Question for Those with Diverticulitis

[MIGrandma]

If you have diverticulitis could you tell me what your symptoms are?

My Mom has it, and before she was diagnosed she had pain in her abdomen. After she was diagnosed she has avoided eating things like berries, other things with seeds, popcorn, etc. and hasn't had any more problems.

I have had 4 "episodes" in the past month where I suddenly get nauseous immediately after a meal and (I'm sorry if this is TMI for some) within 15 - 20 minutes I'm sitting on the toilet with diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. I've done a little searching on the internet and it seems these can be symptoms of diverticulitis, although I have not had any pain at all like my Mom had.

I've had two colonoscopies (last summer and 5 years ago) and at one of those (can't remember which) he said I had a little bit of diverticulosis but "nothing to worry about now".

I'd just like to hear what you've experienced before/after being diagnosed with diverticulitis.

I have a doctor's appointment the 29th, so will be talking to him about this then too of course.

 

[mamamary]

My mom has it. She would start off with a slight pain in her stomach but i believe more too the side if I'm not mistaken. I don't think she's ever thrown up from it but would also make frequent trips to the bathroom. I know sometimes the pain would be so bad she would have to go to the ER. I know she's been pretty good the last few years and like you mentioned she doesn't eat seeds, corn, etc.

 

[NCRedding]

The time I had it, I started feeling queasy, and woke up in the middle of the night, just feeling something was off. I threw up one time, went back to bed, and when I woke up the next morning, I was in awful pain on my lower left side. I knew immediately something was wrong. I went to an Urgent Care place as soon as it opened. Looking back, I realized I had had a few days were I just felt a little off, bloated and gassy. The pain and symptoms come from the infection.

Your symptoms sounds more like what I've heard about gall bladder attacks, or gall stones.

 

[lorimay]

I had a cat scan last year for gall bladder issues, When they read the results they said I had diverticulum. I was told that the issue for me was the gall bladder. Your symptoms sound like gall bladder possibly. Maybe a cat scan can be ordered for you and you can whats going on.
Feel better.

 

[powellrj]

My dad has had it for years. He thought he was having a heart attack and went to the ER, where he found out it was diverticulitis. As long was he avoids raw vegetables he is fine, but summer is hard for him because he loves all the farmers markets and the fresh vegetables!

 

[MIGrandma]

The time I had it, I started feeling queasy, and woke up in the middle of the night, just feeling something was off. I threw up one time, went back to bed, and when I woke up the next morning, I was in awful pain on my lower left side. I knew immediately something was wrong. I went to an Urgent Care place as soon as it opened. Looking back, I realized I had had a few days were I just felt a little off, bloated and gassy. The pain and symptoms come from the infection.

Your symptoms sounds more like what I've heard about gall bladder attacks, or gall stones.

I had a cat scan last year for gall bladder issues, When they read the results they said I had diverticulum. I was told that the issue for me was the gall bladder. Your symptoms sound like gall bladder possibly. Maybe a cat scan can be ordered for you and you can whats going on.
Feel better.

Nope. Can't be gall bladder issues, had it and my appendix out way back in 1977.

 

[MIGrandma]

My dad has had it for years. He thought he was having a heart attack and went to the ER, where he found out it was diverticulitis. As long was he avoids raw vegetables he is fine, but summer is hard for him because he loves all the farmers markets and the fresh vegetables!

For my Mom her doctor told her to avoid seeds/berries, nuts and popcorn mostly. She avoids those like the plague and hasn't had any issues since.

I was reading on Web MD where they said "they used to say..." to avoid those things, but now that's not the case. I hadn't read/heard about not being able to eat raw vegetables. I'm definitely going to talk to my doctor about it though. I hate the thought of tests, more for the expense of it than anything else, but will do what he recommends.

 

[Nancy]

Mine was actually really sharp stabbing pain on the lower left side, right by the hip bone. I actually thought I ruptured an ovarian cyst when I went to the ER. By the time I felt this pain though it was the actual infection part of it causing the pain. Never want to feel that pain again. I was told to avoid things with seeds, skin, shells etc and then if I want to add them back to the diet to just make sure to drink a lot of fluid and eat very high fiber foods. I pretty much avoid as much as I can because the fall out from eating high fiber and lots of fluids is not pretty, if you know what I mean. I did slowly add some things back into my diet..but I really watch things now, so if it bothers me I just take it out again. I do find myself getting nauseaous a lot but I never throw up.

 

[Hrhpd]

If you have diverticulitis could you tell me what your symptoms are?

My Mom has it, and before she was diagnosed she had pain in her abdomen. After she was diagnosed she has avoided eating things like berries, other things with seeds, popcorn, etc. and hasn't had any more problems.

I have had 4 "episodes" in the past month where I suddenly get nauseous immediately after a meal and (I'm sorry if this is TMI for some) within 15 - 20 minutes I'm sitting on the toilet with diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. I've done a little searching on the internet and it seems these can be symptoms of diverticulitis, although I have not had any pain at all like my Mom had.

I've had two colonoscopies (last summer and 5 years ago) and at one of those (can't remember which) he said I had a little bit of diverticulosis but "nothing to worry about now".

I'd just like to hear what you've experienced before/after being diagnosed with diverticulitis.

I have a doctor's appointment the 29th, so will be talking to him about this then too of course.

Mine is pain right above the bladder. It mimics a bladder infection very closely. I end up feeling like I have to urinate constantly.

I do take a medication because there is a brand new study out from UCLA that has shown that if you have had a diverticulitis episode, you have a high chance of having Post-Diverticulitis IBS syndrome. Taking the meds has been a life changer along with keeping my fiber up to keep things moving and not able to get stuck in the little pockets has been a life changer. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-researchers-describe-new-248195

 

[powellrj]

For my Mom her doctor told her to avoid seeds/berries, nuts and popcorn mostly. She avoids those like the plague and hasn't had any issues since.

I was reading on Web MD where they said "they used to say..." to avoid those things, but now that's not the case. I hadn't read/heard about not being able to eat raw vegetables. I'm definitely going to talk to my doctor about it though. I hate the thought of tests, more for the expense of it than anything else, but will do what he recommends.

He has dentures so he was already avoiding anything with seeds. In the summer my parents would have entire meals of nothing but vegetables and he was always having attacks in the summer so the doctor had him not eat as many raw vegetables and he stopped having the attacks. He can eat small amounts, just not weeks of nothing but vegetables which is what they would do.

 

[Disnydad]

Google the Mayo Clinic and look up diverticulitis and read the info there. I had it (required surgery) and found the info there a great help. The thing about seeds is "old wives tail stuff" my doctors told me. I do fine with high fiber and avoiding uncooked vegies.

 

[Hrhpd]

Google the Mayo Clinic and look up diverticulitis and read the info there. I had it (required surgery) and found the info there a great help. The thing about seeds is "old wives tail stuff" my doctors told me. I do fine with high fiber and avoiding uncooked vegies.

Me too. Both my surgeon and gastroenterologist said the same thing that it is an old wives tale.

 

[jrmasm]

Google the Mayo Clinic and look up diverticulitis and read the info there. I had it (required surgery) and found the info there a great help. The thing about seeds is "old wives tail stuff" my doctors told me. I do fine with high fiber and avoiding uncooked vegies.

DH was told the same thing last spring. It's all about the right amount of fiber.

 

[MIGrandma]

Google the Mayo Clinic and look up diverticulitis and read the info there. I had it (required surgery) and found the info there a great help. The thing about seeds is "old wives tail stuff" my doctors told me. I do fine with high fiber and avoiding uncooked vegies.

Just last night I told DH that I had read some stuff about diverticulitis/-osis on Web MD but that the next web site I want to read is Mayo Clinic.

 

[Nancy]

Me too. Both my surgeon and gastroenterologist said the same thing that it is an old wives tale.

Mine also told me not to avoid those foods and if I eat them to just increase fiber and liquids to flush out the system. This is all fine and dandy if you can be close to a bathroom...but I work at a call center and if I eat anything with seeds it triggers those lovely little pains and since I am attached to my desk and I just can't tell the caller to hang on while I run to the bathroom, it may be 5 minutes or it can be 20 minutes or more. I just try to avoid the worst triggers as best I can so I don't have to increase anything that triggers other issues.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I have had 4 "episodes" in the past month where I suddenly get nauseous immediately after a meal and (I'm sorry if this is TMI for some) within 15 - 20 minutes I'm sitting on the toilet with diarrhea and vomiting at the same time.

I had very similar symptoms but it was my gallbladder

 

[sasywtch]

Since the other thread was talking about colonoscopy, that's how they found my diverticulitis. I haven't had an actual infection but I do have the day to day issues. About three times a week I feel like I'm having labor pains so badly I sweat and have to go to the bathroom soon. I feel more bloated when I eat. My coworker had the actual infection and hers was extremely painful continually for over a week requiring antibiotics.