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Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

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Treatment for Diverticular Disease

A high fiber diet and, occasionally, mild pain medications will help relieve symptoms in most cases. Sometimes an attack of diverticulitis (pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-LY-tiss) is serious enough to require a hospital stay and possibly surgery.

Diverticulosis

Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet may reduce symptoms of diverticulosis (pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-LOH-siss) and prevent complications such as diverticulitis. Fiber keeps stool soft and lowers pressure inside the colon so that bowel contents can move through easily. The American Dietetic Association recommends 20 to 35 grams of fiber each day. Below shows the amount of fiber in some foods that you can easily add to your diet.

The doctor may also recommend taking a fiber product such as Citrucel or Metamucil once a day. These products are mixed with water and provide about 2 to 3.5 grams of fiber per tablespoon, mixed with 8 ounces of water.

Avoidance of nuts, popcorn, and sunflower, pumpkin, caraway, and sesame seeds has been recommended by physicians out of fear that food particles could enter, block, or irritate the diverticula (pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-luh). However, no scientific data support this treatment measure. Eating a high fiber diet is the only requirement highly emphasized across the literature and eliminating specific foods is not necessary.

The seeds in tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, strawberries, and raspberries, as well as poppy seeds, are generally considered harmless. People differ in the amounts and types of foods they can eat. Decisions about diet should be made based on what works best for each person. Keeping a food diary may help identify individual items in one's diet.

If cramps, bloating, and constipation are problems, the doctor may prescribe a short course of pain medication. However, many medications affect emptying of the colon, an undesirable side effect for people with diverticulosis.

Diverticulitis

Treatment for diverticulitis focuses on clearing up the infection and inflammation, resting the colon, and preventing or minimizing complications. An attack of diverticulitis without complications may respond to antibiotics within a few days if treated early.

To help the colon rest, the doctor may recommend bed rest and a liquid diet, along with a pain reliever.

An acute attack with severe pain or severe infection may require a hospital stay. Most acute cases of diverticulitis are treated with antibiotics and a liquid diet. The antibiotics are given by injection into a vein. In some cases, however, surgery may be necessary.

The colon (large intestine) and an enlargement of it showing diverticula.

Each pouch is called a diverticulum, pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-lum.
Pouches (plural) are called diverticula, pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-luh.
The condition of having diverticula is called diverticulosis, pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-LOH-siss.
When the pouches become infected or inflamed, the condition is called diverticulitis, pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-LY-tiss. This happens in 10 to 25 percent of people with diverticulosis.
Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are also called diverticular disease, pronunciation - DY-vur-TIK-yoo-lur.

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References:
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
NIH Publication No. 07-1163
October 2006
digestive.niddk.nih.gov

The information discussed above is a general overview and does not include all the facts, or include everything there is to know about any medicine and/or products mentioned. Do not use any medicine and/or products without first talking to your doctor. Possible side effects of medications, other than those listed, may occur. Other brand names or generic forms of this medicine may also be available. If you have questions or concerns, or want more information, your doctor or pharmacist has the complete prescribing information about this medicine and possible drug interactions.