Does anyone else suffer from Diverticular Disease?
This time last year I had a really bad time where every time I was going to the loo it was diarrhea like. It was like that for a good couple of months. I finally went to the GP about it and was giving ab's which put a stop to it. Since then however I have never really been 100% it is one extreme (diarrhea) or the other (struggling to get anything out). Usually the diarrhea though. I can't eat most take-out anymore without having to be close to a toilet within 10 mins and have quite a lot of days where all I seem to do is poop. It also comes with abdominal pain until you have finally been.
I have mentioned to Mum quite a few times over the last year and I found out that my Great Grandmother - Grandmother - Mother, and every female born off those branches have Diverticular Disease. Every time I have mentioned something about my bowel issues she has it "oh it sounds like Diverticular Disease" I had a bad bout on Christmas Day, where I was straight in the toilet after lunch and even my Grandma mentioned it.
I have not been diagnosed with it as proper diagnosis requires a colonoscopy, but with it being so hereditary in my family it doesn't sound promising. I hate living with the fact that when I need to go I need to go. This is one of the reasons why I stopped doing food shopping and now do it all online. I lost count how many times I would have to leave the shopping trolley and bolt for the nearest public toilet. Not nice having bouts of diarrhea in a public toilet!
So anyway was just wondering if anyone else suffers with it.
To me, ypur symptoms don't really fit in the 'diverticulitis box'.Diverticulitis is more about inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract cause pain and possibly (eventually) infection.
Have you read up much on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)- it is more characterized by diarrhea (especially after eating) and although constipation is also a symptom most people experience diarrhea more severely.
Yes I am exactly the same. But I do know what sets me off. I don't have Diverticular Disease or diverticulitis. Too me it also sounds like it could be irritable bowel syndrome or the Diverticular Disease like you said going on your family hisotry. I was under the impression that Diverticular Disease usually gets worse with age and that younger people (I don't know your age) usally have it much more mild then when they are older. Both can be difficult to diagnose without a colonoscopy.
Do you know what sets it off? A friend has diverticulitis and he can't have anything with nuts no strawberry jam or any jam as they have those tiny nuts in them, strawberries, etc or anything little like that that gets stuck in the pockets of the bowel which cause a flare up. For me protein, cream, cheeses etc make me really sick and within a 5-10min period of eating it I have terrible pain and offensive you know what.
If you can diagnose exactly what the problem is (not self diagnosis) you can probably work out what makes it worse so you can avoid especially when your out.
Sounds more like IBS to me. I don't know if you remember 3 years ago when my DH was very ill and almost died. Well he had a severe bout of diverticulitis and had to have his sigmoid colon removed due to the extent of the diverticuli. It is fairly uncommon in the younger generations, which is why he almost died, as Doctors just don't think of it. He had persistant diarrhoea and he smelled sick after he had been in the toilet, like he had gastro. Seeing yours seems to be related to what you eat, then I would think something like IBS.
It is frustrating when the older generations go on about diverticular disease, as from what I have seen it presents quite differently in those that are younger. In DH's case he had 16 diverticuli get infected and burst. The regime he had to follow during recovery was very strict and quite different to what the elderly often have to do. Oddly enough he had to avoid eating a lot of fibre.
Definitely get a proper diagnosis. I suffer from IBS and have found improvement by working with a naturopath, so that is another path you can look at.
Any reason your GP hasn't sent you for a colonoscopy? I'd get one done to find out what the cause is so you can treat it and have a better quality of life. If you're worried about the proceedure, I'm more than happy to talk to you about it. We do, on average, 20-30 a day at work.
It just doesn't happen after I eat. I could wake up and be on the toilet an hour later without eating or drinking a thing. But I do know fatty foods, such as KFC, HJ"s etc can set me off but it doesn't happen all the time either.
MG - I am not worried about having a colonoscopy done, I just haven't seen a GP to get a referral to have one done yet. The reason why I mentioned the diverticular was mainly due to the family history of it which I only have really found out about in the last year. It is definitely on the to-do list to see the GP, because I don't like being like this.
I hope out of the two it is IBS. I don't want another thing passed down to me. Bloody genetics !!
Fatty foods can trigger IBS, maybe look into that or food allergies? Matilda has always had diarrhoea but more so if she has McD's or anything. When we found out about her allergies, and we cut them out, she still has issues when having fatty foods.... we just try to limit her diet and cut out sugar and excessive fat in order to keep her more "regular". I personally would go to the Dr in order to get on top of it.
Diverticulitis is not really hereditary. It is really quite common amongst the elderly due to the aging of the bowel which allows the diverticuli to develop. DH dealt with one of the main experts around and he was told that it may or may not have a hereditary component, they still do not fully know why it develops and are, of course, completely baffled as to why it occured so badly in someone as young as he was.
hope it is something that is easily fixed for you.
I would definitely get a referral for a colonoscopy. DH had severe ulcerative colitis on two ocassions. An overactive immune system that attacks the colon. Each flare up lasted months, and got to the point where he couldn't leave the house - because he always needed a toilet, and he didn't have the energy. The second time he got it, it was so bad and no medication would fix it so he had to have his colon removed (and now has a permanent ileostomy bag). Obviously a worst case scenario, but there are so many possibilities for what it could be, it's worth getting it looked at asap.
Have made an appoinment for next Friday the 22nd as that is when my next Depo injection is due anyway, so kill 2 birds with one stone. Will let you know how I go if I remember LOL
Diverticular Disease
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