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Diverticulitis and constipation
First, to say, thank you all for being here for support and helping make sense of things! I was diagnosed with diverticulitis last November, have been fine since January, and am trying to make sense what seems to be divergent views from drs. When I was flaring Nov/Dec 2023, the GI drs (saw both in the practice) said I couldn't make the flare worse or better with particular foods; I could eat whatever I wanted. They said, if I was constipated, certain foods would cause pain, but again, wouldn't alter the progression of the disease. The docs in this practice very firmly believe prohibitions against foods are wrong; they believe studies bear this out. More recently, my primary dr - an internist - has said something very different. (I think.) She says to avoid constipation at all costs, that little bits of fecal matter (She called them fecalites. No idea how it's spelled) trapped in the pockets set flares in motion. So food does matter, but I believe, to her way of thinking, it's only those foods that would promote constipation.
What do your docs say? Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. Much, much appreciated.
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I'm grateful too we can share here; I seem to be mostly surrounded by people who've never had a digestive problem in their lives (must be nice).
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1 ReactionNo matter what anybody says, it is my experience, that food, what one eats, makes a huge difference! I’ve had diverticulosis and constipation problems for 65 or so years, and, there is nothing like experience, to prove my point! Popcorn and most nuts are anathema, to my gut! The flareups I’ve had, where I’ve gotten infected, with chills and shivering, from diverticulitis, because I ate the wrong food, are memories that I would not wish on anybody else! A few years back, when it came out, that some medical professionals, stated a person with diverticulitis could eat whatever they wanted to, I thought, ok, I’ll try that. So, that lasted about a month, where I ate cashews, walnuts, popcorn etc. and boy, did I pay a price for that foolishness! Of course, each person is different, in regards to the extent of having problems with diverticulosis and constipation.
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7 ReactionsOh my goodness, you've had so many years with this illness! I so very much appreciate you sharing your wisdom. Thank you, thank you. It sure does seem as if there needs to be more long-term studies of people's day to day experience with diverticulitis. You're reminding me of the PA I saw in the ER when I was flaring. She said she worked with a lot of diverticulitis patients, and by and large they said the same as you - they knew which foods were problematic for them. She said there wasn't consensus - that is, what was a problem for one person, wasn't necessarily a problem for another. I wish this illness were easier!
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4 ReactionsThank you for your kind reply! The clue as to why it’s different for each person, goes with the severity of the diverticuli, causing the problem, in the colon. As time goes by, over the years, mine got slowly worse. That affected what I could, or could not eat.
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4 ReactionsThank you. This is so helpful.
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2 ReactionsHi @karyn23
While I haven't had diverticulitis as long as @foundryrat743, I definitely concur with what he has said. When anyone suggests that you can eat anything you want, it is best to take that advice with the proverbial grain of salt.
As was said before, it is all dependent on the extent of the diverticulitis. When I was first diagnosed (over 15 years ago), my diverticulitis was only in the sigmoid area. More recently, it is in the entire colon. As a result, my diet is much different now that what it was before.
Keeping a food diary might be a good idea. In this way when you have pain and other symptoms you can look back and see what you had been eating a day or two before the symptoms began. It is a good way you can find the "trigger foods" that increase the symptoms. You might also track your activities and stressors to see how those might be affecting your symptoms.
For me, I've found that a low residue diet works well. I don't have any fresh veggies, but instead use canned or well-cooked veggies (such as in soup). I miss salads, but I've learned to make a great Greek chicken salad without the lettuce or spinach. I just use beets, chicken, feta cheese, tomatoes and Greek salad dressing. Do I miss the crunching of a salad? You bet I do. I have discovered, though, that I'd rather miss out on the pain as the food experience.
It is not an easy illness to live with, but it is doable. You just have to be attuned to what you eat and how it affects you.
Keep posting with questions. It is great to learn from the experience of others, isn't it?
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8 ReactionsI would be a masochist if I didn't avoid apple skins, strawberry seeds and the like. It is all in what I eat. Perhaps it matters which part of the gut is affected, but I would definitely check out the food angle.
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2 ReactionsKeeping a food diary is an excellent idea! With the app. ‘lose it’, I have kept a food diary, with number of calories, to help with the diverticulitis problems that I have, and also, to lose weight! I have used this app. for approx. 8 years, and have lost 52 pounds, during that time, and kept the weight off!
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2 ReactionsThanks for the app info! Sounds great.
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1 ReactionWow, so much helpful info! Thank you, Teresa. I agree: it is great to learn from everyone's experiences. And that salad . . . oh boy, does it sound delish! Much gratitude, Karyn
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