Diverticulitis Support Group

Hello Drkackie,

You are in a very rough place my friend. There are only four things that help stop attacks that I know of:

1) stop eating for 2 days (you have done that)
2) antibiotics (you have done that)
3) Mesalazine - longterm treatment to lower inflamation (usually started 4 - 6 weeks after last attack)
4) surgery

There are two kinds of surgery - resection and bypass (colostomy). The more stubborn the attacks, the more likely all treatments will fail. There are people that choose colostomy and live healthy happy lives. Reconnection can start the process all over again.

That is all I have been able to find out in my 9 years of searching. You might go to a research hosptial and see if there are any options I missed. Try Mayo Clinic, Yale, Duke, HUP, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, or others.

This disease is not well understood. Most Docs are still guessing. Most people get one attack and never get another. There are people that once they get attacked never get back on their feet again. I do not think food makes any difference between those two groups. It is how one's immune system deals with the threat of another attack IMO. Some folks immune response is too weak and others response is too strong.

Good Luck,

John

hello there - apart from john's synopsis (which if you've been reading here for long, know is well researched and very informative) i have one thought. after my first attack which lasted about 10 days and awful and strong antibiotics, i too, about one week later has many symptoms again. was hospitalized but no divert. over the years, i had more attacks but at the end realized the stomach cramping and other symptoms was a reaction TO the antibiotic. i then started to take prilosec and felt much better. this may not work for you but you might try it before you despair.
good luck. we are all pulling for you.
sally

I'm so sorry to hear of your situation because it is exactly what use to happen to me when I would have bouts of diverticultis -- one lot of antibiotics after another with just a day or two in between before it all started again. Thats when it was suggested that I try odourless GARLIC tablets. So, because I'd been doing antibiotics for months, I decided to give it a try. I started taking 8 tablets a day, then gradually dropped down to 3 tablets over a period of 2 months. Garlic is a 'natural antibiotic' and I found that the odourless garlic tablets stopped me from developing further bouts of diverticulitis!! When I ran out of the first bottle of tablets-- (100) in a bottle -- I figured that I no longer needed them so I didn't immediately buy a new bottle. Sure enough, within 10 days I had another bout of diver. I soon bought some more and have been taking them ever since - over 10 years- and while I take them I don't have any problem, but when I don't, well, watch out!! So, my suggestion is for you to get some odourless garlic tablets and start taking them - together with prescribed antibiotics if you have to - but, it worked for me and I hope that you get the same result. Good luck, Cath

Thank you so much for your advice. I will go buy some today. I used to take them a number of years ago. I didn't realize they were effective for this situation. Anything is worth a try. The damaged part of my colon is only 5 cm, but it's damaged so badly that the docs are still tossing around the idea of surgery.

Kathleen

Hi Drkackie,

I hope you do try the garlic and report back your progress. I would try the garlic myself, but I am on another path right now. I did not include the garlic in my list of "cures" because there is little research on it. Having said that, garlic does have some amazing properties. It is unlikely to hurt you, and may be the magic bullet we are searching for. Nothing has worked for everyone including all the things I listed earlier.

Keep us posted.

John