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Sudden onset of diverticulosis
BACKGROUND;
My wife has been on Fentanyl patches (opioid) for chronic back pain for over 20 year and also Oxycodone (also opioid) for breakthrough pain relief. She never had any gastro issues before May nor had any issues with non-FODMAP foods. She was admitted to the hospital for 3 days last May with severe colon blockage and then had a (seriously overdue) Colonoscopy in June which indicated only minor diverticulosis. Her primary care doc said it was likely the opioids. Her pain management doc gave her samples of Relister and Amitiza to try. We then went to a GI doc who said only Relister as required and put her on a FODMAP. diet. That combination is working but when she varies from the diet, the symptoms return immediately. Her next appt with the GI doc is in two weeks and I want to understand “what changed in her life so suddenly?
THE QUESTION:
Has anybody experienced such a sudden onset? Do you know what triggered it? Have you found a solution?
Thanks so much.
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Hi, I’m a 72 yr old man who has experienced that unbelievable pain. Left side mostly. I have been active all my life , are fairly well in my younger years but healthier go the past 35 yrs so what happened.
I was told aging, intestinal walls thinning ,diverticulosis & hereditary disease contributed to it .
Long story short. my last bout ended being a perforated bowel which required emergency surgery. A foot of my descending large intestine was removed.
I woke up with a colostomy bag. Fortunately 14 months later I had a reversal & am very happy with that.
I am Canadian so not familiar with Fodmap diet however it sounds similar to what I used.
Hate to say this but staying with this type of diet, eating 3/4 small meals a day, making sure she is getting enough fibre & water. It’s a process for sure trying with ups & downs finding out what works ( haven’t perfected it yet but getting there)
If that diet works that stick with the life change to avoid surgery.
Hope this helps.
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1 ReactionThe foremost institution working with the fodmap diet is Monash University in Australia, monash.edu. Google it for lots of info, including specific diet suggestions. My husband was on it, and it really helped him. It also helped me lose some extra pounds.
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1 ReactionHi Faddy. I sympathize with you. I had a perforated bowel requiring emergency surgery last March. Lost a foot of diseased Colon and now have a Colostomy bag. I recently had my Colonoscopy and 8 Polyps removed. A new Divirticuli has started developing which was disheartening to know. I am eligible for a Reversal. However I hesitate doing it because of the possibility of the Divirticuli getting worse and maybe requiring losing more colon and yet having another surgery. I never had pain from the former Divirticulitis. It just hit me one morning with incredible pain and within an hour I was in surgery. Recover was hard, but I made it through. Colon cancer runs in my family on my Father's side of which he passed away from.
Almost always, you will continue to develope new Diverticuli even after surgery and espescially as you get older. Take your Metamucil, drink lots of water and eat a healthy diet that consist of lots of fiber and veggies. Try to avoid constipation and go on and live your life and get your reversal. More than likely you had other benign diverticuli in your colon at the time of your surgery.