Anyone have diverticulitis?

[luvwinnie]

Dr. believes my sister has it and he wants her to get a colonoscopy to be sure. Colon cancer does run in the family. If you have had it, how was it treated and did it return? Thank you.

 

[caitycaity]

my mom was recently diagnosed with it. she was on antibiotics for awhile and now she cannot eat any kind of nuts or seeds, corn, anything that might cause a problem. she hasn't had a flair up since, but she's been really strict about her diet.

 

[xABearx]

I had it about 6 years ago and was admitted for about a 1 week stay in the hospital while being treated with antibiotics and put on a liquid diet for almost the entire week.....I was told about not eating anything that the stomach cannot digest, i.e.: nuts, anything with seeds, corn....I have eaten all of those and have not had another occurance since then (keeping fingers crossed) and hope I don't ...... Andy

 

[mtblujeans]

My Dad had it and it got terribly worse as he got older. He was almost constantly on antibotics and had to go thru numerous colonoscopies. He was miserable. He eventually had to cut out all of the foods he enjoyed and when we took my parents to WDW, he could not even have a smoked turkey leg because of the restrictions. I have alot of problems with a sensitive stomach but I do not have it.

 

[Figaro]

Hi, luvwinnie!

I can't imagine a doctor wanting to do a colonoscopy on a person who has diverticulitis, as when there is an infection there is a higher risk of perforation during a colonoscopy and the infection getting spread. Diverticulosis is the "pouches" in the colon that seeds/nuts and other foods can get caught in and that can sometime lead to the infection of those pockets (which is what diverticulitis is..an infection in the pockets).

During a bout of diverticulitis, a person is on antibiotics and if it is severe, in the hospital with nothing by mouth and IV antibiotics. After the infection is cured (usually, but not always just by the antibiotics), then diverticulosis is treated by increasing the fiber in people's diets.

If the diverticulitis isn't cured by antibiotics, sometimes it is necessary to do surgery and remove the infected part of the colon before it ruptures. Infections weaken the wall of the colon and increase the possibility of a rupture which is life threatening.

My guess is that they believe he has diverticuli (the little pouches) and want to make sure that he doesn't have any polyps along with those diverticuli.

Hope this helps!

 

[mtblujeans]

I believe they did the colonoscopies on my Dad because his infections would be so bad and he was in a great deal of pain and his colon would bleed. They would do the actual visual inspection to see how bad the infection had gotten and if he needed surgery. He said it was pretty common treatment for his flare up.

 

[luvwinnie]

Thank you all. They aren't doing the colonoscopy right away on her. She has to see a gastro. (our 2nd cousin is one luckily) first.
My sis is only 46 and does watch what she eats...but despite this she does have high chol.

 

[chrissyk]

My grandmother has this, and she also had colo-rectal cancer last year. She can't eat anything with seeds. Other than that, I'm not sure what they do to treat her.

 

[Jungle Skipper]

Originally posted by xABearx
I had it about 6 years ago and was admitted for about a 1 week stay in the hospital while being treated with antibiotics and put on a liquid diet for almost the entire week.....I was told about not eating anything that the stomach cannot digest, i.e.: nuts, anything with seeds, corn....I have eaten all of those and have not had another occurance since then (keeping fingers crossed) and hope I don't ...... Andy

Same here, I was diagnosed in July2001,,,,same treatment.

Jungle Josh