reversing diverticulitis

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reversing diverticulitis

Postby Willijan » Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:24 am

What is the evidence that diverticulitis can be REVERSED? I have searched this site, and found almost nothing definitive. Dr. McDougall's article said 90% of cases are . . . made nonrecurrent. Is there anything more than this?

My husband has been diagnosed with diverticulitis and put on antibiotics. He has also been told the real problem may be colon cancer. He "believes" in the McDougall diet, but he is reading advice on the web and tentatively concluding that he has to eat a low-fiber diet, permanently or at least until his symptoms are gone.I have told him that is a bad idea, unless his personal experience is that fiber is making his symptoms worse than they otherwise are.

He is considering what to do. I personally can't believe he would trust the Mayo Clinic over the McDougall diet. He is a very evidence based person, so that is what would convince him. Any help available?
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby Lyndzie » Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:40 am

Have you read Dr. McDougall’s Digestive Tune Up? It covers diverticulitis. It’s a quick read. I’m not sure if the damage can be reversed as much as managed. If I understand correctly, the problem stems from straining/constipation/inadequate fiber, so logically a diet with more plants would improve bowel habits.
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby Willijan » Mon Jun 17, 2019 3:04 pm

Lyndzie wrote:Have you read Dr. McDougall’s Digestive Tune Up? It covers diverticulitis. It’s a quick read. I’m not sure if the damage can be reversed as much as managed. If I understand correctly, the problem stems from straining/constipation/inadequate fiber, so logically a diet with more plants would improve bowel habits.



Hi, Lyndzie, thanks for your response. Yes, I own that book and have read it all. Yesterday, I looked up what it said about diverticular disease. It definitely supports this way of eating as a way to deal with it. It just doesn't have anything with experimental data, or anything saying whether you need to eat a low-fiber diet temporarily when you get diverticulitis.

My concern was that my husband seemingly thought that once he had this disease, he was doomed to eat a low-fiber diet, at least temporarily. And I didn't want that, because that is what causes the disease in the first place. But thankfully, he has decided to go ahead and eat a normal McD. diet unless he has problems, and he has continued to do fine today.

What I was looking for was a scientific published study that might convince my husband. But he seems to have decided he's convinced enough for now. Sometimes husbands and wives can have trouble seeing the world the same way :-D
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby moonlight » Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:33 pm

My mother has diverticulosis. When it gets inflamed it is called diverticulitis. When people are in a flare-up and it’s inflamed, a low- fiber diet is recommended until the inflammation has subsided. When they are not inflamed, a high fiber diet is recommended to prevent inflammation. So, your husband is correct in going to a low- fiber diet during inflammation, but only when he’s sick with inflammation.
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby forgood » Tue Jun 25, 2019 7:46 pm

I think I am having diverticulitis flare ups in the morning, pain in lower abdominal area, after a bm and then throw up, not sure though, seeing doctor tomorrow. Don't know why suddenly having flare ups, my diet hasn't changed much except the use of some "nice cream"
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby dbassett » Tue Nov 19, 2019 11:51 am

My friend has acute recurring diverticulitis, and although she doesn't eat a McDougall diet she eats way healthier than most people. She is really looking for a lifestyle-change path that will help her get out of her current crisis situation and out of recurrence (her current flare up resulted in the diverticula perforating, and they are trying to get her inflammation down enough to do surgery). She is on very high levels of antibiotics, which also complicates the efforts to heal her gut, right?

I am a McDougaller, and I'm helping her research this. She's currently on a complete liquid diet that contains a list of foods that makes us both cringe (ice cream among them). Since it's considered so dangerous for her to have any fiber at all at this stage in the disease, the question becomes how to safely introduce fiber once she's past the surgery, and what if any guidelines exist w/r/t being able to eat a McDougall diet.

So.... are there any McDougallers who have had acute recurring diverticulitis who can speak to their experience and what they did? Are there any published reports about how to safely guide a patient out of crisis mode and onto a high fiber healthy diet to hopefully help her optimize her microbiome. She's really suffering and is really motivated, so I want to help her all I can.

I'm really hoping the McDougall universe can help here-- I'm finding a lot about using a plant-based high-fiber diet to help avoid getting to where she is today, but precious little about how to help someone out of crisis mode and onto this WOE.

Jeff? Anyone? Many thanks for any resources you can provide.

Diane
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Re: reversing diverticulitis

Postby michaelswarm » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:51 pm

dbassett wrote:My friend has acute recurring diverticulitis, and although she doesn't eat a McDougall diet she eats way healthier than most people. She is really looking for a lifestyle-change path that will help her get out of her current crisis situation and out of recurrence (her current flare up resulted in the diverticula perforating, and they are trying to get her inflammation down enough to do surgery). She is on very high levels of antibiotics, which also complicates the efforts to heal her gut, right?

....

I'm really hoping the McDougall universe can help here-- I'm finding a lot about using a plant-based high-fiber diet to help avoid getting to where she is today, but precious little about how to help someone out of crisis mode and onto this WOE.

Jeff? Anyone? Many thanks for any resources you can provide.

Diane


Your friend may want to discuss her particular situation with an experienced plant based practitioner. Otherwise you can only expect general advice. I believe Dr Anthony Lim, Medical Director of the McDougall Program, does phone consultations, and is familiar with both McDougall and water fasts at True North (complete gut rest).

The are also a handful of plant based gastroenterologist specialists, who would certainly have both dietary awareness and surgical expertise. Since you are talking surgery, a conservative second opinion might be useful.

1. Dr Will Bulsiewicz Dr B Gut Health MD http://guthealthmd.com
2. Dr Sarina Pasricha Gastroenterologist (Delaware)
3. Dr Angie Sadeghi Gastroenterologist, Newport Beach, California (http://drangiehealth.com)
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