Diverticulitis.......Help

[redsfun38]

I was at hospitol for pain......in lower stomach, they did a test said I have diverticulitis......gave me iv antibiotics and sent me home....what next? Anita

[Hazel]

Sorry you had this, it is quite painful. You should be careful with what you eat such at nuts, seeds, popcorn, corn. Nothing with little bits that can get stuck in the diverticula. Those are little pockets like fingers that stick out of your intestines where these things can get stuck. Make sure you contact your doctor if you have abdominal pain like that again so that they can start you on antibiotics right away and avoid another stay in the hospital.

[auntjudyg]

Reading up about diverticulitis/diverticulosis on the internet can get a little confusing because it is one condition where recommendations are changing.

The idea that such foods as nuts, seeds, peels, etc., aggravate the situation for most people suffering from diverticulosis is no longer being presented by many doctors/medical facilities. Some individuals do have problems with one or more of these foods (in my limited experience, I hear complaints about nuts most often).

The guidelines I got from my doctor were:

- Drink the recommended minimum of water (that's 2 quarts per day).

- Increase the amount of fiber to the recommended level (20 g per day) - though make this adjustment slowly so your body gets used to the extra bulk.

However, when one is having a diverticulitis attack with abdominal pain, etc., one is supposed to eat a bland, virtually fiber-free diet.

It would be good to follow-up with you doctor, if you have not already done so.

Good luck.

[plymouth]

Hi

Here's a good book on the subject:

Breaking The Vicious Cycle, Intestinal Health Through Diet

by Elaine Gottschall B.A., M.SC

Diet for Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Diverticulitis, Celiac Disease, Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Diarrhea.

The diet is strict, but it works.

~p

[fixpo]

Originally posted by redsfun38:
I was at hospitol for pain......in lower stomach, they did a test said I have diverticulitis......gave me iv antibiotics and sent me home....what next? Anita

The condition varies depending on pain which is caused due to bacterial level which can be identified with a blood test. The CRP is usually below 10, but with a severe attack, the CRP is known to rise beyond 150-200. This is serious.

Under this condition usually, one is kept in the hospital with antibiotics plus pain killers on an IV drip. After the CRP level drops to a reasonably low level, you might be discharged with a 10 day oral antibiotic and pain killers.

You may have to under go epidoscopic tests which might lead to surgery. Surgey may take two forms. If you do not have infections, the affected part of the Colon may be removed. But if there is a high infection level, then the Colon is not connected after surgery. Then you would be wandering around with a plastic sack hung round your hip with the waste disposed through a plastic tube into your stomach. Very uncomfortable. Unfortunately, this is not the end. Diverticulitis may reoccur.

This is a disease of the new age food culture.
Fast Foods, Burgers, Hot Dogs washed with a Cola. No fibre intake. In 2000, there were 350 million sufferers in USA, Europe, Middle East accounting for over 50% of the adult population.

In Asia and Africa, the rate is less than 5% of the total adult population.