I've had this condition for many years. Recent tests/scan show it's now extensive throughout the bowel. I've been given conflicting advice on appropriate diet and wondered whether anyone can provide more help? I've been taking fibre gel every other day for many years. Consultant insists this should continue.
I was diagnosed with Diverticular Disease in Dec 2013 after 4 days in hospital and the Drs having no clue what was wrong. After having a CT scan they found the problem. I was 30yrs old and if I'm honest I was shocked. I felt this was an 'elderly' thing.
Since my diagnosis I have had 4 bouts of diverticulitis that I have dealt with myself. I take paracetamol and go on a liquid only diet for 4 days and until the symptoms go away. I had a sigmoid colonoscopy in April to see how much of my colon has these diverticula and the Dr said it was of medium severity at this point.
The only way I can describe the pain of a flare up is like having contractions, I've had 3 children and would take childbirth over this any day.
The point I'm trying to make is that I have found there is little or no support for people with this digestive disease. I read conflicting reports on what I should be eating to help live with this and its starting to take over my life. I run a business and have 3 children so I need to be able to manage this.
I think that i have just had the shortest appointment time with a doctor.ever
Four minutes max. Told I had severe Diverticular Disease, to eat a high fibre diet, ,and to look on the internet if I wanted any more information, then he was out of the door, and that was it ,,except for a parting shot delivered in the corridor ""to come back if I had it again"
I found out 6 months ago I had diverticular disease after a flair up of diverticulitis. I have recently had another flair up - a few days ago. Although it seems mild it is still fairly debilitating but doesn't seem as bad as first time. I don't know if I am experiencing day to day diverticular disease symptoms or diverticulitis? First attack had fever with it and feeling sick but this one is just pain and diarrhea and feeling really down. Can't eat except for liquids. Is this diverticulitis or diverticular disease and how do you know the difference? Is it to do with the fever being present or not? I am so worried as no real information has been given to me and I feel scared I won't be able to live a normal life with this. Can someone tell me the difference and should I be heading to the doctors as soon as i get a flair up or just put up with it until it gets worse? I have read so many scary things about it I don't know if I can cope.
View 13 RepliesIt may seem a silly question but I would like to get fitter - take up running - in my fifties and just wondered does exercise help with DD or make it worse? Anyone out there exercises avidly? I feel so depressed since my diagnosis - like my life is over! I suppose this is a bit dramatic but anyone got advise on exercise?
I recently went on the Juice Plus diet and was told it didn't contain gluten even though it does contain Oats. Since starting the diet all my celiac symptoms have come back. Aching joints, swollen face and wrists and extreme tiredness. Has anyone else found this?
View 1 RepliesI've just been diagnosed with Coeliacs disease and am finding it very stressful shopping so far. I am following the weight watchers diet as well but all the GF breads seem high in calories. Also I've had headaches for the last couple of days and feel like I'm in a world of my own. Could these be coz I've stopped all wheat or just coz I'm stressed. I've joined loads of groups online and have all the info but it seems like information overload.
View 14 RepliesI have an 8 year old who was diagnosed with Coeliac disease last May and has been following a gluten-free diet ever since. Her symptoms previously were pins and needles in hands and feet, mouth ulcers, calcium marks on teeth, bloating, aching joints and bones, and small pink spots on the face. She is also quite small for her age. Her symptoms have cleared up, However now and then she gets sick if we have problems with cross-contamination.
My problem is that she is still experiencing a degree of joint and bone pain. About 2 weeks ago was the last time she got sick because of cross contamination, but last night she couldn't sleep because of the pain. Is this normal - does anyone else experience this?
Basically I am 25 years old and as i've grown up I've noticed more and more that I was getting stomach cramps and bloating more and more often. It is very sporadic and I couldn't really say exactly what was causing it but I just thought it was normal. This was until the last 12 months when I started to think a bit more about it. I do a lot of exercise and play a lot of football. I was finding that I would get some form of cramp during a football game. Usually quite mild but sometimes worse. I also like to run and when training for a half marathon found that after a certain distance I would get pains. Almost every time after about 30-40 minutes running. It would normally be worse when running in the evenings. I started thinking about it and tried taking several things out of my diet. I am 95% certain I have a lactose intolerance as since cutting that out around 6 months ago I have seen an improvement. But I would still get pains.
This all resulted in me going Gluten Free and I finally experienced what it feels like to have a normal stomach. I was relaxed and could do whatever I wanted without any fear. So I decided for my own health I should get tested for celiacs disease and after 7 weeks of eating gluten again had the blood tests. Today I had the results and they have come back negative. I feel so deflated and just angry. What do I do now? I just feel like going back to Gluten Free and living like that self diagnosed. The weird thing I find with my disorder is it seems to be worse when i'm up and about. If me and my fiancee have gone out around town and have lunch it is often worse when walking around afterwards. I don't always get blinding pains either. It is often just severe constipation or stomach cramps just making me feel uncomfortable.
Really disheartening now and just want to know but can't carry on for much longer and really don't want to keep eating Gluten when I know I feel good when I don't. Any advise?
My 12 yr old son is experiencing no BM after 4 days of switching him to this GFDF diet ... Before he was IBS .... Not sure what to do
View 7 RepliesDo either of these raise blood sugar, diet coke and diet ginger beer sometimes I like a rum with the diet ginger beer (no alcohol in the ginger beer)
View 1 RepliesI have had diarrhea and rectal bleeding for a month and discomfort (but not pain) lower left side. I went to see my GP and she ordered blood and stool samples. A few days later I woke up in blood stained sheets and when I got up blood was running down my legs. I called 111 and was told to go straight to A&E. They kept me in all day on an IV drip as I was dehydrated with sluggish circulation and later discharged with antibiotics Co-Amoxiclav and a letter for my GP saying Diverticulitis/IBD?
Flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy/CT scan have been booked for 31 October. Despite the antibiotics, the diarrhea and bleeding continue and although I am drinking lots of water, I have a continually dry mouth. This is the first time I have ever experienced anything like this and am naturally very concerned. I don’t quite understand what is happening. Are the antibiotics to take away the inflammation? Will the bleeding continue until the inflammation is gone? I read somewhere that diverticular bleeds usually stop on their own. Is a month a long time for bleeding to continue? I am trying to be positive but feel very run down and 31 October seems like a long way away for the tests. Any advice please?
i have been told i have Diverticular disease, i have been given Mebeverine 135mg but have found they make no difference at all. I am so swollen and as they day goes on i look like i am pregnant. This has been like this for 7 months. I am so fed up and my left side is so uncomfortable. When i have a bath or shower you can see the left side swell.
View 1 RepliesI went for my 2nd opinion today with another Gastroenterologist. The Surgeon had referred me.
He said he wants to do a gastroscopy and also a sigmoidoscopy. He also told me that one of the medications I have been taking for years for my hiatus hernia called Prevacid could cause diverticular colitis.
Has anyone had diverticular colitis?
My mum was diagnosed with both colitis and diverticulitis, she was put on a (9mg) 2 month course of Budenofalk granules reduced to 1 week 6mg and then finally 1 week 3mg. The diarrhea and need to go to the toilet eased during this time, however she has now been of the medication and is back to having to rush to the toilet again, we are awaiting for a follow up appointment at the hospital but this isnt until next month, she visited her gp last week in the hope of some help/advice - they were only able to try and get the appointment pulled forward. She has lost just over 3 stone since November, and we are at our wits end as nothing she seems to eat/drink remains for long, within 30 minutes of having anything to eat she has to visit the loo. She has been taking the acidophilus 10 billion since the beginning of the year. Can anyone offer any advice is there others that are in this unfortunate situation, she feels like she is wasting away and a prisoner inside her own home.
View 2 RepliesI'm wondering if anyone has any advice regarding diagnosing graves and thyroid eye disease in pregnancy. Having never had any problems until being pregnant I'm very confused as to why I've suddenly got it? At around 12 weeks into my pregnancy I noticed a change in my eyes (one was protruding), after seeing an eye dr, he advised I'd be tested for hyperthyroidism and following his advice the bloods came back as a positive for hyperthyroidism. I was put on PTU by an endocrinologist for the rest of my pregnancy and at week 39 I noticed a yellowing in the White of my eyes and admitted myself to the maternity unit for blood tests following speaking with a midwife. It turned out I had developed severe jaundice (Which I now have learnt through research to be a severe side effect to PTU) and that my liver was failing; I had to have an emergency c section that night. I am pleased to say I have a had a healthy baby boy but I'm so anxious as to whether these conditions will worsen post pregnancy.
View 1 RepliesI am a 24 year old who works a 12 hour rotating shift pattern (including night shifts). For the past 6 months or maybe more o have had upper left abdominal pain (cramping/aching) and more recently lower pain (sometimes across lower, sometimes left and sometimes a specific place on the lower right). I put it down to IBS due to shift work. My partner convinced me to see the GP as I have a family history of IBD. Oh and my bowel movements vary from constipated (less than once a week) to lose (not diarrhoea and multiple times per day)
Had stool tests and blood tests. I expected them not to find anything to be honest and just did it to please my boyfriend and put his mind at rest.
Doctor phoned and said that "the stool test shows signs of inflammation indicative of inflammatory bowel disease". I couldn't really ask more questions because of where I was. Phoned in for blood results and told by reception that they were fine.
I have been referred to the gastroenterologist and have an appointment in 2 weeks.
I am tired all the time and find it really difficult to get out of bed, frequently have naps at work but put that down to shift working.
I don't want to take any laxatives because I never know when it will change between constipation and loose stools and when I'm working, I often can't get to the toilet.
I often have joint pain but I also have a knee injury and some hyper mobile joints.
I am so confused as to what is going on and hate not being in control of my body. I know I only have mild symptoms, I feel so alone (shift work doesn't lend itself to meeting people regularly).
I'm a bit alarmed. I just had my 3 month check up with the doctor. I've never had any kidney problems before. My Creatinine is 2.0 and my GFR is 34. I am recovering from some major oral surgery right now and I haven't been able to eat as I normally do. Less food. I was wondering if this oral surgery and my diet could have anything to do with my test results? My doctor wants me back in his office in 6 days to discuss this test. If you have anything to share, that would be awesome!
View 1 RepliesI have picked up my tablets yesterday so I can start them today, however I'm going to struggle as not to sure what to eat, I find it easier to follow a weekly diet that's already set out , I have purchased the alli book so hopefully that will help, I used to weigh around 11 stone until I had Idine treatment for my thyroid as it was over active and now it's under had major problems there which had made me stuck on 5 stone! I only eat chicken and fish every other night with salad and rice or vegetables and jp or sweet potatoes, is there any diet to follow on day to day?
View 4 RepliesI would like to ask a question concerning cystic fibrosis diet. I work as a nurse in a hospital, and I heard for a lot of cystic fibrosis cases in last 6 months. Of course, the affected are all newborn, and I am just curious about their fates. I do not want to ask doctors, they all seem jumpy and nervous when you ask them anything about their little patients. So, will there be any help from you?
View 1 RepliesI have now had diverticular disease for the last 12 years and have a flare up every 6 months. I have apparently 6 pouches in my colon. I still do not know what foods to eat and to avoid. I have from my own experience stopped eating certain foods. I do not eat anything with seeds in ie some fruits have seeds so the only fruit I eat is melon pineapples bananas. The doctors say you should have a high fibre diet then they say do not eat seeds. I have just discovered that I should not be eating rice. How about baked beans should I eat these or not? Please could someone tell me as at the moment I am going mad not knowing what I should be doing.
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