Recurrent Diverticulitis

Hello,
Peter here, I'm new here BUT I been suffering with diverticulitis for 10-15 years. my mom had it. i never knew it was so painful. I find that when i drink alcohol esp. vodka i start to get a tightening in my lower abdomen and urination becomes painful. I'm 77 very active guy and over the years CIPRO was prescribed and worked.
i also get into trouble if eat too much sauce- being Italian- i make it every Sunday and overeat of course which is dumb but i love it!

WATER- YES !! the more the better. I am currently on day 5 of 7 w/new Rx called Levofloxacin plus Amoxicillin. This event was really really bad. i thought emergency but my doctor was able to see the next morning , but it really scared me.

I am advocating no more nightly vino with dinner, i think an occasional social drink or 2. is the way to go. Drink water all you thirsty ones and live better now!

Let's go Mets & Let's go Water from here on.
We are getting older and have to start taking care. Life is still Beautiful!!!

Does anyone have reoccurring diverticulitis flareups? It’s so incredibly difficult to know what is causing this because it does not happen right away. It kind of creeps up seems to be when I enjoy a full meal and a few drinks more than one day in a row, I get this flareup. Sometimes worse than other times end up in the ER on antibiotic followed by a liquid diet. Extremely difficult to live like this and go to the ER every time this happens, wondering if anyone has similar problems and or solutions

might be a dumb question but have u seen a GI?

Yes, many. Years ago I was told to just stay away from seeds, nuts, and popcorn. After seeing many more Gastro’s, I was told to increase my fiber intake and take Metamucil three times daily. Learned in my case, I must be careful with the fiber intake. It affects gastritis, and after flareups and liquid diet it’s always a low fiber diet.

Hi @jeannie730 - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I wanted to let you know I moved your post here to join this discussion where members were talking about recurrent diverticulitis:

- Recurrent Diverticulitis https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/recurrent-diverticulitis/?

Glad you've connected with @mackvogt13. Hoping here you will also meet members such as @rooster65 @bosco17 @vacationv and others and that they can confirm if they've also had diverticulitis flare-ups creep up and what has helped with those.

Have you found anything along the way that soothes these flare-ups at all, jeannie730?

This also happened to me. I had what is called “smoldering diverticulitis “. I had countless ER visits and prescribed antibiotics that made me feel awful.
My GI finally referred me to a colorectal surgeon. It was recommended that I have bowel resection surgery. She removed 12 inches of the damaged section which was done robotically. That was in January of 2025 and I have not had diverticulitis since then.
If you haven’t seen a GI in a long time I would recommend you make an appointment.

I have had recurrent episodes for years. They sneak up on me as something like. 24hr stomach bug but it’s not. I ve learned to start a liquid diet asap and not wait for symptoms to intensify. Doing the diet for 5-7 days sometimes is all it takes to calm things down. I think stress induces some of the episodes. Others are less clear but may be linked to straining to have a bowel movement or not having one for several days. Ironically, increasing my fiber may be a cause. After my last episode I switched to just a normal fiber diet and that was six months ago. I also added two prunes a day and surprisingly that really helps with the bowel movements. I have Metamucil as a backup. I have taken Aloe Vera gel capsules for years and probiotics. I added Align brand with the longum strain six months ago and continued my usual general probiotic as well. I do a stomach massage for about 30 seconds each morning while lying in bed just to see if anything is getting tender. I walk a mile a day most days. After reading here about smoldering diverticulitis I think I may have had that for several years. This last episode I took augmentin for fourteen days to clear up an episode that was not responding to my regular routine. That seemed to resolve the lingering feeling. I do not tolerate a lot of the usual antibiotics like metronidazole so I have to be careful. You need a regular GI and a good GP who will put you on antibiotics right away. Sooner is better even if you are in doubt. Good luck.

I agree, recurring diverticulitis is disheartening. I had about 30 years of it coming and going. My GI recommended removing the colon and attaching the small intestine to the rectum. The adjustment has not been easy or smooth but I don't have the infections or constipation that were chronic for me. It doesn't sound like your situation is as serious as mine. Good Luck.

My sister in law has been dealing with this for a few years now with no known cause so far.

@jeannie730
Yes it creeps up bc we let our guard down and enjoy eating, drinking etc. But as we age our weaknesses grow and if inclined towards stomach issues our intestinal "pockets" trap foods and bacterialize.
Water, lots of water.... smaller meals easily digested...Fiber? less not more fiber but some fiber for sure, dont overdue fiber, it turns against us...moderation in all things. .esp.alcohol and overeating rich spicy foods( dont we just love though).
Hang in - dont panic, dont run to a surgeon, they only know one hing..cut out a piece, dont do it unless you crossed over the line..it sounds you have not.