The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Fiber
Posted by Michele (Reno, Nevada) on 05/18/2012
★★★★★
I have had two flare ups of diverticulitis. After the second one, I was so afraid I was going to get cancer. I started taking Metamucil. The directions say to take it three times a day. I have been doing this and have had no problems like before.
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Brenda (Fort Worth, Texas) on 04/10/2012
★★★★★
Well I am on my third bout of diverticulitis and my friend found this site. We went out immediately and bought aloe Vera juice. Today I was totally miserable for hours then remembered. I have the aloe Vera juice. I drank down an ounce and I am telling you in seconds I started to feel better. That was at 10 :33. It is 10 50 and for the last 10 minutes I have felt so much better!!! Lord I hope this is real.
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Judy (Chicago, Illinois, Usa) on 03/30/2012
Read some books. Try Serovera (dehydrated aloe plus l glutamine) also other glyconutrient aloe products.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Fra-fra (Mineral Wells, Texas) on 03/26/2012 10 posts
★★★★★
I had diverticulitis problems for a long time, I found out several years ago that Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) taken regulary keeps the flair ups at bay. You can take 12 drops of GSE three times a day until you get it under control, then take 12 drops once a day. I used to just put it in a small amount of water and follow it with a full glass of water (really does taste bad). I now get empty capsules and put my 12 drops in them. Hope this helps you as it did me. Blessings
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Stanley's Mom (Boston, Ma) on 03/25/2012
Thank you for these posts. I'm on my second round of antibiotics and Drs are starting to mention surgery. Not going there. I know all Aloe Vera juices are not the same, are people buying any special types? Straight papaya juice? I switched to kagen water, lots of it, vegies brown rice, yogurt and raw honey. Im afraid of everything :) but completely determined to beat this.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Cligie (Marietta, Ga, United States) on 02/29/2012
★★★★★
I use grapefruit seed extract only when I have a diverticulitis attack and I find it to be effective. However, researchers have found benzethonium chloride or triclosan in many samples of liquid and powdered grapefruit seed extracts so I would not use it except as necessary. I take 4 oz. of raw milk kefir each day (2 oz. In the morning 1/2-hour before breakfast and 2 oz. before going to bed). I have started using organic UNREFINED coconut oil in my cooking (no coconut taste) and I even spread it on my toast - delicious and still no real coconut taste. During my first attack a few years ago, the medicine was making me very ill so I researched on the internet to see if their was someway I could heal without those terrible meds.
I came upon a site called greattastenopain.com. It is all about how you combine your food. I can eat ANYTHING I want (well, almost anything) as long as I combine it the way the site tells me to combine it. I wish I could say that I stick to it all the time, but I don't. However, if I start to have pain, it will stop almost immediately if I go to that way of eating. There is a four-day free diet on the site and sometimes that is all you need. However, I have purchased her materials and found that they are worth every penny - not that expensive either.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Carolyn (Thousand Oaks, California) on 02/27/2012
★★★★★
Hi Everyone, I hope some of this info helps any of you dealing with diverticulitis. I have been taking papaya enzymes, aloe vera juice and apple cider vinegar with blackstrap molasses, for a week and WOW what a difference. My tummy feels so calm and peaceful. Also, I am doing juicing with lots of veggies twice a day and eating or trying not to have any gluten. I feel amazing after just one week, it's truly a blessing, my tummy feels as though I have a heating pad inside, making it feel so peaceful and calm. Have been dealing with diverticulitis for 3 years and had a foot of my colon taken out, and finally I was just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!!! I'm so happy! Thanks to my Aunt for telling me about this incredible website!! Thank you Earth Clinic!! =)
Dietary Changes
Posted by Tammy (Pittsburgh, Pa) on 02/19/2012
★★★★★
I have had 3 cases of diverticulitis in 3 months. Dr wanted to do surgery, but I decided to go the natural route. What has worked for me is combination of only very healthy (organic) food, the most easily digestible. I made soup stock with organic free range chicken, added veggies and let simmer with bone in for 12 hours. There are alot of vitamins in the soup and it's easy to digest. I also took supplements of digestive enzymes, probiotics (chewable and goat yogurt and goat kefir), aloe vera juice, and this all seemed to help. I also want to mention the importance of exercise as long as you are past the pain. I walk, lift light weights, ride stationary bike 5 days a week for 1 to 1 1/2 hours each time, but any exercise is good. I have lost 21 pounds since aug of '11 and I feel healthier than I have in years. I have been blessed to share my illness to health journey with several people and encourage them. I just started a couple days ago with adding raw veggies into my diet and it's going well. I still take the probiotics and the digestive enzymes to keep my body on track. Best wishes to all of you. Thank you for allowing me to share.
MMS
Posted by Michel (Montreal, Quebec) on 02/18/2012
★★★★★
Hi all, I worked as a mechanic on a septic tank vacuum truck. Few months later I got diverticulitis cure by conventional medicine but within a month symptoms came back. I did not feel like going back through the medical stuff again. I put 15 drop mms with citric acid and drank. 2 hours later my colon drained itself and my toilet bowl looked and smelled like my septic tank. I was fine after. I don't think 1 drop would have cure me and gradually increasing the dose may have given the germs a chance to adapt to mms plus a heavy dose cause my colon to go into. Flush mode to rid itself of the irritating chemicals and drastically reducing the germs count. It worked.
Psyllium, Coconut Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Coolumax (Coolum Beach, Queensland) on 01/31/2012
No attack for 6 months now, I take 3 tablespoons of Coconut oil a day. Changed from psyllium husk to GROUND Chia seeds.
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Robert (Atlanta, Ga.) on 01/02/2012
I use one-third cup aloevera gel, mixed with two-thirds buttermilk. Once or twice daily.
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Cindy (Whitehorse, Yukon) on 12/30/2011
Wondering how many ounces a day I need to take of the aloe Vera juice ? Thoughts ???
Fiber
Posted by Night Bird (Powell, Ohio) on 12/12/2011
★★★★★
I had an acute diverticulitis in 2004 and was admitted to ICU for 3 days while teaching at Baldwin Wallace College in a Summer music camp 2 hours away from home. I could have died if a colleague didn't find me fainted with shock from losing so much blood (5 bags of blood transfusion) in ladies restroom.
I was lucky the doctor only cut many polyps along my colon and didn't perform surgery on me, but seriously warned me if this happens again, he would cut my colon out!! Fearfully I came home and watch my fiber intake on a daily basis. Make sure we all take sufficient fiber everyday, but watch the liquid intake as well to prevent the fiber from getting stuck in your intestines! Fiber, fiber, tasteless fiber, you are my lifesaver!!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Carol (Okanogan, Wa) on 11/17/2011
I took used those for my ailments and saw a great improvement, don't give up. Taking pharma drugs have some many dangerous side effects.
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Pmc (Clarkston, Washington, Us) on 11/07/2011
★★★★★
We had very excellent results after just the first dose of Aloe era juice and papaya pills for my husband's diverticulosis/diverticulitis. Much quicker than antibiotics. He looks and feels good as new and has added this to his prevention regimen. Love finding this website!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Jessaka (Tahlequah, Ok, U.s.a.) on 10/24/2011
★★★★☆
I tried a lot of these remedies. As for the Grapeseed Extract, I read that it could cause problems, but my other thought is, if it kills bacteria, then it could kill all the good bacteria too. I could be wrong.
What someone told me to do, as she had, is to take Paul D'Arco tea 3 cups a day and to take probiotics. I failed miserably on drinking the tea 3 times a day, but I took a lot of probiotics, and it helped. Then I had one small pain in my colon, and I didn't know what to do about that. It dawned on me that it could be gas, so I took some charcoal capsules, and it went away.
I am still drinking noni juice in case it can heal the pouch I have. But I also plan on buying some papaya tablets, but I am drinking the juice.
Personally, I think it was the probiotics that helped most.
Psyllium, Coconut Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Coolumax (Coolum Beach, Queensland Australia) on 10/21/2011
Update October 2011
I now have a routine that I sticking to Coconut oil each day. 2 table spoons. Psyllium husk 5 teaspoons after evening meal with plenty of water. 10 drops of grapefruit seed extract a day.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Believer (Franklin, Tn) on 10/09/2011
★★★★★
Diverticulitis and Grapefruit Seed Extract... Thank you Earth Clinic! My husband was about to have surgery and I found this information. He started taking the grapefruit seed extract and NAG (natural pills that help to heal the mucus membrane). He hasn't had any pain or flairups since then!!!! At his follow-up colonoscopy they only found a few MILD diverticulum and the doctor said, "you loook great! ".
Helpful Tips for Diverticulitis Management
Posted by Wildbilll62 (Holland, Pa, United States) on 10/07/2011
★★★★★
My first comment is that people die from divriticulitis - particularly if the condition has progressed and has resulted in a perforation of the colon. If your pain is so significant and just seems to be getting worse - head to the ER. Once your condition is stabilized then perhaps these alternate therapies may alleviate the condition. My colon had a small perforation and so I was admitted immediately and put on antibiotics and restricted diet for four days. Someone very close to me had a complete perforation, was admitted to the ER and had surgery (sigmoidectomy) the same day. In order to heal from that surgery, he had to wear a colostomy bag for weeks. He was very lucky and could have died.
There are many other side effects from divriticulitis. The colon becomes inflamed and excreting waste becomes very difficult. A consequence of this, in my case, was that my bladder also became inflamed and anytime the bladder had fluid, it was very painful.
I'm back at home now and revisiting this site to see if there is a way to avoid surgery. I had tried some of the remedies here prior to my hospital stay but I think the colon had already perf'ed and so anything I tried was ineffective. Now that things seem to have settled a bit I will try this alternative remedy and see how it goes.
As for whether eating seeds or nuts or what have you is the cause of divriticulitis, as one surgeon told me in all of the sigmoidectomies he has done, he has never seen a seed or nut lodged into the infected divriticulum. Be well.
Psyllium, Coconut Oil, Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Max (Coolum Beach, Queensland) on 10/02/2011
Update - Have found that raw virgin coconut oil taken each day helps with diverticular disease. It has Lauric acid in it.
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Richard (Omaha, Nebraska) on 09/30/2011
★★★★★
I found this site very helpful. Had divert a year ago and did the standard antibiotics. Now I make sure I use GSE if any first signs appear, also heaping tbsp of psyllium every day, if I remember! Regardng the theory of small seeds affecting the bowel, at least two good doctors in omaha tell me its an old, unproven idea, searching I found comfirmation on webmd and the mayo clinic site that there is no proof that seeds affect.. However, one should keep track of what you eat and determine what affects you. Maybe you will or are bothered by seeds of some sort. you know best how your body reacts to food.
Acid Alkaline Diet
Posted by Erica (Edinburgh, United Kingdom) on 09/15/2011
★★★★★
My mum has been following an acid alkaline diet which has really helped heal not only her diverticulitis but ulcers too. She no longer takes any medicine and is can even eat foods that she couldn't tolerate before - though in moderation!
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Mary (San Carlos, California, Usa) on 08/10/2011
I believe it is the seeds from the berries that get caught in the pockets of the diverticulitous in the colon that cause the problem, along with nuts and seeds like sesame seeds and so forth. This is what a Dr. told my friend who had a severe case of diverticulitis.
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 08/07/2011
Johanna, can one really get diverticulitis because of eating too many raspberries? I thought that were terribly healthy and the only thing you could get from eating too many was diarrhea? But diverticulitis, if I understand well, comes from constipation. I am interested in this subject because we are intending to grow raspberries in our new house so I might be tempted to eat a lot more of them but I don't want to get health problems!
Aloe Vera Juice
Posted by Johanna (Colorado Springs, Colorado) on 08/06/2011
★★★★★
Diverticulitis: Been doing the Aloe Vera juice, but never thought about adding papaya. My first bout with diverticulitis happened after I gorged on raspberries from my back yard. After waiting all summer, they seemed to ripen overnight, and I indulged a little too much. After 7 weeks of anti-biotics and still in pain, the Dr. suggested surgery. I went straight to the internet for alternative remedies and found Aloe Vera juice listed. That was 6 years ago. Now, when I feel a twinge, I hit the juice!
Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya
Posted by Mike (Nyc, Ny) on 08/06/2011
Thanks WILD BLACKBERRY GUY
Ate them in a field for days and started to get left side pain... Diverticulitis pains: going to try ALOE JUICE, Papaya Tablets, etc. tomorrow! THANKS for sharing.
