Diverticulitis

[Bellabelloo]

Currently in hospital and finally diagnosed with this following 2 weeks of pain and fever and being told it was a UTI. My CRP is 640. I feel utterly dreadful. I had a drain put into the abcyss yesterday. It was about 6cm. I’m worried about it not working and having to have surgery and a stoma. Does anyone have any stories they wouldn’t mind sharing and whether it recurs a lot of was a one off?

Thank you so much.

Hopeful bump!

I have 2 friends who have had this, one of them had it twice. They've both had to make big changes to their diets but seem OK now. I hope you feel better soon, the pain description is pretty awful.

My dh has had this. It started a year or so ago and he has had several flare ups since. They are usually if he has been overdoing certain things, especially alcohol. He has had antibiotics a few times which really help. It did take a long time to diagnose and it wasn't until he was admitted to our hospitals non urgent minor injuries unit and has a ct scan that he was diagnosed. Up to then they just thought it was a bladder infection.

I have been diagnosed with a small pocket of diverticulitis during a colonoscopy for something else. Should I keep an eye out for symptoms in case it gets worse. What would the symptoms be.

Sympathies OP, I am just recovering after a bout of diverticulitis. I was very fortunate in that I went to our local Urgent Treatment Centre after two days of severe abdo pain and fever and I told them I thought it could be diverticular disease/diverticulitis, as both my mother and sister have it, and the symptoms seemed to fit.

They agreed and sent me home with the right antibiotics and arranged for me to be seen the next day in our local hospital's emergency diagnostic unit. I was given a CT scan which confirmed the diagnosis. So from onset of pain to confirmed diagnosis was just three days.

The antibiotics worked quite quickly and the severe pain and fever went. It was a frightening experience though, as they were initially concerned about a potential bowel perforation. I didn't eat at all for about three days, then slowly started eating small amounts of bland food - scrambled eggs, white rice, chicken. It's been just over two weeks now and I've tried slowly adding more fibre but it seems to set things off again (discomfort and cramping rather than the severe pain). The antibiotics had their own side effects, and I've lost quite a lot of weight from not eating much, and have been really tired.

Every time I get a twinge of pain I'm worried it's going to happen again, so I've been struggling a bit with anxiety (which doesn't help any gut related issue but is hard to control). I'm very fearful of the thought of needing surgery.

As you'll know, it's not something that can be cured, all you can do is follow the advice to try to manage it and reduce the risk of future flare ups. I guess that's just something we have to come to terms with and be vigilant and seek immediate treatment if we experience pain and signs of infection.

I need to lose weight and this has made me determined to tackle it, so that if I do ever need surgery in future I'll be in better shape for it.

On a positive note, my mother has had this condition for years, and has only ever needed antibiotics to manage flare ups, so it's not inevitable that it will ever need surgery.

I really hope you are improving and that the drain is working. Best wishes to you OP.

I was diagnosed with diverticular disease following a colonoscopy for something else. I had no symptoms for a couple of years then suddenly it hit. I was admitted to hospital following a few days of dreadful pain and found to have a small perforation. This has happened a couple of times, and I have had a number of flare ups as well. The last one in October last year took three courses of antibiotics to fix. I
I am careful with what I eat. When I feel a flare up coming on I don't eat for a couple of days, drink water only and sit very still. I then eat rich tea biscuits for several days before introducing white toast, then chicken etc. This generally works.
Recently I have started taking anti inflammatory supplements and have really noticed a huge improvement in my symptoms .Good luck, it is very scary at first, but you do get used to it and it is manageable in most cases.

Try Symprove. My mum has diverticulitis and it has worked wonders for her. Agree with the others that sometimes you will need antibiotics and don’t wait when you get a flare up. Sorry you’re so unwell x

Would you mind sharing which supplements you are taking?

A relative had 2 back to back flare ups.
Totally out of the blue, no symptoms prior.
In their 50’s, previously fit & well.
Abdominal pain for a few days which went away then came raging back sending them packing to A&E for pain relief and a diagnosis.

Perforated bowel so ended up with emergency surgery and is now totally rocking a stoma which will be reversed in around 6-12 months.

Has embraced this like a bloody pro!
Stayed in hospital for around 10 days.
Is doing fab!

I have had similar symptoms and been referred routinely to gastro where there is a ten month wait.
I saw a consultant privately who suspected diverticulitis.
It started with abdominal pain, back pain, cramps, high temperature and I didn't eat for a week. Lost weight. CT scan found nothing nor did ultrasound.
This was six months ago. My symptoms calmed down after a couple of months then it started again for another two months, always after fatty food.
I'm eating a low fat diet.

I'm ok now. Those who have it, is this normally the pattern?

@ScaredSceptic Currently I’m taking turmeric, ginger and black pepper - either as a fresh shot that I make myself, or the convenient pills from Nutrition Geeks. Also Rheal Clean Greens ( which tastes awful). I have just discovered Dr Schulz Superfood 100 pills to replace the clean greens. However I can only order these from the USA. I also take a pre and pro biotic - the one from Rheal.
I’ve never been one for supplements but these really have made a difference to my digestive system.
I also avoid too much red meat, salad and fatty food including pastry.

@ALittleBitofWensleydale Thank you for this, I will have a look at those. I want to do everything I possibly can to try to reduce the risk of another flare up.

I've avoided fatty foods/pastry and salad leaves for years as they always triggered what I thought was IBS, but I guess may actually have been diverticular related symptoms. I also struggle to eat a high fibre diet as that triggers IBS type symptoms. I guess it's going to be a bit of trial and error to see what I can tolerate.