1. Community
  2. Gut, bowel and stomach
  3. Diverticula

What's Normal for DD

Posted , 3 users are following.

alexandra62000
alexandra62000

arrowI have been diagnosed with moderate to severe diverticular disease since Jan 2012 following a 2 to 3 month period of lower abdominal pain.  It eventually cleared and for over a year I was pain free.  Then 3 months ago I began to get cramps again.  I had antibiotics, with no real effect, suggesting it was not an infection.  I get cramps every day, which feel like I have eaten something disagreeable, along the lines of a pound or two of plums (which I haven't incidentally). My doctor says it's just the DD and is to be expected.  He also gave me a leaflet which said to expect 'intemitent lower abdominal pain or bloating'.  My questions then are this: is what I am experiencing normal, and what does intermittent really mean? If this is my only symptom, should I be concerned or should I take my doctor's word that it's just DD and put up with it.  It's not unbearable pain, but it is uncomfortable a lot of the time.

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • jacqueline01135
    jacqueline01135 alexandra62000

    Posted

    Ahh , Alex  , you should be here  in bed with me at the moment .as I am suffering

    from a flare  (strange name for a diabolical pain) the pain hovers like a nosey 

    neighbour,and has to be tolerated, which I do, with very bad grace. Nothing seems

    to move it except hospital concoctions of drips ..arms not blokes!!!

    Don't doctors just luuuuuuuuuurve to hand leaflets out. You may,as some of our band of sufferers be blessed with THE TROTS but pain is the name of the game

    Don't eat anything with skins, unless you peel them, including peas.

    Swear,at it  I do x

  • jonnojohn
    jonnojohn alexandra62000

    Posted

    Hi Alexandra. I experience what you are experiencing every day.  I have been reasonably 'good' for a little while now but I am never without the gut pain and intolerable 'wind' (as Jacqueline will testify).  I have no idea what intermittent means because I live with it daily.  I do take Co-Codamol (full strength) and it is the only drug I take which give me any 'comfort'  None of the prescribed drugs for DD have done anything.  Anti-biotics have no effect during flare-ups.  I have uffered for 30 years nd still feel that we shouldn't put up with it.  As Iv'e said so may times I don't want to be patronised; neither do I want to be told that I am one of millions.

    Jacqueline (my co-defendant) and me are planning a letter to the Minister and/or NHS England.

    Incidentally, I firmly stick to my diet given to me by my dietician years ago.  Avoid acid at all costs. best wishes Jon.

  • tess053
    tess053 alexandra62000

    Posted

    Hi Alexandra,

    I read your comments with great interest, for your circumstances seem very similar to my own. I have been diagnosed with diverticular disease for the last 3 years and suffered the symptoms long before that. Like you I have lower abdominal pain, and had a colonoscopy and a barium enema. I remember quite clearly seeing the x-ray up on the wall with my bowel highlighted in white, and wondering what all these strange little appendages were sticking out from the one side of my bowel. Needless to say, I soon found out that these were diverticulum, and the possible cause of all the discomfort I had been experiencing for so long. The frustrating thing is that my GP said that I shouldn't be experiencing any pain as there is no diverticultis present, but I was and still am, so all he could suggest was pain killers. I hate taking drugs as I think they just mask the symptoms so I use a good old fashioned stand by, a hot water bottle. Even with this I sometimes still can't get comfortable. I don't know about you, but the nagging pain is especially bad when I go to bed. I lie holding the hot water botlle between my legs and lower stomach, and eventually exhaustion makes me fall asleep. I also suffer from bloating, and wind which is uncomfortable and embarrassing.  I haven't posted until now because all the people I've come across so far seems to be suffering a lot worse problems than me. Having emergency admissions to hospital, serious operations and some becoming extremely poorly, so I guess I am lucky to have got off so lightly, though it doesn't feel like it sometimes. Finally, I am wondering whether to try and pay for a CT scan or MRI just to confirm the diagnosis, as my GP seems to be quite happy to go on prescribing pain killers rather than investigate if diverticular disease really is the cause of this ongoing pain.

     

    • alexandra62000
      alexandra62000 tess053

      Posted

      Hi Tess, like you I can't help noticing how many others seem a lot worse off, and I am grateful to be less poorly. Hopefully this forum will enable us to learn how to manage and stabilise our condition as it is, if not improve it. The problem is that unless the doctor has the condition he/she is just following text book advice, so I was struggling to get first hand advice until I found this forum. Thank you for your reply, I had not considered paying for a scan but may look in to it in the future. I'm scheduled for another colonoscopy in a year I think. In the meantime I will try the hot waterbottle as you advised. Alex.
    • jonnojohn
      jonnojohn tess053

      Posted

      Tess, Hi.  Change your GP!  If diverticuli were present when you had your colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy then it is abundantly clear that you have Diverticular Disease - and resulting diverticulitis.  Noboy wnts to take drugs.  I have suffered for years and firmy believe that (in the absence of ANY advice fro, it seems, the nations GP's) a controlled diet is the key to a less painful and reduced flare up attacks.  Don't eat food high in acis (I'm afraid this does include a lot of fruits). Google the Americal professor who has done tremendous rsearch into the dieae and has written a  paper.  He extolls the vitue of a non-acid diet (as does my dietician).  Nothing can be done (it seems) about the wind.  I should know - ask Jac.  Don't even think about a private MRI scan. b.w's Jon
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.