Hi everyone, I have been reading up about right sided diverticulitis as I have had ongoing pain in my cecum area for quite a while now. I always thought diverticulitis was on the left so dismissed it as the cause of my pain but now realise it can be on the right. My symptoms all started with bad bloating and gas back in March, the pain came later on around April/May. Since then I've had a gynae scan for cysts - only one small right one, bloods - ok but borderline vit D def, then finally got a gastro consult but she just gave me laxido which was dissappointing as I could tell straight away that would not help my localised pain which is almost muscular as it's worse when I move and worse at night. So had to go for second opinion and finally getting a colonoscopy next week. I'm really just wondering if anyone else has had right sided localised ongoing pain which turned out to be diverticulitis or some form?
Hi Kinola
I always had right sided DD problems. It was initially written up as left sided and I had to tell them it was right side. Never had a problem left side. I had problems walking and sitting when I had a flare up. Had to lie on my left side with hot water bottle and antibiotics for relief. In the end I had a sigmoid colonoscopy as had severe diverticulitis for 12 months prior to op. Am doing okay now.
Regards
Annie
When you had your colonoscopy, did they go the whole way round your digestive tube ,as it usually just a short journey with a sigmoid ,or a normal one. You didn't say if they put you on medication. Ijust used to take Paracetamol if I had a twinge.. I always associated bottom left hand side pain with appendicitis. So, did your pain stop after the colonoscopy ? or, have you had an operation to remove anything??
Jacqueline
So , you don't really know what it is,until you have your scan.If it is right sided D.D, you will be in a class of your own,,, come back with the results.
don't forget to watch the screen ,so you see for yourself what' up there.
Jacqueline
Sorry I should have said sigmoid colectomy (it was late at night when I replied!!??!!) They removed all of the sigmoid colon. That was 18 months ago and I have been fine since then. No more attacks or antibiotics etc. Can only eat very small meals now but I was never able to eat a big meal. Have to take Fybogel twice daily though. Did have IBS for years then DD for about 4 years. So pleased I had it done. Got my life back.
Regards
Annie
I think that shoud be standard procedure with all D.D sufferers ,if it's just the sigmoid that is affected. Are you U.K or somewhere else. ?
The UK where I am won't operate unless it is an emergency, like a blockage or perforation. Some people I have read get great results, but for others the DD just pops up somewhere else and they are back to square one. So it's a bit of a lottery. I have a narrowing and am aware I could end up with a blockage, but am managing fine at present on Fybogel and diet. My cousin had his sigmoid removed after a perforation into his bladder and he was fine afterwards, although it took around 6 months recovery time. I have all over DD so for me, it would be a stoma bag, not a reconnection, so I want to avoid that for as long as possible.
Hi Annie-Marie, thanks so much for getting back to me, relieved to hear someone else has had right sided DD and is now fine, well done you! I just didn't think it could be Diverticulitis related being on the right side, I guess out of everything it could be (bearing in mind it's been going on for a while now) DD would be one of the 'better' outcomes? I can't find anything concrete to distinguish these symptoms from a tumour of some sort so all very worrying. But I'm guessing the colonoscopy will reveal all, I hope!!
Hi Jacqueline, thanks very much for the reply, yes it's all a bit confusing, as you can imagine in my mind I have have had every medical problem so far, now just going round in circles!! but the DD symptoms do seem to tie up - if they can be found on the right side. I'm not sure what sort of sedation is expected with a colonoscopy? but assuming I will be able to see what's going on, hopefully answers my problems. I am meant to be going on holiday next Saturday so that's my next stress, as I don't want the kids to miss going on holiday. I will try to worry about that when I need to worry about it though, thanks again!
Me too, we seem to be in a "Don't Care" country. I landed up in the Stoma ward,, ghastly place,,, when i had a burst abscess, on my colon.. Have to ask,,,is Fybogel a laxative ? D.D used to cause me 24/7 stress when I first acquired "IT" until I realised after many months ,that no-one really gave a toss how I was coping with it,, so I stopped stressing,ate small meals, and on the whole ignored it. I do however take Acidophilus ,which for me ,is an angel in a bottle, and I have been fine for 2 years
Just have the gas and air thingy,, it's not a bad procedure, just feels a bit
strange,, and you wear enough garments, it's a wonder the doctor can find the entrance, !! Try not to stress, D.D loves you to do that ,, you can watch the climb up your colon,,, and,,ask questions .and ,at the end of it ,you will get a cup of tea and a biccy,and after 30 mins or so,, you will be shown the door. No reason why you shouldn't go on holiday.. take some
Paracetamol with you ,in case you get a twinge.
Yes it is a very mild laxative - takes about 2 weeks to work!!! It's main purpose is to bulk and soften stools by drawing in and adding water to them. Hence nice soft easy to pass ones! When I was first diagnosed 16 years ago I was told nothing, just given Fybogel and a leaflet. As I was very busy at work, Ijust got on with it and didn't think too much. So I did fine until last year, with just 3 flares in the gap. Now it's a lot worse and I do take much more care. But I've always eaten very healthy - just too much of a good thing, and I'm now cutting back portion sizes and trying to get my weight down. I also introduced aloe vera and probiotics. But compared to others on this site I think I must be very lucky.
Sounds extremely tiresome and long winded (pardon the pun)
Has no one ever told you about Lactulose???A very mild laxative ,that you take only when needed, and usually takes a couple of hours to work.Tastes quite nice too .10 mls measure If I miss a morning removal,,I take a measure straight away, and that's it .The wheels are in motion.
you must have been giving your guts a lot of work, and they finally fought back with flares. I eat small but make sure everything is very tasty. I use spices rather than herbs,.Weight is a problem,I have to say , I'm struggling to lose 6 lbs, I weny on a Kit Kat,and vanilla slice binge, felt a bit down,, so I scoffed.. Try the Lactulose, your G.P will prescribe it. if asked. ..
Hi
I actually don't need a laxative as I already go 3 - 6 times a day. I just need to make sure they stay soft, so I don't strain, which is why Fybogel works for me and bulks up the soluble fibre. But everyone differs - what works for one doesn't work for someone else.
Because I have other medical problems I can't (or shouldn't) eat: gluten, full fat, sugars, carbs, spices, additives, acids, alcohol, caffeine. And I need to lose another 70 pounds to get to where the doctor wants. I just eat far too much of a good thing!!!! Still I've shifted 11 pounds already - but it's SOOOOO boring.
Hello. you sound just like me,,, I collect incurable diseases,think it's three at the moment,plus a couple of items that need surgery, but WUSS is my
middle name,,one will be sorted when I come back from a few days away. I have to have a tooth removed,,a molar, The surgeon has promised that I will be off my head,, and won't feel a thing.Where have I heard that before !!!
Your "Don't " eat list is certainly long,There can't be many good things left for you to enjoy, but it sounds as though you have solved that problem,
if you have 70 lbs to lose.You will jst have to think THIN
Hi,
I have diverticulitis and it's hardly ever on the left side. Always on the right or all across
Hey Kinola - I've had a couple now - it isnt bad. The worst and strangest bit in my view is the preparation the night before! You drink a couple of liters of a strong laxative and over the next couple of hours completely flush your system - it is amazingly effective! A tip for this part is mix the stuff in with orange squash - it is lemon flavoured already and the OS makes it much easier to drink. As Jacs says during the exam itself you have gas and air available though I never bothered - it is interesting as you get to see a new view on your body! It can hurt a little as the camera etc goes round some of the bends but it doesnt last long so if you just keep breathing its over soon.
Good luck!
I get the majority of my DD pain central under the bladder - gets worse if I need to pee. I've also had the classic lower left side. In principle you can get diverticula throughout the colon (this is what I have) but most people tend to get them in the sigmoid colon (lower left part which then leads to the the 'outflow'!). As J says the colonoscopy will try to go all the way right as far as the 'terminal ileum' which is where the colon attaches to the small intestine down on the lower right hand side of the body (near where the apendix is).
Interestingly in the West most DD is in the sigmoid, where as in Asian countries most DD apparently appears on the right side at the other end of the colon (African countries largely free of the disease people thing because of the high fiber/low meat diet). When you have your colonoscopy ask the surgeon where they are?
A little factoid I found the otherday: the chance of developing DD for meat eaters is 50times that for vegitarians!! Who knew?!
All the best
James
Hey Felinia! Must say your experience is a really interesting data point for me as the DD seems to have got worse even though you were, for example, fybogel'ing? Do you think you've significantly raised your game in a dietry sense only in recent years, or did you improve it right from the first diagnosis? I tried to start a discussion but dont think its peoples primary interest (which is not surprisingly stopping attacks!).
All the best
James
Thanks jacqueline, yes stress of course makes it all 100 times worse, I have now found myself watching you tube videos of colonoscopies - what on earth did we do before the web!!! I just hope the consultant can see all the way round to the end, I guess that's the point of the procedure!
Thanks James for your reply, just read after replying to Jacqueline! I got my pack today with the preparation stuff, yes they need to get right round to my ceacum area for this, as that's what's hurting, so there must be something in there or sticking out from there - I guess that's the simplest way I can think of it! My diet was/is pretty good so really not sure what's caused this, but I was under a lot of stress with family stuff so when I got all the bloating etc I just put it down to stressful digestive stuff. But then getting the ongoing very localised pain and all over lower back pain didn't seem right so that's what I'm now trying to sort out. I had to ask the GP to organise bloods twice as I was just so tired. My day ends around now as I have to go to bed which is unusual for me. How were you diagnosed?