avoiding constipation during a flare

[admin]

This is a question that I was asked and thought it a good idea to post it on the forum to hear everyone else's ideas.

"what can i do to avoid constipation during a flare up? i'm afraid that will cause more problems. i'm already drinking lots of water. any help on this will be greatly appreciated!"

Please submit any success or ideas you have had we would all love to know.

[pammisue]

This is a question that I was asked and thought it a good idea to post it on the forum to hear everyone else's ideas.

"what can i do to avoid constipation during a flare up? i'm afraid that will cause more problems. i'm already drinking lots of water. any help on this will be greatly appreciated!"

Please submit any success or ideas you have had we would all love to know.

I THINK THE CONSTIPATION IS A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE I FIND THE MORE FIBER I EAT THE MORE CONSTIPATION I GET. I DRINK WATER. I TAKE METAMUCIL, AND STILL I FIND THAT I AM CONSTIPATED.I THINK THE CONSTIPATION CAUSES STRAINING WHICH IN TURN CREATES MORE DIVETICULUM. IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE. I'M NOT SURE I HAVE AN ANSWER AS I WAS RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED FOR A RUPTURED DIVETICULUM. I FIND THAT THE LOW FIBER DIET NOW IS HELPING AND I'M HESITANT TO GO BACK TO FIBER. HOW LONG CAN A PERSON STAY ON A LOW FIBER DIET. I FEEL GOOD NOW.

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[palanquin]

See my post under FOOD -

The answer is in the prune

Good Luck
Palanquin

[Sally]

Magnesium! Works like a charm.

I used to take stool softeners during a flare, but last time I still got constipated despite the tablets. (I needed rather a lot of codeine...) Then I read somewhere that magnesium makes you "go," and yep, I "went."

ETA: YMMV, but prunes have never had that effect on me. But even if they did, I would NEVER take them during a flare, because taking any fruit or vegie during a flare simply increases my pain.

[Sally]

I FIND THAT THE LOW FIBER DIET NOW IS HELPING AND I'M HESITANT TO GO BACK TO FIBER. HOW LONG CAN A PERSON STAY ON A LOW FIBER DIET. I FEEL GOOD NOW.

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I am on a permanent low fibre diet. The more I look into it, the more I believe that fibre is what does us the harm in the first place.

I know that "everyone" says that we should be on a high fibre diet unless we are in a flare, but I just plain don't believe that. For me, flares can be triggered by all sorts of high fibre vegies, so now I am just sticking with low fibre, as well as avoiding nuts and seeds.

And did you know that there is no scientific evidence whatever that a high fibre diet is good for anyone, let alone folk with diverticulosis?

[PRD-FR-GA]

I agree, stick to low fiber. The Doc's all preach high-fiber, so we all know the Doc's have never had this probem. the more high-fiber the more pain I going to have.

I do use an ALOE pill, with meals. it seems to help keep things moving with little pain.

[bigdog773]

Hello everyone! im new here and currently suffering with a flare up ! I have found that constipation really increases my pain. It seems my whole intestional track is cramping, affecting the bladder also. I take stool sofeners, three small (Football) shapes jell like pils at bed time usually produce a noral stool. I take some medicatoions that cause constipation and have read that flare ups can cause constipation and it does in my case.

I agree, fiber makes my pain worse and put myself on a low fiber diet and the pain is getting better. Scramble eggs, cottege cheese, broth soups, white bread, alot of water seems to help.

does anyone know of some other foods that would be good for flare ups?

thanks for your help in advance

[RENNAGADE]

the proof that a high fiber diet is good for us is that only the low fiber diet countries (northern Europe, Australia and north America) have diverticulosis as something that is very common by age 50. i think that fiber is bad during a flare up. only water is ok then. and easy to digest foods like broth, mashed potatos, jello and juices for the next week. but then slowly add fiber foods in to your diet, 35-40 grams a day. this can take months to reach. remember if you always had a low fiber diet, your body is not use to it, so take it slow, but try to avoid red meat.

[chilled-minx]

[quote="Sally" I am on a permanent low fibre diet. The more I look into it, the more I believe that fibre is what does us the harm in the first place.
[quote]



Sally - it certainly seems that way to me too. I have recently been diagnosed with diverticular disease and I have no idea how I got it. I was a vegetarian for 30 yrs and on a very high fibre diet, both soluble and insoluble fibre. I always had 2 regular BMs a day, & my motions were large, bulky and soft.

3 yrs ago I became very ill with gastritis. I had developed multiple food intolerances. In addition I have become unable to tolerate any insoluble fibre, such as green vegetables, corn, brown rice etc. The fibre from vegetables or cereal causes my colon to go into severe and painful 'spasms', which causes inflammation, and 'locks' everything up so that I cannot pass anything, and everything backs up
(stool & flatus). This in turn leads to infection developing.

I am on soluble fibre (obtained from prunes, apples, pears) but each time I try to reintroduce insoluble fibre I get very ill again. This has been going on for the past 2 years and I cannot see any hope of ever reintroducing insoluble fibre.

I too have read the statistics showing that people in undeveloped countries have low incidence of divertic disease, whereas in the developed world it is all too common. I think there has to be another predisposing factor in this, and cannot see it is all down to lack of fibre in the diet. If that were the case then why was I, on my very high fibre diet for 30 yrs, not protected? And why do I get so ill if I eat high fibre now?

[RENNAGADE]

i don't think anything can stop constipation during a flair-up. when people say that they get constipated from a high fiber diet, i find it that hard to understand. what do they concider high fiber? have they tried to go vegitarian. if you take suppliments and have a few servings of vegi's a day but eat half a cow, you have a low fiber diet. 6 oz of animal flesh should be the max you have and keep a food diary so you can make a true judgement over time.

[daMama]

I just wanted to add a little. I never have constipation. More then once a day movements signal something going bad for me. So does acid reflux. Any thing with fiber that I repeatedly eat causes problems. It seems to run in my family. My mother and 2 of my brothers have IT. As I said in my post yesterday, white food keeps the problem (IT) from happening,and when I slip up (want to eat normal) and get IT again white foods help to bring IT into control: Chicken, fish,spaghetti,cheese, milk,potato's(no skin),white bread. The only green/orange veggies are spinach,carrots,green beans and yellow summer squash, no seeds and Bibb lettuce.
Again, if you can afford it try something like DR Nutura powder, a gentle gentle fiber. And Aloevin, it really helps to heal the pain. I have been able to prevent a major flair up by taking large doses. The problem is it is expensive. It is monetarily cheaper to get sick and go on antibiotics. Speaking of which, which ones work well for you?

[Wendy]

Well, it is hard to work out the best course of action. From reading all this it looks like aloe products are a good idea and magnesium? And maybe I will have another go at writing a food diary. I haven't managed to write one for more than a fortnight at a time.

[bigdog773]

Hello everybody. well I'm feeling better from the first flare up and can say that taking two stool sofeners at bedtime really helps. Normal bowl movements almost guarenteed.

going in for my first colonoscopy tuesday to make sure theres nothing else going on. I really appreciate your comments. i have gotten some real good ideas of what to eat and what not to eat from everyone.

I agree about the fiber. as soon as I started eating lettece, tomatoes. brocilli, I started getting pain, cramping. Does anyone know why I blout no matter what I eat?? It seems everything I put in my mouth brings on the cramps and blouting. I even hurt when the stomach is empty. any ideas????

Thanks again

[Wendy]

I have been drinking Aloe Vera for some weeks now and I have avoided a flare up of diarrhoea and so on. I think the Aloe Vera has helped. I take Fibogel every now and again - about once in the last month. The only thing I have avoided eating is sweet corn and I am waiting to try this again when I feel like taking a risk. I do eat fewer nuts whereas I used to eat them everyday in my muesli. I am still finding it hard to see what triggers a flare but recently I have been lucky: when I eat things like cabbage, chocolate, dried apricots and so on I have been ok.

[cshorty]

I have had diverticulitis now for four years. Scared me to death. I was young (43) but I thought in good shape. I have had 3 more flares that got me very worried. That is when I got serious and enlightened myself with knowledge of my disease. Third world countries have a very low rate of diverticulosis. Many professionals attribute diet. High fiber, low fat and protein with little or no processed foods. But I feel the biggest thing they don't have is STRESS. In our fast paced, eat on the run, crazy lives do we take care of our minds as well as our diet? Sadly, I think we can all say no. I have been living flare free for 2 years now by eating five apples a day with high soluble fiber diet. Rice, beans and low fat protein. Red meat if lean. Smaller quantities but more frequent. And the most important thing of all ... I learned to relax. Hard to begin but worth it. Yoga, exercise and changing the way I see the world has been great. I hope this helps someone out there as I am very empathetic.