Possible diverticulitis

[dgex2010]

Hi there fellow AF sufferers .... oh joy, looks like I might have diverticulitis as well as PAF. I am waiting for an appointment for a colonoscopy (looking forward to that then)! Now, the question is - is there anyone out there who can enlighten me regarding the necessary change in diet and the obvious conflict with Warfarin. There must be someone out there who has this problem, or did they change their anti-coagulant to accommodate the new suggested vegetable regime? Look forward to any helpful comments. Thanks. Dorothy

[Luludean]

I have persistent AF and new diagnosed Diverticulitis. I am on Xarelto. There is a simple NHS site on this condition. The main consistent thing it says is to avoid seeds !! Eat lots of vegetables and non acidic things and keep moving. I find beans and cauliflower a bit of a trigger .

[dgex2010 in reply to Luludean]

Thanks for your reply. I am now avoiding seeds and skins although am struggling a bit to find suitable vegetables that do not conflict with Warfarin :0(. Thanks again, Dorothy

[37Polly in reply to dgex2010]

I have AFib/Aflutter, diverticulosis, and mild colitis. This is why I take Eliquis. No food issues, so I can continue my healthy diet. The Eliquis can be expensive however, so today I signed up for a new insurance plan that will reduce my monthly cost from $200. a month for this drug to $18. ... a major issue here in the US😞. Not so in Europe, I hear. Good luck...you will learn a lot here.👍

[dgex2010 in reply to 37Polly]

Many thanks for taking time out to reply.... as you said... you can learn much from this forum .... have a nice day 😊

[37Polly in reply to dgex2010]

Thanks...I am hoping my newer drug program will make teh cost bearable. Till then I will check w pharmacist.

[Deb-A in reply to 37Polly]

Hi there , I was able to get my first month for fee of elequist . My pharmacist gave me a coupon then after that there was another promotion for $10.0/ month.

They asked just a few questions to check eligibility.

But worth it in the long run . I would ask your pharmacist about it but also try visiting the company's website for coupon information.

The less out of pocket the better .

[dgex2010 in reply to Deb-A]

Thanks for update

[Buffafly]

I had diverticulitis (now diverticular disease, 5 antibiotics later). I take Rivaroxaban so no problems! I also have a bit of IBS so have to avoid some recommended foods such as wholemeal products. My friend lectured me on diet, must eat 30g of fibre a day! Well I don't, I eat just enough to keep 'comfortable' and avoid foods that upset me, drink plenty of fluids and fast if I do have a flare up and so far OK. The friend has had a lot of her large bowel removed so I guess it didn't work for her. She takes Warfarin for AF so it can be coped with.

Best wishes for the colonoscopy X

[dgex2010 in reply to Buffafly]

Many thanks for that Buffafly, sorry to hear about your friend, but good for her, coping well with Warfarin as well. I understand why you fast when you have a flare up, I feel that this is what I should be doing! Anyway, thanks for your kind wishes too. X

[dedeottie in reply to Buffafly]

It is a lot. I have the same diagnosis and find that if I eat between 15 and 20 g of fibre it is enough to keep things moving along. Yesterday I had a more fibrefull day and have suffered with colon spasms and painful bloating all day today. I am now on apixaban so no worries re veg. I used to be on warfarin but am glad I dont have to worry aboit vit k anymore. X

[Hidden]

Hi Dorothy,

I do not have your problem but in the early days of my AF I connected food I'd eaten with the onset of AF. My symptoms were - and not in any particular order and any at random - very painful bloating, diahorrea, loud ( and very anti social ) intestinal gurgling and burping. The bloating was the most debilitating and would be the thing that triggered the AF.

I had tests done for IBS and Coealiac Disease - all clear. Never checked for diverticulitis. Problem was felt to be a dysfunctional vagal nerve ( significant nerve in the central nervous system, an information superhighway between the brain and various body organs - MOST NOTABLY - the heart and the digestive system.

I chose to tackle the vagal nerve issue before going anywhere else. I consulted a nutritionist and developed a diet plan embracing FODMAPS, gluten free, wheat free, oats free and even some vegetable free and my symptoms have now almost gone (unless I eat something I shouldn't) and no AF since April 2015. Palpitations still occur now and then but all perfectly livable with.

I have been on warfarin since first diagnosed. They key with warfarin is consistency of diet, rather than cutting out foods and drinks. No problems now on any front.

Do suggest you read up all you can online about the vagal nerve.

May the force be with you.

John

[captainKFF in reply to Hidden]

Hi Carneuny,

Can you please share with us the diet that helped with your digestion symptoms, thanks

[Hidden in reply to captainKFF]

Apologies for the delay in replying .......... flu !

My nutritionist firstly put me on a course of Probiotic powder.

Then I went gluten free, wheat free and oats free. So, any product, food or drink which contains any of this went in the bin. Yes, including alcohol.

I learned how to read food packaging labels and interpret the crap that is written on them and to pay attention to "this may contain traces of ...... ".

Traces can be as bad as the full monty !

I then learned how to experiment with food. I embraced the FODMAPS diet but found it was a bit severe for me, nevertheless took on board some of it.

I tend to eat more white meat than red. That said, Pork is out but bacon is OK. I can manage steaks OK, offal, stews OK but I tend to prefer the white meat. Yoghurt - out! Raspberries - out! Onions - out, but shallots OK. Salads out, but, I can tolerate some stuff like Radish, watercress, but lettuce and rocket is no good. Weirdly, I can eat KFC and limited Macdonalds fast food without a problem.

Actually, I was really interested in horseblisters comments as the can haves and can't haves run a close parrallel to my own diet. For me, NO to spicy stuff, seeds and grains, dried fruit, no runner beans, no peas. I can eat fruit cake if it is gluten free. Limited chinese food regardless of whether eat in or take away.

I must eat in small portions and my last meal of the day must be as early as practical, so if we go out to dinner, its preferable to settle for an early sitting.

Much later in my diet journey for other health reasons ( my optician diagnosed me as being very close to pre diabetic - and diabetes killed my father), so I went cold turkey and cut out all added sugar from my diet. I felt much better for it and it had the effect of lowering significantly my blood sugar readings. Safe - at least for the moment !

Now against all these comments is my medication ...... prior to AF I was on simvastatin (40 mg) and ramipril (10 mg). After AF, these two meds were continued and in addition came warfarin (average of 5.5 mg a day), bisoprolol (5 mg) and felodopine (2.5mg).

I have no problem with warfarin and self test, and in an emergency (using recognised healthcare algorithms) I adjust my own doses. Any greens I don't eat I make a choice myself because they are no good for my digestive system. All the greens I shouldn't eat because of warfarin I do, regardless but I do so consistently but no binging, and that includes canned grapefruit slices (segments) and juice. Don't have cranberry products at all - for no other reason than I hate the stuff.

I am now 73, interestingly about 40 years ago I developed both kidney and digestive issues ( at quite different times). The kidney issue was a build up of crystals in the uretha and eventually remedied by a change of diet. Much later the digestive issues emerged and were put down to gall bladder problems. In neither case was surgery discussed as a way forward. But in both cases diet changes were recommended.

So there we are - maybe, just maybe, all my adult life I have had a dysfunctional vagal nerve. Make of it what you will - but - for now at least I enjoy the quality of life I desire - even to the point of twice coming off warfarin for a short period, once for a CT scan and the other for partial knee replacement surgery. No sweat.

I must say, that if I followed the health mantra of eat your 5 or 7 fruit and veg a day I'd take out permanent occupancy of the bathroom !

John

[captainKFF in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your informative feedback,

best wishes to you

[dgex2010]

Thank you John for such an informative reply..... I shall certainly read up on the vagal nerve ..... the body is such a complex thing! Take care.. Dorothy

[pottypete1]

Good morning

Being a walking medical dictionary I too have diverticulitis and IBS. Due to issues caused by constipation I have also been taking daily laxatives to help improve my discomfort. I am currently more settled.

I have been taking Warfarin for about 12 years and eat a balanced diet just avoiding cranberries, grapefruit and ibroprufren.

I damaged my back digging my allotment on Sunday and am currently on high doses of co-codamol which doesn’t help the plumbing department.

In conclusion I think a mindful yet balanced diet with fibre is the right for those who take Warfarin and have diverticulitis.

Pete

[dgex2010 in reply to pottypete1]

Thanks Pete, yes, will definitely watch what I eat from now on will try to get the balance right, I guess my stomach will let me know if I make a mistake!

[Luludean]

They tell you to " avoid " broccoli, chick peas and cranberry juice. You can survive with little of those . It really is not that much of a problem, like another writer wrote the advice is keeping things level with no binges of broccoli etc, too many laxatives are not good! In UK I take the Fybogel with merbeverine , only when necessary though. Avoiding medical sites and books and getting out for walks and company is a trusted panacea.

[Buffafly]

Can I just point out that diverticulitis is an acute condition, pain, fever, sickness, possible bowel perforation, so the diet recommendations are to prevent diverticular disease progressing to that - believe me, you don't want it 🤒😭

[dgex2010 in reply to Buffafly]

You`re right there and I don`t want it. At the moment I`m watching what I eat and trying to avoid a flare up. Hoping to get a colonoscopy appointment as soon as possible then I should know a bit more about what’s going on down there!

[Jan101]

Morning sweetie I have had diverticulitis a few times and my specialist treated me with antibiotics and high dose of steroids. My son had the opp and the bag. But he is fine now and had the bag removed. I know that they won’t do the colonoscopy when it’s flaring as it could make it worse. My specialist said that diets won’t make any difference so I am just eat what I please. However in saying that if you find something that you eat make you have a flare then I would stay away from that. I hope that all goes well for you with your colonoscopy. Take good care of yourself. 🤗🤗🤗🌹🌹🌹xxx

[dgex2010 in reply to Jan101]

Many thanks Jan for your reply. Take good care of yourself too! X

[Polski]

I posted the following a few days ago (probably in the wrong place!) in case any of you who are struggling with divertculitis or similar want to try it. It really has made a huge difference to my sister, and she is now slowly recovering. The diet isn't obvious as it depends on eating the right things together. It has been developed by someone who tried everything and has come up with this. They are continually refining it, as they find out more. My sister considered the cost as equivalent to a visit to an alternative practitioner, and well-worth every penny.

No, I am not trying to sell it! Just want to help anyone out there find the help they need - this has only been around about 4 years, so main-stream advice hasn't caught up with it yet . . .

'My sister has been diagnosed with diverticulosis and she has found a diet which is supposed to be good for diverticulitis and crohn's as well, and she was feeling much better on it after a fortnight, and is steadily improving. The site is diverticulitispainfreefood.com It cost her a one-off payment of about £55 for all the information, including ongoing support, plus about £17 import duties to the UK from the USA, but there is a cheaper package. (I think it may be cheaper in the US, and they may offer some people help with the costs)

The most important foods to stop eating are listed as peanut butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, milk, quinoa and - yoghurt, of which yoghurt is the worst! But probiotics can be safely obtained instead from a probiotic supplement - see your health food shop. Other foods (including hard cheese) are OK providing they are combined in a meal only according to the rules given, so it is essentially a food-combining diet (but according to their particular rules)

It could be worth trying eliminating the above five foods, and if it helps, investing in the package . . .'

If any of you decide to try it, perhaps you can let the rest of us know how you get on - I don't have the problem so am not a suitable guinea-pig!

[dgex2010 in reply to Polski]

Many thanks for taking time out to provide this information. I`ve yet to be diagnosed with diverticulitis although all the warning signs appear to be there, so not going to totally commit to any one particular diet until after the colonoscopy. Thanks again

[Golitely in reply to dgex2010]

I have severe diverticula at the end of my large intestine. Plus I have had about three bouts in the last 5 years, resulting in antibiotics. However, in the last two years I have been taking a mega probiotic every morning, and kind of watching what I eat, nothing drastic; but I have not had an attack for those 2 years since taking the probiotic and not eating anything with quinoa, since that is what started all this in the first place.

Good luck on your colonoscopy.

[dgex2010 in reply to Golitely]

Good to hear that you seem to have your tummy problems under control, well done. My appetite seems to have waned at the moment, probably a good thing, nature looking after me.

Thankyou for your kind wishes and taking time to reply to my query.

[Golitely in reply to dgex2010]

Also stay away from corn and popcorn. Really spicy isn't good either.

Good health always!

[dgex2010 in reply to Golitely]

Thanks for that . You stay healthy too!

[gixxerboy]

I thought I had diverticulitis, turned out to be Panniculitis ''OUCH''.....I partly blame my AF on my bowel symptoms.....

[dgex2010 in reply to gixxerboy]

Thanks for your reply

[Dodie117]

I had a colonoscopy some time ago for other reasons and was told I had diverticular disease. I have never had a flare up and take no particular precautions. I was told almost everyone over 55 has some degree of this.

[dgex2010 in reply to Dodie117]

Thanks for your reply

[horseblister]

I had a gastroscopy (gastrografin) CT scan for another problem and they found I had diverticulosis(of no concern). I was first diagnosed with it a few years ago and the advice from the consultant was no spicy food, no seeds, wholegrain, pulses with shells (peas,beans etc) no fruit like sultanas,raisins, currants. I can have grapes if they are seedless and I peel them, I cannot have apples unpeeled and must not eat the cores, I cannot eat acidic fruit such as oranges satsumas, clementines, limes, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes. Olives upset me as well. I cannot have salads, lettuce,celery,radish, peppers, capsicums, rocket etc. Also I have not to eat fruit cake or fried food. So that makes a mockery of any diet that the dietitians like, You Must have your 5 a day. Ha ha. I eat what I can in small portions. I have seen what can happen to people who took no notice of what they were told by their consultants when I had pelvic mass infection/disease and I had to spend a few days with them. It beggars belief that some people are so ignorant they must have their favourite curry when they have been told no.

[dgex2010 in reply to horseblister]

Crikey, you`re doing well with that diet! What’s left then? But I quite agree with your philosophy ... you listen to the consultants if you know what’s good for you. Thanks for your support.

[momist]

I can't comment on the warfarin issue, but I was diagnosed with diverticular disease many years ago, long before my recent AF started. I have now been avoiding eating ANY commercial bread, and using gluten free concoctions in imitation of bread for many years, as well as eating lots of vegetables. As long as I stick to my rules, I feel good and go regularly without too much trouble. However, I have recently found that taking Kefir (a kind of fermented milk) regularly has helped enormously, both with bulk and consistency, and my gut seems altogether happier. I know it's expensive, so not a solution for all, but I am hoping that increasing popularity will bring down the price, and make it more obtainable.

[dgex2010 in reply to momist]

Many thanks for your reply

[Dodie117 in reply to momist]

Looking recently at yogurt making machines on Amazon and some can make kefir. I haven't researched it but you might be interested.

[Hatty_36]

Hi There! I have had Diverticular Disease for the past 15 years and was on diagnosed with Afib/Aflutter in April this year and was put on Apixaban. I was already on 2.5 Bisoprolol and this was increased to 3.75 which I coulnd not cope with so this was put back down to 2.5 and I am fine now. Regarding the Diverticular Disease I agree that seeds do set it off. However Cauliflower and beans I am fine with. I am also fine with peppers (without the seeds), cucumber, radishes, avocado ,onions , fresh ginger, baby spinage,rocket and red leaves . Also find honey dew melon tasty with salad. I think eveyone is different and we all have to experiment to find what suits us. Good luck x

[dgex2010 in reply to Hatty_36]

Thanks Hatty, you’re right ... will have to experiment to see what suits me. X

[Hilaryjm]

dgex2010

[Hilaryjm]

It seems AF and gut issues go hand in hand, possibly the hand being the vagus nerve but also because of the links between AF and inflammation, and possibly Autoimmune conditions. I have/had paroxysmal AF and awaiting ablation at Papworth. So I found a functional medicine trained nutritionist, who immediately put me on a paleo and aip diet (Google these terms for details). In brief, no dairy, grains, nightshade family veg (ie tomatoes, potatoes, peppers etc) or nuts and seeds for a month, then gradually reintroduce tomatoes etc one by one to check for sensitivities. Then add in very specific enzymes, and probiotics. All this because of suspected leaky gut which allows molecules from food that shouldn't get through into the blood stream. This then leads to the body making an immune response which includes inflammation. So the plan is to heal the gut and then it will be possible to reintroduce some foods currently not possible. I had my ablation one week ago and feel so much better now. Fibre: the nutritionist recommended psyllium husk, which you can stir into juices or milk (I use almond or coconut milk). Works brilliantly by absorbing liquid in the gut and making going to the loo very easy and comfortable. My advice: find a good nutritionist who takes a functional medicine approach (like the doctor in the recent tv series Doctor in the House), otherwise there is lots of advice on the aip diet on the internet. Good luck!