Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. Always seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner about your own symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
- Which Conditions Get Mistaken For Diverticulitis?
- How Do Members Tell IBS From Diverticulitis?
- What Does Research Say About Diverticulitis Misdiagnosis?
- Can A Scan Or Colonoscopy Settle The Question?
- Why Do Members Worry About Bowel Cancer?
- Could A Urinary Or Gynaecological Problem Explain The Pain?
- Can Gallbladder, Appendix Or Bowel Blockage Problems Look Like Diverticulitis?
- Can You Have Diverticulitis And Another Condition At The Same Time?
- What Is The Difference Between Diverticulosis And Diverticulitis?
- Why Does A Missing Fever Not Rule Out Diverticulitis?
- How Do I Get A Proper Diagnosis?
- When Should I Seek Urgent Medical Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Conditions Mistaken For Diverticulitis
- Can IBS Turn Into Diverticulitis?
- Can Diverticulitis Cause Diarrhoea Instead Of Constipation?
- Can Diverticulitis Be Mistaken For Appendicitis?
- Can Diverticulitis Cause Pain On The Right Side?
- What Is Segmental Colitis Associated With Diverticulosis?
- Should I Have A Colonoscopy After Diverticulitis?
- Why Does My Scan Show Diverticulosis When My Doctor Says It Is Not Diverticulitis?
- Do Antibiotics Help If My Pain Is Not Diverticulitis?
- Key Takeaways
- Stop Guessing. Start Understanding
This article is based on anonymised discussions from our group on Facebook. Names and locations in the quotes are fictional.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), infectious colitis, bowel cancer, appendicitis, urinary tract infections, ovarian cysts, kidney stones and gallbladder problems all cause the lower abdominal pain that people and doctors mistake for diverticulitis. IBS causes the most confusion among our members. A 2020 study in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine reviewed 189 people with IBS who received a first diagnosis of diverticulitis in primary care and found evidence of misdiagnosis in 1 in 5. Pain, bowel changes and abdominal tenderness appear in several of these conditions, so doctors rely on scans, blood tests and colonoscopy to separate them.
Our members describe the confusion in similar terms: pain on the left side, bowels that change from day to day, and a diagnosis that shifts between appointments. One member has lived with diverticulitis for 15 years and still finds the two conditions alike:
“I think they feel very similar. If the pain goes away quickly, it’s IBS. If the pain sticks around, it’s a flare. But what do I know, really? This thing continues to surprise me after 15 years.”
Carol, Swansea
Which Conditions Get Mistaken For Diverticulitis?
Twelve conditions appear repeatedly in medical sources and in our members’ stories. The table lists what each one shares with diverticulitis, the clue that points elsewhere and the test doctors use to separate them.
Condition | What It Shares With Diverticulitis | Clue That Points Elsewhere | How Doctors Tell Them Apart |
Cramping, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal tenderness | No inflammation or infection; pain often eases after a bowel movement | Symptom pattern after other disease is ruled out; a scan shows no inflamed pouches | |
Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis) | Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, blood in the stool, fever | Symptoms last weeks or months; inflammation reaches beyond the sigmoid colon; often starts at a younger age | Colonoscopy with biopsies, plus blood and stool tests |
Infectious colitis and gastroenteritis, including C. difficile | Diarrhoea, cramps, fever | Follows recent antibiotics, travel or a stomach bug | Stool sample |
Pain, bowel changes, thickened bowel wall on a CT scan | Persistent blood in the stool, weight loss, repeated “diverticulitis” | Colonoscopy and biopsy | |
Ischaemic colitis | Pain, diarrhoea and inflammation, mainly in older adults | Sudden onset; heart or clotting problems | CT scan and colonoscopy |
Pain, fever, nausea, vomiting; right-sided diverticulitis presents similarly | Pain starts near the navel and moves; sudden onset | Examination, blood tests and imaging | |
Lower abdominal pain | Pain when passing urine; pain that changes as the bladder fills | Urine test | |
Kidney stones (ureteral stone disease) | Pain in the side or lower abdomen, nausea | Pain that comes in waves and spreads toward the groin; blood in the urine | Urine test and CT scan |
Lower abdominal pain on one side | Menstrual changes, vaginal discharge, pelvic tenderness | Pelvic examination and ultrasound | |
Gallbladder problems | Pain, tenderness, nausea | Pain high on the right side, often after meals | Ultrasound and blood tests |
Pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation | Repeated vomiting, a swollen tummy, no wind or stool passing | Emergency imaging | |
Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD) | Inflammation of the sigmoid colon in a bowel that has pouches | Rectal bleeding and diarrhoea dominate; fever and a raised white cell count are rare | Colonoscopy shows inflammation between the pouches, with the pouch openings spared |
Sources: the NHS, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic pages linked in the first column; the 2020 JABFM study; a review of unusual variations and atypical presentations of diverticulitis for SCAD and right-sided disease; a review of CT in diverticulitis for the list of alternative conditions, including kidney stones, epiploic appendagitis and ileitis; and MDView, which sells radiology second opinions and counts as a commercial source.
How Do Members Tell IBS From Diverticulitis?
IBS dominated the Facebook discussion. Members asked how to tell the two apart, and their answers fall into five signs.
Sign | Members Describe IBS As | Members Describe Diverticulitis As |
Pain severity | Milder, with bloating and cramping | Severe, “a lot more painful” than IBS |
Effect of opening the bowels | Pain eases afterwards | Pain stays |
How long it lasts | Settles within a few days | Does not go away and needs medical review |
Whole-body effects | Loose or hard stools and urgent toilet trips | Hot sweats, near fainting, exhaustion, loss of appetite |
Pain location | Left-side pressure and tenderness also occur | Lower left side and groin; the right side for some members |
“I was having cramping and thought it was my IBS. I went in for a CT scan for something entirely different and found I was in a diverticulitis flare. The only thing I go by is this: if I cramp and get pain on my left side and it goes away after a bowel movement, it’s IBS. If it stays, I’m in a flare.”
Margaret, Leicester“With diverticulitis I go hot and sweaty, nearly pass out and I’m on the loo for four or five hours. Then I’m exhausted and in bed for about four days. With my IBS I have loose bowel movements four or five times a day for three or four days, and I just have toast and jam, tea and water. But everyone is different.”
Brenda, Hull“A flare is your body completely overwhelmed, like your cup was already full and something tipped it over the edge. IBS is more like things are just off: bloating, cramping, constipation or diarrhoea, without that same level of active, severe inflammation.”
Stephen, Leeds
Members agree that no sign works for every person. One long-standing member puts it this way:
“After a few of each you will learn the difference for you, as we are all different.”
Gwen, Chester
Some members developed IBS symptoms after a first flare. Others spent years with an IBS label before a scan found diverticulitis.
“After the first flare I remained with IBS. I never had this before.”
Rhona, Perth“I’ve had bad IBS since my diagnosis. Since then I’ve thought I had diverticulitis again, but it’s IBS pain with left-side pressure and tenderness. Real diverticulitis is serious pain and you’d have to see a doctor.”
Craig, Nottingham“I’m 48 and have always had digestive issues. I was diagnosed earlier this year after being wrongly diagnosed with IBS for years.”
Joanne, Reading“I was told forever that I had IBS and to just learn to deal with it.”
Sandra, Telford, 52
A separate thread on bowel habits showed the same pattern. Dozens of members described stools that swing between loose, hard and mixed, and one member who started that thread noticed that most of the people who replied carried an IBS label.
“Many answers here describe the same problem as mine, and most of them were labelled IBS.”
Sam, Aberdeen
What Does Research Say About Diverticulitis Misdiagnosis?
The 2020 JABFM study came from gastroenterologists at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. They compared 3,836 people with IBS and 63,991 without IBS using health records from 2003 to 2017. The study counted outpatients whom doctors diagnosed with diverticulitis and treated with antibiotics without a CT scan.
Finding | Result |
People followed | 3,836 with IBS and 63,991 without IBS |
Outpatients diagnosed with diverticulitis and given antibiotics, with no CT scan | 7.6% of people with IBS and 2.6% of people without IBS |
Diagnoses per 1,000 patient-years | 14.0 with IBS and 4.2 without IBS (3.3 times higher) |
First diagnoses reviewed in the IBS group | 189 people, average age 65, 75% women |
Diagnosis revised or excluded by CT | 12 people (6.3%) |
No diverticulosis on any scan | 29 further people (15.3%) |
Evidence of misdiagnosis in total | 41 of 189 people (21.7%) |
Conditions found instead | C. difficile colitis, urinary tract infection, Crohn’s disease, gallbladder inflammation, small bowel obstruction, twisted sigmoid colon, ovarian cyst and pancreatitis |
Doctors in the study diagnosed mainly on pain and tenderness. Pain appeared in 95.8% of the 189 people and tenderness in 93.2%, while only 3 of the 118 people with a recorded temperature had a fever. A raised white blood cell count, which the study defined as above 11,500 per cubic millimetre, appeared in 26 of the 76 people who had the test. Tenderness also occurs in IBS: the authors cite a 1962 study that found it in over 60% of patients.
The authors state that some of the patients had life-threatening disorders, and that misdiagnosis leads to unnecessary antibiotic treatment. The study has limits. Its records come from one US health system, and the authors note that routine antibiotic treatment of diverticulitis is more likely in the United States than in England. It also cannot show which of the remaining 142 patients had diverticulitis and which had an IBS flare, because few had a CT scan while symptoms were active.
MDView publishes a similar list for emergency room scans. It names colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, ischaemic colitis, infectious colitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cysts or torsion and unusually placed appendicitis, and it explains that bowel wall thickening and fat stranding appear on CT in several of them. MDView sells second-opinion radiology reports, so read its article as a commercial source.
Can A Scan Or Colonoscopy Settle The Question?
A review of CT in diverticulitis states that the clinical diagnosis of diverticulitis is often uncertain and frequently incorrect. The review reports that helical CT, particularly with contrast given through the colon, offers a rapid and accurate diagnosis. It describes the CT signs as focal inflammatory thickening of the bowel wall and inflammation around the colon on top of diverticular disease. The same review lists the common alternative conditions that mimic diverticulitis: small bowel obstruction, epiploic appendagitis, acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, ileitis, ovarian cystic disease and ureteral stone disease.
A colonoscopy after recovery checks the rest of the bowel for other causes. A review of diagnosis and differential diagnoses in diverticular disease states that endoscopy is not required to diagnose diverticulitis and should not take place during an acute attack. The same review states that colonoscopy is warranted after healing, before elective surgery and in atypical cases.
Scan reports still confuse members. A report that mentions pouches does not mean diverticulitis, and members often receive a report without an explanation.
“I’m 27 and I can’t tell if this is irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. I don’t know how to read the report fully.”
Ella, Brighton“I recently had a CT colonography for excruciating pain on my left side. The report said diverticulitis. Now the gastroenterologist says I don’t have it. I’m back at square one.”
Neil, Belfast“A CT scan will show diverticulosis pockets. What were your white blood cell counts? Mine were high and I didn’t have a fever, but I had diverticulitis. Also check your female organs.”
Fiona, Canterbury“In January I had a colonoscopy and the doctor never told me I had small colonic diverticula. A CT scan for other health reasons showed them. I’m confused about how the gastroenterologist missed that.”
Susan, Worcester
Several members recommend a second opinion when a diagnosis does not fit. One member reported that this was the fourth doctor she had seen. Our articles on the difference between diverticulitis and diverticulosis and what a colonoscopy involves explain the terms and tests in more detail.
“Get a second opinion from a different doctor, just to be sure.”
Ruth, Ipswich
Why Do Members Worry About Bowel Cancer?
Bowel cancer thickens the bowel wall and changes bowel habits, just as diverticulitis does, so members who hurt for months or years often fear it. Doctors rule cancer out with a colonoscopy once inflammation settles. The NHS bowel cancer page lists blood in the stool, a lasting change in bowel habit and weight loss among the symptoms that need a GP review. MDView adds three triggers for suspicion: recurrent “diverticulitis”, weight loss, and being over 50 without a recent colonoscopy.
“I’ve been hurting in my lower left side for three years. I’ve had a cystoscopy and three CT scans, and now on the fourth they suspect diverticulitis with a micro perforation. My doctor has tried to reassure me that cancer is very unlikely, but my brain is messing with me. I can’t get my colonoscopy for months, so I’m going to spin out and worry until then.”
Jacqueline, Colchester
Other members answered with reassurance and with practical warnings.
“My doctor said to look out for bleeding and weight loss and to seek medical attention to check for cancer. Sorry to scare you, but don’t leave it.”
Valerie, Newcastle“Advocate for yourself and don’t let them blow you off.”
Diane, Southampton
Reassurance from other members helps with the worry, and a test settles the question. Our article on whether diverticulitis can turn cancerous covers the evidence in more depth.
Could A Urinary Or Gynaecological Problem Explain The Pain?
Yes. Urinary tract infections, ovarian cysts and pelvic conditions cause pain in the same lower abdominal area as diverticulitis. The revised diagnoses in the 2020 study included two urinary tract infections and one ovarian cyst. The NHS describes ovarian cysts and pelvic inflammatory disease on its condition pages.
“At the ER I was told I had a mild UTI, mild diverticulitis and a large ovarian cyst. They admitted me and gave me IV antibiotics that were meant to cover the UTI and the diverticulitis.”
Linda, Gloucester“I’m in pain and going to the toilet more often, mostly wind and small solid stools. It’s particularly painful when my bladder fills up, and it wakes me about four times a night. I’m not sure whether I have a UTI or an inflamed large bowel.”
Janet, Cheltenham“I had back pain, pain in the left groin and lower stomach for a long time. I was treated for adhesions, UTIs, IBS and endometriosis, and cancer was constantly on my mind.”
Philippa, Sheffield
Sometimes the bowel itself causes the urinary symptoms. The review of unusual variations reports that a fistula, an abnormal channel between the bowel and a nearby organ, forms in 2% of people with complicated diverticulitis. The most common types connect the colon to the bladder (50% of fistulas) and to the vagina (25%). A bladder fistula causes urinary frequency, urgency, pain when passing urine and waking at night to pass urine. In women, a fistula to the tubes, ovaries or uterus causes pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding or a tubo-ovarian abscess. One member’s repeated urinary infections had this cause.
“My colon had fused to my bladder and my uterus. The fistula was leaking into my bladder, and that was causing a constant UTI.”
Alison, Lancaster
Can Gallbladder, Appendix Or Bowel Blockage Problems Look Like Diverticulitis?
Yes, and the confusion runs in both directions. The 2020 study found gallbladder inflammation, small bowel obstruction and a twisted sigmoid colon among its revised diagnoses, and the CT review lists appendicitis, epiploic appendagitis, ileitis and acute cholecystitis among the conditions that mimic diverticulitis. Doctors also mistake diverticulitis for those conditions.
A case report of a 70-year-old woman shows how. She arrived at an emergency department with sudden pain in the upper right abdomen, and doctors suspected cholecystitis. An ultrasound showed a normal gallbladder and a thickened bowel wall, and a CT scan showed sigmoid diverticulitis with a small perforation. Her sigmoid colon sat on the right side of her abdomen because she had a redundant colon, a variation called dolichocolon. Her white blood cell count was 14,500 per microlitre, and she left hospital after a week. The authors conclude that ultrasound works well as a first step and that its accuracy rises when doctors add CT.
“I had my gallbladder removed in 2023. I think what I thought was a gallbladder attack was really diverticulitis.”
Beverley, Plymouth
Right-sided diverticulitis is uncommon in Western countries. The review of unusual variations reports that it accounts for 1 to 5% of diverticulitis cases in Western countries and 38 to 75% in Asian countries. The review adds that right-sided diverticulitis may present like appendicitis, and that doctors often misdiagnosed caecal diverticulitis as appendicitis or cancer before they used CT routinely. It also notes that inflammation outside the sigmoid colon often causes vague discomfort and milder pain than left-sided disease. Members with right-sided pain do not all describe mild symptoms.
“I never get fever or vomiting with mine, and mine is on the right side. The pain is unimaginable, and it was detected through CT as well. I often wonder if it might be something else.”
Anita, Lincoln
Small bowel obstruction appears in the research lists and in members’ stories too.
“I was in hospital last week with a small bowel obstruction. They drained a lot out of my stomach with a tube. I’m seeing a gastroenterologist to find out if I have IBD.”
Marion, S“I had the same, an obstruction three times. I’ve had surgery now and I’m hoping it won’t return.”
Tracey, Wrexham
Can You Have Diverticulitis And Another Condition At The Same Time?
Yes. Many members live with diverticulitis alongside IBS, Crohn’s disease, colitis or reflux, which makes each flare harder to name. The 2020 study’s authors note that diverticulitis coexists with other disease, and they cite Crohn’s disease in two patients. The review of unusual variations describes a further overlap, segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD), which doctors treat as a separate diagnosis.
“I have both, and it’s not easy because the diverticular diet is the opposite of the IBS one. I’m in the UK and don’t get much advice from GPs. They just tell me to use a fibre gel. I’ve learnt more from this group than anywhere else.”
Maureen, Stockport“I have both diverticulitis and Crohn’s. I’m in a flare but I don’t know which one. I’m waiting for a colonoscopy that my specialist requested four months ago.”
Rosemary, Cardiff“They weren’t sure whether Crohn’s or diverticulitis started it off. After a colonoscopy they said the Crohn’s wasn’t active, but the diverticulitis was.”
Christine, Wigan“My last flare took me back to the ER. A CT scan confirmed diverticulitis, but this time I had colitis too. They called it diverticulitis colitis.”
Dawn, Norwich“I’ve been going through inflammation like this too. I mentioned it to my gastroenterologist, but he just said that’s for patients with IBD. I’m thinking of getting another doctor.”
Yvonne, Preston
SCAD blurs the line between diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease. The review defines it as inflammation of the sigmoid colon in a bowel that has pouches. On colonoscopy, the lining between the pouches looks inflamed while the pouch openings stay clear, which separates SCAD from diverticulitis. Ulcers and erosions can resemble IBD, yet the authors describe SCAD as distinct from it. Rectal bleeding affects 76 to 93% of people with SCAD and diarrhoea affects 44 to 96%. Fever and a raised white cell count are rare, the reverse of typical sigmoid diverticulitis, where bleeding is uncommon and fever is typical. The review reports SCAD in 1.2 to 11.4% of people with diverticulosis, mostly men in their sixties. It also reports that most cases settle with antibiotics and a high-fibre diet, with mesalazine for persistent symptoms. Your gastroenterologist decides which treatment fits you.
What Is The Difference Between Diverticulosis And Diverticulitis?
Diverticulosis means the bowel wall has pouches, and diverticulitis means those pouches have become inflamed or infected. The NHS page on diverticular disease uses diverticular disease as the wider term. Members mix up the words often, and the answer decides which advice applies.
Term | Meaning |
Diverticula | Small pouches in the wall of the bowel |
Diverticulosis | Having diverticula, usually without symptoms; scans or colonoscopies for other reasons often find them |
Diverticulitis | Diverticula that have become inflamed or infected, usually with pain, a change in bowel habit and sometimes fever |
“Diverticulitis means you’re in a flare. Diverticulosis is the condition when it’s dormant. The advice is very different for each word.”
Gwen, Chester
Our article on the difference between diverticulitis and diverticulosis explains both terms in full.
Why Does A Missing Fever Not Rule Out Diverticulitis?
Fever is an unreliable guide in both directions. Members describe diverticulitis without any fever, and in the 2020 study only 3 of 118 people with a recorded temperature had one. Pain, tenderness and blood tests carry more weight, and a doctor decides how to read them together.
“I only had pain on the left side and no other symptoms. My bloods were perfectly fine and yet an ultrasound showed acute diverticulitis and a colonoscopy confirmed it.”
Hazel, Dundee“I never had a fever with my diverticulitis until my bowel perforated.”
Karen, Swindon“My last flare had no blood, no fever and no vomiting, but my white cell count was 25,000. I didn’t realise how close to death I was in hospital with sepsis. It’s scary how this disease can hurt you. Please take it seriously.”
Ruth, Ipswich
How Do I Get A Proper Diagnosis?
The research and the members’ stories point to six questions worth taking to an appointment:
- Which test confirmed my diagnosis, and what did it show?
- Did my scan show inflamed pouches (diverticulitis) or pouches alone (diverticulosis)?
- Which other conditions did you rule out, and how?
- Do I need a colonoscopy after this episode, and when?
- Could IBS, a urinary problem or a gynaecological problem explain my pain?
- What should I do if my symptoms return or change?
A written record gives your doctor a pattern instead of a memory. The Diverticulitis Club food and symptoms diary records pain, stools and food day by day. Our guide to how to know if your pain is diverticulitis adds more detail on what the pain feels like.
When Should I Seek Urgent Medical Help?
Contact NHS 111 or your GP promptly if your tummy pain is getting worse, and go to A&E or call 999 in an emergency. Severe or worsening pain, a high temperature, repeated vomiting, a swollen tummy and heavy bleeding from the bowel all need urgent attention. The NHS page on diverticular disease explains when to get help.
Frequently Asked Questions About Conditions Mistaken For Diverticulitis
Can IBS Turn Into Diverticulitis?
No. IBS and diverticulitis are separate conditions, and the 2020 study cannot show that IBS causes diverticulitis. People with IBS received a diverticulitis diagnosis three times as often, and the authors attribute part of that gap to misdiagnosis. Members also report IBS symptoms after a first flare, which the evidence in this article does not explain.
Can Diverticulitis Cause Diarrhoea Instead Of Constipation?
Yes. The 2020 study notes that many people with diverticulitis report either constipation or diarrhoea, and members describe both.
“Many people are constipated or have diarrhoea. Both are very common, as are fairly normal bowel motions.”
Gwen, Chester
Can Diverticulitis Be Mistaken For Appendicitis?
Yes. Right-sided diverticulitis may present like appendicitis, according to the review of unusual variations, and doctors often misdiagnosed caecal diverticulitis as appendicitis before CT became routine. The NHS appendicitis page describes the usual pattern of appendicitis: pain starts near the navel and moves to the lower right.
Can Diverticulitis Cause Pain On The Right Side?
Yes. Right-sided diverticulitis accounts for 1 to 5% of diverticulitis cases in Western countries, according to the review of unusual variations. A meta-analysis cited in the review found that people with right-sided disease tend to be younger, with a median age of 37 to 54 at diagnosis, and doctors make the diagnosis most often on CT.
What Is Segmental Colitis Associated With Diverticulosis?
Segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis (SCAD) is inflammation of the sigmoid colon in a bowel that has pouches. It causes rectal bleeding and diarrhoea more often than fever, according to the review of unusual variations. Doctors diagnose it by colonoscopy, which shows inflammation between the pouches.
Should I Have A Colonoscopy After Diverticulitis?
Doctors often recommend one after the inflammation heals. The review of diagnosis and differential diagnoses states that colonoscopy is warranted after healing, before elective surgery and in atypical cases. Ask your doctor whether you need one and when.
Why Does My Scan Show Diverticulosis When My Doctor Says It Is Not Diverticulitis?
Diverticulosis describes pouches in the bowel wall, and diverticulitis describes inflamed pouches. A scan shows pouches in many people who have no inflammation, which is why a report can mention diverticulosis while your doctor looks for another cause of your pain.
Do Antibiotics Help If My Pain Is Not Diverticulitis?
Antibiotics treat bacterial infection and do not treat IBS. The 2020 study warns that misdiagnosis leads to unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Ask your doctor before you stop or change any prescribed antibiotic.
More Reading
Key Takeaways
- IBS, inflammatory bowel disease, infectious colitis, bowel cancer, appendicitis, urinary infections, ovarian cysts, kidney stones, gallbladder problems and bowel obstruction all mimic diverticulitis.
- A review of CT in diverticulitis states that the clinical diagnosis is often uncertain and frequently incorrect, which is why scans matter.
- In a 2020 study of 189 people with IBS who received a first diagnosis of diverticulitis, 41 (21.7%) showed evidence of misdiagnosis.
- Members separate IBS from diverticulitis by pain severity, by whether opening the bowels eases the pain, and by how long it lasts. Members also say no sign works for everyone.
- Pain, tenderness and bowel changes appear in many conditions, so doctors rely on scans, blood tests and colonoscopy.
- Fever is unreliable in both directions: members report diverticulitis without it, and few people in the 2020 study had one.
- A colonoscopy after recovery checks for other causes, including bowel cancer.
- You can have diverticulitis and another condition at the same time, including SCAD, which causes more bleeding and less fever.
- Right-sided diverticulitis accounts for 1 to 5% of cases in Western countries and presents like appendicitis or gallbladder disease.
Diverticulitis Club members compare notes every day. Start your food and symptoms diary to build a record for your next appointment, join the support forums to ask other members what helped them, or read our guide to how to know if your pain is diverticulitis.
Disclaimer: This article does not constitute medical advice. Always seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner about your own symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. This article is based on anonymised discussions from our group on Facebook.
