Hi all, I am 46 years old and was released from Hospital 3 days ago with Acute uncomplicated Diverticulitis. I was on IV Antibiotics for 2 days and now on tablets for 7 days. I was admitted to hospital 12/2 following feeling shivers and cold, slight fever 37.6c, tenderness in left flank and general discomfort throughout stomach particularly when twisting or moving. Bowel movements have also not been great and lot's of ongoing gas. I also has tachycardia on admission. heart rate sitting on about 110bpm while laying down. I stayed for 2 days, EKG and bloods done. All showed OK except for CRP and white bloods slightly elevated. Was discharged. We thought I had kidney issues because I had been exercising a lot to lose weight and possibly I was dehydrated because I was sweating a lot. I went to Dr on 14/2 and had CT scan with contrast which showed 3 diverticula with abdominal wall thickening coupled with fat stranding consistent with diverticulitis. I got an urgent call from the radiologist to go back to my Dr who suggested going to ER. Right now am at home recovering. I generally feel better but from hour to hour I might feel some slight discomfort in the suspect areas. Left flank pain has gone but about 5cm below below button sometimes I feel a twisted bowel type feeling and upper right below ribs I feel a funny sensation which I'd give a 1/10 for pain. What did I feel leading up to this - For the last ~2 years my stools had not been consistent. Morning usually firmer but during the day I could have 1 or 2 diarrhoea episodes - I have had lots of flatulence over the last 2 years -around August 2018 I felt nagging pain about 3/10 in my right abdo below ribs. It lasted a few weeks. I put this down to me being overweight - In November 2018 I was diagnosed with UTI. I took antibiotics and while pain when peeing went away I was still left with disomfort below belly button and across pelvic area and put this down to an inguinal hernia I have unrepaired - Progressively this stomach issue got worse in December and early January I started taking anti inflammatory tablets which helped but now I know were bad. The ER would like to do a colonoscopy to rule out something bad, I guess they are referring to colon cancer because the surgeon said Diverticulitis can mimic this. I have since read colonoscopy is standard after a first case of acute diverticulitis and I am assuming if I had very bad colon cancer it would have shown on the CT scan with contrast. But I am scared to death. Surgeon is waiting about 6 weeks to let colon heel Diet Post Hospital I was exercising a lot prior to this issue. 2-3 hours per day and lost about 12 kg. Since hospital I have lost a lot more weight and my wife has commented my stomach looks so much thinner. I am guessing the bloating has gone away and possibly I was bloated for 2 years? I was only on liquids but now I am eating Mash plus probiotics. My calorie intake is insufficient but with the niggly feeling I have which comes and goes in my lower belly button and right flank under ribs I am petrified to eat. Keen on views if it is possible that my change in normal bowel movements and flatulence for 2 years could have been down to an inflammation which was left untreated and hence progress to an infection vs same symptoms applying to colon cancer. Any other advice? How long before these niggly feelings go away? This is doing the brain in of my wife and I. Diverticuli, Diverticular Disease, Diverticulosis, Diverticulitis.!!!Nothing on the net refers to these symptoms I have been experiencing (for anything other than Diverticulitis) or which I read on this forum from the vast majority of people that references ongoing symptoms like we are experiencing. Maybe my diverticulosis was causing all these issues A guy in the ER told me he had a bad case of diverticulitis and was admitted to hospital but for 15 years he has since had nothing. Thanks again for listening
Hi Danny, What you have described is pretty much diverticulitis. That left side lower pain can last for a long time. My last one lasted March until September last year. Colonoscopy is standard after a bad episode just to check everything out and see how much narrowing you have and how many pouches. I know it is hard but please don't think cancer. I would put my money on it being diverticulitis. Are you eating the Mayo Clinic low residue diet? If not google it. Personally I stay away from dairy and meat, oils, nuts and seeds. Let mash potatoes become your best friend and blended soups too as it helps keep your nutrician up. Please remember most people only have one attack and then go years or never have another. The numbers are quite small of those who get recurrent attacks. That said keep a food journal of everything you eat so you have an idea if you get another attack. Also don't get constipated. Take a fibre suppliment (when off low residue) or take Miralax when you get backed up. When you start to feel better slowly increase your fibre to 30grams a day and keep it there or higher to help things move through properly. If you can remember what your ate in the few days before you landed in hospital you might find your trigger food. Right side pain under your ribs could be gallbladder so ask your gp to get you an ultrasound. I am dealing with gallstones and diver and it sucks but gallbladder has to come out . I wish you all the best and I hope this is your first and last diverticular attack. Julie
Danny, wow I never heard that you can have an infection and go 15 years without one I pray that true!
Hi I have also just had a bad flare up of diverticulitis and had antibiotics given also a uti , I have just had a ct with contrast which just showed the diverticular. I went on liquid diet for three days then introduced bland mash potatoes with poached egg, but I was vomiting with excruciating pain and sweats again so went back on liquid until Wednesday. I was petrified to eat and the consultant has given me anti sickness, anti acid and spasm drug called mebrovine. Slowly I am eating again and keep thinking it's going to start again. I was diagnosed in 2016 with sigmoidoscopy, I hope you feel well soon and get things sorted..
I too suffered for years thinking as a woman "phantom menstrual cramps ", now I know it was diverticulitis. Because I had never heard of it I let it go. I noticed through time I was beginning to get severely bloated, in 2015 I kept getting what my doctor and I thought was the stomach flu, in July 2016 the pain progressed to sspasms in my lower left abdomen, couldn't hold water down, and started losing the use of my legs. My 1st ER visit I had flatlined, after a CT scan was diagnosed with acute chronic diverticulitis. I had over 14 attacks in 18 months before they decided to do a sigmoid colectomy where they removed 4" of my colon. In those long months I could eat very little. Stay away from red meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, watch the dairy, absolutely no nuts, corn, tomatoes, spicy acidy foods/sauces, caffeine. I would make a bone marrow broth with small diced potatoes (no skin), carrots and green beans. Bone marrow is full of vitamins and nutrients which your body is craving. Try to find a liquid multivitamin to help you. Realize everyone is different. My case I had severe blockage and holes in my colon which in turn caused sepsis in my abdomen. Don't be afraid to ask questions about what is in the ingredients, that question could save your life. Stick to baked,broiled, grilled and canned chicken/fish/vegetables and fruits.
My surgeon's nurse went 11 years in between attacks and only had the 2.
thankyou so much for the reply. a few questions
1) would not the CT have picked up something with gall bladder? 2) my worst pains started around 10/1/19 but in reality when i reflect back i had these symptoms which already became worse in november 2018 about time i got the urinary tract infection. so hard to pinpoint what food made it worse. i think what tipped over the edge is using NSAIDs from november to January on and off with increase in NSAIS from Jan 5 2019. Also is a UTI linked with diverticulitis?
Hi I didn't have an infection I had in my opinion an inflammation for 2 years which was left untreated which progressively worsened and in November started to worsen and culminated in a CT Scan diagnosed acute diverticulitis last week while in ER.
15 years? I think you must be referring to the dates. Australia used day before month.
thanks Sharon, hope you are feeling better soon. it certainly makes you feel drained. like you i am scared to touch food. only mash i am eating. weight is flying off me but feel weak
Wow Glenda you have me scared silly! Seems like this diverticulitis is deadly and crippling and cause everything I had so many flares since my diagnoses Jan 2017 with CT Scan and HUGE glass of contrast . Where is there ANY hope with this mess i'm in panic mode!
I eat plain yogurt with mashed sweet potatoes like casserole and mashed carrots mixed.. I drink whole milk every now and then BUT not everyday. I do eat cooked veggies brocil, cauliflower , carrots and do make mash potatoes. I drink coffee with whole milk maybe 2 cups every day or so. I dont do seeds , skins or nuts except occasionally nutbutter which is creamy. Does anyone eat BEANS? I do eat green beans BUT does anyone eat navy beans, black beans or pinto beans? I drink a glass of low sodium veggie juice is that okay I wonder, I dont taste any pulp or lumps in it and of course no seeds I been drinking a 8 ounce glass a day of it. My legs bother me sometimes feel a weakness in them even though I can walk on them and numbness from time to time I didn't know Diverticulitis could cripple us I am just stressed out and so worried with this disease! I dont do beef or pork, but chicken and fish.
Hi Danny, It sounds almost like my story.. I have had three assumed UTIs and found out it wasn’t a UTI at all but given so many Antibiotics but it did more damage than good. . Now they want me to have an endoscopy and colonostopy in And out of the hospital on a regular basis with the same symptoms. I personally am scared to death of the two procedures they want me to take
Ct did not pick up my stones and I have had many ct scans. Ultrasound is the best. I don't know if there is a connection to diver and uti but NSAIDS are really bad for diver. Hope this helps. I hope you get better soon.
I have had them both and neither is bad and I was wide awake for both. Most people are drowsy to asleep. Don't worry they are easy tests.
Hi Danny, I'm sorry you have been going through such a bad spell. This sounds very much like diverticulitis to me. I went for years with niggly pains and twinges and eventually episodes of abdominal pains and cramping. I began to notice blood and mucus in stool 5 years ago. The cramps and pain would last up to 24 hours and then go away and I would feel better for a few weeks until they came back again. My last flare was 8 months ago and it took a good 6 weeks for me to feel better. I often get niggles and still see some blood from time to time but a diet high in soluble fibre and low in insoluble fibre has worked for me. I have not had the painful cramps return. A colonoscopy is done to check the colon after the inflammation has gone. Please don't be scared, it will give you reassurance and check on the degree of diverticulosis and narrowing.
Hi Danny
I've read your post and all the replies which are spot on, in particular j_09263. What you describe is totally typical of Diverticular Disease (DD), which is the name covering the various states. A diverticulum (plural diverticula) is a pouch in your colon wall. If you have pouches it is called Diverticulosis. If the pouches become inflamed and/or infected it is Diverticulitis. The bowel can become scarred, narrowed and twisted through the disease as well leading to an overall description Diverticular Disease. I hope that sorts out all the different terms.
UTI and apparent UTI go hand in hand with this disease. I've never been given a medical reason for it, but I did wonder if the inflammation causes pressure on the bladder and hence the urgency. I just know that when I am recovering from a flare of Diverticulitis, I can be running every 45 minutes or so. As I recover from the flare the need to urinate also decreases. But NSAID's are a strict no-no. They can inflame the stomach and insides and can cause bleeding. So very bad for an already inflamed colon. I take paracetemol only for the pain (I think the USA equivalent is Tylenol, but best check).
Changes in toiletting - constipation and diarrhoea - are also common. I am prescribed a daily dose of Fybogel (Metamucil in USA) which bulks and softens stools and makes them easier to pass. If your system is cleared out regularly it does help to reduce the chance of recurring infection. There are other products mentioned in these posts which are alternatives if one does not suit.
Many of us went undiagnosed correctly for years - I was told it was IBS - and I was only diagnosed properly with first a colonoscopy then a barium enema after I started bleeding. Like you I was terrified it was bowel cancer, but that is a totally normal first thought. The CT scan would have picked up obvious signs of cancer, and the colonoscopy will confirm your diagnosis (which like others I think will very likely be DD only). It will also deal with any polyps you may have. The doctors do have to wait for the acute stage of Diverticulitis to calm down before they can perform a colonoscopy, to avoid the possibility of a perforation. Since then I have had a further colonoscopy and a CT scan 15 years later, which monitored the progress of the disease. I have severe narrowing, twisting and multiple diverticula throughout the colon.
Now the good news. I was diagnosed 18 years ago, and after the first attack, I had 6 clear years until the 2nd and then a further 4 years clear. But the disease is with you for life and does progress. You do have to alter your lifestyle and diet and find out what foods affect you. Everyone is different - some people find many things affect them, and some only a few. In my case it is gluten and fat, so I follow a low fat gluten free diet. If I slip up I get niggles but I now know why.
The majority of people only ever have one attack, but others do have multiple attacks particularly those with other medical issues, or who have gone on to develop one of the (rare) complications. Most people on the forum fall in the latter group, so you do not see posts from people who have an attack, recover and do not return to the group. So you need to remember this when reading the posts. Recovery from the pain does takes weeks, if not months, with the niggles slowly decreasing. So you must remember that for most people things do get better, although it seems to take forever. I had 3 quick flares in August 2016, and the pain was daily for almost a year. It slowly subsided to intermittent by January 2018 and I have been pain free since June 2018.
Fear of eating is very common and many people do lose a lot of weight. If you are overweight that will actually help, but it is important to try and get essential nutrients on board. I know some people would disagree with me, but I did take meal replacement fortified drinks to ensure I got the essentials. My father was prescribed them when he was in hospital, and a friend has recently been advised by the hospital dietician to drink Complan to supplement his diet. I found that if the pain was just niggles, not the severe pain of a flare, I got used to them and lost the fear of eating. But the meals should be small, regular and foods you know you are OK with. It is important not to overload your stomach and will help get you down to a healthy weight. Exercise is also good, but be careful not to overdo the tummy bits. I did a lot of power walking.
As for the pain on your right hand side, I suggest you pursue that separately with your doctor, as it could be a sign of gallstones. I don't think a CT scan for DD would look in the area of the gallbladder so may have been overlooked. But you have not mentioned your ethnic background - people of Oriental descent for some reason do have diverticular pain on the right hand side rather than the left.
This is a difficult time for you and your family, and it will take time to adjust and settle. You have not mentioned that your work has been affected, so that is good and I hope will continue. But for the vast majority of people, settle you will. You will hopefully adapt your lifestyle and just get on with things. Best wishes
thankyou so much for your reply. it was a very interesting read. i have been of work for 1 week but going back monday. the niggles should not keep me away. 70% of my issue right now is psychological including regrets of why i waited so long to deal with my symptoms including my weight. i'm also weak after hospital. thanks again for your reply
Hopefully you will be able to manage just fine, as long as work is not too physical. I have read horror stories of people in the USA who have lost their jobs and pensions because they cannot get back to work in the ridiculously short amount of sick leave time they are given. Here in the UK we seem to be much better protected. There are procedures to follow, and pensions are frozen until retirement age. You will feel weak after hospital, and also from the side effects of the drugs - they normally take time to work their way out of your system. But you are not alone - there are many thousands of us who have been through exactly the same, although most people have never heard of DD. Regarding the colonoscopy, it's not the nicest of procedures, but for many, the worst bit is the prep. You will not be able to work when taking it. In fact you won't be able to get off the toilet! There are plenty of posts offering advice on how to manage - I found plenty of wet wipes, cream, plenty of nice soft towels, music and my Kindle. You are lucky in the USA as you are normally put out. Here in the UK they don't and they've cut down the sedation to very low levels. I look forward to the day when it is all done by swallowing a camera pill and retrieving it at the other end!
Yes I can fully understand the fear of food and weakness, also sleeping for hours on end. Go and see your gp and explain your fear of eating. I drink complan and soup when I'm having a flare up, to keep my strength up. I hope you are feeling better soon too
Great post .I would just like to add for colonoscopy prep I read stop meat and cheese 2 days before you start the prep. I did this and my prep was easy.