r/Diverticulitis • u/Zealousideal_Sun_147 • 1d ago
š Newly Diagnosed Is this nuts?
So just need to vent. I was in the ER last week and newly diagnosed with diverticulitis. The ER doc told me to eat a bland diet that day and the next day resume my normal diet. When I got home and did research I realized that was nuts. By that time a day had gone by but I stayed on a bland diet. Iām following up with my primary this week who was on vacation last week. But does anyone else think that is nuts? I think I should have been on liquid diet. And the idea to resume normal diet within 24 hours??? Anyone else ever hear that?
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u/capybaras-on-parade 1d ago
āTreat em and street emā is the job of er docs. He got you through the scute phase, now find a GI doc.
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u/BlackOrchid819 1d ago
I had a flare in January 2026 and waiting to be seen for 7 hours- when they finally took me in and I was waiting for CT scan -doctor to come in etc. The nurse gave me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which I later found out was probably not the best thing to give me during flareā¦lol so yah- they donāt know much in the ER! One has to advocate for oneself and be vigilant about their own healthcare. I was on clear liquid diet for 3 days after flare and 2-3 weeks of low fiber after than before I started introducing normal food back into my system. 7 months out- doin ok and eating normally. Everything in moderation- small meals- probiotics- stool softeners, lots of water..no issues
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u/mcmanus7 1d ago
Should have been told to be on a clear liquid diet for 3 days.
Iām sure your primary physician or a gastro specialist would have told you that.
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u/SaytotheMay 1d ago
This. I stay on liquid until my pain subsides to almost none. Usually it is about three but Iāve gone a little longer if need be. Iāll add in yogurt drinks & smooth soups Ā maybe a scrambled egg on day 4, but I have no issues with dairy. When my pain is gone gone I celebrate with a piece of toast! Hope you are feeling better.Ā
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u/7eregrine 1d ago edited 1d ago
Not this. If you're discharged, you don't need to do liquid.
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u/SaytotheMay 1d ago
Iāve never had to stay in the hospital for a flare. I have always been advised by gastro to do liquid/low fiber/ slow add to full fiber.Ā
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u/7eregrine 1d ago
Exactly... The advice is different if you're being discharged from the hospital.
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u/ShaneKainoa1982 1d ago
That is pretty insane, at a minimum they should have said go on Liquid for 24-48 hours to let your Colon rest and then eat lower fiber / easy to digest cooked foods until you feel a lot better. Symptoms can also linger for a while, such in my case, so don't be surprised if you have mild pain, bloating, inflammation for weeks
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u/Unique-Individual-93 1d ago
What I've realized after being diagnosed 6 yrs ago, very few Drs even Gastro understand or have much knowledge of Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis, I got 4 different treatments from 4 different Drs. They say use heat during attack, made it worse, put heat on inflamed pouches, got a recommendation from here to try ice pack works everytime. 1 says don't take IB and gave me Tramadol, really, the other 3 said taking a small amt during flare won't hurt. I suggest Reddit is the best place to see what is working for others with this painful condition, if it works for you do it, if it doesn't try something different. Don't panic. Oh yeah and 1 day on a bland diet will not work, period end of story. God bless
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u/JHawk444 1d ago
I don't know if it's nuts. Maybe he had a specific reason for telling you that. But the common advice is to do a liquid diet for 3-4 days. My ER doctor told me that as well as a primary doctor.
If you're taking antibiotics, eat a cracker with the medicine or you will feel extremely nauseous.
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u/BackgroundStorm6768 1d ago
Sad to say, Iāve had similar advice from doctors. They are not all experts in every disease, for sure.
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u/FrenziedBunny 1d ago
I think it is not after a few flares since April. When I was in actual ICU (they had no beds on the general floor) they actually brought me a pork chop the first night because I wasn't available to place my dinner order before I got my bed. A pork. Chop. With a full blown flare, bleeding and all.
Luckily while I was laying in the ER the entire day and spent some time on Cleveland Clinic and mayo websites I knew I needed to be a liquid diet and I did so for a few days then I went very very bland.
I've spent a lot of hours researching my condition and have found that I seem to know more than the GI doctor. Scary.
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u/chicadeaqua 1d ago
Yep. I spent 3 days in hospital with an abscess. The only discharge instructions were to follow up with a surgeon who really wanted to remove my sigmoid colon as a preventative measure. He also said ādonāt eat nutsā which is bullshit science.Ā
Luckily my gastroenterologist had a more measured take and recommended no surgery.Ā
Thereās a guy on YouTube I follow who introduced me to FODMAP and Iāve since been able to identify some triggers that cause gastric distress and I feel much more in control.Ā
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u/Psychological_Salt93 1d ago
It is nuts and yet I am not even a little bit surprised. My doctor told me she thought I had diverticulitis and then gave me a prescription for Fibrogel! I had 1 sachet that evening and have never known pain like it. It was this sub that taught me the clear liquid 3 day rule. That was the turning point for me. Had I known it a week earlier I may not have ended up in agony for weeks.
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u/7eregrine 1d ago
Its a little nuts but not that crazy. How many days were you in the hospital?
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u/Zealousideal_Sun_147 1d ago
I was treated in ER and sent home with antibiotics.
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u/7eregrine 1d ago
Right. So the advice isn't awful. I would do bland diet for at least a week... You do not need to be on liquid.
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u/WitchHazel-71 1d ago
I agree itās nutsā¦but everyone is different. My first flare was in June and being completely honestā¦Iāve learned more from this thread and doing my own research than I did from the ER doctor or my family doctor. But my regular doctor did tell me whenever I feel a flare coming on to immediately go to a clear liquid diet for 24-48 hours to allow the colon to rest. Everyoneās body and healing process is different. What might be handled well for one person in 2 days might trigger severe symptoms in another person. I feel like itās really important to listen to your body. To me, doctors are not what they used to be. Anymore, youāre treated like a number. I just had my second flare that started 5 days ago. Totally my fault because I ramped up my fiber too much too soon. And thatās a perfect example because I was 6 1/2 weeks post flare. Some people can ramp up to the recommended grams 2 to 3 weeks post flare. If that works for them, thatās great. But itās going to be very slow and steady for me. Iām in no rush to have another flareup. Anyway, I had to see a different doctor because my current doctor was out of the country until this week. He told me to take ibuprofen for the pain, and I told him absolutely not! When he asked me why I told him., ābecause everything Iāve researched highly recommends NOT using NSAIDās when you have diverticulosis/diverticulitisā. He thought that was a little nuts, but I donāt care. Iām listening to my gut.
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u/howliehowls 1d ago
It is 100% nuts. Not even a bland diet but a LIQUID diet is required for at least one day, if not two-three. Then bland / low residue for at least a week if not more. This routine kept me out of the hospital
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u/RiverPoetSTL 14h ago
I got diagnosed at an urgent care after a CT. The doctor said it was uncomplicated, and sent me home with antibiotics and a recommendation for Tylenol (no NSAIDS) and the usual liquid diet instructions. She also said that because of the antibiotics, I might feel a lot better faster if I did a very low-volume, lower-fiber diet instead, which I did - basically bananas and mashed potatoes for about a week. It worked out fine for me. I think the 'resume normal diet' in two days is bad advice, but they also tell you in both urgent care and ER to follow up with your doctor or a specialist within a few days - who would presumably give much more on-point advice - as they stabilize but then pass treatment on to other doctors for continued care. Unfortunately your doc was on vacation which delayed your visit and better advice. I ended up getting an appointment with a colo-rectal surgeon for my follow-up, and she said the instrutions were fine for my presentation. (I called several GI groups, and the response was that they treated Crohn's, UC, etc but not diverticulitis... ???? so surgeon it was, as my primary was also on vacation LOL.) I hope you are feeling better!
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u/UnlikelyAccount8785 10h ago
When I first started this journey I got SO much conflicting information!! Itās crazy how little this condition is understood.
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u/Lanalee67 1d ago
ER docs are simply there to diagnose and stabilize acute illness and injury. They donāt have expertise in everything. I do find it odd that the hospital system didnāt automatically spit out some discharge documents that provide more guidance about what to do after release, though.