Diverticulitis Support Group
Diverticulitis is a common disease of the bowel, in particular the large intestine. Diverticulitis develops from diverticulosis, which involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon. Diverticulitis results if one of these diverticula becomes inflamed. Diverticulitis most often affects middle-aged and elderly persons, though it can strike younger patients as...
Hi all, New here...
I'm in my 2nd flare up since being diagnosed about 8 months ago. Severe pain at initial diagnosis lasted 1 week before going into the ER as we thought is might have been a rupturing appendix. did the antibiotics/ liquid diet/ and anti-spasm meds...1 month later colonoscopy resulting in mild diverticula diagnosis and 3 polyps removed with 1 being pre-cancers.
1 flare up, very mild 3 months later...went away within 2 days.
Now...Was sick with a severe cold for about 1 week and BOOM...big flare now lasting 4 days so far. single location(almost feels bladder-like) constant ache, intermittent SHARP stabbing pains for about a min or so. coming and going...decreased eating, pain gets better briefly after bowel movement, no blood in stool or urine.
I can deal mostly with the pain as sharp as it gets some times just by concentration and breathing.(I have been sneaking occasional 325mg hydrocodone that was issued to my wife to help deal also)
no fever(98-99F) but 2 separate chilling bouts at bedtime that goes away within 2 min in bed and warming up.
***question is when to not just deal with it and go in with this length of time with pain?...It's not getting better and intermittently worse...
thank you in advance any and all for opinions...
I'm in my 2nd flare up since being diagnosed about 8 months ago. Severe pain at initial diagnosis lasted 1 week before going into the ER as we thought is might have been a rupturing appendix. did the antibiotics/ liquid diet/ and anti-spasm meds...1 month later colonoscopy resulting in mild diverticula diagnosis and 3 polyps removed with 1 being pre-cancers.
1 flare up, very mild 3 months later...went away within 2 days.
Now...Was sick with a severe cold for about 1 week and BOOM...big flare now lasting 4 days so far. single location(almost feels bladder-like) constant ache, intermittent SHARP stabbing pains for about a min or so. coming and going...decreased eating, pain gets better briefly after bowel movement, no blood in stool or urine.
I can deal mostly with the pain as sharp as it gets some times just by concentration and breathing.(I have been sneaking occasional 325mg hydrocodone that was issued to my wife to help deal also)
no fever(98-99F) but 2 separate chilling bouts at bedtime that goes away within 2 min in bed and warming up.
***question is when to not just deal with it and go in with this length of time with pain?...It's not getting better and intermittently worse...
thank you in advance any and all for opinions...
Recently, I did a course of Keflex (14 days) but still had discomfort, if not exactly pain, continuing. So I had some blood tests which showed no infection and a CT scan last week, which confirmed. The CT described my diverticulosis as "extensive" so I suspect sooner rather than later I'll have to have a resection. My GI wants to do a colonoscopy, which I will do maybe next month. However I have kept the condition under control with medication since I was 43; I'm now 71 so I guess it's time.
Good luck and definitely get help.
I do know Diverticulitis can be dangerous if there is a perforation or another complication.
You almost describe what sounds like some sort of an obstruction. I have no idea if you are eating fiber or low fiber foods. As long as this continues to get worse, I would get myself some medical help now.
I have heard from people who had barely any pain and they had a perforation and were very sick.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes
It isn't any option really. You could put yourself in a serious place.
I know you don't want to go, but I hope you reconsider.
Like gem111 said, and from my own personal experiences, let your physician know what's going on.
Take care
Tuff week...Thank you for the replies.
So last Monday I ended up in the ER...Yep, Diverticulitis. the even better news was the next day I was short of breath, dizzy to the point of passing out, jaw pain and that has really floored me(way scarier than the "D", at least to me for now)..not going away and seems to be getting worse...That belongs in a different group though.
I meet with the specialist tomorrow on the "D" and then cardiologist after....I wanted to saw thank you for the advise and will n ot ignore it as i didnt know how serious it was if you had a flare up....Looking back(hind site is 20/20), I stupidly ate snickers forgetting about the nuts...my favorite candy bar.... bye-bye forever I guess.
on a comical note, still getting a bit of pain(crazy how quick you get used to a knife in the stomach) I noticed they screwed up my script....Metronidazole 500mg....Bottle says once daily...40 pills...I asked my Primary about it since there was so many pills and she says they screwed up in the ER....should have been 3X daily...could be the reason there's still pain.
Anyways, I wanted to say thank you again.
Be well.....Best wishes to you and your families.