Diverticular disease and urinary tract infections link?

Digestive health
1

Hi,

I was recently diagnosed with Diverticular disease which happened incidentally as i was having a CT scan for suspected kidney stones. Soon after the scan i had really bad bloating, cramping pains down my left flank which radiated to the right and my abdomen, high temperature (38.5 and higher), very fast heart rate and generally feeling awful and unable to eat for a week. I was being investigated for a urinary tract infection of which i have had several this year (never had this before). Apparently this is very unusual as i am male and relatively young <40 and otherwise healthy. Given the severity of my symptoms i was admitted to hospital where i was on 3 IV antibiotics and a drip for 3 days followed by a week of amoxicillin. Thank goodness the antibiotics did the trick as dr was worried i was sliding into a sepsis situation. 

What i am wondering is if there is a link between the diverticular disease and the urinary tract infection. It seems logical to me that given how close the bowel and bladder are to each other one could cause the other. Has anyone had a similar experience and/or any tips? It has been a month since my hospital admission and i am keeping my diet very strict and so far have had no big issues with my bowel and my urine seems clear so far.

thanks for your tips

Dan

2

Hi

I always have UTI symptoms when my diverticulitis flares up.

My urine samples are usually clear though , it's very frustrating having

to keep going to the loo every 15 minutes because I keep needing to wee ! So yes its common to get bladder symptoms with a diverticulitis flare. Keep to a strict diet and drink plenty of water.

Good luck.

3

Thank you for your reply Linda, this is interesting. i can only guess that somehow the bacteria made its way into my bladder but i could be wrong of course! This whole thing is such a pain, i haven't had any chocolate, coffee or a beer in more than a month now...

4

Hi Dan I was exactly the same as you had all them symptoms with diarrhea and sickness incredible pain in my stomach and back being sick high temperature couldn't get out of bed lost so much weight couldn't drink couldn't eat and couldn't go to the wee. I ended up in hospital 3 times before they discovered I had diverticulitis abcess that burst. The hospital said I had constipation then it was said it was gastro interitus. Until they finally found the burst abscess had an emergency operation which ended in having a colostomy bag not perminute but the interesting thing was they did say my bladder was intwined with my bowels so possibly it may have something to do with it and I'm only 48 . Yea diet is a contribution to the diverticulitis I would imagine . but glad you have it sorted. Mary x

5

Mary

It sounds like you had an absolute nightmare, i am glad they managed to resolve it! I did actually ask the doctor when i was at the hospital if it could be an abcess and he reckoned not because apparently with an abcess your temperature shoots up very suddenly and then goes down while mine was more constant. I might see a gastroentrologist to discuss though.

Did you also have a urinary tract infection?

thanks

Dan

6

Hi Dan l was diagnosed 2 weeks ago after a bladder infection that wouldn't shift l had ct scan that picked it up also had colonoscopy which showed mine was mainly in the sigmoid colon l have suffered a lot with bladder infections and in my opinion it is connected. Clean up your diet watch anything that may trigger it and hopefully you may keep it under control. I don't eat bread of any sort just pure wholebran. Not wholemeal as that in my case triggers bloating and cramps. Good luck xx

7

Thanks Christine,

this sounds similar to my problem. Apparently if there is a fistula between the bowel and bladder recurrent urinary infections can occur. But i imagine a fistula would be picked up in the CT scan though...who knows. It sounds like it is something that just has to be controlled rather than cured though sad my diverticula is in the sigmoid also and is apparently mild and uncomplicated - certainly didn't feel that way when i was in hospital with a raging fever!

 

8

Hiya Dan yea I did have a real nightmare with it tbh didn't realise what I had hi thought I was ill lol yea I did have a urine infection aswell but as my bladder was intwined with my large intestine that possibility the cause of it . But as I was ill I couldn't go to the wee and when they addmited me they drained my bladder which they said had about a weeks worth built up but as you said it's pretty much together in there close to the intestines so I would think infections do happen. X

9

Ct scan showed mine but scan also showed part of my descending colon had collapsed so l was sent for colonoscopy l was scared as thought blockage was cancer but it turned out my colon was fine and collapse could have been due to my flare narrowing my colon but it had corrected itself. Colonoscopy

Specialist told me that 80% of people that have colonoscopies have divictular disease and don't know

10

Very interesting thanks for sharing. I am almost convinced now that there is a link between the diverticular disease and the urine infections. Urologist wants to do a cystoscopy but i am not that keen, i might wait a bit.

11

I am a female and had wondered the same. I asked and they said no. I thought maybe a wee tear or home could allow it to seep.

12

a friend of mine knows a gastroentrologist who said that diverticulitis can definitely cause urinary tract infections...It is just hard to prove though

13

The last time I was in hospital I was told that I had a raging bladder

infection. The problem was I was also suffering with a diverticular

flare, because I had sickness and diarrhoea I wasn't allowed any

antibiotics in case it caused another infection !

Luckily it got better but I was in terrible pain for days .

I was treated for numerous bladder infections before I found

out that I had diverticulitis. In my case I always get a bladder infection

and diverticulitis at the same time. 😕

14

I can understand that.

15

OMG!!!! what showed the abscess? Xray? CT scan....or exploratory?? having a hell of a time finding out what is going on here...i have 3 kidney stones, UTI (forever) and diverticulitis....please tell me your colostomy was reversed...

16

hi...doubt you'll ever see this.l.but i need to vent. i have a lifetime history of calcium oxalate kidney stones, 2 lithotripsy and severe UTI. the last week I've had 2 CT scans ...with and without contrast (dye)... pelvic pain like when i had my c-section. The gastro dr. wants me to have a methylene blue scan...it's a blue dye that would show a perforation. Can't find a radiology estab. that performs this. Possible a gastografin might due... pain is on and off, nauseous dizzy and overall crappy. Tomorrow is another day..calling the gastro in the am....thanks for listening.