acids. 100 mg to 500mg per day. I will keep you posted on results.