My question is, when do doctors know when someone has diverticulitis?

I've had what feels like a large gas bubble on the left abdominal area for nearly 24 hours but pain has increased throughout that time. Teledoc believed based on symptoms it was probably diverticulitis but recommended visiting urgent care for a physical exam to confirm.

Visited urgent care, they did a physical exam and urine analysis. Ruled out kidney stones, and they didn't think it was diverticulitis as the pain wasn't low enough on the abdomen and the physical exam didn't lead them to believe I had it.

The pain has started getting worse though. Trying to avoid an ER visit but I'm afraid that's my next step.

Anyone else experience anything like this? I'm in my 30s and life an active and healthy lifestyle. I do eat 180g of protein per day on average.

lol I hope

Went for a 3rd opinion. Dr thinks it's either diverticulitis or gastritis. Options were ordering a CT scan or throwing me in antibiotics to see if I'm better within 48 hours. I went with the antibiotics

I'm surprised the urgent care didn't prescribed a z pak and steroids. Seems like almost everyone these days gets that when they go to urgent care.

Anyways, diverticulitis is diagnosed with CT scan. Colonsocopy can diagnose diverticulosis, which can get inflamed and cause diverticulitis. Usually in the left lower abdomen, associated with history of frequent constipation. May be associated with fever. Sometimes blood in stool, or history of blood in stool.

Also, just be aware, just because you're on antibiotics and get better doesn't mean it was diverticulitis, or the antibiotics did anything. I can't say for certain without knowing what the doctor saw on exam, but it could be something entirely different and you would've gotten better without antibiotics anyways. Not sure how old you are, but you may be up for a colonoscopy no later than age 50.

When I have a diverticulitis flareup, antibiotics usually make my stomach feel better in a day or two.

Antibiotics start helping within hours for me during diverticulitis flare ups. Things that set mine off have been popcorn, okra and cherry tomatoes in past.

How often do you guys experience these diverticulitis flare ups?

The antibiotics had me feeling better within 24 hours.

They were thinking diverticulitis or gastritis. I'm thinking it was diverticulitis

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Also, just be aware, just because you're on antibiotics and get better doesn't mean it was diverticulitis, or the antibiotics did anything...

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yuppppppp

Not often anymore after I figured out what sets mine off. 2 of them have been after holidays or vacations where alcohol consumption was up, water intake down, and I ate something like popcorn at the movies that really pissed it off. The other time was after eating too many cherry tomatoes and it got me and I had not drinking alcohol for weeks before and had high water daily intake. For the most part I can feel it coming on and either can turn it around by increasing water and eating "calm" food or I can call the doctor and they send me in meds to start taking before it gets bad. My flare ups normally start with my lower left side cramping and it feeling like you might have gas or need to go, but cant. Then it progresses pretty quickly where its sore, painful cramping and I can barely stand upright.

Beckdiesel03 said:

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Antibiotics start helping within hours for me during diverticulitis flare ups. Things that set mine off have been popcorn, okra and cherry tomatoes in past.

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Anything with small seeds or jagged edges (like popcorn can have) causes my husband's to flare up.

Beckdiesel03 said:

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My flare ups normally start with my lower left side cramping and it feeling like you might have gas or need to go, but cant. Then it progresses pretty quickly where its sore, painful cramping and I can barely stand upright.

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Same experience 2 weeks after the last for me. Awaiting CT scan results. I must have overdid it with the Tabasco

Yep, it takes awhile for it to calm down after a flare up. Hopefully you get some news with the ct scan. Post back and let us know!
Also, stress is another aspect of it sometimes for me, now that I am thinking about it

How'd the CT go?

Doc was perplexed by the scan. She is going to follow up with me today after getting a 2nd opinion from another radiologist and endocrinologist.

No diverticulitis. The CT scan showed my left adrenal gland was very inflamed, everything else looked ok from the first review. They think hemhorrage or infection, but think hemorrhage is less likely as my blood test results were normal.

Anyone ever heard of adrenal gland inflammation? I'm hopeful the 2nd opinion today will be more enlightening. I was convinced it was diverticulitis, but apparently not.

My symptoms were the exact same as beckdiesel described.

Ghost of Bisbee said:

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Anyone ever heard of adrenal gland inflammation? I'm hopeful the 2nd opinion today will be more enlightening. I was convinced it was diverticulitis, but apparently not.

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Can happen after an infection. There's something called Waterhouse Friedrichson. Doubt that's what you had though. Especially if you've had the meningitis vaccine in the past. Could've had another condition, possibly leading to a vasculitis, or inflammation of blood vessels, that lead to poor perfusion of the kidneys.

The radiologist can't always give a diagnosis, they can only tell you a list of possible diagnosis based on the appearance of something. It's up to the ordering physician to put it together with a good history and physical exam, and possibly additional testing. And sometimes, people just have strange anatomy, or atypical appearance of organs and such.

Additionally, your pain may not have been related at all to the adrenal gland finding. Maybe just what is called an incidentaloma (incidental finding). These happen all the time. Sometimes they are life saving incidental findings, sometimes they're easily identified and nothing to worry about, and sometimes we don't know what they are and we spend weeks or months of additional testing to figure out what it is only to find out it's nothing.

Did the radiologist recommend MRI? Or follow up CT scan?

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My symptoms were the exact same as beckdiesel described.

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Good reminder that medicine isn't as simple as people make it out to be

Stumbled upon this thread when searching to see if anyone has experienced similar.

I have similar symptoms as OP. Started a little over a week ago and I've been very constipated since. I can have a bowel movement- but very small ones. I had to take milk of magnesia to clear myself out. It seemed to work.

Lots of pressure that comes and goes in the lower left abdomen. I wouldn't say it's painful. Just really uncomfortable. Kinda like I have to fart or take a big dump but I never do.

Thoughts?