I 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 RepliesReport from colonoscopy which states that both are now present. As most are aware have been using Aloe Vera and Manuka Honey plus Acidophilus, we have been sent a prescription now advising to take the drug Budesonide (budenofalk) has anyone had any experience of being given this to use and can this be combined with probiotics?
I have been taking Lansoprazole since April of 2014. I have just developed upper back pain and pain in my sternum area. I also just started taking Potassium supplementation for low potassium. One of these, I believe is causing my back pain.
Anyone else out there suffering from upper (and lower) back pain and pain in the sternum area? Did it stop when you discontinued the Lansoprazole?
Thank you for any help!
My body weight is normal, am only 35, and having gerd symptoms. I have read about Gerd and LPR etc. Previously had acidity but under control, few weeks back was getting out of control, ate bad food, and wondering if I have caused some problem?
RIght now I am on a very strict diet and limiting acidic foods, even logging my foods to help identify my food.
However, I have noticed I will eat some lentils for example or even vegetables and then all of a sudden I burp and then have reflux it might happen once but I am surprised. I have noticed that if I drink water then I get it after even 2 hrs of dinner. I eat around 5 so I give myself time to digest.
Question: I am taking prevacid 15 MG, and have zero heartburn, previously I use to get heartburn but when I take prevacid then I get no heartburn. However I get a random reflux and then it leads me to cough and get that feeling in my throat as if something is stuck.
I am eating every 2 hrs, eating the right foods, just cannot figure out what could be causing the GERD? It no severe but still I want to get it in control before it gets complicated.
I heard about LPR, I am hoping that if I eat right then can it correct it self, right now I am eating perfectly and all the right foods, so even though it happens once in a day I am worried since I feel, I feel the lump in throat after it happens.... help!
NOTE: It got worse all of a sudden, before heartburn but never reflux, how it happens when I eat even a light meal Right now what I have done is eat nuts, fruit Apple and pear, and drink vegetable juice with pulp (no acidic fruits or juices) and then one light meal and I still get this reflux.
I am really worried about it getting worse so want to deal with it and find a solution. It is almost in control, but only when on a strict diet. So that tells me something is wrong it seems.
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 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 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 RepliesI 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"
It 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?
could i ask other sufferers of D.D If they are suffering from iron deficiency due to drastic change in their diet ? Due to not eating vegetables and other iron producing foods ,and would it be wise to take an iron supplement?
View 7 RepliesOver the past two months I've had 2 colonoscopies and a sigmoidoscopy. The sigmoidoscopy found diverticular,( I wasn't surprised). Routine biopsies were taken at the time which came back normal. The first colonoscopy following this found no diverticular, it was completely clear and no biopsies were taken. Because of this I queried whether other things could have been missed ( I've had mild rectal bleeding for months). Because of this they decided to do a second colonoscopy which I had yesterday. Apparently I was in so much pain that I asked the doctor to stop the procedure ( I can't remember as I was sedated). The report I received after said diverticular disease noted and routine biopsies taken. The nurse also mentioned inflammation (which wasn't on the written report). I'm just wondering if the diverticular could have been inflamed and caused the pain? My last two procedures weren't painful at all. Guess I'm scared of IBD, but thinking that this would have been picked up before? I've had lower left pain intermittently for years but never sought any treatment as it usually lasts for a few days the resolves. Can diverticular become inflamed without becoming infected? I'm really confused as to what is going on
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.
View 36 RepliesHas anyone had an exploding abscess in a pouch,? Did the medicals
tell you why and what caused it. ?,Or did you get the Mushroom treatment ?
I'm just trying to recover from a flare up and as I'm quite new to this horrible disease I am making some mistakes along the way. I've been on a low residue diet for two weeks & have been ok & felt fairly normal at the weekend, but then yesterday felt a bit constipated & bloated so I started taking my psyllium husk supplements & a spoonful of Aloe Vera juice, I only took two PH but this morning felt very sick again & had to rush to the loo so many times. I don't have any pain & the only way I can describe it is that my tummy feels very tender, so I think I've tried to rush things. I've been reading SO many different versions of how long it takes to recover & what you should be eating? I think I am fairly confident that I have been eating the right things so not sure why I ended up constipated? A few people have said that cranberry juice is really good & also that you should eat raw garlic as it acts as a natural antibiotic. I have read posts on here saying that you should avoid garlic.
View 2 RepliesHas anyone heard of Aloe Vera helping diverticular problems?
I saw a very convincing article on the computer about its benefits for all gastric and diverticular etc
I have had left side abdominal pains for over 20 years. Initially doctors thought it was IBS but now it has gotten worse with the same symptoms there most of the time whereas in the past they would come and go. Now the thinking is diverticular disease. I have had prunes with my breakfast for years and have for the last week increased my intake of fibre though it does not seem to have had an effect in relieving the pain yet.
Pain usually begins in the left lower abdomen and then seems to move lower down and ends up as a tight, cramping feeling around the left side near the kidney area.
I've been having constant left side abdominal pain and dodgy bowel movements since around May this year. Also constant peeing. My GP went down the gynae route and sent me for a scan of uterus and ovaries. All normal, as was all the blood work done. I then went on to pass blood in a bowel movement, maroon coloured with fresh blood about 8 weeks ago. This lasted about 24 hours. Have had nothing since but awaiting a date for a colonoscopy. My GP has mentioned Diverticular but obviously I am concerned re cancer. I have had no weight loss and still have s good appetite despite a bad case of acid reflux hanging about. My bowel movements tend to be soft but never diarrhoea but I have noticed there are small hard lumps of darker coloured stool mixed in. Is it possible that these small lumps are stuck in the diverticular pooches but are flushed through by the looser stuff? Also is constant low grade pain a usual symptom? I do get the odd hot flush and dizziness but on the whole generally feel well. I would appreciate any help/advise from anyone with this condition.
View 8 RepliesReturning from a hospital session of Drips and Deprivation (food) I was handed a Low Residue diet to follow. Scant in products,and information what to do with said products, I searched the web for more information,
only to find contradictory eat and don't eats, so I thought that WE the sufferers of food deprivation should start our own Divi Diners club and see if we can throw some light on the subject.
I Love mushrooms,but cannot find any info about them. How do we achieve our five a day if we can't eat fruit? Is it O.K. to take the skins off?
Can we have chips or roasties,or fish with batter on? Spices, do any of you use spices. and what do you put on spaghetti?
Can we blitz veggies, as stews and casseroles are forbidden?
Pastry is allowed, but no mention of which type.
So. can we help each other ,then at least when ,or if we ,dine out, we can order something from the menu.
I cannot eat boiled potatoes ,eggs (is it O.K to have a fried one?) jelly and rice pudding for ever. .
So please join in and share your doe's and dont's. mushrooms eaters.