Diverticulitiscan cause symptoms including abdominal pain.

One of the most commondiverticulitis symptomsis abdominal pain on your lower left or right side.

Diverticulitis pain can get worse when you sleep or exercise.

Person sitting on bed, holding abdomen

milan2099 / Getty Images

The pain might be managed with changes in diet and medications.

This article will address what diverticulitis pain feels like and how it might be treated.

milan2099 / Getty Images

What Does It Feel Like to Have Diverticulitis?

Most people dont know they have diverticula, and there may not be any symptoms.

However, when these outpouchings become inflamed, diverticulitis results.

Initially, it might not be obvious that the symptoms come from diverticulitis.

You may feel aching or cramping.

The abdomen might also be tender to the touch, especially during an examination by a healthcare provider.

These include genetics, lifestyle, and environmental causes.

How Do You Know If Your Pain Is From Diverticulitis?

Could Your Abdominal Pain Be Something Else?

It can be helpful to keep track of symptoms for be specific about them with healthcare providers.

Conditions inside or outside of the digestive system could cause symptoms similar to diverticulitis.

However, most cases require antibiotics.

More serious pain may require treatment in the hospital.

At home, pain treatment may include Tylenol (acetaminophen).

Pain that cant be treated at home might need management in the hospital with intravenous pain medications.

Antibiotics may also be given.

Aside from pain management, a liquid diet might be recommended for a few days.

However, theres no good evidence that it may help.

Antibiotics might also be recommended in complicated cases.

Surgery might be a possibility when diverticulitis keeps coming back.

More clinical trials are needed on these medications.

In fact, these high-fiber foods may protect against developing diverticular disease.A diet rich in fiber is encouraged.

Can Diverticulitis Pain Last for Weeks?

Not everyone who has diverticulitis has pain.

However, when pain is present, it may last for several days after treatment starts.

For complicated cases of diverticulitis, the pain may last longer.

Uncomplicated diverticulitis might get better with some conservative treatment at home.

For more complicated cases, treatment in the hospital might be needed.

If symptoms dont get better with treatment, its important to go for follow-up care.

There could be another reason for the symptoms or a complication brought on by diverticulitis.

Summary

Diverticulitis may cause abdominal pain.

In most cases, symptoms of diverticulitis last for a few days.

Some people may have a recurrence.

but most people recover fully and symptoms resolve.

If pain or other symptoms dont get better, see a healthcare provider and get reevaluated.

Koprowski MA, Affleck A, Tsikitis VL.Emerging evidence and recent controversies in diverticulitis: a 5-year review.Ann Gastroenterology.

2017;66:1252-1261. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2016-312377

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Diverticular disease.

Feuerstein JD, Falchuk KR.Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.Mayo Clin Proc.

2016;91:1094-1104. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.03.012

National Institute for Diabetes Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for diverticular disease.

2015;31(2):84-94. doi:10.1159/000381867