Diverticulitis- any of you suffer? If so how do you manage it?

[25 Sharps]

So, I am currently sat in hospital after a particularly bad bout Sunday. Diverticulosis picked up on an unrelated CT last year but it’s never really caused me an issue in term of infection though I think I’ve probably had it 3-4 years with minor episodes causing cramping for a few days.

Roll on to Boxing Day this year and I had my first proper bout that required antibiotics (I think they didn’t quite give me enough)

Sunday’s bout was horrendous, went from fine in the morning to crippling pain across my whole abdomen by 8PM and 111 wanting to send an ambulance.

Weirdly both times it has come on has been around 0830 on a morning stalk, hopefully a coincidence as I don’t want to give those up!!

Just wondered if there’s any other sufferers out there and how they manage the condition? At 42 the surgical solution really does not appeal!

 

[kenbro]

Hope you're soon feeling better and back at the homestead Scott.
Ken.

 

[lochty]

Stress plays a big part, but so does diet. High fibre, high fluid, low fat, low caffeine and low alcohol. Not much fun.....but better than the pain. I've suffered with it for years but have found that eating lots of veg and cutting out fizzy drinks and beer, white wine and not eating too much pastry helped greatly.

 

[25 Sharps]

Stress plays a big part, but so does diet. High fibre, high fluid, low fat, low caffeine and low alcohol. Not much fun.....but better than the pain. I've suffered with it for years but have found that eating lots of veg and cutting out fizzy drinks and beer, white wine and not eating too much pastry helped greatly.

Thanks.

I am not a big drinker and do eat plenty of riot and veg but could definitely eat more.

 

[25 Sharps]

Hope you're soon feeling better and back at the homestead Scott.
Ken.

Thanks Ken

 

[enfieldspares]

I have sent a PM. Meantime ask your GP about this:

Mebeverine: medicine to treat stomach cramps and IBS

NHS medicines information on mebeverine – what it's used for, side effects, dosage and who can take it.

www.nhs.uk

 

[opticron1]

Make sure you get the chance to speak to a dietician if possible whilst you're in Hospital. The boss has a Gluten allergy and two of her friends have diverticulitis and they all have been through similar episodes. They were advised to try a website called FODMAP (also on facebook) - originated from the Monash University in Australia so it's not some crackpot hippy-dippy regime. They found they had/have to avoid quite a lot of foods and gradually re-introduce foods bit by bit to avoid flare ups. Some folk do well on high fibre diets, but some folk find that it's the complete opposite. Good luck.
Meant to add that the boss uses buscopan when she has the odd flare up , but go by what your clinicians advise.

 

[25 Sharps]

Stress plays a big part, but so does diet. High fibre, high fluid, low fat, low caffeine and low alcohol. Not much fun.....but better than the pain. I've suffered with it for years but have found that eating lots of veg and cutting out fizzy drinks and beer, white wine and not eating too much pastry helped greatly.

Sorry for rushed response, wife and kids landed for a visit as I was writing.

As I say normally plenty of fruit and veg, I have been drinking a little more beer but not excessive, I’ll cut that out.

Christmas day before the first bout and a big portion of fish and chips before this one so fat could well be a factor.

As could stress, job is operations director for a £27m construction firm, has its stressful moments and we are also about to knock the back of the house down for an extension, so that could contribute. Can’t do much about the job, other than trying to chill out a bit more. Probably means more shooting, perfect!

 

[25 Sharps]

Make sure you get the chance to speak to a dietician if possible whilst you're in Hospital. The boss has a Gluten allergy and two of her friends have diverticulitis and they all have been through similar episodes. They were advised to try a website called FODMAP (also on facebook) - originated from the Monash University in Australia so it's not some crackpot hippy-dippy regime. They found they had/have to avoid quite a lot of foods and gradually re-introduce foods bit by bit to avoid flare ups. Some folk do well on high fibre diets, but some folk find that it's the complete opposite. Good luck.
Meant to add that the boss uses buscopan when she has the odd flare up , but go by what your clinicians advise.

Brilliant, thanks.

I am in GWH Swindon but was seeing a gastro consultant privately after the first bout so I’ll request a dietician via BUPA.

A colleague has mentioned buscopan so I’ll ask about that.

 

[Cottis]

Miss Cottis suffers from gluten intolerance and also IBS and a generally loopy and grumpy lower intestine.

It is amazing how her belly and overall well being is improved by her behaviour both in terms of diet and activities.

Anything processed is not good. She is also a veggie, so cannot fill up on meat. Distilled spirits she is ok with but alcohol is generally a no no. Sugar is not good and anything wheat related triggers issues. It sounds horrible but having limited diet and feeling well is a better place to be than feeling crud.

She says she is not stressed but she has a bit on her plate with family issues. All these little things accumulate and I can see it happening with her. I try to make things as easy as possible which does help her, so it pays to make sure you have friends and family who understand that you will be frustrated at times. It is hard to appreciate how much people suffer sometimes, so whilst don't whine like a mule, do let people know how you are feeling. It helps them understand and in turn they should be more helpful towards you, which helps.

Apart from watching her diet like a hawk, she has found probiotics help hugely and the other thing is being as active as possible. Cardio and actual sweating and raising the heart rate. Easier said than done sometimes but when she is in the routine of going to the gym and running lots, her health improves noticeable. I think it is just a sign she is happier generally but the reverse is that it is sometimes easy to feel crappy and spend the night on the sofa. Sedentary activities are no good.

The last thing is sleep. People enjoy different levels of sleep. I hit the pillow and go out like a light and sleep for 7.5hrs and then wake up. Miss Cottis tosses and turns and drifts in and out of sleep and often has broken rest. That is unhelpful as the body is not getting consistent and lengthy patterns of rest and recovery time. She has found that CBD sleepy tea helps her. Or you can get different strength mouth drops. Totally legal. No THC or drug stuff in them so you will not get high or fail tests etc but it can help relax the mind and body and she finds gives her better sleep patterns and therefore rest.

Good luck. Health can be a pain but also a challenge that can be beaten. I suffered with crippling CFS/ME for years from the age of 33. 10yrs later and I am pretty much back to normal with only very occasional flare ups. Time can be a great healer.

 

[levigsp]

Stress plays a big part, but so does diet. High fibre, high fluid, low fat, low caffeine and low alcohol. Not much fun.....but better than the pain. I've suffered with it for years but have found that eating lots of veg and cutting out fizzy drinks and beer, white wine and not eating too much pastry helped greatly.

That is certainly far from the diet I was recommended the last time I got a bad bout about 5 years ago.
I was told stress. medications and diet which I already knew, but to stay well away from high fibre, green vegetables etc.
Since then I have had one or two very minor attacks. 20 years ago they told me to eat lots of fruit and veg and it made it far worse.

 

[Twodogs]

Mrs TD tried the FODMAP diet, it is not a diet in the traditional sense but a method of assessing tolerance to foods in a logical way. It does take time but well worth it in the end. Mrs TD found, after years of cutting out bread/wheat, that these products were in fact not a problem. Dietarily her biggest problem was in fact excess amounts of fruit and vegetables especially root veg, having cut those down and eating more meat she is much better.
As mentioned stress, sleep and exercise or lack also seem to be contributory factors.
If you can sort out by diet that has got to be better than taking meds. Hope you identify the issue and get better soon.

 

[lochty]

That is certainly far from the diet I was recommended the last time I got a bad bout about 5 years ago.
I was told stress. medications and diet which I already knew, but to stay well away from high fibre, green vegetables etc.
Since then I have had one or two very minor attacks. 20 years ago they told me to eat lots of fruit and veg and it made it far worse.

Horses for courses, I tried cutting out lots of other stuff I enjoyed but it made no difference, so I went back to eating them. It worked for me, will be different for others and I suppose emphasizes the need to speak to a dietician or other medical person.

 

[25 Sharps]

Miss Cottis suffers from gluten intolerance and also IBS and a generally loopy and grumpy lower intestine.

It is amazing how her belly and overall well being is improved by her behaviour both in terms of diet and activities.

Anything processed is not good. She is also a veggie, so cannot fill up on meat. Distilled spirits she is ok with but alcohol is generally a no no. Sugar is not good and anything wheat related triggers issues. It sounds horrible but having limited diet and feeling well is a better place to be than feeling crud.

She says she is not stressed but she has a bit on her plate with family issues. All these little things accumulate and I can see it happening with her. I try to make things as easy as possible which does help her, so it pays to make sure you have friends and family who understand that you will be frustrated at times. It is hard to appreciate how much people suffer sometimes, so whilst don't whine like a mule, do let people know how you are feeling. It helps them understand and in turn they should be more helpful towards you, which helps.

Apart from watching her diet like a hawk, she has found probiotics help hugely and the other thing is being as active as possible. Cardio and actual sweating and raising the heart rate. Easier said than done sometimes but when she is in the routine of going to the gym and running lots, her health improves noticeable. I think it is just a sign she is happier generally but the reverse is that it is sometimes easy to feel crappy and spend the night on the sofa. Sedentary activities are no good.

The last thing is sleep. People enjoy different levels of sleep. I hit the pillow and go out like a light and sleep for 7.5hrs and then wake up. Miss Cottis tosses and turns and drifts in and out of sleep and often has broken rest. That is unhelpful as the body is not getting consistent and lengthy patterns of rest and recovery time. She has found that CBD sleepy tea helps her. Or you can get different strength mouth drops. Totally legal. No THC or drug stuff in them so you will not get high or fail tests etc but it can help relax the mind and body and she finds gives her better sleep patterns and therefore rest.

Good luck. Health can be a pain but also a challenge that can be beaten. I suffered with crippling CFS/ME for years from the age of 33. 10yrs later and I am pretty much back to normal with only very occasional flare ups. Time can be a great healer.

Thank you.

I did wonder on probiotics. I have been hitting them pretty hard as I had chronic bacterial prostatitis last year and spent December 2021 to October 2022 solidly on antibiotics bar about 10 days. This would have wrecked my gut flora so I have been taking obtibac, kefir and actimel daily. I do think I let them slip the last week or so before the bout so that could well have contributed.

The other thing is I’ve changed for a herbal coffee mix that is supposed to aid concentration at work the last few months. My normal routine for a morning stalk is coffee and a piece of fruit then proper breakfast once home. Both bouts have come on within half an out of each other during a morning stalk, so I’ll be cutting that coffee out for a while too.

Lots to consider but many encouraging posts above which is exactly what I needed after pretty crap week!

Thanks everyone

 

[Cottis]

Thank you.

I did wonder on probiotics. I have been hitting them pretty hard as I had chronic bacterial prostatitis last year and spent December 2021 to October 2022 solidly on antibiotics bar about 10 days. This would have wrecked my gut flora so I have been taking obtibac, kefir and actimel daily. I do think I let them slip the last week or so before the bout so that could well have contributed.

The other thing is I’ve changed for a herbal coffee mix that is supposed to aid concentration at work the last few months. My normal routine for a morning stalk is coffee and a piece of fruit then proper breakfast at home. Both bouts have come on within half an out of each other during a morning stalk, so I’ll be cutting that coffee out for a while too.

Lots to consider but many encouraging posts above which is exactly what I needed after pretty crap week!

Thanks everyone

I am a bit of a coffee geek. I buy lots of random green single origin beans and roast my own profiles. I research coffee quite a lot.

It is a bad idea to drink coffee, generally speaking for anyone, before eating food. I have porridge each morning at work before I brew a coffee. For years I used to skip breakfast and just got through to lunch on coffee. Always felt crappy. Fruit is good but some can also be a touch acidic. Good idea to have bulk non processed food to buffer against stuff that on its own might aggravate your gut.

These days I feel loads better. Breakfast like a king, then coffee then reduce food intake throughout the day and try not to eat after your evening meal. Easier said than done. My weakness is sugar. Always had a sweet tooth.

Making life changes is tough man. I have no had direct refined sugar since Boxing Day and I am still clucking for some. It is like the hunger for it never goes. I will beat it properly one day.

 

[25 Sharps]

I am a bit of a coffee geek. I buy lots of random green single origin beans and roast my own profiles. I research coffee quite a lot.

It is a bad idea to drink coffee, generally speaking for anyone, before eating food. I have porridge each morning at work before I brew a coffee. For years I used to skip breakfast and just got through to lunch on coffee. Always felt crappy. Fruit is good but some can also be a touch acidic. Good idea to have bulk non processed food to buffer against stuff that on its own might aggravate your gut.

These days I feel loads better. Breakfast like a king, then coffee then reduce food intake throughout the day and try not to eat after your evening meal. Easier said than done. My weakness is sugar. Always had a sweet tooth.

Making life changes is tough man. I have no had direct refined sugar since Boxing Day and I am still clucking for some. It is like the hunger for it never goes. I will beat it properly one day.

This is the London nootropics with lions mane and Rhodiola as seen on dragons den! It really has helped concentration and 3 people I’ve recommended it to have felt the same. But the timing of the bouts is probably a bit too similar to ignore.

My weakness is food generally to be fair, ask anyone on here who knows me and they will tell you I should be far fatter than I am! I do enjoy a fry up but only really have one when out or once a month at Lord Roberts (Bisley). But cakes, biscuits crisps and all that stuff. Meals wise, thanks to the wife, are always pretty good - home cooked, plenty of veg, lentils etc. it’s just all the crap in between I am too week to say no to. That will have to change.

Likewise activity, I used to do a lot of weight training and did 3 years of amateur boxing when I gave up smoking in my late 20s. I was super fit. These days I am not, busy job, busy family and busy hobby all excuses but again, that will need to change!

 

[lochty]

I forgot to say, I avoid anything with seeds. They used to get stuck in the diverticula and cause all sort of problems. Learned the hard way with wholemeal seeded bread, muesli and certain jams.