Conditions
Diverticula Disease
Diverticula are small pouches that stick out from the large intestine. Although around half the population will have diverticula by the time they are 50, 3 in 4 will never experience any related symptoms. However, the other 1 in 4 may experience abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which is known as having diverticular disease. Diverticulitis can also occur, which is when the diverticula become inflamed or infected.
Diverticular disease may be characterised by a change in normal bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhoea, bloating, or bleeding from the rectum. Pain in the abdomen (stomach) will often be intermittent and felt on the lower left-hand side. Symptoms of diverticulitis also include abdominal pain, constipation and bleeding; but may also encompass nausea, vomiting, frequent and painful urinating, and a high temperature. Complications arising from diverticulitis have been known to include abscesses and fistulas.
Both diverticular disease and diverticulitis can be caused by a lack of fibre in the diet, as this is what is thought to cause the development of diverticula. Fibre makes stools softer and easier to push out. Straining to push out harder stools can weaken the muscle: this allows the inner layer of the colon to push through, thus creating the diverticula. Risk of diverticular disease may be increased by smoking, being overweight, lack of physical activity, and having a history of constipation. Infections causing diverticulitis may occur when a hard stool gets stuck in one of the pouches, giving bacteria a chance to multiply and spread.
As many conditions have similar symptoms to diverticular disease and diverticulitis, GPs may recommend blood tests as a way of ruling out these other conditions. A colonoscopy, whereby a tube with a camera on the end is inserted up your rectum and into the colon, can confirm the presence of diverticula. Alternatively, a barium enema X-ray can be undertaken, which involves squirting barium liquid up a tube into your rectum.
Diverticular disease can generally be treated with painkillers such as paracetamol, although ibuprofen and aspirin are not recommended as they may upset your stomach. A high fibre diet may also help manage the symptoms, however in cases where blood loss is severe, a blood transfusion in hospital may be necessary. Diverticulitis may also be treated at home, with antibiotics to combat the infection and paracetamol to address the pain. In more serious cases, for example where your GP suspects complications or you are dehydrated, treatment may be administered in hospital. This will involve antibiotic injections and being hydrated and nourished through a drip. Surgery is rarely recommended, however if it were to be undertaken it would involve removing the affected area of the colon.
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hi i have been suffring from bad stomach pains felling sick and diahorrea. i suffer from ibs but have never had these syptoms before. i have had a blood test for my pancreas but it came back negative. everything i eat gose straight though me and i suffer in pain but if i dont eat it makes me feel ill.
hi i think u should get a second opinion ive been through the same so i know how u feel i have diverticular and have been in hospital many times with pain.i 2 am still living with the pain and still seeking medical advice.dnt put up with the pain go bck to the doctors.good luck.x
hi i am a man of 54 and i have had this problem for 4 years now and never seem to get any cure i am bloted and belching all the time and some times in pain and my stoumac goses hard as steel i have had cameras down my through thay tell me it is a diease of the digestive system i am just getting so fed up of it now can you please help
i had an endoscopy about 4 years ago i was told i have diverticula givin a lealet ! and sent home.......im now 47 and every now and again (getting more regular) like every 5/6 weeks i have at least a week where blood is coming from my rectum and i have the runs really badly which affects me going anywhere at all (i have small children too) which is unfair on them....i persevere and wait for it to pass it generally eases after a few days, but i am so fed up with it now i dont even bother going docs cos they just give me mebeverine, buscopan and i ve been given ibuprofen (which contradicts what specialists say) im now on buscatem which is nt very good either if i know i have to go out shops or school i wont eat all day till im sure i have nt got to go out again, because i know ill be straight in the loo, its taking over my life now....
Hi there, been trying to find help for my mother. She is 64 and has been admitted to hospital 4 times since last October with chronic upper abdominal pain and diarrhea. She has chronic COPD, so the hospital say they can't do any invasive tests. A scan showed signs of diverticular disease, but nothing else. She is so very ill and weighs only 40kg now, she is fading away before my eyes. She looks worse than someone with anorexia and is so frail and ill. The diarrhea is constant and it sound like she's urinating, rather than passing stools. We have made an appointment to see someone at the local private hospital on Tuesday, in the hope that they can review her records and find out what's going on. She has given up all hope should they be unable to assist and said she will take her own life if Dr's can't help her. I feel the medical profession have given up on her and am sure there is more to her illness than meets the eye. If anyone can suggest anything I'd be very grateful.
Hi , I was diagnosed with Diverticular disease in 2010 and have been getting episodes of Diverticulitis approximately every few months .My symptoms are abdominal pain, nausea, high temperature but the worst thing is that i cannot control my poo.Sometimes it has blood in it but not always but I cannot control it and it either leaks or I loose control completely and poo myself .This is very distressing and I dont want to go out incase I poo myself.I am 48,and my doctors just keep giving me antibiotics.Help please. Julia.
Hi Julia i have sufferd with Diverticular to the point were i had all the tests and now i have no problem and what i did is ist signe of it i got a hot bag on my tummey lotsof warm watter and if neaded laxetive only for a day then if it helped i would mash my food plain no spicey no saleds are red meat cheese
well still no further been to the pain clinic and the doc gives me the impression he thinks its all in mi head and also said you only have divertilosis this wouldnt cause the pain .im at breaking point i feel like no 1 believes me.im 30 and feel like an old women.please if any1 has the same problem message me bck thabks.
Kellie, Find another doctor who will listen to you. I got diagnosed with diverticulosis earlier this year and was in the ER multiple times in horrible pain. Finally I had surgery where they discovered my bowel was covered in scar tissue from where it had been trying to heal itself from the diverticulitis. If you know something is wrong, don't let them convince you it's in your head!
I am a 54 year old women and I was diagnosed with Diverticulitus in my 20's, I was told by the specialist to retrain myself to go to the toilet, possibly the most useless information I have been given in my life considering toilet movements are a natural thing not something that you are trained to do. My worst issue now is the constant wind,I cannot control it and when I try to hold it in it just causes stomache pain. I could not consider a relationship with a man and my socialising is now very limited as I am constantly full of wind which is very embarrassing. I have never been given any professional help even though I have spoken with my GP, I sometimes wonder if this disease is taken very seriously by the health service even though it takes over your life.
Hi folks, I am a 23 old guy with severe stomach problems. I am either constipated or have the runs all the time. I had reflux but it has almost disappeared with lansoprazole. I have also had a sigmoidoscopy after finding a small prolapse due to the constipation. My GP has been trying to exhaust the meds but none of them seem to be working. The main one I take is a peppermint oil based tab for IBS but it doesnt stop the agony in my abdomen. GP prescribed a constipation relief you add water to but that doesnt stop the pain either, anyone any ideas yet?? I feel like death all the time with the pain especially after eating. As you can imagine if you know you are going to be sore you dont want to eat which in turn is making me lose weight. On the face of it I look ok but the pain is internal and its not like flu where you genuinely dont look well. After reading some info on the net it sounds like I have either crohns, colitus, celiac, an ulcer or diverticulus. Can anyone help??
I'm not expert, but sounds like Crohns or Ulcerative Colitis.
I think you need some Mebeverine or some Buscopan from your GP as these are anti spasmodic drugs that relieve the cramps in your stomach.
What does your diet consist of? I think I may have a problem, I get a dull ache on the left side of my lower abdomen area at the front where my intestines probably are.
hey, yeah I've been given buscopan and it didn't work so mebeverine was the next step and it is better but marginally. I am quite fit and my diet is reasonable and healthy, plenty of veg and enough fibre after consulting my GP. Although with with the pain I am down to one meal a day. My pain is in exactly the same place and generally is sore all the time but accelerated after eating. Particular foods don't help ie red onions, doughy food or alot of pasta.
I am a 57yro and for 6and a haf months i have had poo coming through my vagina under a surgeon but still no date they dont understand how it efect you in all ways my husband is very suportive but we have not been out for so long as i feel smelly
Snap Susan, Although I was pleased to read there was somebody else out there that had the same complaint as me but also felt so sorry you were suffering the same. My husband is supportive too but also I hav'nt been out either because of thye same thoughts of yours. I hav'nt had it quite so long as but! we've just got to be patient so i'm told. Thinking of you and myself.
Im 29 and was diognoised with diverticular disease late last year i have seen mi consultant and he said the abdominal pain i have every day is not to do with this and theres nothin he can do.im so fed up with the pain and the painclinic hav'nt been much help.i hve sressed to them how bad the pain is but they just say u have had all the tests u r fine.has any1 else had the same problem???
Hi I am a 28 Yr Old Male and have had all your symptoms for 4-5 yrs with very little or no advice just a diagnosis of DD I suggest you seek a referrall to a London Hospital or a Gastro specialist hospital I have been recently trailing ,mesazaline a IBD drug and the pain is still there but slightly better I take targinact 20mg for the pain and amitriptolene also helps I am having a laparoscopy this coming tuesday at Kings College hospitalto look for anything that may have been missed I have multiple diverticula unfortunatley it looks like resection is the only option to get back to normal and have a pain nausea free life I do sympathise with everybody my list of complaints follows sliding Hiatus hernia GERD Diverticular Disease Proctitis oesophagitis everything I eat makes me Ill or in alot of pain food is supposed to be enjoyed (not for me at the moment) and recently been diagnosed with interstitial lung disaese just to top it off I wish everyone luck Adam
Hi there, for years i had periods of intense pain Lasting 4-5 days in my lower abdomen mainly on right side which doctors quickly put down to IBS. Then during one episode, I was found to have blood in my urine so they then started going down the Urine infection route. I decided to go privately to see a urologist but on the way there,the pain was so bad I could literally have ended it all and my husband called ahead to the Consultant and he had a Morphine shot ready to ease the pain. After several X Rays and a Bladder check, all was found to be ok and it was that man who saved my life as he suggested I have a CT scan on my abdomen and that is where the Diverticulitis was found, in a pocket near my bladder hence the blood seeping through into the bladder.If it had burst I would have been in serious trouble.I never seem to have conventional symptoms but now carry a course of Antibiotics which i have had to take twice since that attack over 10 yrs ago.I know how awful the pain can be,the doctors mainly dont!!!
HI I AM 40 AND HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM FOR 4 MONTHS NOW. I PAID TO SEE A SPECIALIST BECAUSE I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN I COULDNT EVEN GET OUT OF BED OR WALK. IT HAPPENED TO ME OUT OF THE BLUE I WAS SO ILL. I KEPT BEING TOLD NOTHING IS SHOWING UP ON THE SCANS OR EX-RAYS. I EVEN HAD A LAPEROSCOPY DONE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON THEN THEY TOLD ME I HAD DIVERTICULOSUS AND IRRITABLE BOWEL. THE PAIN REDUCED WHEN EVENTUALLY THE HOSPITAL GAVE ME DRIP ANTIBIOTICS AND REHYDRATED ME FOR A WEEK AS THE ORAL ANTIBIOTICS DIDNT WORK. I HAD TO BE ADMITTED INTO HOSPITAL 5 TIMES BEFORE THEY DID THIS THOUGH. THEY GAVE ME TRAMADOL AND PARACETAMOL REGULAR. IF IT GOT REALLY BAD THEY GAVE ME MORPHINE. BUT I DONT WANT TO TAKE ALL THOSE DRUGS.SO I INCREASED THE FIBER IN MY DIET EATING BRAN FLAKES WEETABIX AND BROWN BREAD IT HELPED TO. I STILL GET PAIN AND DIOREAH SOMETIMES BUT ITS MORE MANAGABLE AND THE PAIN IS ONLY SLIGHT NOW. I MUST HAVE HAD AN INFECTION. THE DOCTOR TRIED TO TELL ME IT WAS A PAIN PROBLEM, AS IF IT WAS ALL IN MY HEAD BUT ITS NOT HIM HAVING THE PAINS AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT. THEY JUST WANT TO PALM YOU OF WITH DRUGS AND BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW HOW TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEMS,THEY MAKE OUT ITS IN YOUR HEAD AND THERE IS NO WAY THAT THAT AMOUNT OF PAIN CAN BE COMING FROM THERE.WELL I KNOW FOR A FACT HOW PAINFUL IT IS AFTER ALL THIS TIME. GOOD LUCK HOPE THIS HELPS YOUR NOT ALONE IN THIS
please can someone help. i went to get sterilized & it turned out i had an abcess in my bowl that they didnt know about so i had to go for an emergancy op after suffering for 3 days after it burst. needless to say i thought i was dieing. but 7 months on i am still in pain, what ever i eat or drink upsets it, my stomache swells, i'm ethier constapated or i have bad runs, sex is to painful & every day i am in pain 1 way or another...i am so depressed with the way i feel and look...i'm glad to be alive but i am less than a shadow of my forma self, by the way i am 33, thanks
i hav just recently diagnosed with diverticular disease,and told that the only cure for it is surgery as part of the bowell has contracted in diameter to a third of it normal size
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