Kidney Stones and Diverticulosis

Digestive health
1

Hi i have just been diagnosed with DD via a colonoscopy which comes as a surprise when your only 36. For the 3 months prior to this i had a stuck kidney stone in my ureter, this was eventually treated and fixed with lithotripsy, however for the 3 months i was waiting i was given Tramadol and diclofenac to dull the pain. I am a firm believer that it was the drugs that has caused the DD as i had no issues at all before this. I know it could have been there before and i didn't notice it but it all seems to be too much of a coincidence.

I have also seen on here that Tramadol is given to help people with DD pains, which i find strange as Tramadol doesn't exactly help your stools flow easily.

I am feeling a little bit lost since finding out about the DD (2 days ago) its something i feel that is a lot bigger than i can take in right now. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I have had no advice on diet so I've started by ordering some fiber supplements.

All i know is i have to back to consultant in 3-4 weeks and see if my pain has gone.

2

Hi Mark

As a start  look up Diverticular disease in the info part of this website. What you need to know is that there is really only a problem when you have diverticulitis ie the disease is active and that will cause you pain. When you have diverticulosis, it isnt active and should not cause you any difficulties.

You are right about Tramadol and continuity of flow, any of the meds containing codeine and the like will cause difficulties. 

I discovered I have DD following a virtual colonoscopy but I had been having several attacks of severe pain and knew my colon was inflamed, Im not sure however if the DD is a red herring as Im told its not active yet I still get abdo pain. Like you I will be discussing again with my GP. Many people do have it and do not even know, so do not feel too discouraged at this stage. The pain you had with the kidney stone sounds horrendous and Im sorry you had to wait so long to get it sorted out. I was told many people have DD and are unaware of it unless they have a colonoscopy like you did.

Hopefully others will post here too to help you on the way. Best of luck with it all.

3

PS regarding whether Tramadol and diclofenac caused the DD is a question for your GP, and lets hope they give you an honest answer!

4

Thanks for the reply, They said diverticulosis but as you say it should be pain less. However i was checked and had the colonoscopy due to the severe pain. I also heard that young (ish) people do tend to suffer with pain from it. Not sure why that is?

As for an honest answer from GP's well...fingers crossed.

5

Hi Mark.  Firstly I've got to say that I sympathise with you having been diagnosed with this bloody awful disease.  I don't believe that it is any respector of age, however, 36 does seems quite young.  I was an extremely active; conscious of how and what I ate 50 year old when I was diagnosed and have had to live with (as have other) ever since.  I don't think you are right in blaming Tramadol or Diclofenac for its onset - horrible though they are.  Its a disease.  Diet can help but, ultimately, we have to learn to live with it. GP's, I feel, are largely unsympathetic and I have found that anti spasmodic drugs to be ineffective.  Neither do I want to be told, dismissively, that "you and a million others". It is painful, debilitating and, frankly, embarrassing and I despair.  I know this is not what you want to hear but, I suspect, other long-term sufferers will probably feel the same. My dietician advised against acid foods/fruit, onions and tomatoes (in limited quantites).  It help but it is not the cure.  I would be most interested in what YOUR Consultant has to say.  In ten years, I have never had a recall or indeed any interest shown by any medic.

Sorry to be sucha  pessimist.  John

6

 Hi yes  in reply  to youre message I have had problems since last May.2013  Since they did a CT scan at that time and said to my GP.normal when not so she actually phoned up and asked why is my patient back in my surgery with the same pain .This was after 3 days in hospital at that time and on a drip and nil by mouth they said could not find any reason for my Pain .

  "Oh well" they said my Gp she does have some dirviculitus joke not Unbelieavble  . So why say normal  !! Since the I had my appendics out last October and still in pain and landed up in AE six times also said that was normal .What they meant was that my operation went well . I had .had urine infections for months and als right sided pain .I my Gp thought something wrong with my operation maybe addesions other so she wrote to the Surgeon last October .re post op pain .

I only got to see him this February in his letter to my Gp said I had denied anythink wrong with my bladder Joke when I had been in AE 3 times before I saw him also with spasms my legs back pains and headaches other weaknes in my arms legs .

Mainly think through all the antibiotics and , Codiene  and  you name it I was given it was dished out by my G P. .I became allergic to everything .Therefore ended up in A&E another 3 times  . Became allergic to coediene ,dhydro  codiene.? and falocox cillan not sure I spelt tha right . Apparentley dirviculitus can cause problems other organs  urether and also bladder therefore you can get pain on the right

. I had a colonoscopy on the 7 th April all tahtwait and was not as though I was waiting for my operartion but had my appendics out . I thought they said something before that they were going to do a Ultra sound which would have shown up derviculitus  stones and wether my appendics really needed to come out joke not but NO they just went ahead with taking out .

I since found out my appendics was not normal as in A .E computer kept saying oh that was normal bla bla . "  Erm " no My  appendics were and showed previous infalmation scars fibrous tissue and plus benign tumours . Also  my CT.scan showed last year Dirviculitus of the sigmoid colon  now that is not normal and alot people have that removed if causing allot pain . Had  I known last year could started foods recomended and saved me allot of pain and stress wondering what was wrong with me  plus re Urine infections

.I when recieved letter from Hospital re complaints department and re A&E where some times treated as though my pain in my head lol.  has been appallng  after care experience thier computer says normal everything how can they dignose a patints problem .Easy to say normal thier computer screens because theyconsidering normal as in the operation whatever went well and what they are looking at is for cancer and ignoring telling the patient everything else

.Last time in A &E was patronised by some doctor re past operations said you only have one overy cant you remember .I said no two because had a scan another hospital re my overies 3 years ago and afte my op appendics they said my overies fine .What  they did not tell me after removing my appendics they could not fine my left overy .This is not becuse I had a operation but when they blow your stomach re operation to look as other organs with air could not locate  my left overy they prob could not see because the colon is on the left and they were checking for dirviculitus on that side at same time . I now have a urology appointment to look my bladder in June  my right side I believe have had problem with that more than dirviculitus it is difficult to say I reckon have stone my bladder to we will see . I hope soon my pain be sortd just because you are young does ot mean you cant have dirviculitus my friend grandaughter has it she is age 23 years old and it has effected her uterous . It is not always a deasese of the older generation . I   think you need to  ask the hospital or your GP for food  advise it is a matter of finding keeping a log of which foods upset your system . I HAVE HAD COLONOSCOPY AND MY DIVERTICULITUS IS REALLY BAD . So much for this Hospital feel like suing  them at moment for a whoe year of strees and pain . !!

7

Maybe it is because I am not a Brit, but, I have a headache from trying to decipher your text.  I am a registered nurse, I have diverticulosis, which was diagnosed when I was 43. I had surgery a few days ago, to remove a stone from my ureter. The pain was incredibly intense, causing me, finally, to agree to my husband's pleas to "Get dressed, we are going to the hospital". I kept telling him, "If I am not better tomorrow, I will go". I made that promise 5 days running, before I gave in. Hospitals are okay when I am earning a salary, or, visiting someone. But, when it comes to being the patient, I don't want to go.

Because it also caused UTI symptoms, I asked my doctor to prescribe Cipro and pyridium. It did relieve my UTI symptoms, but, did little for the pain. Within 2 days of taking the last of my antibiotic, I was in the Emergency Department of our local hospital. My Vicodin ES did absolutely nothing for the pain, and, when I discovered that I had a very large stone in my ureter, I totally understood why the pain was relentless. It took a full 10mg of Morphine and Toradol to stop me from moaning and rocking, back and forth.

I have been living with diverticulosis for many years. It is primarily a dietary issue. Stress, and, chronic illnesses can precipitate a very painful bout. My baby sister was killed shortly after I was diagnosed with DD, she lived in Florida. I think I moaned during the entire flight, because I was in such distress. Hearing how my sister was killed, compounded the distress I was already experiencing. For several years, my doctor prescribed dicyclomine - it helped a great deal with the spasms. I also took an orange fiber supplement on a daily basis, usually twice a day. The real change for me came when I made a conscious effort to eat foods that would not upset my digestive tract - and, I think you have to determine what foods you need to avoid. I believe it is different for everybody. I found the internet was very helpful in researching diverticulosis. You can go to a dietician, but, that can be expensive. If you have unanswered questions, you can always pose them here - and, in many other areas of the WEB. My disease is so well controlled, that I have not taken a dicyclomine for about 5 years, and, I no longer need the fiber supplement. Strangely enough, I found that a 20 ounce mug of Ovaltine (with lactose free milk) actually helps to keep me regular.

You mentioned a 23 yo who has DD, and it affected her uterus. They are totally different types of tissue, problems with the uterus generally points to uterine fibroids. Fibroids have absolutely nothing to do with the colon.

You really have to take charge of your own care. You have to determine which foods are okay, and, which you need to avoid. After receiving my diagnosis, I began to keep a journal which listed everything I ate. I also documented my bouts of intestinal upset, pain, and, discomfort. There were times that I was so ill I could not write, so,  my husband would take 'dictation'.

This is a chronic illness, it will be with you always. I am living proof that you can learn to live with this illness, it has been more than 5 years since I had an episode. 

I hope you are doing better. Maybe you should give Biofeedback a shot. It has helped me in reducing stress. We nurses have very stressful lives - we take care of people in our work, and, often come home to care for family, relatives, and, friends.

Bon chance. 

8

Well done, Trisha.  Now some medical advice as well as common sense.  I am sufferer from DD for over 20 years, I have learned through experience (dietary) and, in the initial stages, advice from my dietician, how to come to terms with this incuable disease. I have the occasional flare-up but really nothing that I can't cope with. I have not found any of the prescribed drugs over this long period of time to be of little or no help.