After an attack

[Pauline Grant]

My partner is recovering from a first attack of diverticulitis. He was briefly hospitalised for intravenous antibiotics, and since then has been taking them orally. Apart from the pain of the attack, he has has a severe reaction to the antibiotics, with constant vomiting until he was forced to stop taking them and the doctor then prescribed other drugs that he was better able to tolerate. His pain is much less severe but he is still not well and it has been four weeks now. He is feeling very low which I guess is a combination of being fed up with being ill and maybe from taking such strong antibiotics for three weeks. His doctor has now told him to stop taking them even though he is still in some pain. Can anyone else let me know if their attacks have followed a similar pattern. He is worrying that this seems to be going on for far long than the "few days" that we keep reading about.

[Rosy]

I am a 44 yr old woman and I had my first attack this past summer and I felt very ill from the antibiotics as well. I still took them to avoid getting another infection but ended up getting another attack several months later anyway. After that I have had three more attacks even though I am careful of what I eat. The best thing to do when you are taking medication is to have at least 50 ounces of water a day and eat very light for days, for example, mashed potato, yogurt, vanilla pudding. That seems to work for me. I also discovered that I can no longer eat chopped meat!

[greg]

Rosy wrote:

I am a 44 yr old woman and I had my first attack this past summer and I felt very ill from the antibiotics as well. I still took them to avoid getting another infection but ended up getting another attack several months later anyway. After that I have had three more attacks even though I am careful of what I eat. The best thing to do when you are taking medication is to have at least 50 ounces of water a day and eat very light for days, for example, mashed potato, yogurt, vanilla pudding. That seems to work for me. I also discovered that I can no longer eat chopped meat!

hi my name is greg i have had numerous attacks and have alwats been treated with antibiotics at home.no one recommended iv antibiotics and now i am looking at having to have surgery to remove a pe\ar of my colon,also no advised me to be on a liquid diet,i am wondering if either of these measures would have given me a better outcome......

[Dan]

I found this article about mangosteen juice; it might help you.
Dr. James Duke is perhaps America’s foremost ethno botanist. He worked for the USDA and University of Maryland. He was a prolific writer and created a phytochemical and ethnobotanical database. Mangosteen is listed with 138 separate benefits. The following are the major benefits:
+ Anti-oxidant – neutralize free-radicals to stop the damage of the cell
+ Anti-biotic, anti-viral, anti-fungal – prevents or modulates all infections
+ Anti-inflammatory – prevents inflammation and stop pains due to inflammation
+ Anti-ulcer – prevents both stomach, mouth, and bowel ulcers

[taboo]

I had surgery for diverticulitus after 4 major infections and 9 days in the hospital last summer. I finally had the surgery in November and they removed 8 inches of large intestine and an abcess in my large int. as well as 2 inches of my small int.

I was in the hospital for 8 days after the surgery and i have a scar running vertical from my belly button to my pubes.

Now being late april, i am still feeling the effects, specifically where the large piece was removed as well as where my incision was. I have not had any infections and I supposedly can eat what I want(including sesame bagels and strawberries) but that doesn't always seem to be the case, i have to be very careful of what i eat otherwise my extremely sensitive system will react. As long as i have my vegis every day it is not too bad. I am a 36 yr old female.

I did just also go back in 2 weeks ago for Laproscopic surgery lloking to remove a cyst on my ovary, but all they found was ALOT of scar tissue that they removed. I am feeling some pain from that still but i already feel the improving effects of no scar tissue.

I have been on Nuerontin(nerve pain) for long awhile and Ultram since my November surgery and finally off the ultram for the most part as of a week or so ago and just on nuerontin and advil. My dr just prescribed another batch of Ultram which works wonders for me and allows me to function at work without the extreme pain, but i could see myself getting addicted to it because it makes me feel like superwoman. Immediately after the surgery they gave me percosets and a strong dosage for it as well.

hopefully i will not have any more in the future and hopefully the effects(nerve pain in my intestines, a constant painful knawing feeling) will go away after awhile. I have been dealing with pain for awhile and never knew what it was until this past summer.

Good luck and i hope that this helps.

[Sheila NJ]

I was in the hospital 3 weeks ago with a bout of diverticulitis; had IV antiobiotics 3 days and was sent home with a 10 day oral supply of amoxicillin. No one eats more fiber than me so I'm in a quandry how this could have happened to me in the first place... Anyhow, today I am experiencing nausau and can't stop going to the bathroom. Yesterday I ate a banana, a grapefruit, a yogurt (for breakfast), a bowl of lentil soup (for lunch) and 2 bowls of bean soup (for dinner). Is it possible I ate too many beans? Or I am becoming symptomatic for another bout of diverticulitis? Wondering if its safe to take an immodium AD or something else to ease the nausau/diarrhea.

[wells]

greg wrote:

<quoted text>hi my name is greg i have had numerous attacks and have alwats been treated with antibiotics at home.no one recommended iv antibiotics and now i am looking at having to have surgery to remove a pe\ar of my colon,also no advised me to be on a liquid diet,i am wondering if either of these measures would have given me a better outcome......

Greg, I had a colon resection for diverticular disease several years ago. Oral antibiotics are the usually the first line of attack an d if they prove unhelpful, that's usually followed by a 3 day stint in a hospital on IV therapy along with a CT of the gut,
a liquid diet, and, if needed, a colonoscopy. That almost always does the trick. One is then released from the hospital with a course of oral antibiotics to take w/a follow up with the Dr. Before consenting to surgery of any kind, discuss other options w/your doc and be sure to go for a second opinion w/another doc and see if he too agrees if the old slice and dice is your best option. Also, there are loads of websites and medical search engines available to you. Do some digging on your own. Good luck!

[Adam Evans]

I am a 33 year old male, 2 years ago I was admitted to hospital with acute diverticulitis with an abcess that had perforated my colon wall. Peritonitis had set in and I was in big trouble. I didn't know I had the disease, my doctor told me that it was hereditary, I later found out that my father had it and decided not to tell anyone.

I had a left hemi-colectomy and was in hospital for about 7 days, after getting out I went through about 8 weeks of trying to get back to normal and since then everything has been pretty good. Before the surgery I would suffer through fairly violent stomache cramps 3-4 times a week and had done so since I was about 18.

I have found diet to be a major factor in how I feel post-surgery. I have also found that my digestive system is much more sensitive to foods. I am wondering if anyone else has found this post surgery?

[George]

Dear Adam Evans, I am 34 years old and a little while ago had an attack of diverticulitis....I am now terrified because they are telling me that I may need surgery. Please tell me how you feel in terms of the surgery...is your lifestyle the same? can you still be as active as before? did you gain or lose weight? Does life continue as before?

[Leo]

George wrote:

Dear Adam Evans, I am 34 years old and a little while ago had an attack of diverticulitis....I am now terrified because they are telling me that I may need surgery. Please tell me how you feel in terms of the surgery...is your lifestyle the same? can you still be as active as before? did you gain or lose weight? Does life continue as before?

HI Bruce,

Read my post "by Leo"

[Alison]

I ws diagnosed last November with diverticultis and also had to go into hospital for antibiotics by drip. It has reared it's head again. I have been to the doc's this morning and been given very strong antibiotics. Hope these work this time. I was also told to drink lots of fluid. Perhaps this is to make you stop feeling sick with the abdominal pain. Once you have been diagnosed it's seems to come back now and again. Now I know what I'm looking at

[Pakey]

Diet has alot to do with my flair-ups. The worst thing I can do is over eat. Soft foods and limiting my amount of red meat has helped, but sometimes I have a desire for a nice steak, baked potatoe and corn on the cob. Now I'm paying for it.
I'm on cipro, keflex, and flagyl all concurrently, lots of fluids and bed rest for a few days, until the pain in my abdomen stops.
Don't eat any diary products during your episodes. Dine on soups, jello, soft potatoes, etc. Dairy products are a no-no, i.e., cheese, milk yogert, etc during recovery.

As I've read in other posts, my system is very sensitive to many foods, which once were a source of enjoyment and pleasure. I try to eat alot of "root" vegetables, with fish, and chicken. Limitied amounts of pork. Chocolate and fatty foods also seem to set it off. Removing ice cream, and diet drinks with aspertame has also been beneficial.
There is a book on the net you can buy, called "Eating for IBS". I realize this is different, but the recipes have guided me to modifying my diet, and limiting my attacks.

[Anne]

In February of 05, I had my first attack of acute diverticulitis which sent me to the hospital with the usual IV's, etc. I was there for 8 days and recovered great. A year later, I had another attack which was mild and treated successfully with antibiotics. Since then, I have had 3 more, each time treated successfully with antibiotics. My question for all of you is Why are my doctors, first and second opinion ones, wanting to do and recommending surgery? My diverticula is very widespread. I have a feeling, even after the surgery, that I could still have attacks.

[Leo]

Hi Anne,

I am not a docter or anything like that, just had all the the attacks and the surgery. Mine was is wide spread as well, but all my attacks happened in the same area. Make sure you have a colonoscopy.
I had many attacks, and beacuse I travel quite a bit to Asia, I decided on the surgery.

I did much reading on this subject because I was so nervous about the surgery. A good reason to have the surgery is beacuse if you have an attack and you bowel bursts they surgery is way worse and you are subject to infections. I also read that 2 of every 10 people die from the infection after rupture. I have no way to verrify that stat.

Read my other posts about the surgery, it is no walk in the park, but today is week 6 following my surgery, and feel great, but it took time to get to his point. Hope this helps you.

[Dan]

Hi! Your posting caught my attention! I'm experiencing the same exact symptoms after my first diverticulitis attack. I've been on Ciprofloxacin and Metronidazole for a month now! The infection is almost gone but now my colon is inflammed and is bothering more than when I went into the hospital. I can't wait to get off of the antibiotics. I'm going to deal with this and watch my diet but wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

Pauline Grant wrote:

My partner is recovering from a first attack of diverticulitis. He was briefly hospitalised for intravenous antibiotics, and since then has been taking them orally. Apart from the pain of the attack, he has has a severe reaction to the antibiotics, with constant vomiting until he was forced to stop taking them and the doctor then prescribed other drugs that he was better able to tolerate. His pain is much less severe but he is still not well and it has been four weeks now. He is feeling very low which I guess is a combination of being fed up with being ill and maybe from taking such strong antibiotics for three weeks. His doctor has now told him to stop taking them even though he is still in some pain. Can anyone else let me know if their attacks have followed a similar pattern. He is worrying that this seems to be going on for far long than the "few days" that we keep reading about.

[Jennifer]

Anne,

My diverticular is also widespread and a good deal of of in my right side of the colon. My doctor has told me he would just remove my entire colon. That seemed extreme. Has anyone had their entire colon removed due to frequent flare-ups? I am 33 years old and think it's just inevitable.

[Sue]

Dan wrote:

Hi! Your posting caught my attention! I'm experiencing the same exact symptoms after my first diverticulitis attack. I've been on Ciprofloxacin and Metronidazole for a month now! The infection is almost gone but now my colon is inflammed and is bothering more than when I went into the hospital. I can't wait to get off of the antibiotics. I'm going to deal with this and watch my diet but wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
<quoted text>

Dan-- I have been on the antibiotics for 4 days now. The Metronidazole tastes Aweful-- I gag every time I take it! Any suggestions? So, do you know if banana's are bad for us with this condition? Sue

[Sue]

Pakey wrote:

Diet has alot to do with my flair-ups. The worst thing I can do is over eat. Soft foods and limiting my amount of red meat has helped, but sometimes I have a desire for a nice steak, baked potatoe and corn on the cob. Now I'm paying for it.
I'm on cipro, keflex, and flagyl all concurrently, lots of fluids and bed rest for a few days, until the pain in my abdomen stops.
Don't eat any diary products during your episodes. Dine on soups, jello, soft potatoes, etc. Dairy products are a no-no, i.e., cheese, milk yogert, etc during recovery.
As I've read in other posts, my system is very sensitive to many foods, which once were a source of enjoyment and pleasure. I try to eat alot of "root" vegetables, with fish, and chicken. Limitied amounts of pork. Chocolate and fatty foods also seem to set it off. Removing ice cream, and diet drinks with aspertame has also been beneficial.
There is a book on the net you can buy, called "Eating for IBS". I realize this is different, but the recipes have guided me to modifying my diet, and limiting my attacks.

Pakey-- Thanks for the info. I'm new to this, have been sick a few days. I drink Alot of Diet Coke, guess I will be replacing that with alot of water from now on. Your suggestions are very helpful-- I could use all I can get! Sue

[Pakey]

Sue wrote:

<quoted text>Pakey-- Thanks for the info. I'm new to this, have been sick a few days. I drink Alot of Diet Coke, guess I will be replacing that with alot of water from now on. Your suggestions are very helpful-- I could use all I can get! Sue

Hello Sue,

Thanks for your post. For quite a long time, I kept a log/diary, of what I ate everyday, and how aften I would have diahrrea, abdominal pain, etc. and over a period of months, same up with some diet modifications which made food easier to pass. During my flair up's diary products seemed to exasurbate (spe) my condion.
Now I"m used to softer food, and Sam's club has some great frozen catfish and Orange Ruffy.
Not everyone has problems with the diet drinks, but when you are feeling bad, you have to eliminate food items, and add back one @/time, and see what irritates your bowel.
If I mentioned this before, I apologise, but I also keep alot of prunes around from Walmart (their in the baking section), and order fresh figs from Valley fig growers in Sacramento. Along with taking Metamucil tid (3 times/day), my diverticulitis has healed anough where I can walk and move around with having pain in my lower abdoment.

Hope you feel better

[Dee]

My mother has just left hospital, after a 2 wk stay. I had never heard of this illness and was wondering if you could tell me what kinds of foods should be avoided, and which are best.