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Does Diarrhea Cause Pain In Colon While Treating Diverticulitis?
Question: Hi,
I've written about my diverticulitis several times and am writing once again. I'm sorry if I'm a pain.
Just to re-cap, I had a one month bout of diverticulitis even requiring IV antibiotics during a 2 day hospital stay.
I'm now really trying to not be constipated and trying different "cocktails;" however, unfortunately, today, I have "medium" diarrhea.
Will this hurt my colon a lot - could this be what puts me over the edge to a colostomy.
I did have one colectomy in 2013, 6 inches removed from sigmoid. I'm ok to have a second colectomy.
I'm so scared about a colostomy.
Please help!
I've written about my diverticulitis several times and am writing once again. I'm sorry if I'm a pain.
Just to re-cap, I had a one month bout of diverticulitis even requiring IV antibiotics during a 2 day hospital stay.
I'm now really trying to not be constipated and trying different "cocktails;" however, unfortunately, today, I have "medium" diarrhea.
Will this hurt my colon a lot - could this be what puts me over the edge to a colostomy.
I did have one colectomy in 2013, 6 inches removed from sigmoid. I'm ok to have a second colectomy.
I'm so scared about a colostomy.
Please help!
Brief Answer:
Colostomy is not an option in case of scheduled surgery.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Generally diarrhea should not cause any issues with the diverticulitis. Constipation is what generally makes problems in case of diverticles.
And for sure its too early to think about colostomy. Even if there was sigmoid colon removed, still the chance to have colostomy is low.
We only decide to make colostomy in case of bowels obstruction or diverticle perforation. In other cases, we can connect the intestines back (make anastomosis).
Diverticles does not affect rectum. So always intestine can be connected with rectum. Even if colectomy is done, no need to make colostomy. Temporal ilesotomy (to improve healing of the anastomosis) can be sometimes done. But its only temporal.
If you keep having deverticulitis again and again, you should decide to have surgery done. As it can be planned and scheduled, colostomy wont be done.
If you wait for the perforation, the chance of colostomy rises.
So please if thats possible, when this inflammation will be gone, discuss with your surgeon another surgery.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Colostomy is not an option in case of scheduled surgery.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
Generally diarrhea should not cause any issues with the diverticulitis. Constipation is what generally makes problems in case of diverticles.
And for sure its too early to think about colostomy. Even if there was sigmoid colon removed, still the chance to have colostomy is low.
We only decide to make colostomy in case of bowels obstruction or diverticle perforation. In other cases, we can connect the intestines back (make anastomosis).
Diverticles does not affect rectum. So always intestine can be connected with rectum. Even if colectomy is done, no need to make colostomy. Temporal ilesotomy (to improve healing of the anastomosis) can be sometimes done. But its only temporal.
If you keep having deverticulitis again and again, you should decide to have surgery done. As it can be planned and scheduled, colostomy wont be done.
If you wait for the perforation, the chance of colostomy rises.
So please if thats possible, when this inflammation will be gone, discuss with your surgeon another surgery.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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