Tag: diverticulosis

How to enjoy Thanksgiving with a digestive disorder

Posted in Diet, digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, Gallbladder, General health, IBS, SupportTagged , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year again when you gather with friends and family to celebrate thanksgiving. Maybe you can’t wait to get stuck into your thanksgiving feast or perhaps the idea of it fills you with dread. Read our 7 tips for surviving Thanksgiving with a digestive disorder.

  1. Don’t over-eat! – Stick to small portions. Eating large portions puts you at risk of stomach ache, nausea, bloating, indigestion and cramps.
  2. Don’t eat too quickly – It may be the most delicious meal you’ll eat all year, but that’s all the more reason to savor each bite. Enjoy it! Take small bites and chew them well before swallowing. This will also help you to not over eat.
  3. Stay hydrated – you may be wanting to enjoy an extra large glass of wine with dinner or even rustle up an early egg nog, but remember, your body needs water to work at it’s best and keep you hydrated. Alcohol has a diuretic effect which means it causes your body to lose water. That’s why if you’re having an alcoholic drink this Thanksgiving, be sure to drink some extra water. Not to mention that a well hydrated bowel works better meaning a lower chance of constipation or of developing infections such as diverticulitis.
  4. If you get pain – switch to clear liquids only right away. It’s not worth taking chances. Pains are your body’s way of warning you that something isn’t right. Let your bowel and stomach rest by not giving them any more food.
  5. Be prepared – Make sure you are stocked up on any medicines or products you use to ease your digestive disorder or the symptoms it causes. You don’t want to have to rush out on Thanksgiving to find somewhere to find your favourite antacid. If you’re dining at someone else’s place, take everything you need to feel comfortable. You can even make yourself a little emergency pack with some essentials: For example; any medications you usually take for your stomach e.g. for reflux, cramps etc., painkillers, wet wipes, spare underwear if needed, etc.
  6. Avoid very fatty or rich foods – don’t go overboard with your helping of mac n cheese or your dollop of cream on your slice of pie. Also, go easy on the candied yams and glazed carrots. These foods can cause indigestion, acid reflux, nausea, IBS symptoms, diarrhea and problems if you have gallstones or have had your gallbladder removed. You can reduce fat in your meal by taking the skin off your turkey and only eating the light meat. Another idea is to only use a small amount of gravy on your food.
  7. Keep it simple: – Only eat foods you know you are usually okay with. It may be tempting to fill up on candied yams, but will it be worth it tomorrow when you’re doubled over in pain or stuck in the bathroom all day? One suggestion is: A small plate with some roast turkey (light meat), some potatoes a little gravy and a small piece of cornbread. But remember, we are all different. What you can eat without a problem, may cause someone else a lot of pain and discomfort. You can choose foods that are safe for you and just eat a little amount. Remember: while green beans and sprouts may seem like a healthy addition to your meal, it’s best not to risk it if you haven’t eaten these foods recently or you’re recovering from diverticulitis, a flare up of IBS, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

By following this simple tips, you can avoid digestive problems and concentrate on celebrating with your loved ones. What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year and what do you plan to eat? Let me know in the comments.

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Diverticulitis & Depression

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So, you’ve coped with an episode of diverticulitis, but now you’ve been left feeling down in the dumps and full of anxiety. Friends and family might say to you, ‘But, shouldn’t you be happy now that you’ve shaken off that infection?’ Well, it’s not quite that simple…and here’s why.

Our gut is full of bacteria. Some of this bacteria is harmful and can cause infections or stomach bugs such as diarrhoea (US: diarrhea) and vomiting, but most of this bacteria is actually beneficial. It helps us digest our food and absorb important nutrients from it. This bacteria also help us produce chemicals that our body needs to work. One such chemical is serotonin.

What is serotonin?
Serotonin is a chemical that affects our mood. It helps us feel happy and relaxed. 95% of our serotonin is produced by bacteria in the gut. Serotonin helps us sleep well, have a healthy appetite and improves digestion.

When we get an infection/diverticulitis, we often take antibiotics. These antibiotics kill most of the bacteria in the bowel. Even though, this gets rid of the nasty bacteria causing the diverticulitis and helps us recover from the infection, it also kills the good bacteria in our gut. This means our serotonin levels drop dramatically leaving us feeling sad, and anxious. It’s bad enough dealing with diverticulitis, but without our body’s ‘happy chemical’, we may feel even more miserable.

It’s for this reason that repeated use of antibiotics is associated with depression and anxiety. So, don’t worry if you’re feeling this way. You’re certainly not alone. Talk to a friend or family member about how you feel or ask your doctor how you can try to support your bowel as it recovers from infection and improve it’s health.

If you need some extra support, why not join us at the Diverticulitis Support Group on Facebook today?

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Diverticulitis/Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis – A Beginner’s Guide

Posted in Diet, digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, General healthTagged , , , , , 1 Comment

So, you’ve just discovered that you’ve got Diverticulitis/Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis. Like with any diagnosis there is a lot to learn, but we’ve got the basics covered right here in one short, sweet article.

What is it?
Diverticulosis – the condition of having diverticula (small pouches) in the wall of the bowel/large intestine.
Diverticular Disease (DD) – When you have regular symptoms arising from the diverticula in the bowel. E.g. pain/discomfort, diarrhea, bleeding, etc.
Diverticulitis (also known as a flare up) – a bacterial infection that happens in one or more diverticula. This can cause severe inflammation of the bowel. It is often painful and makes the sufferer feel quite unwell. It can also have more severe consequences if left untreated.

Typical Symptoms of Diverticulitis (a flare up) – NOTE: you may not have all of these symptoms
– strong abdominal pain at area of diverticula (most often in lower left abdomen but less frequently occurs on the right side, too)
– a fever/high temperature
– lack of appetite/nausea
– diarrhea/watery stool
– generally feeling unwell
– constipation

General rules to follow:

  • Stay hydrated – drink lots of water each day around 2-3 litres or 70-100 oz across the whole day.
  • Avoid NSAIDs (painkillers that include aspirin/ibuprofen in their ingredients) – if you really need pain relief, it’s best to stick to paracetamol/Tylenol-based painkillers. So discuss this with your doctor before taking them for any reason. NSAIDs have been shown in some studies to increase the risk of bleeding and perforation of the bowel.*1
  • If you have discomfort in your bowel, consider switching over to a clear liquid diet.
  • Keep a food diary/tracker (You can download one here)
  • Try to minimize stress in your daily life.
  • Don’t rush or gulp down your food – digestion is easier when we take small bites and take our time. Chew each mouthful until it is a paste, try not to eat too fast.

What to do if you think you’ve got diverticulitis:

  • Switch to a clear liquid diet right away
  • monitor temperature, pain and any other symptoms
  • monitor any bowel movements
  • seek medical advice/assistance – don’t wait too long
  • DON’T take any NSAIDs or anti diarrhea medications such as loperamide unless instructed to do so by your doctor

Tips for how to support yourself:

  • Make sure a family member or close friend knows about your diagnosis and help them find out more by sending them an article to read or even a link to a blog such as this one.
  • Join a support group on social media to ask questions and get helpful tips. I have my own group on Facebook that you’re free to join here, or there is another UK-based one here. Make sure to answer the questions before submitting your request to join.
  • Keep a dairy/journal – if you’re creative, consider a bullet journal with space to record food, medication, symptoms and mood.

*1 NSAIDs and diverticulitis study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21320500/


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Diagnosing Diverticulitis

Posted in digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, Hospital, Medical examinations, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

When diagnosing diverticulitis, the first thing that doctors usually do is carry out a blood test followed by other tests such as CT scans, X-rays and even ultrasounds.

Full Blood Count

The full blood count can tell doctors a lot about your current health. The number of red blood cells can tell doctors if you’re anaemic and perhaps losing blood. But one of the most important markers in a blood test when trying to check for diverticulitis is the white blood cell count.

White blood cells are a part of the immune system and are responsible for fighting diseases and illnesses. When a pathogen (harmful bacteria or virus) enters the body, it is identified by the immune system which then increases the number of white blood cells. An amount of white blood cells higher than the normal range could be considered to be a sign of infection. However, it is possible to have diverticulitis but not have a measurable increase in white blood cells. So a normal blood result doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have an infection or inflammation in the bowel.

CRP (C-Reative Protein)

CRP is known as an inflammation marker – it is a protein released by human tissues when they are inflamed. The higher the amount of CRP in the blood, the more inflammation there is. Having elevated CRP in addition to abdominal pain and other symptoms is a good indicator of diverticulitis. However, your doctor should also check carry out an abdominal examination too just in case the inflammation is coming from somewhere else.

An abdominal exam can help doctors find out if there is anything strange going on…

Abdominal Examination

It’s likely your doctor may carry our an abdominal examination. This is where the doctor will press on your abdomen to discover where the pain originates and if it is the bowel that is inflamed. It’s important to be very honest about the pain you are feeling at this point so that the doctor can rules out any other issues or sources of inflammation.

CT scanner…in you go!

CT scan

This is usually the most effective way to diagnose diverticulitis. A CT scan can be done with or without contrast, but contrast certainly helps when interpreting the results. The two main types of contrast are oral and intravenous (IV). The oral contrast is often a liquid mixed with water that you drink before the scan. It helps to highlight the digestive tract on your scan. The IV contrast is injected into a vein and reaches the tissues and helps them show up better on the scan. Some hospitals may choose to have their patients take both types of contrast. However, it is important than you let the doctor know of any allergies you have before you receive any contrast agents.

A CT scan is painless and just requires the patient to hold their breath for short periods. Let the technician or doctor performing the scan know if you suffer from asthma or COPD or any problem that makes you find it difficult to hold your breath.

After the scan, your results will not be ready immediately since they will need to be looked at by a doctor and a thorough report written. See my post on CT scans for more information.

X-rays

Some doctors may choose to send their patients for X-rays. This is to check for perforations in the bowel since X-rays can easily pick up excess gas in the abdomen that may be leaking out from the bowel. The results of an X-ray are much more immediate which is why this test might be chosen particularly if the patient is in a lot of pain or has a history of perforations and sepsis.

Ultrasound

Again, some doctors may want to send their patients for an ultrasound. This is very common during first time diagnoses when patients are doctors don’t know that the patient even has diverticular disease yet. An ultrasound may also show an abscess or cyst as a result of diverticulitis. It may also be able to detect excess air of material in the abdomen. However, it is not as clear as a CT scan, but the results are more immediate.

Why don’t doctors use colonoscopies to diagnose diverticulitis?

It’s very rare that a doctor would use a colonoscopy to diagnose diverticulitis because while a patient has an infection, it would be very painful and a little dangerous to insert an endoscope. There is a chance that the colonoscopy during an infection could make it even worse or could even cause damage to the colon.

Have you been diagnosed with diverticulitis? Which methods did the doctors use to diagnose you?

What is a low-residue diet?

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People who have digestive conditions often find that their symptoms differ from day-to-day. Some days, they might feel okay and at other times, they may experience a ‘flare up’ of their condition. This happens with lots of digestive ailments such as IBS, diverticular disease, Crohn’s and other IBDs.

During these flare ups, lots of patients are advised to eat a low-residue diet. But what exactly is that? Well, it’s a diet that produces little waste in the bowel and can be mostly absorbed by the body. The foods that are low-residue tend to be low in fibre (US: fiber) since fibre cannot be absorbed by the body and so makes up the bulk of our stools.

Eating a low-residue diet allows our bowel to rest a little until we are feeling better. But, don’t worry, it’s not as restrictive as you might think. In fact, it’s definitely possible to enjoy your food while on a low-residue diet.

So, what foods are included in a low-residue diet?

Go ahead :

  • white refined grains such as white breads and white crackers
  • Cooked cereal such as cream of wheat or grits
  • Cold cereal such as puffed rice (Rice Krispies/Coco Pops/Ricicles), or corn flakes.
  • White pasta, white noodles, white rice, White rice noodles, etc.
  • Boiled/mashed/baked potatoes with no skins
  • Well cooked carrots, beetroot, mushrooms, spinach and pumpkin (no seeds)
  • canned/cooked fruits without seeds and skins such as applesauce, tinned pears/peaches, etc.
  • Soft cantaloupe or honeydew melon
  • White fish, chicken or turkey (no skin) and cooked without too much fat
  • Jelly (US: Jello)
  • Decaffeinated drinks
  • Fruit and vegetable juices without pulp

In moderation:

  • dairy such as milk, cream, ice cream, custard and butter (avoid these if you are lactose intolerant)
  • Meats such as lean beef and lean pork (opt for lean cuts or remove as much fat as possible before consumption)
  • Plain cakes and biscuits/cookies
  • Eggs
  • Avocado

Avoid:

  • Brown bread, grains, rice, pasta, noodles
  • Prune juice and juices with pulp
  • raw fruit and vegetables
  • beans, lentils and tofu
  • nuts and seeds
  • popcorn
  • sweetcorn/corn on the cob/cornbread
  • fatty or cured meats (prosciutto, lamb, duck, Serrano ham and other deli meats, bacon)
  • coconut
  • pickles, olives, dressings and burger relishes or chutneys
  • Jams (US: jelly)
  • Certain cooked vegetables, including peas, broccoli, winter squash, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, baked beans

NOTE: A low residue diet is NOT a low FODMAP diet. These are different things. Some people get confused between the two. For now, I haven’t written a post on a FODMAPs, but when I do, I’ll link it right here.

Of course, as with any food guidelines, you may find that some of the foods on the ‘go ahead’ or ‘in moderation’ lists bother you and cause undesirable symptoms, if this happens, just simply cut it out of your diet.

It can be difficult to figure out which foods cause your problems.

Having trouble figuring out which foods are causing you issues? Use my Diverticular Disease Tracker to monitor your food intake and any symptoms you get (You don’t need to have diverticular disease to find this document useful). You may also need to introduce new foods gradually and one at a time. Also, when you are over your flare up, it’s important to slowly increase your fibre intake otherwise you may cause yourself discomfort.

Diverticulitis – What can I eat?

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This article is for people suffering with an episode of Diverticulitis rather than just having Diverticular disease/Diverticulosis.

Not sure what the difference is? Then check out my post about Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis Vs Diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection of one or more diverticula (pouches) in the bowel. It can cause diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or discomfort, blood in the stools, a fever and various other symptoms. If you have been diagnosed with diverticulitis, chances are that you’ll be taking antibiotics to help clear the infection. You may also be advised in some cases to undertake a clear liquid diet. For a detailed explanation of what this entails, click here.

You may also be told you are allowed a soft foods/low residue/low fibre diet. This means plain/bland and easily digestible foods that do not contain much fibre. This allows the bowel to rest.

Include:

  • white bread
  • white pasta
  • white rice
  • white crackers (e.g. Saltines)
  • chicken/turkey breast (no skin and cooked without adding fat)
  • white fish (no skin and cooked without adding fat)
  • boiled/mashed potatoes (no skin)
  • clear Jelly/Jello
  • limited low fat dairy (a small portion of low/no fat yoghurt)
  • limited eggs (preferably cooked without the addition of fats)
  • decaffeinated tea/coffee and carbonated drinks
  • applesauce, stewed fruits without seeds of skins
  • well boiled carrot and courgette with no skin
  • strained fruit juices without pulp
Even crackers can taste yummy after a clear liquid diet…

Please avoid:

  • fried foods (including fried eggs, potatoes, etc)
  • rare or medium cooked meat
  • fatty meats such as duck, lamb and pork
  • bacon and sausages
  • high fat dairy products such as cream and butter
  • brown, high-fibre bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, etc.
  • fruit juices with pulp
  • raw fruit and vegetables with seeds and skin
  • alcoholic beverages
  • caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee, cola, energy drinks
  • very high sugar sweets
  • chocolate
  • unhealthy fatty and salty snacks such as crisps, biscuits, cakes, etc.
Save the cake for when you’re feeling better…

Remember that everyone is different and sometimes even these foods may cause discomfort. Because of this, I recommend tracking your food and water intake alongside your symptoms to have a clear picture of what is going on. You can do this by using my Diverticular Disease Tracker which is available to download for free and print out immediately.

In addition, I’d recommend eating slowly, and having small portions regularly so that your digestive system isn’t overwhelmed by large meals. You can pick up more tips for good digestion by reading this post.

What do you eat when you have diverticulitis? Are you able to tolerate all of the foods on this suggested list? If not, which are unsuitable foods for you?

Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis – What can I eat?

Posted in Diet, digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, General health, IBS, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

This article is for people wanting to know about foods to eat if they have diverticular disease/diverticulosis NOT diverticulitis. If you aren’t sure what the difference is or what you have, click here to find out.

One of the most common questions people have when they are diagnosed with Diverticular disease (DD) /Diverticulosis is ‘What can I eat?’. Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question. As an active member of various Facebook support groups, I see people all the time asking can I eat this or that. And the answer to the question is as follows.

There is no answer. Based on the latest medical research, there are no disallowed foods for diverticular disease/diverticulosis. This means, anything you ate before diagnosis, should be safe afterwards. Since you ate them just fine before you discovered the diverticula/pouches in the bowel. However, it is largely believed that eating a diet high in fibre is beneficial for those who have diverticular disease since it keeps the bowels moving and prevents stool causing the diverticula to become inflamed or infected. So perhaps upon discovering you have diverticular disease, you may choose to adopt a higher-fibre diet or a healthier one. This could include swapping white bread, rice and pasta for their healthier brown alternatives, eating more fresh fruit and veg or perhaps eating a high-fibre cereal for breakfast. However, there are cases where a high-fibre diet doesnt work out for various reasons and so, you may be advised to adopt a low-fibre diet instead.

Some doctors will advise their patients that they shouldn’t eat seeds, nuts, popcorn, sweetcorn, etc due to the chance of them being lodged in the diverticula/pouches. Although, current research shows this not to be the case. However, some people do have problems with these foods and if it makes you feel better to avoid them, then that’s fine, too.

A lot of discovering what you can eat, is about trial and error. Everyone is different. Many people with diverticular disease/diverticulosis also suffer with other digestive problems such as IBS that can cause symptoms in response to particular foods. So my advice is that if you are feeling unwell, you can try an elimination diet, or you can simply go day by day and keep track of your food intake by keeping a food diary. I’d recommend for those newly diagnosed especially, keeping track of your food and water intake, your symptoms and your bowel movements. You can do this easily using the Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis Tracker which you can find here and download for free. It includes instructions for how to fill it out. You can even take your completed tracker pages to the doctor or nutritionist so that they can help you look at what foods may or may not work well with you and your needs.

Some advice I can give to ALL sufferers of Diverticular Disease/Divertiulosis is to drink LOTS of water. Two to three litres (4 – 6 pints/70-100 fl. oz) per day. This will help keep you hydrated, healthy and prevent constipation. Also chew your food well and avoid large portions. In fact, simply following my Tips for Good Digestion may help you avoid digestive discomfort.

How to deal with a diverticulitis flare up

Posted in Diet, digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, Hospital, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

If you’ve got diverticular disease (DD)/Diverticulosis, you may be unlucky enough to experience diverticulitis. Don’t know the difference? Check out my post on Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis Vs Diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection of one or more of the diverticula (pouches) in your bowel. Diverticulitis can vary in severity and can go from being a mild flare up, to an infection so severe that it can carry life-threatening complications. So, what can you do if you suspect you may be getting a flare up?

For a start, symptoms of a flare up can include:

  • abdominal pain/discomfort
  • high temperature/fever
  • painful bowel movements
  • generally feeling poorly (nausea, headache, stomachache)
  • diarrhoea/constipation
  • loss of appetite
  • Change to stools (excessive mucus, blood, huge change is regularity or stool type)

If you are experiencing some of the symptoms above, it’s a good idea to prepare for a flare up by doing the following things:

DO:

  • drink lots of water – 2-3 litres a day will help flush your system and keep you hydrated. It may also help relieve constipation.
  • Try a clear liquid diet – eliminating solid foods and dairy from your diet for a day is the best way to rest the bowel and give time for the inflammation to go down on its own.
  • Keep track of your temperature – on a notepad, note down your temperature every couple of hours so you can monitor any changes. Please note that diverticulitis does NOT always cause high temperature/fever.
  • Rest – Take time to relax and rest as well as removing yourself as best you can from stressful situations. Sometimes a duvet day and a few extra hours sleep can help the body heal.
  • Listen to your body – Remember that our body usually knows what is best for it. For example, if you’re tired and want to sleep, do it. If you have no appetite, don’t eat just because it’s dinner time and someone has said you ‘should eat something’.
  • Take paracetamol-based pain killers to relieve the pain if necessary. This include brands such as Panadol in the UK or Tylenol in the US.
  • Track your day using a Diverticular Disease tracker.
  • Seek advice from a medical professional – If you are in a lot of pain, have a very high temperature or feel very unwell, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice from a professional. This may include booking an appointment with your GP/PCP, Gastroenterologist/GI doctor or even visiting the local A&E/ER.

If you suspect you may be experiencing a flare up, there are a few things you should avoid doing in order to not make things worse.

DON’T:

  • eat high-fibre foods – If you suspect a flare up, it’s best to go for a clear liquid diet, but if you want to try solid food, you should stick to low-fibre/low residue foods such as white bread, chicken breast, white pasta or rice.
  • Take NSAIDs without approval from a medical professional – NSAIDs are not recommended for people with diverticular disease because they can increase the chance of bleeding from the diverticula or increase the risk of perforation.
  • Take Codeine-based painkillers without approval from a medical professional – codeine is known for causing constipation and so can worsen the infection if stools are not passed through the bowel.
  • Eat large portions – if you decide to eat, stick to small portions that won’t overwhelm the system.
  • Take anti-diarrhoea medication without approval from a medical professional – stopping diarrhoea can be a bad thing since you may be keeping infected waste inside your bowel and allowing the infection to become more severe.

These tips and tricks may be able to help you rest the bowel before medical treatment is required. However, if your symptoms become worse or do not subside, it’s important to seek advice from a medical professional.

If it turns out antibiotics are required, there are a number of things you could be prescribed. For example, common antibiotics include: Ciproxin, Flagyl (metro), Co-amoxiclav, Augmentin and several others. However, Ciproxin and Flagyl are the ones most suitable for those with a penicillin allergy. Please note that some of these antibiotics have some significant side-effects and you should make yourself aware of these by reading the leaflet or discussing it with your doctor before you take them.

In a more severe situation, you may even be admitted to hospital to receive treatment for diverticulitis. Here, they will usually give you antibiotics, fluids and pain relief intravenously. You can read about what I like to pack in my hospital bag here.

What symptoms do you experience before a flare up? Have you managed to treat a flare up without antibiotics? How did you do it?


Support the author and buy her a coffee by making a donation here: paypal.me/haylaki

Diverticular Disease/ Diverticulosis Vs Diverticulitis

Posted in Diet, digestive health, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, General health, IBD, IBS, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

Is there a difference between diverticular disease/ diverticulosis and diverticulitis?

Yes, quite an important one, too and here’s what it is…

DIVERTICULAR DISEASE/DIVERTICULOSIS

The condition of having diverticula or ‘pouches’ along the wall of the large intestine.

This disease is thought by most medical professionals to be symptom-free. However, lots of Diverticular disease (DD)/Diverticulosis sufferers will tell you differently. The truth, really is that it’s not a condition that is very well known and the symptoms of it appear difficult to record and monitor since they vary so much from person to person and can be confused with other digestive tract problems such as IBS.

Generally, it is thought that those who have a diet lacking in fibre or who live an unhealthy lifestyle are more likely to develop diverticula in their bowel over time. However, there are suggestions involving a genetic predisposition to develop them, too.

DIVERTICULITIS

When one or more diverticula becomes infected and/or inflamed.

A lot of medical terms or parts of them come from either Greek or latin origins and diverticulitis is an example of this. The –itis suffix comes from greek and means inflammation or infection. We see this with lots of other words too, for example, tonsillitis, arthritis, etc.

Diverticulitis is an infection or inflammation of one or more diverticula in the bowel. The reason for diverticulitis is not well understood, but it is thought that living a healthy lifestyle and keeping stress to a minimum can reduce the likelihood of it taking place. However, there is no guaranteed magical fix-it that will work to keep you free of infection. It is often detected by the use of blood tests and CT scans. However, some doctors use X-rays as a fast way to check for perforations of the bowel, too.

Diverticulitis can vary from being mild to severe with complications. For the very mildest episodes a clear liquid and low residue diet will help you get through. However, for other cases antibiotics may be required or even in some cases hospitalisation and even surgery.

It’s worth mentioning that the overwhelming majority of those with diverticular disease/diverticulosis never get diverticulitis! And, out of those who do get it, only a few get repeated episodes and/or surgery.

So, remember, the diverticular disease/diverticulosis is the presence of diverticula or pouches in the intestine whereas diverticulitis is an infection or inflammation of one or more diverticula. It’s important to know whether a diagnosis of diverticular disease/diverticulosis or diverticulitis is given to know how best to deal with it is.  

Do you have Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis? Have you ever had diverticulitis?

Dealing with Diarrhoea

Posted in Diet, Diverticular Disease/Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis, Gallbladder, IBS, UncategorizedTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

We all get diarrhoea (US: Diarrhea) from time to time. Diarrhoea can be for a variety of reasons; an upset stomach, a stomach bug, food poisoning, IBS, diverticulitis and other bowel diseases or even nerves and stress. Diarrhoea is also quite common in those who have had their gallbladder removed.

Diarrhoea happens because not enough water is absorbed in the bowel leaving your faeces too watery. In the case of an upset stomach, stomach bug or food poisoning, having diarrhoea is beneficial since it helps our body to get rid of the bacteria causing the problem.
I personally only try to stop diarrhoea in situations where I don’t have free or easy access to a bathroom, such as, at work, while travelling, out shopping, etc.

If you do have diarrhoea, here are some handy tips to help you deal with it effectively.

Stay hydrated

Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is very important because our body needs water to work. If we become dehydrated, we are likely to feel even worse. For example, dehydration can cause dizziness, headaches, confusion and nausea. Drinking lots of water will replace that being lost when we have diarrhea and help our body to work efficiently.

Rehydration sachets

If you have bad diarrhoea, re-hydrating with water may not be enough since you also loose salts and electrolytes. For these occasions, you can use rehydration sachets, one well known brand is Dioralyte. This is mixed with water and available in different fruit flavours such as blackcurrant, strawberry and orange.

BRAT diet

Now, if you have diarrhoea due to a stomach bug or food poisoning, I wouldn’t recommend eating at all until the diarrhea has stopped. However, if you have diarrhoea because of IBS or gallbladder, you could try the BRAT diet. This is eating small portions of B – bananas, R – rice, A – applesauce and T – toast. The bananas are especially useful since they can replenish any potassium that the body has lost.

Anti-diarrhoea medication

Taking medication for diarrhoea is not recommended in all cases and shouldn’t be done regularly unless instructed to do so by a medical professional. For example, in the case of diverticulitis, some doctors warn their patients away from anti-diarrhoea medication because it

There are a number of medications that can help stop diarrhoea. One of the most common is loperamide hydrochloride (often sold in the UK under the brand name, Imodium). However, many supermarket and pharmacy chains sell their own version of this medicine, which is the same and often cheaper.

Complications and when to seek help

You can click here for advice on diarrhoea and vomiting or here to see guidelines for when you should consider visiting your doctor.

NOTE: If you are diabetic, please take steps to ensure your blood sugar is well-controlled. You may want to speak to your diabetes nurse or consultant about what to do in this case.

Are these helpful tips? Do you do anything differently to deal with diarrhoea? Let us know in the comments.