r/Diverticulitis

I don’t want to hear what you’ve heard are common in general. I’m curious what specifically a wider audience has experienced bc it seems we all have different triggers.
What are yours specifically?

Hey everyone, my husband is experiencing an active flare. He’s in terrible pain and he’s been running a low grade fever for about 2 days. He contacted his doctor and asked if she would prescribe antibiotics, and she said no (she has never prescribed him antibiotics) because it isn’t the “treatment protocol” for diverticulitis. She did however offer him something for the pain. Turns out, she prescribed 5mg of Oxycodone.

I’m starting to think that’s a crazy idea. I’ve had numerous major spinal surgeries, and Oxycodone cause severe constipation for me. It seems like the exact wrong course of treatment for someone struggling with diverticulitis during an active flare.

Thoughts? Experiences?

I only ask because I went about 10 years without diverticulitis and only recently bought a bag of sesame seed bagels that were absolutely covered in sesame seeds. I hadn't had a sesame seed bagel in years, maybe decades until now. They were delicious! But I remember getting a bit of, uh, "liquidy" bowel movements after eating them. Then roughly a week later, I'm in the ER with diverticulitis. I understand that correlation is not causation, but it's quite a coincidence.

Hello everyone!

Long time reader, first time posting.

My DV story started on late August 2025. Was feeling. bloated and constipated for a few days and decided to go get it checked out. Turns out it ended up being diverticulitis, micro perf, and sepsis. The team that took care of me at the ER was not trained well in terms of speaking to patients because the way they just dropped bombs on me and did not care to explain the positive sides of the outcome or anything was saddening and stressful. Eventually I was taken to a room and the staff was different and really took care of me to where I avoided open surgery and recovered well. Sadly, before I left, which took 2 days longer since all 3 of my doctors never seemed to talk to each other, they found an abscess and had to install a drain. I had to come back in a few days since it was Labor Day weekend and the one physician on call did not want to come out just for me. I had it done, had it for 3-4 weeks, and had it removed at a different facility. This doctor was a whole other ballgame because any question I would have he would respond by saying to “just google it. No one listens to me nowadays so just google it.”

After all that I had recovered well, my diet changed but I learned so many ways I could enjoy food again, stopped drinking which was easy, and lost weight that I really needed to. I was going too hard on life before everything happened.

Cut to February 2026. My job at the restaurant I had worked at for 12 years had to close due to the property owner wanting to sell and we were just in the way. Took such a toll on me as we just had an amazing holiday month and things were going great. The next party was realizing my insurance was also going away and that scared me too as it helped with medical payments in a huge way. Things got stressful but not bad as I was slowly reconnecting things.

Finally in late April, I find a job! I was so grateful but I quickly find out it’s very stressful and mentally exhausting. I had started feeling twinges of pain and weird diarrhea as well and knew that wasn’t a good sign. Low and behold, I had a flare up at the end of April which felt different. This time I had mid to lower abdominal pain, feeling of not being right and so many restless nights. On top of all that, I was still going to work and trying to get that pay check.

That leads us to where I am now. Yesterday I was feeling better in a sense, still felt unwell internally and would have twinges of pain. So I went to urgent care to get it tested out. I went to one that had facilities around it so if I needed anything done I could go across the street and come back for my results same day which was great. Of course white blood cell count was high which I knew but they wanted to do a scan as well since my heart rate was a little high. The scan came through and they confirm diverticulitis but also they saw a mass of liquid and air. They recommended I go to the ER same day but could not as I needed to get my ducks in order at home first. I did so and now I’m here at the ER. My thought was get liquid antibiotics and at most I’d need a drain installed which I’ve dealt with before. Turns out I’m going to need surgery to remove the mass. The surgeons were really nice tho and when I asked to see if there’s anything I mean anything they could do other than surgery they both said yes we will talk to our team. Such a breath of fresh air after dealing with the other side of how staff can be. They come back and since the abscess is internal, the surgery must be done. A sigmoidectomy. The were very detailed with everything and explained any possible outcome. Basically it would be laparoscopic unless of course things are complicated and they would have to open me up, take out the mass, try to reconnect me then and there if all looks good and I’d be on the road to recovering. Obviously I asked about an ostomy bag and they said 50/50 chance I would need it but it wouldn’t be permanent. I was thankful for that. Especially after finding out it isn’t a huge bag like I thought.

I’m more now in the mental state of let’s get this done let’s do this now and get this over with and i will feeel so much better.

I’d like to hear anyone’s thought on this and how the surgery went for them if they’ve had it done. Was it a tough recovery? Did you wake up with a bag? Should I know anything specific before going in? Is there a question I should ask I might have over thought? Anything would help. Also what should I have prepared at home to have a smooth recover. All the blessings and thanks in advance.

-Someone who’s ready but also lost.

Pain is pretty bad but only with movement but im on fentanyl so it’s keeping the pain in check …. Also didn’t need a bag which was amazing news . Terrified to eat now tho because the first bowel movement is gonna be hard

If you’ve had a colectomy, when was your first bowel movement? I had my sigmoid colon removed on Thursday night and have been, according to the nurse, peeing and passing gas like a champ.

Thank you to all who have shared their stories. It made me much less anxious. I truly appreciate it!

Hey all - Burner account here so that this isn't associated with my main account. I've tried reading through a bunch of search results on this sub but I'm just not finding the information I'm looking for. I'm also not seeking a diagnosis, I've already been diagnosed, just looking for links or anecdotes that can either confirm or refute my areas of confusion. Any help is deeply appreciated.

I'll type out the whole story below but here are my areas of confusion in advance:

1. I've been prescribed Augmentin. I've read replies from people that seem to say something like, "if the pain doesn't go away after 1 day on augmentin, it won't work at all, no matter how long you're on it." and other replies that seem to say, "It took 10 full days of augmentin for it to work" - Is there any truth to either of these? Is this discrepancy simply due to the fact that everyone is different, every human body is different, every infection is different?

2. Related to that, let's say I get to day 5 of augmentin (I've been prescribed a 5 day course) and my symptoms are all the same, no improvement. Would I be wise to contact a doctor to extend the course? (Mods, forgive me if this is too much like a medical question)

3. While my baseline pain is around a 2, I get a sudden, somewhat dramatic increase in pain in the dv area either right before the need for a bowel movement or when I have a bit of gas. I can't seem to find ANY anecdotes where people describe something similar, so I'm concerned that something else is happening there.

4. While I went to the ER yesterday and received the diagnosis, on Saturday I did not yet know for sure that it was diverticulitis. However, in an effort to prepare for it being that, I only ate half a banana and some apple sauce that day. Then yesterday (Sunday) I only had clear liquid diet items like chicken broth, ensure clear, tons of water, etc. Today I've also only had clear liquid diet items like pedialyte, beef broth, ensure clear. That makes about 3 days of (close to) no real food. I had a virtual appointment with a doctor today who said I should immediately begin a "full liquid" diet tomorrow, even though there is still pain. I have no idea if I should push it one more day or not since there is still pain.

Quick history - About 10 years ago around age 30 I was diagnosed with diverticulitis and a microperforation. Pain / nausea really wasn't that bad at all (I know I was lucky for this) - took some antibiotics and it cleared up no problem. A short while later, the pain came back, and if I recall correctly, I took another round of antibiotics and it cleared right up. The issue seemed to be fully gone for about a DECADE.... until last week.

I (M41) began experiencing some intestinal discomfort late Thursday night. Didn't think anything of it, sort of felt like when I eat some low quality fast food. But the next day, Friday, around 1pm, the pain ramped up in a big way, especially on the left side, and the diarrhea started. Had maybe 4 trips to the restroom with diarrhea on Friday. Saturday was similar, pain would cool down a bit... then ramp up.... then diarrhea. That pattern repeated another 2 or 3 times.

Sunday morning I knew it would be weeks before I got in to see a doctor so I went to the local ER. While I had no fever, they said my white blood count was a little high, as well as (something I forgot) that indicated possible infection. So they did an MRI (CT was out of service) and determined it was diverticulitis. They said no signs of perforation or abscess. Sent me home with a 5 day course of augmentin.

As stated above, I've been on a clear liquid diet since yesterday and while the pain certainly hasn't gotten worse, it hasn't really gotten better either. All I know is that this experience is very, very different than the times when I was 30/31, which I suppose might be in part due to my aging body.

My gastro sent me in for a surgical consult after a flare came back a week later with bladder pain and high CRP. Took me by surprise that she said I basically needed the surgery. I scheduled it for asap but have to get all this testing done and hope I can. She said my flares have mostly been in my sigmoid and stayed there and there’s a low chance of a bag, temporary and permanent. I’m really anxious and I guess just looking for advice and support.

So I haven't been diagnosed with smoldering diverticulitis, but I suspect I have it. I was first admitted to a hospital in late December with a microperforation and from that time to April, I felt up and down constantly with pain and discomfort coming and going despite my best efforts to stick to a low residue diet and trying to reintroduce fiber. In early April, I was admitted with another perforation but with an abscess. I went to urgent care last week because I was feeling pain in my lower abdomen and wanted to make sure I didn't have another infection. Luckily, I didn't. However, I got a CT scan on 5/07 and one of the notes said the inflammation is "grossly stable compared to 4/07." This is really frustrating because I have been even more strict with my diet since that April hospitalization. I continue to lose weight, but the inflammation is still there. I suspect the inflammation went down a bit in between, but constipation from being on a low res diet caused inflammation again. Anyhow, I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in early July and I really want to get there, but I can't see how with this inflammation.

Does anyone have tips on "combatting" smoldering DV? I am meeting with a GI doc and a surgeon next week and I am really hoping they can provide some insight. I am currently on Flagyl and Cipro and also hoping that will help the inflammation as well.

I see a lot of comments from people calling these drinks "crap" or saying to otherwise skip them. I'm open to that but my question is, if you skip protein shakes... where do you get your protein and nutrients?? There's only so much that broth and yogurt can offer. Open to any ideas and suggestions for the "full liquid" phase.

Maybe this is something, maybe it isn't. I was discharged from the ER on Sunday and told to stay on a clear liquid diet until the pain goes away. Like a lot of people I saw chicken broth and beef broth on the clear liquid diet list so I bought some cartons and had been sipping it. But last night I went to pour a bit into a glass and realized.... they aren't clear! I'm wondering if I bought some random type of broth that doesn't actually qualify for the clear liquid diet, and if perhaps that's why my condition hasn't approved much despite sticking to the diet + augmentin.

Not looking for any diagnosis or anything like that. Just wondering if some of you experienced this I had a pretty bad but not ER worthy flareup happen nine days ago. The sharp pain lasted three days. Was able to get into my primary care and she gave me antibiotics. I’m on Cipro and metronidazole 500mg each. I’ve been having the weirdest reactions. Icy, cold feet and hands with sweats, anxiety, fast heart rate. Today I have a weird upper abdominal cramping, dull type pain. Almost like I can’t stand up straight or stretch. I’ve had two other flareups before this, but they seem to resolve pretty quickly raving the last one before this I was able to eat pretty normally almost immediately after. I’m still basically on a liquid diet And just introducing some soft foods. I’m just getting to that point now where I’m wondering is this normal? Do other people deal with this?

I've read some comments and questions on various posts where people discuss the outcome of surgery being a need for a permanent colostomy bag (or other type of bag, sorry for my ignorance). In what scenario related to DV would this have to happen? How common (or uncommon) is it? I am aiming for an elective surgery and although I know the chance of a temporary bag is a possibility, I didn't consider it could be permanent until recently. The thought terrifies me. I know plenty of people live with these things and learn to adapt, but my life already feels like it has been turned upside down since being diagnosed and dealing with this awful disease and I don't know how I would mentally deal with a permanent bag.

Hi all! So literally days after I received a fellowship to travel to Nepal and Bangladesh this summer, I had a bad flair and will be having surgery at the end of May. I asked my surgeon if there’s a chance I could push my trip to later in the summer (~6 or 7 weeks post surgery) and be able to go as well as handle luggage. His response was just “the minimum for travel would be 3 weeks.”

Surgery should be laproscopic sigmoidectomy and anostomosis (so if all goes well, no bag). How was your recovery? Is my timeline too ambitious? What would you do?

I had my initial flare 6 months ago and the discomfort has been hanging around since. I was starting to feel better last week but Monday, discomfort and mild pain came back. Started amoxicillin and have been fasting for two and a half days. Discomfort and pain still there. When do you start reintroducing solid food? I might go another day. I’ve been drinking water, teas, a little coffee, beef and chicken broth. Everything else feels fine. I even did intense exercise twice this week.

I had diverticulitis twice about 10 years ago. No issues at all for about a decade, and dealing with it again right now, confirmed in the ER. I'm trying to understand what people do when they have what you call "flare ups" - Do you simply have your routine and deal with it at home, or do you go in for a scan / blood work every time it happens to make sure there isn't a perforation or abscess?

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the incredible risk of DV progressing to a complicated case, and what people look out for, or how they know it's just a simple flare up vs. something worse.

I decided to go to urgent care after a few days of discomfort. I started Augmentin that the GI gave me if I started experiencing symptoms. On Tuesday, I started the mild discomfort and decided to do the Augmentin since I’m leaving on vacation next week. The discomfort wouldn’t go away so better safe than sorry. Went to urgent care. Temperature, blood pressure, pulse urine sample, blood work all good. CT Scan did not reveal diverticulitis, perforations or abscess. But, was inflamed on a small section on the top, right section. I was told to get off the Augmentin. Given a kit to provide a stool sample when I can. Doctor said it might be C diff. I had no idea what that was so looked it up. I’m currently drinking Kefir milk, taking probiotic gummies on a low res diet. This is horrible. I’m glad I’m not in terrible pain just uncomfortable. I might have to postpone my vacation in Southeast Asia…again. I did once already due to my diverticulitis/colon issue in January. 😢🤦‍♂️🇹🇭

I am 9 days post op, and I am doing mostly better. I learned that the big complications of the surgery were due to the hospitals negligence (already working on getting council, that hospital was not a good one).

I had an emergency surgery and am in a bag, but to be honest after the first 3 days everything just feels normal. I am now at home, and only a few things stand out. It is still challenging to get out of bed, and if something is on the floor then I can not grab it. I didn't realize how much I used my core strength for everything. If the bag is not positioned right then it causes discomfort, but emptying the bag has 0 challenge to it. I have not changed the bag yet because the hospital nurses were changing it while changing my wound dressings, so I can give another update once I do change it myself.

For the first time since my first episode in 2019 I am excited to say I no longer hurt if I need to poop, no longer the extreme need to run to the bathroom to get rid of extreme stomach pain, and for the foreseeable future I shouldn't have episodes anymore either. Even with the pain from complications, this is the best I have felt in years.

In 6-8 weeks my wounds should be almost completely healed, and I will be consulting the surgeon for the reversal and going along the journey to normal life again.

TL;DR - Get the surgery when it is optional, but don't be afraid if you have to do the emergency surgery like I did. The bag is not bad, it's not scary once it's done. I got home yesterday and it's weird due to limited mobility. The surgery pain is reduced significantly already, the only pain I have is due to the complications that caused the emergency surgery.

Please let me know if clarification is needed, communication is not a strong point for me

😲 omg. 😱 that was an experience.