“Second bout of diverticulitis?”
I had diverticulitis back in late July 2019. I was put on 2 rounds of Augmentin and then it resolved. I just finished up 20 days of Augmentin and then 7 days of Flagyl/Cipro. The pain on the left and right sides have finally gotten better, but the middle now, above, on and well below the navel is gassy and mild pain. Is the above situation normal? I had a CT scan the first time and would like to avoid doing a second one. Is there an alternative for a follow-up scan for this a second time around?
Thank you.
Thank you.
Female | 58 years old
Complaint duration: 9 months total
Medications: Allergy meds, low dose of blood pressure med
3 Answers
This may not always be recurrent acute diverticulitis. It could be ongoing smoldering diverticulitis or “complicated” diverticulitis or could be even “functional” pain related to changes in the microbiome from multiple courses of antibiotics. I would recommend a visit with a gastroenterologist to delve into this a little deeper.
Scott L. Itzkowitz, DO, FACP, FACG, FASGE
Scott L. Itzkowitz, DO, FACP, FACG, FASGE
It's normal to have some residual pain after a bout of diverticulitis and it should improve with time, unless another bout occurs. Though keep in mind that the latest episode was not documented by CT scan. You should not be overly concerned about doing a CT scan. The risk of radiation is low, and it's important to confirm diverticulitis when it is suspected because recurrent bouts may necessitate surgical resection of the colon, usually the sigmoid - the segment that is the source of the problem. MRI can be done of the abdomen, but it is much more expensive and rarely done when the clinical suspicion is diverticulitis. Lastly, it is too late now to get a CT scan or other imaging. It should be done at the time of presentation of the symptoms.
A follow up CT scan should be able to to provide some helpful information
