Note: The Prescript-Assist supplements discussed in this article are no longer available. Please click here to learn more about a substitute, the Daily Synbiotic from Seed.
If you’ve ever experienced a diverticulitis attack, I’m sure you’d be the first to say that it’s not a pleasant experience. I bet you’d be willing to do a lot of things to prevent it from happening again! Or maybe you’re someone who has been diagnosed with diverticulosis by your gastroenterologist, but you’re not quite sure what to do to prevent those painful attacks you’ve heard about and you want to learn more. Whatever brought you here, I’m happy to have you. Today I’ll be providing tips on how to prevent diverticulitis attacks naturally.
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What Is Diverticular Disease?
Diverticular disease is the term used to encompass a spectrum of issues from diverticulosis (the presence of sac-like pouches called diverticula that protrude from the colonic wall) to diverticulitis (the inflammation of these pouches and the accompanying symptoms). Diverticular disease is common in the Western world, with the highest rates seen in the United States and Europe. Even in those countries the disease was almost unheard of in 1900, but by the 1970s it was the most common affliction of the colon. (1)
Diverticular disease has been shown to increase with age – by 80, it is estimated that approximately 70% of individuals have diverticular disease. (2) The highest estimates suggest that approximately 20% of patients with diverticulosis (remember these are the people with the pouches, not the acute inflammation of the pouches) will at some point develop diverticulitis. (3) However, newer and more accurate estimates suggest that this rate is somewhere between 1 and 5%, depending on the strictness of qualifying criteria. (4) This is important to note for those who have been diagnosed with diverticulosis but are currently asymptomatic – according to these newer estimates, it is unlikely that you will develop diverticulitis. However, if you have diverticulosis and want be sure to prevent any problems or you’ve had diverticulitis attacks in the past, continue reading!
Despite the fact that diverticular disease is so common, we know relatively little about it and the common recommendations are based on limited data. If you’ve been diagnosed with diverticulosis, you may have received advice from your gastroenterologist about avoiding nuts and seeds and eating more fiber. However, these recommendations are based on inconclusive research and may not provide much benefit to you. In fact, few studies show any benefit to avoiding nuts and seeds and one study even showed that intake of nuts and popcorn was associated with a decreased risk of diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. (5) High fiber diets are also often recommended, despite inconclusive evidence. (6) It is evident that recommendations for diverticular disease are due for an update.
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Underlying Factors That Contribute to Diverticulosis
Newer research suggests that the factors underlying diverticular disease are the following: (7, 8)
Inflammation
While inflammation is well-accepted in the model of acute diverticulitis, more and more research points to the involvement of chronic low grade inflammation in the development of symptomatic diverticulosis. In fact, of 930 patients undergoing surgery for symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD), approximately 75% of them had evidence of chronic inflammation in and around the diverticula. (9) It is for this reason that drugs used for treating inflammatory bowel disease like mesalamine are being used to treat diverticular disease with good results as well (but hang tight, we’ll talk about natural ways to prevent diverticulitis, of course!). This is also why chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen have been shown to increase the risk of diverticular complications (10, 11), since they are known to increase intestinal inflammation. (12, 13)
Fecal calprotectin can be measured to identify intestinal inflammation, and is high in those with symptomatic diverticular disease compared to those with functional digestive tract disorders like IBS and those with asymptomatic diverticular disease. (14) If you’re wondering whether you may have intestinal inflammation, it’s a great thing to get tested (and you can order a stool test from a specialty lab like Genova Diagnostics which will measure it). It is clear that chronic inflammation is involved in the development of diverticular disease, and that those who wish to prevent attacks should take steps to reduce intestinal inflammation.
Thankfully, one of the best ways to decrease intestinal inflammation is to eat a paleo diet! By avoiding potentially irritating and inflammatory foods such as grains, omega-6 fatty acids and lactose, we can reduce intestinal inflammation and encourage proper gut health. A paleo diet also positively influences gut bacteria, which in turn results in reduced inflammation as well. A paleo diet for diverticular disease should focus on gelatinous cuts of meat, bone broths, well-cooked vegetables, starchy tubers, and fermented foods.
Reducing your stress level is also important for bringing down levels of intestinal inflammation, as stress has been shown to activate inflammation in the intestine. (15) Stress can absolutely wreak havoc on the gut, so it is essential that any program focused on preventing diverticulitis attacks include proper stress management. This means incorporating mind-body activities such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, etc on a regular basis. If you’re someone who’s constantly stressed out and never takes time to take care of your own well-being, it’s unlikely you’ll be successful in preventing diverticulitis attacks even if you implement all the other suggestions outlined in this article. This one is important!
Another way to reduce an inflamed intestine is to supplement with soothing and healing demulcent herbs – deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has been shown to reduce mucosal damage and inflammation in rodents (16, 17) and it is likely that other demulcent herbs such as slippery elm and marshmallow root may have the same effect. Take chewable DGL tablets or mix a spoonful of slippery elm or marshmallow root powder in a small amount of water and drink 1-3 times per day to help soothe and heal an inflamed intestine. Another healing substance for the gut – bone broth – should be liberally consumed for this purpose as well.
Altered Intestinal Bacteria
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is common in diverticulitic patients. (18) Rifaximin, a non-absorbable antibiotic (meaning it only affects the gut, not the rest of the body), has been shown to effectively treat SIBO (19) and this treatment has also been shown to improve diverticular disease outcomes. (20) Bacterial overgrowth, along with fecal stasis inside the diverticula, can contribute chronic dysbiosis which can lead to low-grade inflammation (21), so improving gut bacterial balance is crucial to reducing intestinal inflammation.
Probiotic supplementation has been shown to be safe and potentially useful in diverticular disease (22) and is likely to be even more beneficial when combined with other therapies. If you’re not already consuming probiotics from your food (in the form of kefir, kombucha, kimchi, etc) then you should consider adding a supplement like VSL #3 or Prescript Assist (though even if you are consuming probiotics, a supplement isn’t a bad idea!). As Chris has mentioned, Prescript Assist tends to be the probiotic of choice for those suffering from constipation so start with that if you tend to err on the side of decreased motility.
Prebiotics are also very useful for correcting dysbiosis, and should be considered by those with diverticular disease. Prebiotics “stimulate selectively the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria associated with health and well-being” (23), which is exactly what we want when we’re trying to shift the balance of the microbes back to the good guys. My go-to prebiotic is Pure Encapsulations fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) powder, but others include GOS and even lactulose. Supplementation with 10g of FOS per day has been shown to increase counts of bifidobacteria. (24) As with all prebiotics, it’s important to start with a very small amount and increase slowly. If you’re sensitive to FODMAPs you’ll want to be particularly careful as prebiotics are also FODMAPs. However, if you tolerate them well I think prebiotics can be a powerhouse when it comes to correcting imbalanced gut flora.
Most importantly, it’s crucial to treat SIBO or dysbiosis. As we’ve discussed, these conditions are very common in those with diverticular disease so it’s worth checking on your gut bacteria to see how they’re doing, using specialty labs such as Genova Diagnostics (and get your calprotectin tested while you’re at it!). It’s best to work with a practitioner who can test and treat you for these conditions.
Abnormal Colonic Motility
Researchers have found that those suffering from symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease have what they like to call a “spastic colon” in the areas affected by diverticulosis. (25) This is similar to what is found in patients with constipation predominant IBS and in functional constipation. These same researchers also found that patients with diverticulitis disease have reduced density of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC for short – a fun name for the “pacemaker cells” of the intestine). (26) In studies on animals with a lack of ICC networks, delayed or absent intestinal motility is noted. (27, 28) What this means for diverticular patients is that these lack of networks and a spastic colon can cause increased symptoms in terms of constipation and bloating/pain. Though we’re not entirely sure what we can do to directly affect these cells (yet), it’s important to use therapies aimed toward improving motility if this is an issue for you.
Know that correcting SIBO and dysbiosis will go a long way toward improving constipation, so this is a good place to start. Given that our stool is mostly made up of dead bacteria, one can imagine that without proper amounts of good bacteria we’re going to have a tough time bulking the stool. Prebiotics can be particularly useful for constipation given that they selectively increase good bacteria like bifidobacteria. However, if you’re still struggling after correcting dysbiosis, here are some additional recommendations.
First, serotonin is an important player in gut motility. Serotonin concentrations in those with colonic diverticulosis are significantly lower than normal controls and contribute to the type of bowel habit following a test meal. (29) Serotonin transporter (SERT) transcript levels are also lower in those with a history of diverticulitis compared to controls and those with asymptomatic diverticulosis. (30) Inflammation is also known to decrease SERT expression and function (31, 32), so following the recommendations to lower intestinal inflammation is of course the first step to improving gut motility. In addition, it is also likely that supplementation with 5-HTP (a precursor to serotonin) may alleviate constipation and increase motility since it will increase serotonin levels. Note: do not take 5-HTP without talking to your doctor first if you are on an SSRI medication.
Second, if you’re currently on a low carbohdyrate paleo diet, you may want to consider increasing your carbohydrate intake. In my experience working with those with constipation on a paleo diet, this is the single most effective diet-based recommendation I’ve seen. If you’re at a loss as to what starches to add in, check out this excellent handout from Balanced Bites. Note: since SIBO is so common for those with diverticulosis, this step may need to wait until that has been treated, and may not be appropriate for some people.
Magnesium supplementation can also be very useful for people with constipation. Given that only about half of US adults consume the RDA for magnesium (33), it’s safe to say that a lot of us probably aren’t getting enough. This is due to the fact that not many foods naturally contain high amounts of magnesium, and even those that do have less due to the depletion of magnesium from our soil. Check out this magnesium soil content map to see how your local area is doing (and think about where most of your food comes from – if you’re not eating local you may not even know what soil your food is being grown in!).
Conclusion
By reducing our intestinal inflammation, balancing our gut bacteria, and improving our intestinal motility it is likely that we can prevent diverticulitis attacks. I’ll leave you with a set of action steps so you remember exactly what to do to improve these underlying factors.
Action Steps to Prevent Diverticulitis Attacks:
- Eat a paleo diet!
- Reduce stress
- Use demulcent herbs such as DGL, slippery elm, and marshmallow root to soothe and heal the intestine
- Take probiotics like VSL #3 or Prescript Assist
- Take prebiotics like FOS powder
- Treat SIBO or dysbiosis
- Reduce intestinal inflammation to increase SERT functioning, and consider supplementation with 5-HTP
- If you’re currently on a low carbohdyrate paleo diet, consider adding some starchy tubers to your diet
- Supplement with magnesium
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
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I’m 54 and was diagnosed a year ago with the dreaded D. This is my third bout in 1 year. Bad side pain and food goes right through me with cramping. On my second day of cipro/metro once again and just decided to try other routes due to muscle pain and feeling ‘poisoned’.
I’m going to try aloe, vitamin c, magnesium, a probiotic, sauerkraut juice, fish oil, yams, broth, and lentil soup thank you very much! No ice cream, Advil, celery or artichoke hearts. Thanks to everyone for their comments- I don’t think any of the above will hurt me and they’re all easily accessible so crossing fingers… Good luck to all of us!
Bless you, I hadn’t thought about the effect of chlorine. I have suffered on and off for ten years. Tried many diets but still suffered bouts of pain and bleeding requiring hospitalisation . The only advice I was given was increase fiber, but often that seemed to make things worse. This last year I was living in rural australia and drinking rain water from tanks. I had a year with no symptoms. Then I moved into town and had very chlorinated water, I have been sick for several months and fearful of going back to the doctor who is keen on sending me for surgery. I started on a probiotic and distilled water and am feeling better within days. I intend to start aloe supplement soon. Thank you for this information they obviously don’t teach this in Med school, as I’ve seen three different doctors and been hospitalised twice.
Consider using high doses of vitamin C.
I was diagnosed with diverticulosis several years ago. After suffering with nearly continuous nausea and abdominal pain for over three months, I got checked out in the hospital, where they performed a barium scan and rather matter-of-factly gave me the diagnosis. It took another month or two after that for my symptoms to subside. I credited that to taking an over-the-counter product, Alli-Cinn, by Pharmax, for 30 days, along with yogurt.
About a month ago, during a two-week trip, I had a new flareup, possibly as a result of the stress of travel, plus change of routine and diet from my usual regimen. After coming home I decided to try something new. I increased my daily intake of vitamin C to about 6,000 mg, taken as two 3,000 mg doses, morning and evening. I used the granular or crystal form, sold in one-pound jars at Trader Joe’s markets, but also available from other sources. A 3,000 mg dose works out to about 1/4 teaspoon of powder, dumped directly on the middle of my tongue and chased with a mouthful of water. Yes, it IS very sour; that’s why I put it in the middle of the tongue, where the sour receptors are absent. On days when the symptoms were particularly acute, I also would crush one 375 mg aspirin tablet and chase it with a glass of water. The results weren’t dramatic, but day by day the symptoms became less over a three-week period and I’m feeling fairly normal again now.
Since this is a one-off experiment, it doesn’t qualify as a scientific study, but if any other sufferers of diverticulitis or IBS are willing to try it and report results here, it may point to a fairly safe, easy treatment.
A word of caution is in order when using high doses of vitamin C for the first time. Excessive intake of vitamin C can cause watery, loose stools. This is more likely to happen above 10,000 mg per day. If you should experience such problems, simply reduce the dosage until stools become normal again. I did not have any problems at 6,000 mg per day.
I too have suffered with Diver for the past three years. I have been in the hospital twice for severe attacks, and my doctor advised colon surgery. I was experiencing attacks every four weeks, and I knew that I had constant inflammation in the area of the diver pocket that was causing the problem, as it was sore and irritated all the time even when not having a full flare-up. The cipro/flagyl cocktails for ten days each time I had a flare-up were hard for my system to sustain and so I started eating less and less until I was just juicing carrots and celery twice a day. Then, I had to go up to New York with my daughter during flu season, and she advised I take two packets of her Emergen C (1000,mg Vit C per packet) twice a day to avoid getting a cold or the Flu. I liked the stuff so much that I took three packets a day, and sometimes 4 packets, which meant I was taking up to 4,000 mg of vitamin “C” per day. I noticed right away that the constant low grade pain on my left side subsided after about three days, and at first I didn’t connect that the vitamin “C” was the reason. When I got back home I had a large bottle of 1,000 mg per tablet of vitamin “C” from Sams Club (it was only about $10 for 500 tablets) in the bathroom cupboard, so I bought a small mortar and pestle from a cooking store, and proceeded to grind up three tablets into a powder and sprinkle it into a one pint glass of water twice a day (it tastes like weak lemon juice) and have been taking it ever since. I am pain and symptom free and it’s been almost three months without a flare-up or even a grumble on that left side. I am not sure what happens when you take large doses of Vitamin “C” but I do know that I hardly ever took it or ate foods with vitamin “C” in it, so maybe it is used to repair cells and it started to repair the colon, I don’t know. An associate at the health food store told me that it helps repair collagen (I think that’s skin cells) but whatever it does, I’m going to take it until it no longer works. I sometimes only take 3,000 mgs per day, if I forget to take my evening dose, but so far, so good. Just thought I would pass this on for anyone interested.
I have had 5 diverticulitis attacks beginning 05/11. Never any fever, blood or vomiting. The last attack after completing cipro/flagyl a catscan was done. I still have inflammation so on both antibiotics again for 10 days. My Dr stated if I have another flareup he is going to refer me to a surgeon. I’m scared & not sure how to prevent flareups.
did you read the comments above ?
Thinking a bout the surgery but histant. ..reading all the post makes me want to try some of the ideas I see here have had 3 attacks in a year on the usual an metronidazole and ciprofloxacin Going for a coloncopy on March 4th went for a ct scam with dye It showed dd mild case But after treatment and liquid diet came back again blood in my stole and the first days blood would just drip out then be ok A few days then spot again on met and cipo now only eating right one meal a day dinner Today ok stoll no pain Should I try some of theses methods or just go for the surgery ????
No need for surgery and regular antibiotics if you follow the natural approach.
The worse that can happen is that none of them will work and you have surgery later. Also remember that even if they do surgery, it doesn’t mean it won’t reoccur so you may need more of your intestine cut out again.
I am very happy and relieved to find this information. There is much to learn but finally I see a chance of not having a fourth recurrence of diverticulitis. Imagine! Thank you.
Great read! Just had my first Colonscopy and Endoscopy….whooooo glad that is over! But found out I have Diverticulosis and Hiati Hernia! My mom has diver and so does my sister, so it is inherited! 🙁
I heard cabbage juice was excellent for this? Any other juicing you would suggest? I have been juicing cabbage and celery and bananas? What about bananas? Are they good?
You say you got “inherited” diverticulitis. Did your family members get this in their child hood and teen years. What ages did they get the condition. Diverticulitis tends to be an age related disease. The hernia will complicate things.
The most effective remedies are usually either aloe vera (see above comments) and grapefruit seed extract. You need to get the bacteria causing it under control. Once that is done, the pouch will heal.
Constipation is my problem; it’s all about that motility business. I don’t have pain – it just won’t move. I currently take a high quality Calcium/Magnesium supplement. If I supplement additional magnesium, how much would make sense? How much total magnesium supplementation should a woman in her fifties be taking? Thanks so much.
There are lots of remedies for constipation
Apple Cider Vinegar 16 YEAS
Magnesium 14 YEAS
Sea Salt Cleanse 11 YEAS
Molasses 11 YEAS
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil 9 YEAS
Flaxseed 5 YEAS :
http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/constipation.html#popular
I take Magnesium Glycinate 400 mgs twice a day. I also take probiotic pearls with bifo in them. Doing these things while also eating a whole food diet, has helped with constipation that I had. I had previously been IBS/D but after eliminating the foods that triggered that, I had awful C. two days after taking the Magnesium, it was much better. To begin you may want to take more and then taper off to a smaller dose when things clear up.
I’m happy to see more info re:diverticulitis because I’m currently experiencing another flare up and am hesitant to take more antibiotics! Any recommendations on dos & donts during a flare up? I have low abdominal & back discomfort. Currently trying to stay mainly on a liquid diet to give it all a rest! Going to try some of the suggested supplements! I’m having a difficult time identifying the food culprit! I try to exercise a healthy high fiber diet!
I know when I cure my diverticulitis, the offending food was not on those list. It was a period I had too much candy for me. I don’t have any restrictions on my diet otherwise. I don’t view those lists on foods to avoid as valid. You ultimately have to track down why your intestine ends up breeding the bacteria. The first step is putting a stop to the diverticulitis. The second step is knowing what things your were eating that led up to it if it happens again.
No need to ever take prescribed antibiotics again for that health condition again. Just go natural.
If you want to kick diverticulitis in the a– then just take Aloe Muciliginous Polysaccharide capsules – a natural antibiotic with no side effects and good for your intestine. You can try the cheaper alternatives such as aloe vera juice. Also people have good success with grape fruit seed extract.
The fact that it is coming back in extended way probably means that you need to address the pockets. That is where food gets caught up. Where food gets lodged, it can cause infection. This could be almost any food. AMP will cure your pockets within your intestine over time. This will do more to minimize any chances of flare up.
I’ve only had minor flare ups that lasted about 12 hours because a couple AMP capsules quickly stamped out the bacteria that is causing it.
Ulcerative colonitis is different than diverticulitis pouches although both are caused by infection. I don’t know if they are caused by same microbe. Maybe some day, they will be all lopped in the same category as the variation of the same thing.
I ignored the ulcer for a while thinking it was nothing. I thought it was normal body stuff. My ulcer seem to be in the sigmoid part of the colon. It created discomfort in the rectum, bladder, uretha and prostate. This never happened before. It took about 10 days for me to conclude that it is a colon infection. once i realized that, i knew i could address it. I think the infection spread. I took a cranberry capsule and that quickly helped with the uretha. AMP worked for the rest.
If I noticed it earlier, I could have stopped it a lot sooner but one lives and learns. Once it happens once, one can be proactive and nip things in the bud in the future.
I noticed ulcer healing faster. Pouches are different in that they have to COMPLETELY heal so food doesn’t get stuck in them again. The cramps I think disappeared first. One will feel the effects of the food longer. it is a little more frustrating because one wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel as quickly as possible.
During the healing process of both, there will be days where one wonders if it is really healing. One can analogize it to an external cut. You pretty much can see it healing. A scab will form over it. Still if you touch or irritate it, it will feel sensitive pain wise. Once the scab falls off, touching it is not a problem. I think it is somewhat similar for colon. Food and fecal matter are moving through the intestines over inflammation thereby causing irritation. Maybe the hardness or softness affects sensitivity also. I noticed that once I took a dump, the irritation subsided. If one is constipated, I could imagine it hurting more.
what I intend to do within the next month is allocate 7 capsules of AMP a week to keep any small bacterial infections doused out and infections free from the colon for maintenance. Economically, this allows a bottle to last nearly 9 months. It can be a more economical purchase. So I will experiment with this.
Cynthia, there are some good suggestions in the comments. Whatever you do during an attack, keep an eye on your temperature. Elevated temperature may mean there’s an infection and you need medical help.
When my last attack struck, I was determined to avoid the antibiotics. I took high doses of magnesium citrate powder in water to get things cleaned out. The gastroenterologist told me to drink two of the 10-oz bottles you can buy at the drugstore. They give a colonoscopy-type cleanse.
I also stopped eating. For four days I only had water, and maybe 8 oz per day of broth, apple juice, and homemade almond milk. I kept taking probiotics, and added crushed garlic to the broth I had, as garlic is a natural antibiotic. The inflammation must go down, the gut must heal. It cannot if you keep eating. After four days of liquid only, I started back in with applesauce, yogurt and scrambled eggs. Slowly built up to soups, then a regular diet.
Triggers for me are a lot of meat at one time, coconut butter and other sludgy foods, and (I think) very much processed carbohydrate at one time. Or very many raspberries or high-seed foods at one time. I am beginning to see that it really is wise to just not eat too much of ANYTHING at one time.
Garlic is a natural antibiotic for some bacteria but it doesn’t address the bacteria that causes the diverticulitis.
If you still have triggers it means the pockets haven’t healed. If they are not healing within 6 months it means whatever your doing is not working.
Aloe Vera Juice, Grapefruit Seed extract and AMP capsules is what most people have success with.
AMP capsules should definitely be used for more serious cases. AMP will heal the gut pockets. Even better, you don’t need a gastroenterologist to cure diverticulitis.
I have been reading most of these articles and was ready to buy the Aloe-MP and then I found this. http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Aloe-MP-Plus/DEBARY-Florida-32713/Aloe-MP-Plus-Aloevin-Aloe-MP-Plus-Aloevin-defrauding-the-public-with-false-advertis-808824. Now I don’t know who to believe.
That complaint is BS
Here is the proof
9. How do you Dare use the good name of the International Aloe Science Council to perpetrate your deceit on the public?
Search for the company Aloevin
http://www.iasc.org/complete.html
You will notice that the product is in the certified list. Whoever made the complaint just plain lied.
If someone doesn’t like that, there are other places that sell the AMP.
http://aloereviews.com/Reviews.aspx
4 years after 3 hospitalizations for diverticulitis I had another attack after starting a whole30. My wife had a genius idea for me to add Manuka Honey to the liquid diet of bone broth I was on. This honey is a known antibiotic used around the world to treat infections that antibiotics can’t touch like MRSA. I did not want to take antibiotics again as they are like nuking my body. Within 5 days the Manuka honey cured the flare up! Manuka is a true life saver here. Try it!
manuka honey … thanks for adding to the list of options.
What is the MGO rating for the Manuka you were using. This is important to know.
http://www.worldhealthstore.com.cn/manuka-honey-mgo-vs-umf.html
Thanks prioris & Becky, at least your Dr. made some recommendations!
All mine does is recommend surgery. Doing better now but felt I needed the antibiotics to help before I started having major issues but still trying the various supplements recommended. Still haven’t tried the AMP only the juice. I also have a hard time staying on a liquid diet for so many days. I feel I have to have something a bit more substantial like homemade chicken soup,mainly the broth. Having a hard time finding some of the supplements locally. Any recommendations for a good online site to purchase?
Finding some supplements locally can be very difficult. Plus you may pay a higher price. I get my supplements at Swanson but Vitacost and iHerb are also good. These places don’t sell the AMP.
For AMP capsules, here are some reviews
http://aloereviews.com/Reviews.aspx
I used the Aloe-MP Plus but at the end of the day, it comes down to where you can buy it the most economical price and any attributes you like.
It took 6 weeks on the capsules for mine to get under control and symptoms disappear. For some people, they can get relief in much shorter time like a couple days or weeks so hardly use up any of the bottle. For others it may take longer than me. It all comes down to how severe the infection is. My infection brewed for 2 to 3 years. Before I got abdominal pain I had nausea which would get worse when I didn’t have food in my stomach.
They recommend that you go 6 months on the product but I only went three months since the cost was $126 per 270 capsules. I can understand their recommendation because healing those pockets will go a long way to preventing further flare ups. I think you have to play it by ear. I haven’t had any symptomatic problems in at least 15 months but if I ever feel any unusual nausea that mimics the diverticulitis, I will not hesitate to drop down a couple caps to douse it out. I haven’t had to take any in last 15 months. You take 9 capsules every day. If money is no object, I’d get the deal where you can buy 5 or 6 bottles at much lower cost. At some point I intend to buy some more just to make sure my digestive track is completely healed of the pockets just as insurance.
Another strategy is finding some AMP that comes in 90 capsules to lessen initial cost. Not sure if they still sell it in that size. Maybe you have less severe infection and can get immediate relief quickly.
As far as surgery, what they don’t really tell people is that the condition can come back. Someone can have 10 inches of their intestine cut out but may need to come back a few years later to have more of it cut out. Post surgery healing is pretty bad also in what you have to go through.
Surgery is not addressing the problem, It’s like cutting off your hand because it has an infection.
The antibiotics they give a person for diverticulitis are very toxic to the system and can result in severe health problems themselves. A natural antibiotic like AMP doesn’t have the side effects. This doesn’t mean all antibiotic are bad. There are ones that many people tolerate very well.
The one key concept about natural cures is that the body can heal itself if given the proper nutrients etc in the right form and way.
Supplements or home remedies that remove kidney stones has obsoleted surgery but sadly some doctors will still recommend surgery.
I had at least 4 attacks over the last three years. I plan on creating a plan for my diet and supplementation. I have no problems understanding the language regarding choosing the proper foods for affective eating. I am confused regarding supplements in the following; my symptoms do not include constipation, before, during, after; ever. I also read other article suggesting regular “cleansing products. Can you make a clear suggestion for a probiotic product, a prebiotic product, a vitamin and any cleansing product and schedule. Thanks
The cure for diverticulitis is Aloe Vera.
Goto here
http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/diverticulosis-diverticulitis-treatment.html#AVJ
Read all the comments on Aloe Vera
I would recommend you use the AMP form of Aloe Vera
We are all tubes! The inner surface is from the mouth to the anus. We all keep our outer skin clean but rarely consider keeping the inner surface clean.
This inner surface gets covered in mucoid plaque over the years. If the walls are weak then ‘pockets’ form which get filled with faecal matter. (This prevents our intestines properly absorbing nutrients through the intestinal wall!)
The only way to clean it out is to take a magnesium product like Oxy-Powder.
This product aerates the bowl producing a boom in aerobic bacteria. This bacteria eats away the plaque turning it into soup!
Method: (Warning: not to be done if kidneys are weak!)
Firstly, get a cheap plastic colander.
Take 4 capsules before bed with lots of water.
The next day put the colander in the toilet bowl before discharging a lot of faecal soup!
Poke contents with a stick to search for any ‘stringy’ lumps.
Repeat this procedure consecutively until no stringy lumps are found. Usually 4 to 5 days.
The pain will then be gone.
This can be done yearly.
This is what I do and it never fails.
Regards to all sufferers.
“My consultant stated that it didn’t matter what I eat … I instantly felt that was not the case and started to do my own research.”
Yes!
I was in the hospital four days, and had plenty of time to lie there (not eating or drinking anything, and receiving gut-bombing antibiotics Cipro and Flagyl) and think about my initial reaction, which was exactly the same as yours, to the physicians (all six of them, including hospitalists and the ER doc) who told me diet was not a factor.
I had been happily and healthily paleo for two and half years (with some rice and occasional rare treats of small amount of sugar, like ONE GF cookie or about 1/4 cup of coconut ice cream). I’m pretty self controlled, especially as I reaped so many health benefits from being so. Then the diverticulitis attack. And I had a second one 42 days later, with six MORE days of Cipro and Flagyl.
I have gradually developed a plan very similar to the conclusions in the summary guide provided in Chris’ post. The followup colonoscopy showed a peek into my perfectly beautiful small intestine, so I think I’m okay there. And I had NO diarrhea or constipation before my attacks! The attacks were out of the blue, totally.
My main changes: Read up on low-carb diets and gut lining and gut bacteria issues, mainly the Jaminet’s book and some of the blogs and practitioners now writing about resistant starch, which feeds good bacteria. Increased my intake of yams and other paleo carbs. Started probiotics (heretofore had not) and using potato starch to take them with, and paid attention to consuming some soluble fiber at the same time as taking the probiotics, for the same reason. Mix up the probiotics occasionally. Found that some probiotics seem to actually disrupt things digestively; pay attention. Chris has some excellent probiotic advice; check the sources and purity.
No sugar in large amounts, or gluten-free baked goods in any real quantity (suspect GF flours turn to sludge in digestion, being low in fiber), and pay attention to large amounts of seeds. Common denominators in BOTH my attacks were consumption of gluten-free muffins (as a treat!) and a pint of fresh raspberries eaten all at once (it was summer and I could not resist the gorgeous berries, plus they are paleo and laden with health benefits!). I suspect it was a LOT of seeds all at ONE TIME that might have helped set off the attacks. As well, the second attack occurred after consuming a milk shake (as a treat, hadn’t had one in two years), which poured sugar into my digestive system in a big way, probably creating a feasting opportunity for opportunistic bacteria. The first attack was also preceded by ice cream consumption and more eating out than usual, as we were having new floors laid in our house and I wasn’t cooking very often. Eating out does become a bit of a minefield. Opportunistic bacteria live in ice machines, on raw food, in meat and dairy. I try to keep the good bacteria up, and sometimes take extra probiotic after eating out.
Despite much anti-fiber blather by many paleo “experts,” it is clear that fiber is important for the microbiome, soluble and insoluble fiber alike. You must not allow large, stagnant bowel movements. Things must move along briskly, and what you eat and the gut environment will determine how that goes. I have been using a tablespoon of psyllium seed in water each day for a boost in insoluable fiber, and sometimes throw in some Heather’s Tummy Fiber (soluble acacia fiber). The recent podcast post/transcription by Chris where he interviews a microbiome expert is crucial, CRUCIAL, I say, for we with diverticuli!!! As a result of that podcast, I am planning to start having lentil soups now and then.
I was also surprised to see on illustrations of diverticuli that the “pouches” actually have pretty small openings on the bowel lining, opening into larger sacs through it. These openings, really just “holes,” can admit small seeds, but apparently the pouches empty and fill regularly as your bowel does (I was told by my gastroenterologist). As I pondered this, and thought of my own case, I realized that I was consuming LARGE amounts of coconut butter, because it was fatty, yummy, and far easier than preparing, say, vegetables or fruits. I think the coconut butter (almost entirely comprised of insoluable fiber in a sludge-like form) could have slipped into my little pouches and hardened up. So I don’t have LARGE quantities of it, or really, ANYTHING, because doing so can be digestively stressful in general, but irritating to diverticuli in particular. In short, one must be sensible and eat sensible amounts of healthy things. A drag, but a fact of life.
There’s a cool blog by a young woman named Jennifer (chronicclimberchick) who didn’t let serious diverticulitis keep her back. I think she commented above! Hi Jennifer! You are an inspiration! 🙂
I also “feel” suspicious of shredded coconut, which I also consumed heavily. It is absolutely unbroken down when you eat it; like celery or artichoke hearts, you can chew it forever and still end up with a wad that is not going to break down anytime soon. A surgeon in the hospital, after I asked him what he found in the pouches when he operated on colons with diverticuli, told me “wads of things like strings, and pieces of meat gristle.” So now I chew very thoroughly and place pieces of gristle and wads of strings attractively on the side of my plate. Ha! Better than another attack! It’s socially best to hide it discretely in a paper napkin, though. 🙂
As well, it seemed like the gut lining was something I should focus on for healing. Making it stronger and more smooth and functional could only help. So I am doing a little bit of l-glutamine supplementation and taking a slippery elm lozenge at night, and taking DGL now and then. I am VERY careful not to do too much of anything, however. I learned my lesson there. I have been slowly increasing my magnesium supplementation, especially magnesium malate, but not to the point of introducing diarrhea.
I could be totally off base in my conclusions, but who else is going to devise a path forward for me? The doctors said to resume normal diet, which probably means SAD. The hospital itself didn’t even stock or serve any yogurt that wasn’t artificially sweetened and artificially colored. A dietician was supposed to come talk to me, but it never happened. I can imagine what he/she would have said, eh?
I have just returned from a 6 day hospital stay following my first Diverticulitis episode. I received no advice from the hospital so the comments and information here are very helpful. Prior to this I was aware that wheat aggravated my tummy so I had previously eliminated bread from my diet. My consultant stated that it didn’t matter what I eat when trying to prevent it happening again, I instantly felt that was not the case and started to do my own research. Some of the things listed here I have never heard of, it would be helpful if you could recommend good sources. Many thanks, keep up the good work.
One thing that really helped my husband increase his magnesium levels was Epsom salt baths (magnesium sulfate) and magnesium gel or spray you put directly on the skin, absorbed into the muscles and bloodstream (magnesium chloride). This way you bypass the digestive system to get magnesium into you. This helped a lot with his pain and tightness when he was dealing with Cipro toxicity.
Homeade kefir is our main source and all of us drink some usually morning and night.
It seems when it comes to the gut, diversity is better. People with low diversity in their gut microbiota are prone to illness as the microbes are largely responsible for how the immune system functions, as well as making neurotransmittters, fatty acids and enzymes needed by the body for growth and repair.
Earlier this year we took a probiotic approach to diverticulitis because my husband had a horrible side effect from an antibiotic after he had a diverticulitis attack. He is young and had two extremely crippling attacks of bowel pain, elevated white blood cells. The first time was a few years ago, he went to the ER and no one could figure out what was wrong with him. This year, he collapsed with fever, pain and nausea. The doc immediately suspected diverticulitis. He was prescribed Cipro, an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone group. The Cipro caused terrible tendonitis pain and weakness all over his body within 12 hours after he took the first dose. He took one dose in the evening, one the next morning then was nearly crippled. He was dealing with the aftereffects of the Cipro for months. Cipro and related drugs chelate out the magnesium in your cells and cause cell death and messed up repair and signaling.
We decided not to take a different antibiotic but to try a probiotic approach, since his body needed nutrition to recover from the Cipro toxicity. Magnesium and antioxidants were the only thing we could find in the literature to try to reverse the effects. He stayed on liquids for a few days to let the bowel rest, and I went shopping for fermented drinks since they are usually easily assimilated. He loved and craved the kefir from the health food store, the fermented veggie drinks, not so much. Fermented coconut water kefir. Sauerkraut juice. Lots of homemade chicken broth with collagen from the bones.
We went to a naturopath to try to build up his system after the Cipro. She prescribed Florastor (a yeast that is transient in your gut till your own good bacteria can proliferate) as well as a product called HLC which stands for Human Lactic Commensals (strains isolated from humans that supposedly adhere and persist better than some probiotics). He took that as well as an herbal supplement called BCQ (bromelain, curcumin, boswellia and quercetin) which have some documented anti-inflammatory effects in the gut. He also took a kind of herbal antibiotic capsule that had garlic and something that smelled like poultry seasoning. She explained that if it didn’t work, he would probably need to go on a prescription antibiotic). After all that, plus the best nutrition we could come up with, and supplements including the expensive reduced form of CoQ10 and several intravenous magnesium+vit c “myers cocktail” infusions for his muscle and joint pain, he has fully recovered and has not had any more diverticulitis attacks thus far, and his digestive system is regular. His muscle and joint pain is pretty much resolved as far as we can tell. It was scary, debilitating for a strong guy who has carpentered all his life to be suddenly unable to work and think his knees and Achilles tendons could blow out any minute. He is no longer on any probiotics or herbs for the condition, just some vitamins, fish oil & mag supplements and kefir.
Kefir has a long history of supporting digestive and immune system health and has a huge diversity of microbes and beneficial yeasts. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0069371
It is very simple to make at home at room temperature, and if you obtain traditional kefir grains they multiply and you can share. Kefirlady.com is a great source, also Cultures for Health has them. The powdered packets you can buy at the health food store only contain a few strains but can get you started. You can use almond milk or coconut milk if you can’t tolerate dairy. You can also consume the grains, which feel like little rubbery cauliflower florets and contain the polysaccharide kefiran, home to the microbes, also a slippery healing compound.
I used kefir in the bath and it is amazing for my chronic dry skin and my teenage daughter’s severe eczema, combined with Epsom salt. Go to pubmed and do a search for kefir. Kefir inhibits clostridia, giardia and cholera. Kefir affects immune system signaling. It’s fascinating.
Kefir may also provide some amount of Vitamin K2 synthesized by the bacteria. Hopefully will always be a staple at our house.
What a wealth of info. Thanks for sharing.
I found bone broth with added natural gelatin is very healing.
I got diverticulitis a couple years ago. I first tried Aloe Vera juice. That did not work. I tried Aloe Vera tablets and that did not work. Then I tried AMP (Aloe Muciliginous Polysaccharide) and that worked. It took 6 weeks. AMP is a highly purified and concentrated form of the active component of Aloe Vera. It is essentially a natural antibiotic and has no side effects. Go to aloereviews.com to compare products. Don’t just try the juice and give up on aloe vera.
Also AMP heals the pockets. The product is a little expensive but you take less of it as you get better. Some people get better within a couple days or week. The time it takes to heal varies according to the severity of the diverticulitis. If I feel an attack coming on again, it quickly gets doused out within a day or so.
Yes. The symptoms disappear first. The pockets will take longer to heal. They instruct you to take 5 tablets before bed and 4 tablets upon rising. Make sure stomach empty.
I didn’t see any results about 90 days. I just continued to have the cramping and nausea (especially if i didn’t eat).
If you have been on antibiotics especially broad spectrum, I would get a good probiotic / prebiotic to move the help against the bad gut bacteria.
I would also try to not have food in your stomach for 16 hours a day so only eat in within a 8 hour window. Some people actually lose weight this way.
When you say you are going thru hell, please explain what that means and how long have you been taking AMP so far.
What I can’t know is if you have any other health problems that need addressing.
Question …. doesn’t the Aloe Vera loosen your bowls up when you take it?
No. Your thinking about magnesium.
I will use magnesium glycinate because it is one of the few forms which doesn’t cause diarrhea plus one can take it on empty or non empty stomach. There is another form of calcium / magnesium / d3 which I take with food. stay away from high doses of calcium that many doctors recommend.
I have diverticulitis and 2 weeks ago there was blood after two hours of diarrea and it only bled thereafter when I went to urinate (bled from rectum). Bleeding stopped after 7 hrs (whenever I urinated it bled) What brand AMP (aloe Vera) should I buy. Today is 13 day of liquid diet had diarrea once today but lasted back and forth to toilet for an hour …normally I was going only twice a day … today it was once but lasted an hour. I take only 5 Betaine Hydrocloride pills for the burping … but my son said take about 4 or 5 probiotics twice a day. What are your thoughts or suggestions. Thanks much
Followup: Last night my son who constantly had diarrea last year from taking antibiotics …could not get rid of it until he took BC30 Bacillus Coagulans (Schiff) He said he took five pills twice a day and it eventually stopped the diarrea …so last night I took 2 of the BC30 pills …then this morning I had normal urge for a movement and had three small but mighty deposits in the toilet … the only food I had day before were three small yukon potatoes peeled and boiled in chicken broth then pureed in blender to eat this was my first attempt at solid food on my 13 days of liquid diet … I thank God I took the probiotic BC30 pills for the last 13 days it was always diarrea.
The next day after I took the 2 BC30 Bacillus Coagulans pills (probiotic) (Schiff)I was fine had a little bowel movement but that night I had diarrea (all water) for hour and half … I thought oh no …the night before diarrea for one hour and now tonight hour and half of it … as soon as it started I took 2 BC30 pills … then this morning had reg movement very small since I am barely eating all low fiber and all liquid little bit of food I ate ….SO i decided to increase my intake of pills instead of 2 pills for the day, after 14 hrs since last dosage at 11am I took 2 pills and then this evening I just took two more pills at 8:45pm NO DIARREA…THANK YOU JESUS! So I think you need to increase your dosage to your needs like my son did he took anywhere from 5 to 10 pills a day to get rid of the bacteria from the antibiotics he took. I am so happy no diarrea today first time in two weeks.
The Schiff box reads “Survives 10 x Better Studies reveal that the single strain of probiotic used in “Schiffs Diugestive Advantage”, survies 10 x beter than other probiotics and yogarts to deliver good bacteria where you need it …. I believe it ..this stuff works!!
Sat. June 14th I had a bout again of diarrea for about 1 hr. I felt great all day … so I decided to increase my dosage so next morning I took 3 pills instead of 2 and this worked then again at night 8pm I took 2 more pills No diarrea for the last two days now Yippeee… taking 5 per day BC30 probiotics
Today is Monday June 17 had two normal as can be on a low food intake diet of low fiber movements today. and then after dinner, which I think I over ate one bowl of Chicken noodle soup pureed and a small bowl of reg. soup and half slice white bread …then half hr later I had diarrea every 5 min. for total of 18 min. which is not bad since my other bouts lasted usually a hour up to hour and half. So I am getting better and last two days no diarrea …still taking my pills and they are helping me so much.
I used Aloe M.P. Plus brand.
Interesting info on BC30.
Hello,
I have been looking into Serovera capsules to help relieve diverticulitis. It is pricey, but I am willing to give it a try. Have you heard of it? It is from the aloe plant as you mentioned. Do you recommend a different pro-biotic? Thank you
Here is a link for comparison of different brands.
http://aloereviews.com/Reviews.aspx
Go to the products website for more accurate or updated information especially price. I haven’t tried it but looks ok.
Thank you
I would like to add that although my diet is basically Paleo, I do not have any grains and very little dairy. However I fervently believe that a lot of the damage was done through bingeing on massive amounts of Wheat products in my younger days. And believe me I do mean massive, hence the little pockets were forced to contain all the bulk. In those days I suffered from constipation. My diet now consists of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables and berries, and healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil. I never get constipated now and that is they secret. I also stopped having physillium husks as they are inflammatory. I tried Fodmaps but did not make any difference. I have not suffered from pain now for two years, from Diverticutis. Did you know that most people develope Diverticular disease, especially if they eat wheat. It becomes Diverticulitis when it is inflammed. So the secret is in keeping down inflammation.
Could you please direct me to some sources that demonstrate whole grains as having a pro-inflammatory effect on the body? M
Thanks
Refer to a book called Wheat Belly. Just look at Amazon as I can’t recall off hand the name of the author. Or you could google Wheat belly and you,ll find all the information you wish.
Another book that should scare us off of all grains, but wheat at least, is “Grain Brain” by Dr. David Perlmutter is another that talks about the inflammatory effects on the body of grains. He also presents his theory of a link between high carbohydrate consumption and Alzheimer’s disease… Scary stuff.
I’ve had two attacks that put me in the hospital – 2 weeks into a low carb paleo challenge and 2 weeks into the GAPs diet. So I wouldn’t assume that these are the best diets for diverticulosis.
I am now thinking that poor protein digestion is the culprit, something Paul Jaminet has mentioned in other contexts. I find a meal too high in meat triggers attacks. Digestive enzymes are helpful, as well as a diet that has lots of greens and vegetables with the meat, like “Clean”. Probiotics have done nothing, although it does seem probable that the bacterial environment is important. Magnesium in any form, esp oxides, helps tremendously, even compared to other laxatives like x-lax and vit c.