As you age, the large intestine or colon may form a small pocket called a diverticulum - or a single diverticulum if you only develop one pocket. Doctors refer to this disease as diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis have never experienced symptoms. Occasionally, however, one or more of these pockets may become inflamed, leading to a potentially serious condition known as diverticulitis. Diverticulitis can cause a variety of symptoms, including abdominal pain, usually on the left side, fatigue, weakness or discomfort and low fever. Diverticulitis requires immediate diagnosis and treatment by a specialist (usually a colon and rectal surgeon). Antibiotics help eliminate bacteria that cause inflammation of the diverticulitis.
Antibiotics can kill bacterial deflections that cause inf. If you do not use antibiotics to treat diverticulitis in time, the infection may escalate. You may experience more severe abdominal pain and high fever and various other high levels of bacteremia can cause sepsis, which can lead to shock, loss of consciousness and organ failure. The infected diverticulum can perforate or rupture pus or feces into the abdominal cavity. If left untreated, these complications can become irreversible and lead to death.
Levaquin is the brand name for levofloxacin and is a member of an antibiotic that is effective against certain bacteria in diverticulitis. Levaquin has several side effects, including tendon inflammation and rupture; it is only taken when the doctor prescribes it. Other antibiotics in this category can use tibiotics such as ciprofloxacin instead of Levaquin. You must take these antibiotics for 10 days to 2 to 3 weeks to adequately treat the infection and prevent complications. Often, your doctor may also prescribe metronidazole, an antibiotic that is effective against different bacteria, to provide a wider range of antibiotic coverage. Metronidazole also has side effects; don't drink alcohol when taking this medicine.
If you have had diverticulitis, your risk of recurrent attacks will increase. If the episode is frequent, the doctor may recommend selective removal or removal of the colonic lesion. Severe diverticulitis requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics. If a perforation or disease process occurs, you may need emergency surgery that cannot be resolved with antibiotic treatment.
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