Diverticulitis Support Group

The docs can't seem to agree on whether or not diet can effect diver. disease. From what I have heard and read, strawberries are a big culprit due to the little seeds. I have never had an infection, but I know when I eat the wrong things, I have severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Hope it settles down for you. Not having insurance makes it very hard,

Robin

I too could never figure why I had a bout of Diver - I used to eat whole grains, and lots of fresh fruits & veggies (complete opposite of what they suggest is the cause...)

And each time, I never had an elevated temperature - so do not let your temperature be your sole indicator if you have an infection or not.

Try drinking Aloe juice (the wildberry flavor at Walmart isn't too bad and less expensive than GNC) and that should help reduce inflamation. CAUTION: Don't drink too much, as it can have a laxative effect when too much is consumed.

Hang in there!

Have to agree with pinkboots on the aloe, but I got the aloe vera gel pills at GNC. May try the juice too. I too am waiting for ins. coverage to kick in for my pre existing condition with this crap. I too think higher fiber diet makes me worse. Go figure. Mine is definitely chronic and I'm about your age. My doc probably wouldn't approve of me taking these pills but I became desperate and couldn't take the pain anymore. I took them for 2 weeks and my inflamation subsided and pain too. Then I stopped taking them for 2 weeks and now the pain and inflamation is back. So I'm now taking them again for last few days and hoping all will be better again real soon. Kinda scary stuff to me. I don't want surgery but at same time I don't want to cause other harm to my body and maybe mask a problem that needs medical attention. I think strawberries have no effect on me. When I'm having pain it hurts most when I bend when sitting or when I play golf and put strain on my abdominal area. Standing straight up and laying down seem to not hurt as much when I'm having problems. It's funny, I never had problems with my abdomen before I had my first colonoscopy 2 years ago. My first infection happened about 6 months after that. Dude said I have very little diverticuli on that exam though. I'm a little upset about the whole thing and wonder if he messed me up somehow. When I get another one, it will be with another GI doctor for sure as I had a bad experience when he didn't make sure I was "out" when he started. Good luck and send me a message if you like.

Throughout my whole ordeal I never had fever even when I was infected and it didn't seem to matter what I ate. Once I changed my diet I still had problems. Ultimately I had to have srugery and now I feel so much better. I wrote my story on my profile if you would like to check it out.

I'm glad for you georgiana7. I think I am starting to feel the exact same say about any diet I eat mine is just plain "chronic" like my MD said. I've got to make it to Oct 1 when my insurance will kick in to cover it. Unless I have no choice! I wonder when I'm feeling bad if I'm infected again or not since no fever here either except maybe my first bout a year or so ago. You two ladies are way too lovely to be having to deal with this stuff. Way to go georgiana7, and hope you are feeling better Akqueen. Bye for now. Adam

I have to loudly disagree with those who say take aloe. Aloe is not recommended for lower GI conditions like ours. For irritable bowel or diver it can actually make it much worse.

I missed two days of work last month because of aloe supplements. I didn't develop a fever, but the pain was as bad as any attack I've ever had... and I'm not sure I've returned to normal yet. I may never be the same. The pain is just as you describe - sharp or sometimes dull gas pains that just don't subside.

On top of that, there is the possibility of hepatitis with aloe.

I'm just trying to let you know what I went through so you don't do the same.

Feel better soon.

Cobraman,
its funny you mention starting to have problems
after having your colonoscopy because I am beginning
to think I got my colon damaged also from my colonoscopy.
I originally went to the dr for a pain under my right rib cage
and right side .I had polyps previously so he gave me a colonoscopy and egd . A week after my colonoscopy I started having alot
of mucous but wrote it off as it irritated my colon .I had no pain
until 4 month when I started getting sharp jabbing pains
in my left lower colon and diarrhea. Now I am just getting dull
aching cramps throughout the day. I have went back to him
and discussed it but he is just telling me it is ibs. I don't have
tenderness when pushing on the lower left side so I am not
sure if it is divers or not but I have read it an mimic ibs in its
mild form. I really can't afford more testing right now but it worries me.
I have insurance but a high deductible .
Did any of you suffer from other mild symptoms before you had an acute attack? I also get a cramp in my side when bending
over or straightening out lots of time .
I was reading about one 39 year old woman who is stuck with a $234K bill after she needed emergency surgery and had just
lost her insurance at the time her attack happened .Scary
expensive. We need health reform in this country.