Recently diagnosed w/ diverticular disease

I am sorry to hear you are going through this. I went through that for 4 years before i got to a really good gastro dr that said i have diverticulitis and celicacs. I just had 12 inch of the part of the colon that has the diverticulars. I have been gluten free for one year. No more problems with the celicacs throwing up part but my surgey was Oct so still getting over that. I would consider having a colonoscopy

Hello K1mbO

I have recently been getting over an attack and had two days in hospital. They seemed to think that constipation causes an attack so I have gradually gone onto more high fibre foods and also have Movicon which is a help in letting food pass through the bowel.  I have now sent for books called Great Taste No Pain by Sherry Brescia. They claim to help and stop attacks through saying what foods are not compatible to eat together and give a lot of helpful advice.

Hope you are feeling better now but remember to avoid nuts and pips and skins if possible. Some doctors think differently about this and say its an old fashioned idea that has never been proved but it seems to make sense that certain hard bits could get trapped in a diverticular poch and turn nasty with inflamation which causes the dreadful pain.(poch should read Pouch) Let me know how you progress.  Best wishes Vera

I have been Diverticulitis free for about 4 years now! Prior to this I had the flare ups about 4-5x a year, with the same symptoms you explained, for about 6 years! My gastro DR. would put me on flagl (metronidazole) and ciprofloxacin. He wanted to cut the portioin of the bowel out that was the cause. Fortunately, I had an embilical hernia that needed addressing and the Dr. for this mentioned trying Metamucil every morning. It simply adds fiber to your system. One belief, which I am on that team, is that the bacteria from your BM moving through your colon causes the "flare" up or infection. If we can keep things moving on a daily basis, there is no chance for the bacteria to take over. All I know is, I take a heaping tablespoon full of the metamucil (fibre supplement)in a glass of warm water every morning before breakfast and I don't have to change my eating habits anymore and I've not had a "flare up" or attack since!!! BTW, I did presribe and subscribe to Vera's suggestion of Sherry Brecia's diet years ago. It did not stop the attacks but I did lose weight and felt better for it!...but not the cure for me. It's the fibre supplement. Try it for 6 months (and be religious about it) and see if it doesn't stop the attacks...if no attacks, stay on it the rest of your life and eat and drink as you wish. Good Luck.

Thank you, everyone for the great feedback. My colonscopy is scheduled for the beginning of Feb and I have an appt with a gastro the very end of Jan. I've realized that chewing really, really well, cutting down on the wine :-( and laying off dairy has been helpful. 

Also very helpful is an understanding of what you're undergoing and how you're overcoming your challenges.

 

Yes I found that wine triggers attacks and thought perhaps it was caused by the acid

I feel very nervous about what to eat now since having such a severe attack. so Im trying to be "sensible" which is not always great fun! Its so nice to be able to help each other on this site and congratulations to the person who thought of the idea.---- you have done a very good job and are helping so many people. A big thank you to you. Vera