Diverticulitis and colectomy

I’m on my 3rd diverticulitis attack and I’ve decided enough is enough! I decided to just eat better and exercise. I have known 2 people who died after getting a hole in their intestines from diverticulitis. One passed with no surgery the other a few days after part of his intestine was removed. No thank you! I’ll do better.

Hi Arlene,
Sorry to hear about your 3rd attack. Have you had a colonoscopy?

I’m on my 3rd diverticulitis attack and I’ve decided enough is enough! I decided to just eat better and exercise. I have known 2 people who died after getting a hole in their intestines from diverticulitis. One passed with no surgery the other a few days after part of his intestine was removed. No thank you! I’ll do better.

I have not had a colonoscopy.

You should schedule one to find out how bad it is and not wait.

I have smoldering diverticulitis, just spent 2 days in hospital on IV antibiotics. They cannot do a colonoscopy when swelling in the colon is present. Hoping it will finally go back to normal. There could be a cancer under it but at this point only by removing part of my colon can it be found.

Yes, understand. (Been there) Hoping the antibiotics will help and are you on meds for inflammation too?
They said that my ovary in scan was enlarged, and it wasn't. It was just how bad my episode was.
I stayed on inflammation meds and low residue diet to keep mine at bay until I had the surgery.

Hello @s35flyer, I would like to join John @johnbishop, in welcoming you to Mayo Clinic Connect. I had to smile when you wrote, "It’s really messed up my life." Most of us with diverticulitis attacks feel the same way.

The lifestyle changes needed to deal with diverticulitis are necessary and need to be a permanent change in order to be effective in preventing further attacks. Most of us try to avoid major changes, if at all possible so I understand what you are saying.

Get as much information as you can on avoiding constipation which is the key. The right kinds of foods are important and they change as well. When you are in the middle of an attack you are best with using mostly liquids. As you begin to recover you can then add some soft foods like scrambled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. After that, you can begin to add fiber back into your diet as you tolerate it. Also, don't forget to drink lots of water.

Another suggestion is to look for trigger foods that might be upsetting to the sigmoid part of the colon. This is different for everyone. Some of my triggers are coffee (and I really do love coffee) carbonated beverages and there are others.

Keeping a food journal will help you to find these trigger foods that exacerbate your diverticulitis symptoms. By writing down everything you eat you can tell when you have a trigger food because you will feel the discomfort.

Have you discovered any answers yet to trigger foods?

The very 1st time I had diverticulitis “attack”, I had popcorn the day before. That Dr told me “popcorn is the grandfather of all things NOT to eat if you have diverticulitis “. Not to long ago, another GI said what you were told…that popcorn isn’t big enough to cause an attack ?!?