When I think back I suppose I've always had problems with my bowel. I remember, as a child, mum giving me sugar water to help me with my constipation. (not that I really think it helped). :!:
Having had my appendix removed as a teenager, then having three children and suffering from IBS for the last 20yrs. I find myself at the age of 46 being told I have Diverticulitis.
I was rushed into hospital this week, after suffering from recurrent diarrhoea for 10days, followed by vomiting and then passing blood from the bowel.
They sent me home with antibiotics and a goodbye message of, 'Sorry, there is nothing we can do for diverticulitis!' :x
I've taken the last week off work as I've been unable to move away from the bathroom.
I'm feeling a little fed up now with my lifelong tummy problems and praying that things will calm down soon.
I would love to hear how others cope with this condition. :D
i have had diverticulitus since 2003 (i am now 44 years old). When i was first diagnosed it was a complete shock as the hospital said that it was normally present in people over 60! I had two hospital admissions within a week of each other, with severe pain on the left hand side, bloating and generally feeling pretty damn crap! On the first instance they just kept me 3 days on a drip and sent me home without investigation, the 2 time they decided to do a scan etc, put me on metrodiazanol anti biotics and gave me a camera investigation (this is when the problem was diagnosed)
i have to say that at times it is so uncomfortable and as soon as it starts i go to the GP for anti biotics. I also find that drinking actimel good bacteria drinks daily does seem to help with the condition. Certain food items definately make the condition worse (rice, tomatoe seeds), this is because they get trapped in the divicula and cause infection. Also, i went on to a high fibre diet but this is not always wise as too much fibre can block you up. I sympathise with you though as it is a very uncomfortable disease with no cure, it really is very painful when it kicks in and when you have had it a while you know as soon as you are going to get a bout of it. Try your healthy food store as they do have some tablets for the digestive system that if taken regularly do seem to keep the symptons at bay (called something like acydophalis tablets)
Thank you Till, so very much for your suggestions and comforting advise. :D
This whole bowel thing was really starting to get me down. It's good to know there are a few things, and people out there, that can help.
I now intend to go shopping and make drastic changes to my diet as in your experience that appears to work.
Unfortunatly, at the moment, I do actually feel like, and look like, an old women because it's so painful to walk properly I'm actually slightly stooped and slow to move.
Just praying that I will be well enough to return to work tomorrow.
Hi - think of me as pickles! I have had diverticulitis and IBS for about 24 years. I am now 60. Try not to give up - find out for yourself what suits you as a person.
Most definitely probiotics - but I feel that tablet form probiotics are likely to delivery the good bacteria where they are needed much more than liquid. Try PROBION - put it in your google bar and see what it gives you. Take them for at least 3 months before you decide. I also find a small aspirin helps - but that you would need to check out with your
gp.
Also, forget about the BUSCOPAN look alikes, get hold of a really good peppermint oil capsule from a good chemist, ask the pharmacist or ask your doctor for a script for a good one. Ignore if it says take it two hours before meals - how do you know you are going to hurt then? I take it when it hurts, and to be honest, after 1 year of using it - I perhaps need it once a month now. But you have to do what you find works for you.
Tum in first into a lovely bath, face down is boring, but the relief of the warm water is lovely. And, a small heat pad, electric like a small electric blanket - check out argos for this. I find this helps.
Change of tap water - always keep a mental note or written if you go anywhere and the water doesnt appear to suit you - I find Manchester tap water dreadful for my tum and cant wait to get back to Somerset. In fact I use bottled water up there now when we visit. :roll: Its hard to stay cheerful, and you will understand when I say I blame our two dogs when its windy :oops: :!: I just look at them in :shock: Take care
Hi there, gosh, I'm so glad I stumbled on this this morning!!
I know exactly how you feel especially the hunched over like an old woman!!
I had my first colonoscopy a few weeks ago and a diagnosis of multiple diveticuli. Deep joy! At least I know what it is now. I've had outbreaks of this for about 8 years on and off, it used to be about once or twice a year but for the last year it changed to almost every 6 weeks. Kept going to my doctor who kept saying \"well some people just have lots of stomach upsets\" Hmmm.... writhing in agony with colic and a fever having had to change the bed sheets and pyjamas 3 times in one night is hardly a stomach upset! It was only when I presented him with a detailed diary over the last year when I had yet another attack last october he finally relented and did a blood test and an ultrasound. My blood test came back with a CRP (c reactive protein which indicates inflammation) of 125 it should normally be less than 5! The ultrasound showed nothing quelle surprise!! Finally got the referal to a gastroenterologist and the colonoscopy.
Went to see my doc yesterday as I stupidly assumed he would want to discuss the results but he seemed surprised and asked me why I was there!! The only advice from him was to make sure I don't get constipated but as I keep on telling him that is not the problem for me!! I am rarely constipated, it's usually the other way round.
The only stuff I know about this disease is what I've found on the net!
I've just spent all night without sleeping because of stomach pain and bloating but don't want to go to my doc! I must say it isn't at the colic stage yet so I'm praying it will pass. I've found that drinking a herbal tea (Dr stuarts botanical teas) made of apple and ginger helps. I cut up some raw ginger as well and infuse that with it. Seems to calm things down and I've read that ginger can act as an antiseptic.
I also have something called meteospasmyl for the bloating and I sometimes use colpermin. When this is in full swing though there isn't much that helps. I've never had antibiotics for an attack so I can't say if they get it under control quickly or not.
Sorry.. gone on for a while!!! I totally identify with being thoroughly hacked off with all this, I'm only 40 so where this idea comes from about only getting it in your 60s comes from I don't know!!! That and that it is caused by constipation and not enough fibre... I've always eaten loads of fibre, I have been a convert to Audrey Eatons F plan for the last 20 years!!!
I am a nurse and I have suffered from Diverticular Disease for 8+ years and I am a couple of years off 50!!!! I absolutely understand the pain and disability from needing to be near the loo. I either don't go for sometimes weeks - yes honestly or seem to live on the loo all day and often night. I have suffered all the indignity of the various tests and have had a number of courses of antibiotics and tried most prescribed medications over the years. Now the good news :D A friend of mine a trained Homeopath recommended Aloe Vera juice (has to be pure and not tablets) - almost a miracle take it x2 daily initially or when symptoms flare up and then 1 dose daily does the trick. You have to be persistent it can take 3 months to really work and it tastes vile!!!! Good luck please try it I promise it helps and at £10.00 for a litre bottle - not expensive. [/b]
hello everyone who is suffering from the diverticullar or diverticulitis, i am new to this complaint and do appreciate all the post that is coming in and it is so common,i ave terrible bowel spasms and the \"pooing\" all the timei have no appetite and looseing weight i feel so ill with it, seems to be out of my control, and hate the thought that i might have to live with it but also i'm getting these pains all over my body would that be because i might have an infection and really need some antibiotics? please let me know if anyone else is having these symtoms,ITS THE PAINS GOING OVER MY BODDY that doesn't help either.
While you are waiting to see your GP maybe some over the counter medicines will help control some of your symptoms, medicines like Imodium, Colofac and Buscopan can help (ask the Pharmacist). Maybe just a few Paracetamol will help with these body feelings. You need a proper examination and a blood test for various things. You are mentioning what are considered red flag symptoms, maybe you can see another Doctor at the GP practice who will recognize this fact
thank you eveyone that has reported their expieriences about diverticuller desease, i'v been told that i have diverticulitis, dont know if this is the same but have been sent a letter now to have a \"sigmoidoscopy,but i am feeling so ill at the moment and very weak would someone advise me if this would be helpfull to me, i dont know what to do!
A sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy is exactly what you need to check out what's going on. If you are really quite ill or sickened the best advice I can give is to fight the urge not to eat, not eating may help you feel better in the short term but it'll make you more ill in the long run. I would suggest some sort of easily digestible dietary supplement (like Nutrament) to sip may help to keep you going (though don't have too much as it might make you 'windy' or 'IBSy', but it depends how you feel). Yeah it tastes nice and it'll keep you alive (just)
[quote:03d4bd4525=\"freddy \"]thank you eveyone that has reported their expieriences about diverticuller desease, i'v been told that i have diverticulitis, dont know if this is the same but have been sent a letter now to have a \"smoidoscopyig,but i am feeling so ill at the moment and very weak would someone advise me if this would be helpfull to me, i dont know what to do!
I also sympathise with you all I am 27 yrs Old and have had the illness for 4 yrs !!!! gulp!!!!!!! I have a long road to walk I am now in constant pain with this disease and i am considering the idea of bowel surgery as I can no longer go on being hunched over and moving like im 95 yrs old already, for anyone who wants to get some real answers and advice on forward steps you need to head for Kings college hospital London they are the only hospital to have a dedicated Diverticular Disease clinic a News link on this site led me to this discovery for which I and hopefully others will be very grateful (only time will tell??) I will be trying some ideas I have read tonight so thanks for all the wise words shared.
I have high concentration Aloe juice but it has remained unused up until now and also I think baked beans are good so beans on toast is on the menu again .
I guess we all must remain positive and stay happy as hard as it is I too have had many stays in hospital in agony and have lost Three stone in weight , lifting weights was a keen hobby of mine until this all began I don't have much chance that at the moment as you can imagine
Thank you all for advice and kind words its nice to finally know my doctor is an idiot as he has been telling me the pain is all in my head
I also had Diverticulitis for over 25 years with flareups from time to time. Just had one last week that ended with a Hospital stay of 4 days of Antibiotics. They wanted to operate, but I did not let them. It's a horrible
surgery and I just can't fathom them tearing my guts apart. I heard a few people getting bad infections
especially from my Hospital!
My son-in-law suggested and sent me some Ginger tea. I also have a bad hip and since I have been
drinking a few cups a day, no problem with my gut and my pain in my hip is gone! It's very good for the
stomach and Intestines, gets rid of gas and makes you very regular. I also have been feeling so much
Sorry to hear you are really suffering with both IBS and now diverticulitis. I believe there is no such thing as 'there's nothing we can do.' In fact there are lots of dietary ways to help control diverticulitis attacks, ensuring you have regular bowel movements and eating soluble fibre and avoid constipating foods like cheeses and lots of meat, esp red meat.
In addition, diverticulitis has an inflammatory component which can be made much worse by non-manages chronic stress, so common in our culture and most of us are not even aware of it!
On this front, starting a simple 10 minute a day morning relaxation/meditation can really help, and also help you feel more in control again!
Here's a suggestion for one to try:
You can start with a really simple one called the Benson Technique:
Find a quiet spot, sit comfortably and pick a word: if you are not religious or don't already meditate, you can use the word 'one.' If you have a short prayer or meditation phrase you can use this too
Ok, so breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, making your exhale LONGER than your inhale. On the exhale, repeat your word over in your head. Sit comfortably and do this for at least 10 minutes each day. This simple technique will help you to turn on your Relaxation Response and start to help soothe your gut via the brain belly connection that is so important but often overlooked in IBS.
I turned 19 on August 1st and on August 8th I got to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy (That's what everyone wants for their birthday...right?) and then in the following two weeks I had an upper and lower ct and small bowel follow through. It was concluded that I had IBS and my doctor put me on dicyclomine and a very strict diet (no fatty meat, no red meat, no raw vegetables, no spicy anything, no chewing gum, no carbonation, and no alcohol) he also suggested that I eat activia yogurt because on top of all of this I am already lactose intolerant, however activia has the enzymes added into the yogurt so it doesn't cause any issues and last but not least, he has me take fiber like the kind that dissolves in water. Everything was going well and seemed to be managed. I moved from Wisconsin to Florida at the end of August and fast forward to just 2 months later and I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis as well! So now add some more pills to my daily routine and remove a few more foods from my diet (no nuts or seeds (which knocks out any berries or fruit with lots of seeds) and no raw fish (but I love sushi!! ) and I also have to avoid doing abdomen workouts until I'm a little better.
I am on a meal plan for school so about 90% of my meals come from a cafeteria where no one understands why I can't eat most of the food that is perceived as "healthy" and instead I continually opt for bare sandwiches and rice or noodles. Let me tell yall, I feel you on being FED UP! Dealing with this jazz at what is supposedly the most fun time of your life and when you are supposed to be the most fit and active you'll ever be is pretty hard to do when your insides don't work! But all in all, the seemingly excessive diet restrictions definitely help a lot. Hope this helps and I hope we all get better!!
Just found this site and read a few, and I have to say it sounds familiar. I have been suffering for about ten years now with it being diagnosed as diverticulitis this past four years. It took a while for the GPs to actually take me seriously about the pain I was in. Anyway, after four sigmoudoscopies and a CT scan and a good consultant who knows the condition, I am on Octasa tablets. Six a day. They have certainly eased the condition but I still get the cramps before I need to visit the loo. I do agree that stress is a big big factor on the condition and diet is also a factor. Dont have too much alcohol either. Ginger may also help but you have to find out what suits you in the long run. I also take fiborgel each day to help bulk. Do ask your GPs about Octasa as this has hepled me a great deal.
I suffer from IBS and Diverticular Disease. There has recently been a lot of talk about Probiotics in the treatment of both.Kings College Hospital ( mentioned by someone else here) has done a full scale study into its use for IBS using a probiotic called Symprove. It was extremely helpful. However ( irony of ironies) it was ONLY available to patients taking part in the research.Otherwise impossible to get via NHS. It is extremely expensive at around £70 a month. The hospital is in the process of nrecruiting for a similar piece of research- this time with Diverticular Disease sufferers.Although the outcome is as yet unknown it seems doubtful they would be doing it if they didn't think it could work. Not a cure of course,but in terms of managing symptoms and possibly preventing acute attacks. Recently a rigorous piece of research was published (the details of which I have unhelpfully lost) concerning probiotics. The only two that reach the gut and work are Symprove and VSL3. The latter is about £40 a month. I'm sure if you searched you could find the research. I was told at Kings College Hospital that probiotics in yoghurts and so on are a complete waste if time- too small amount wise,and not effectively carried to the gut. VSL3 is available to some patients on the NHS. You are more likely to get it through the hospital than through your GP,although some practises will prescribe it. I tried Symprove,and now take VSL3 which I find works best. Yes,it's a huge amount of money.It's no quick fix,either. It will take 6 months of continual use before you will know whether it helps you. If you have antibiotics they will knock out all the good the SSymprove or VSL3 have done as antibiotics don't of course discriminate between good and bad bacteria. This regime combined with sensible eating and finding out your own particular triggers foodwise can help make you significantly more comfortable. Repopylaring the gut with good bacteria from one of these probiotics may
Apologies- pressed a wrong key.Can't read what I had written ad awaiting checking on the site,so will attempt to pick up where I left off. Now also some research regarding wheat. Yes,I hear you say, popular mythology.That's what I thought,but there is substantially more evidence in conventional medicine - if you can find someone knowledgeable. Again,if it works for you it will take 6 months or so before you really know,and unlike the increasingly strong evidence for the use of probiotics,it is undoubtedly a wild card. When I've committed to not eating it I feel immeasurably better.The problem is I fall off the wagon.The first few weeks are pretty miserable,but strangely if you can keep it up it does get much easier. I have also tried Aloe Vera,ginger,fennel, Manuka honey etc etc. They certainly,make me feel like I'm at least trying,but my jury is out as to whether they work or are just comforters,along sithe essential hot water bottle. Hope this helps. I don't normally post on forums,but cane across this today and simply wanted to share what I've learnt. It's a horrible condition,and my consultant says there is very little teal understanding of it.As with so many health conditions,much more stringent researchis needed,but lack of funding is a barrier. If you can possibly find the funding do try the pfobiotic route.I'm not out of the woods,but diet and currently VSL3 have undoubtedly been the best help in making me comfortable on a day to day basis. Good luck everyone.
My story is like most of you. I am 54. Decades with IBS and now suspected Diverticulitis. It is extremely painful. I liken it to severe back pain from a sprained muscle. For the abdominal pain, it feels like an internal explosioon of my very swollen/infected bowel cells. Like sharp stabs of pain when they burst.
I thought it was female issues but I don't have the parts anymore! I had adenomyosis and cysts removed for decades too.
the problem is that you have to use completely different diets for IBS versus diverticulitis. I just don't even know what to do and not do anymore.
I also get mouth sores though. And lately, I have been thinking that both issues may very well have to do with a food allergy. They say that the mouth sores are common for food allergies. I have yet to be tested for food allergies because of poor insurance and costs involved in allergy testing for foods. However, if it can cause such pain and sores in my mouth, then why couldn't it also be causing this new set of problems in my digestive tract? (Maybe a research doctor could look into this eh?)
If I remember, I will keep you posted...if I learn anything helpful. I am due for a CT scan next week and see a surgeon about the divertisulitis. I also plan to be tested for food allergies once I switch insurances throuigh the marketplace in January.
I am sure sorry that we have to suffer all of this. I wonder if going back to non-processed foods would make a difference for our children and grandchildren?
I am also 54 and have just recently been diagnosed with Diverticulitis. Pain started about 3 weeks ago and like yourself, it is extreme to the point where I have been sitting up all night in an armchair with a hot water bottle placed against my left abdomen, taking painkillers just so I can catch a couple of hours sleep at intervals. I too tought I was having female problems as I suffer from menorrhagia (abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding) and ovarian cysts. Have had an ultrasound to confirm unusual thickening of the uterus but wasn't aware of the diverticulitis until I had a CT scan a couple of days ago. I was shocked as I am a non-smoker, do not drink alcohol and have always tried to follow a fairy healthy eating plan. My main problem has been never drinking enough water, so wonder if this has had a major impact in the long run..
I am halfway through a course of antibiotics and am expected to return to my full-time job next week but feel I am not ready to do so as I am still in pain and constant nausea, so unable to eat much except salted crackers and fluids.
I guess I will just continue with fluids and light diet until the pain subsides, but after 3 weeks am totally fed up. Sometimes think the doctors are at a loss to advise what plan of action to take but sure hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. Yes I do agree that most food products are highly processed and we probably consume far too many take-away meals, and sometimes we find ourselves making the wrong choices when we are time poor. My daughter is a health junky (latest fad) and I often find her cooking her meal preps in the kitchen when I come home from work at night and can't be bothered waiting around for her to clear out before starting our meal so dart out for a quick fix meal instead.
If I knew it would impact this badly on my health I would have thought twice.
Anyway, we have to deal with things as lift throws them our way.
I hope you find the root cause to your problems and overcome them.
If anyone out there could provide any helpful info on how to get through this painful first stage of diverticulitis, would be most appreciated as I am thinking about giving up my day job so that I can concentrate on getting my health issues sorted.
I think you will find there are many of us who suffer from Diverticular disease. I am one of them too. I decided rather than concentrate on the disease I decided to try help my condition and it seems to be working. First of all it is diet. Do not listen to everyone when they say not to eat nuts and seeds as that is all wrong. You do need to avoid broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, bananas, mangoes and apples. I have also been going to an accupuncturist who is helping me with my condition. I am takeing probiotics under him as well as a herbal treatment which seems to be working. I try to drink at least a litre of water in winter, two in summer and do a little excersice. I have not had an attack in nearly 7 weeks now.
Other people suggested alovera juice and peppermint which I take regularly also. There is help out there for you. Not a cure but there is also a medical treatment you can get if you want to take things further. Sounds gross but anything is worth a try to no longer be in pain or have to go through a bowel operation or end up with a bag. Happy to help with information if needed
) and I also have to avoid doing abdomen workouts until I'm a little better. 