Diverticulitis & pancreatitis

dlhopkins67
dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, wondering if anyone is suffering with either of these and what kind of diet, exercise, lifestyle you have? Just been let out of hospital today so completely shocked and don't know where to start.
Many thanks x

Replies

  • lady_bug_jd
    lady_bug_jd Posts: 221 Member
    I was discharged from the hospital a month ago after having diverticulitis. This was my first time.

    The only thing I was told is to eat healthy and get enough fibre. You want to reduce the inflammation and help your bowels work properly. I’ve been eating chicken, fish, veggies, fruit and whole grains. I cut out sugar, processed foods, and coffee because it’s hard on my tummy.

    My understanding is that eating healthy does not guarantee you won’t have another attack but I want to do what is within my control.

    Best of luck!
  • dlhopkins67
    dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    Did your medical team advise you on diet and/or exercise before you were discharged from the hospital? If not, I would call your doctor and ask for their recommendations, or see a registered dietitian who is knowledgeable about these conditions.

    Hi, thank you for your response. I don't have a medical team and have spoke to my gp, but that wasn't forthcoming. I will be seeking a dietitian, I was just wondering how other people managed these conditions as this is an new to me.
  • dlhopkins67
    dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
    lady_bug_jd wrote: »
    I was discharged from the hospital a month ago after having diverticulitis. This was my first time.

    The only thing I was told is to eat healthy and get enough fibre. You want to reduce the inflammation and help your bowels work properly. I’ve been eating chicken, fish, veggies, fruit and whole grains. I cut out sugar, processed foods, and coffee because it’s hard on my tummy.

    My understanding is that eating healthy does not guarantee you won’t have another attack but I want to do what is within my control.

    Best of luck!

    Hi
    Upon discharge they haven't advised anything. I was only in for one night, went in for severe pain. I left with pain relief and antibiotics, and 2 new diagnosis. That's it.
    Google provided lots information, but just wanted others opinion. Thanks for the information, really useful! Currently I'm sticking to a clear liquid diet, until meds are done and I know infection/inflammation down before I attempt solids. ☺️
  • dlhopkins67
    dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
    bametels wrote: »
    @dlhopkins67 I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with these medical issues.

    If your medical team discharged you without this information or a referral to medical professionals who will provide this information to you very soon, you should consider looking for a new medical team.

    I would not recommend that you seek this information from unknown people on a website. These are serious illnesses and your treatment plan should be based on the specifics of your diagnosis, medical history, current health status, etc. Someone else may be dealing with the same conditions but that doesn't mean treatment plans will be identical. There may be important differences in your medical histories and the specifics of your individual diagnoses that require different interventions.

    I hope you are able to obtain support from credentialed medical professionals quickly. Take care!

    Thank you! Unfortunately I don't have a medical team, but I think they are making a referral to another team for me. It's just a waiting game. Was just wondering how other people cope with these conditions. I'm going to look into getting a dietician as that is what is recommended so far.
  • christinecameron47
    christinecameron47 Posts: 14 Member
    I have diverticulitis..I find if I cut out spicy foods and eat simple foods it helps..but no,the hospital didn't give me a specific diet to follow
  • dlhopkins67
    dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
    @christinecameron47 shocking isn't it?
    I think something like clean eating from what I read. Thanks!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    edited January 2019
    My wife had severe cases of both and was hospitalize for almost 2 years with the pancreatitis. If you are having a bout of this, the only thing to do is go to the hospital, get on fluids and not eat. Be careful with this one, because pancreatitis can kill you. It almost killed my wife.

    Recently my wife had a colon recession and removed 14" to address her diverticulitis. For prevention, a high fiber/low processed foods diet is a bit ideal. I have heard conflicting evidence on seeds, but you can err on the side of caution and not eat them. If you are having bouts of diverticulitis, than a low fiber diet and nut nuts is recommended.

    The best thing you can do is see a GI specialist for the Diverticulitis. It's hereditary and if you get 3 to 4 flare ups, you will often need surgery. But not that my wife had the surgery, she feels amazing but she struggles to process raw veggies still (post surgery about 6 months).

    ETA: In my wife's case, there were no limitations caused by these conditions. All her exercise limitations stem from her POTS.
  • siobhanaoife
    siobhanaoife Posts: 151 Member
    You definitely want a GI specialist appointment. Shame on them for not setting one up for you!

    When my daughter was recovering from pancreatitis they put her on a low-fat diet and prescribed replacement pancreatic enzyme capsules (Creon) to offload some of the work her pancreas had to do. They also checked her blood work for spilled pancreatic enzymes (ie, amylase, lipase) to see if her pancreas was "leaking".

    I'm not saying that any of these apply to you! But they're the sorts of things I would ask about if I had a bout of pancreatitis (What should I be eating? How will we monitor whether it's improving? Do I need to do any imaging to look for blockages or damage? Do I need to support my pancreas by taking enzymes with meals, or other medication?)

    Best of luck!
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    edited January 2019
    dlhopkins67 wrote: »
    Hi, wondering if anyone is suffering with either of these and what kind of diet, exercise, lifestyle you have? Just been let out of hospital today so completely shocked and don't know where to start.
    Many thanks x

    Did they put you on a low res or clear liquid diet?

    If you are still on antibiotics they should have given you a paper with the recommended diet. Either clear liquids or low residue.

    Once the infection is gone you should slowly introduce fiber into your diet. This will prevent a re-occurrence. Also, slowly introduce things like yogurt. This will help in getting back the good bacteria that the antibiotics took away. The surgeon recommended 2 tablespoons of metamucil in a glass of water every day once I could start adding fiber.

    Some doctors will recommend not eating nuts, seeds, popcorn, or things like that. But other doctors will tell you those things are fine. I guess there is still debate about those things. But it seems to me that every time mine came back, it was within days after eating those types of things (at least from what I can remember).

    I had diverticulitis for a couple years and was hospitalized several times and was even sepsis a couple times. It kept coming back worse in the same spot, and they finally had to remove about 8 inches of my lower colon.

    It's been over 4 years now, and I have not had any issues since (fingers crossed). I was obese when I had the surgery and they recommended that I start exercising and lose weight. They recommended walking, so I started walking every day, then I started power walking, and over the past 2 years have started running. These types of impact activities aid in digestion, plus I lost over 50 lbs., and went from a 40 waist to a 32 so far.
  • dlhopkins67
    dlhopkins67 Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you all for your advice. I'm in UK so I think it may be different. When I went into hospital I was admitted from A&E, stayed in for one day. The CT scan showed the results but that was on the day I was discharged. I'm waiting for referral, hence not given any information. I'm sure I will get it in due time.
  • Kathy535
    Kathy535 Posts: 31 Member
    I’m sure you seen these links, but just in case:

    https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/conditions/diverticular-disease/
    http://www.mydiverticulitis.co.uk
    http://www.pancreatitis.org.uk
    https://pancreasfoundation.org/patient-information/chronic-pancreatitis/
    https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/conditions/acute-pancreatitis/


    You could also ask your GP to refer you to a dietician

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