[Mark]

Tell us about your symptoms and how they impact your life. You mustn’t try and diagnose – that’s the job of your qualified medical doctor.

[Loopy]

I’ve had several bouts since I was diagnosed about 5 years ago. I’ve managed my symptoms with paracetamol, liquid diet, etc, until March 24, when I was hospitalized for 4 days on IV antibiotics etc. Usually I have diorrhea and pain and general weakness.
This episode is different. I had 2 days of diorrhea followed by 3 days of passing only blood and mucus. Again I’ve been prescribed oral antibiotics, but I’m now concerned there may be something else happening. I’ve had a colonoscopy, a rectal exam and a colographic CT – no cancer or polys, just the diverticula. How long should I wait before contacting doc again? I’m 3 days into the Augmenting course.

[Mark]

Really sorry to hear that, Loopy. Have you gone back to the doctor? How are you now?

[Cumanice]

Hi, I was diagnosed with Diverticulosis 7 years ago after a routine colonoscopy. I never had any symptoms in these 7 years, or maybe what symptoms I had I always blamed on IBS.

Last month, after some weeks feeling discomfort in my tummy with either diarrhea or constipation, I woke up with this intense pain and I thought I had some blockage from constipation, so I endured the pain for nearly two days and took laxatives, but the pain persisted. I went to my GP and he said it was a diverticulitis flare up. I was given two types of antibiotics, Zinnat and Flagyl, for a week and I was told to stick to liquids for two days and then soft food until the pain was totally gone. The pain was getting better daily but it took fifteen days to fully ease off. I am now still being extra scrupulous in what I eat. Just fish, chicken and mashed potatoes, marrows and some fruits as I am so scared I might trigger another flare up as some days I get like gas pain which even though it’s slight, it still makes me wonder whether the inflammation has totally gone and whether I have another flare up brewing.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 2 weeks ago by Cumanice.
• This reply was modified 8 months, 2 weeks ago by Cumanice.

[Mark]

That all sounds horrible and very familiar, Cumanice. The liquid for two days approach can work well but it does leave you feeling very weak and feeble. The pain for me is always in the lower left abdominal region.

[Cumanice]

Yes it did leave me very weak as because of the pain I had avoided food for two days prior to going to the doctor, so that made it four days on liquids, then the antibiotics.. and it was only last week that I started getting my energy back.

Pain started middle lower tummy but then settled on the left. I even had skin burning sensation for a week which at first the doctor thought could be shingles. It turned out the pain was nerve pain radiating from the inflammation in the colon beneath the skin.