Abdominal Pain Caused By Diverticulitis?

Dr. Falchuk explains the different symptoms that diverticulitis will cause a patient, including location of abdominal pain, signs of infection, and treatment options.

Kenneth Falchuk, MD: Abdominal pain is a broad subject, but if someone is concerned about a specific disease such as diverticulitis, the pain usually is acute. More often than not it is a pain centered to the lower abdomen, more commonly or not, the left side of the abdomen. We call it the left lower abdominal quadrant. That is an area where most of diverticula usually occur.

It is an area where the bowel is somewhat narrow and a little curved and when diverticulitis occurs, develops, that means inflammation within the diverticula, and the pain will be or can be quite severe and can also be mild. Patients may develop a change in the bowel pattern, they may become constipated, and they cannot eliminate the stools as well they may even feel bloated. Sometimes the pain is quite intense when the patient is doubled over.

Sometimes the patient can have a fever with chills, a sign of an infection. What diverticulitis really is, the definition, is perforation that means a little hole that could be small, does not have to be large, in one of the diverticula or in several diverticula. So in the space, the area of the colon where these are located, things become narrow, swollen, we call it edema. Pus can collect and that is called abscess and therefore patients can be quite ill, they need to be seen promptly.

Many cases of diverticulitis tend to be mild, mild in the sense that patient can be seen by a physician as an outpatient, evaluated, diagnosis established and be treated with antibiotics. The specific way to make the diagnosis is not only the clinical presentation. The clinical finding is the need to do an x-ray, a CT scan with contrast of the abdomen focussing in the area where the pain is present.

Now that does not mean that you cannot have diverticulitis in other segments of the colon. It could be at the right side, it could be at the mid-portion of the transverse colon.

As I said previously, the left side of the colon, the sigmoid colon, is the predominant site where diverticulitis develops. Abdominal pain is a broad symptom. It is caused by many conditions so it is important for the physician to know how to proceed and differentiate, what we call established differential diagnosis or in another conditions, it could be a catastrophe of something is leaking into the abdomen. There could be another abscess. There could be a perforated appendix and so and so, that is why prompt evaluation, proper x-ray studies and laboratory studies as well and then proceed with a treatment and followup.

This information should not be relied upon as a substitute for personal medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use the information provided on this site solely at your own risk.  If you have any concerns about your health, please consult with a physician.

[paulaj]

when i was 13 yrs old i had this pain which at the time was not known to me or my family.. i had my Apendix removed & the wonderful doctors found i had what they told my mum then 3ft of very bad Intesting.. but today i'm now coming up to 71 yrs in July & still going strong.. but when i get this pain .. which is Diverticulitis i understand that i can control my system by understanding that area for pain. but people please make sure you do as you are told by the specialists in these situations ..

[raydavidson]

just got out of the hospital, spent a week there recovering from a perforated colon do to a infection, the hospital sent me home like that they missed it on the ct scans, had to drink the dye to its called contrast not good for the kidneys, but went home and the pain was indescribable the only way I can describe the pain was if someone shot me with a shotgun with buckshot rite in the gut, I don't wish the pain on my worse enemy, I was pre septic, but went back to hospital the next day and they found it, the ripe, they had to put drainage tubes in my gut they were called jP infection drainage tubes they look like hand grenades, had three of them for almost a week draining the infection out my organs and gut, I feel for people with this condition its nothing to play with, very very very painful, thank god I made it threw this, god bless

[jjgoens]

spent 4 days in the hospital due to pain and I thought it was a kidney stone until the doctor told me I had diverticulitis at the age of 24 and required surgery due to it rupturing no joke! 6 months now gave up all fast food started eating mostly veggies and whole grains and I feel fantastic!

[markthomas]

I'm pretty sure I have this diverticulitis. It really hurts bad I am lying in bed now but the second I move it's going to hurt like hell. I'm going to call the advice nurse now to see if I could get scheduled at Kaiser going to the ER would cost a minimum of $1, 000. This video was very helpful, thank you doctor

[ZeekStreet]

He's a good Doctor. He's saying you should receive X-rays before

[chandrashekharsharma]

Pain in left side of abdomen near two inches away from belly I have discomfort in stomacharea and feeling of heavy ness. Pain is not much but little pain feel

[monckeywrench]

Doc, i think your topic is really essential, , but i think you really need to produce visuals on this to clarify your explanation. Thanks bdway for this very important topic.

[djdave]

I’ve got this now. Been in pain for a week, originally thought it might be a virus.
Literally get pains within 5 minutes of eating, I am sick to death of sitting on the toilet. Even eating the bland diet gives me pains. Dr has given me some antibiotics today, so praying that they get rid of this. Never had anything like this, it’s nasty, gets you down and stops you doing things.

[tashagolden]

Had a diverticulitis attack and was diagnosed with a ct scan in 2011. afterwards I promptly got an infection in my testicles. I was put on antibiotics that took care of the infection. My stomach has never been the same. No appetite and discomfort in my belly button. Gastroenterologist said I had gastritis and to take a prevacid. No medicine or diet has any effect on my condition. Bottom line I'm screwed doctors don't know what the hell there taking about. When they do the autopsy on my body they will probably say I don't know how we missed that it was cancer.

[hellopeople]

I’m having abdominal pain it’s hurting so bad I can’t sleep
Every time I move it hurts this is the worst pain I have ever felt I feel like throwing up but doesn’t come out
I know am not pregnant I however am 17 days late but my cycle is also messed up

(The pain started tonight around 1am it’s now 4:44am)

[khyatisharma]

I have a very specific pain in my lower left abdomen for two weeks. Specific in a way that I feel it only when I'm sitting that too for a few seconds or laying down to my left. I wonder if I should see a doc
(It turned out to be an ovarian cyst)

[tahidhanna]

I have pain in that area every 10 seconds it's been happening continuously since last 5 hours. Been getting bloating and diarrhea for last 5 days aswell

[lorismith]

i have this...on meds now...it hurts bad!

[rosedecaro]

Started couple months ago pain on right side dr sent me to hospital to do catscan thought was appendix they said diverticulitis. Went in for colonoscopy he said the ilium looked inflamed but was probably my due to cleansing prep for colonoscopy? Still lingering pain, saying “hello I’m here!” Now this past Friday I got HUGE SHARP PAINS same area on same right side Keeled Over took 2 Advil and headed to hospital by yur time Dr saw me the pain had subsided - he did blood tests and got out my catscan from 2 months ago he said yu have Diverticulitis and sent me home. Now I’m contacting my Gastro... he’s waiting on hospital report which is blood work only?
Can GAS leave a lingering pain all the time? Don’t think so? Gas pains got to go away at some point and my pain has not !
So I dunno I hope my Gastro nails it soon before it becomes something that can get worse.
Great Video Doc!

[hokka]

I am so scared I have Left pain Abdominal pain I think I'm so scared it is normal? And I have back pain cause of Sleeping I think because I slept in floor

[scoobiezoobie]

I don't know what's wrong with me, a few months ago I had appendicitis and got them taken out, idk if it has anything to do with the pain but it feels like it's stinging and it's kinda bad

[sintervinter]

Can abdominal pain cause some kind of stabbing effect? I sometimes got some kind of Sharp object went to my Abdominal. Although there's nothing there.

[SafaSafa-bivf]

I feel pain in my lower left abdominal when i'm moving i'm a 17 female do u think it is this one ??

[dkb]

I have severe upper abdominal pain left n right side chest n ribs pain. is there no cure

[sammyg]

Pain UPPER left abdominal 2inches down from my nipple, comes out of no where and I can’t inhale for the life of me . I take the smallest breaths untill it goes away . If I try to take a big breath it will travel to the heart of shocking form .. Docs don’t know, no body knows . Please someone give advice !