Intestinal diverticulitis is inflammation of the diverticula. This is the name of the blindly ending protrusion of the intestinal wall. Inflammation is formed against the background of stagnation of intestinal contents. Most often, this problem occurs in women – one and a half times more often than in males. The risk of developing this condition increases with age, usually starting at age 40 or older.
Generally speaking, this disease has become more common in recent years, which is usually associated with malnutrition and the fact that people pay little attention to their own health.
Symptoms of diverticulitis
Diverticulitis has many symptoms, but very often they are similar to the symptoms of other diseases: for example, problems with the kidneys or female genital organs. But a person should still be alerted by the following signs of the disease:
- pain in the lower abdomen. It can hurt for several days, then fading, then starting again. The feeling increases with sharp muscle contractions: during laughter, coughing, physical activity;
- increased pain after bowel movements, during pressure;
- stool disorders – intestinal diverticulitis is manifested by both constipation and diarrhea;
- blood in the stool – usually bleeding is not very abundant and is observed only in a tenth of patients;
- fever, chills. When it comes to diverticulitis, symptoms of this nature are rare, but they are also possible;
- loss of appetite – the patient does not want to eat;
- nausea, vomiting, general weakness of the body – these signs of diverticulitis are very similar to the symptoms of poisoning.
If a patient has intestinal diverticulitis, the symptoms, although misleading, are still quite pronounced and vivid, and therefore require immediate medical attention for a thorough examination.
Treatment of acute diverticulitis
Acute diverticulitis can be treated conservatively (without surgery). Conservative therapy is aimed at facilitating the release of the contents of the diverticulum into the intestinal lumen and suppressing the bacterial flora. For acute diverticulitis, treatment includes:
- Special diet. The patient should follow a slag-free follow diet. You need to eat foods that contain a minimum of indigestible components. Limit the consumption of vegetables, cereals, fruits, mushrooms. The basis of the diet is meat, fish, white flour bread, eggs, dairy products.
- Vaseline oil – inside 1-4 tablespoons per day.
- Mebeverine or other antispasmodics that act primarily in the intestines and reduce abdominal pain.
- Antibiotics in oral form (tablets or capsules). They are not a mandatory element of treatment. They may not be used for mild symptoms and the absence of fever, if the doctor is sure that the course of diverticulitis is uncomplicated.
Treatment is usually done on an outpatient basis. If the symptoms are severe or there is no certainty that there are no complications, the patient may be hospitalized.
Conservative treatment of diverticulitis is successful in 70% of cases. 30% of patients develop complications, relapses, or the disease becomes chronic.
With pericolic phlegmon, more intensive therapy is required. Antibiotics are always prescribed. Treatment takes place in a hospital. The risk of recurrence or chronicity, even after successful suppression of acute inflammation, reaches 50%.
Flagyl: a commonly used antibiotic for diverticulitis
Flagyl (metronidazole) is a broad-spectrum drug against microbes. I qtuite effectively copes with bacteria and protozoa, such as vaginal Trichomonas, intestinal Giardia, dysenteric amoeba.
The drug is not effective against actinomycetes, propinobacteria acne and mobilincus.
The drug can be used regardless of meals. Flagyl has a high digestibility and absorption by the body and begins to act within the first hour after ingestion. It tends to penetrate into all body tissues, fluids and water (breast milk and amniotic fluid as well).
Flagyl has an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from a total of 6 ratings for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection.
Usually, the drug is sold by prescription. But today you can often buy Flagyl over the counter.
Contraindications for use
Flagyl (metronidazole) cannot be used in the following cases:
- organic lesions of the central nervous system;
- blood diseases and a low level of leukocytes in the blood at a chronic level;
- liver failure. In this case, doctors can only prescribe rgw lowest dosage of metronidazole;
- pregnancy;
- breastfeeding;
- hypersensitivity to organic compounds of the class of heterocycles;
- children under 5 years of age.
How to use Flagyl
Flagyl is intended for oral use, regardless of meals. A tablets should not be divided into two doses, it is necessary to take it whole and drink plenty of water.
Each case in indvidual and requies an individually selected dosage.
The dose and regimen of taking the medication must be prescribed by a physician who is guided by the nature of the disease, the tolerance of the active substances and concomitant recovery.
What are the signs that Flagyl is working? It is easy! Your symptoms of infection should improve.
Adverse reactions
The medicine includes such elements that can provoke many side effects.
Before starting a course of therapy, carefully read what the instructions say since this drug has a number of adverse reactions:
- Gastrointestinal tract: minor disorders, epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, pancreatitis with a reverse reaction and mycosis.
- Nervous system: peripheral sensory neuropathy, migraine, dizziness, confused consciousness, convulsions and attacks of aseptic meningitis.
- Mental disorders: paranoia, suicidal thoughts, hallucinations and depression.
- Organs of vision: vision impairment, loss of clarity, incorrect perception of color shades.
- Circulatory system: a decrease in the level of leukocytes, neutrophils and platelets in the blood.
- Hepatobiliary system: an increased level of liver enzymes, acute hepatitis with cholestatic or mixed nature, hepatocellular liver damage accompanied by jaundice.
Precautionary measures
It is not worth the risk of using Flagyl in conjunction with alcoholic beverages. Otherwise, the combination can cause an attack of fever, vomiting, and a painful rapid heartbeat. Alcohol-based preparations are also contraindicated.
If you have symptoms for long-term therapy with Flagyl, then is necessary to weigh the pros and cons before starting this antibiotic. If there is no essential need, then do not take the drug for more than 10 days. If the doctor prescribes a long course, then it is necessary to strictly monitor the hematological indicators of adverse reactions. If you experience ataxia, dizziness and convulsions, stop taking the medicine immediately.
During therapy, it is worth refraining from driving a car and working with potentially dangerous mechanisms that require increased concentration of attention and speed of psychomotor reaction.