Diverticular Disease
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 8:14 pm
Way back in 1977 I was diagnosed with IBS. At that time I was living and working in London and had a stressful job.
I was prescribed initially with lomotil which gave me headaches and since then I have been taking a mix of loperamide and codeine phosphate.
The symptoms subsided somewhat then in October 2015 the 2 yearly bowel cancer screening showed an abnormal result. A subsequent colonoscopy revealed a cancerous tumour at the top of my large bowel next to my appendix. I had surgery on 29 December 2015 to remove the tumour. 30% of my large bowel was removed. My IBS was reasonably under control but I continued to take codeine phosphate but at a reduced dosage.
During 2016 I had quarterly CEA blood tests, a CT scan then in November I had another colonoscopy. This thankfully detected no sign of cancer but confirmed I have extensive diverticular disease and my bowel habits have become unpredictable once again with urgency, in particular after food.
I have read the helpful booklet given to me at the hospital which refers to a high fibre diet etc.
Are there any other steps I can take to help me with this problem? I am continuing to take 1 codeine phosphate tablet 3 times a day.
As an aside a CT scan I had last September showed fatty tissue around my liver.I am having an MRI on 2 February for further investigation.
I was prescribed initially with lomotil which gave me headaches and since then I have been taking a mix of loperamide and codeine phosphate.
The symptoms subsided somewhat then in October 2015 the 2 yearly bowel cancer screening showed an abnormal result. A subsequent colonoscopy revealed a cancerous tumour at the top of my large bowel next to my appendix. I had surgery on 29 December 2015 to remove the tumour. 30% of my large bowel was removed. My IBS was reasonably under control but I continued to take codeine phosphate but at a reduced dosage.
During 2016 I had quarterly CEA blood tests, a CT scan then in November I had another colonoscopy. This thankfully detected no sign of cancer but confirmed I have extensive diverticular disease and my bowel habits have become unpredictable once again with urgency, in particular after food.
I have read the helpful booklet given to me at the hospital which refers to a high fibre diet etc.
Are there any other steps I can take to help me with this problem? I am continuing to take 1 codeine phosphate tablet 3 times a day.
As an aside a CT scan I had last September showed fatty tissue around my liver.I am having an MRI on 2 February for further investigation.