Hi. I started keto in May 2019 and managed to reverse diabetes and get off Insulin within a few weeks. Blood sugars stayed in normal range since then. However during last year’s lockdown I introduced too many keto friendly snacks (made lots of breads and cakes for instance, Atkins bars, high protein bars etc) and some weight came back on. From September 2019 I started having diverticulitis flares which landed me in hospital on intravenous antibiotics. Early 2021 it was severe enough to be referred to a Colo-rectal surgeon and that made me desperate to lose more weight. So I became much stricter and this year lost 45kg along with getting off all remaining medications. I am in remission now from Diabetes, Autoimmune disease, High Blood Pressure and the only remaining issues unfortunately are chronic sinus problems and recurring diverticulitis. About a month ago I came across some posts re carnivore diet helping people heal gut issues. I decided to try this out but I was already having a flare of the diverticulitis and as it became more severe ended up back in hospital on intravenous antibiotics. Discharged with oral antibiotics last Thursday but by Saturday symptoms became worse again. Have been very careful with eating but will probably need to go onto clear fluids for a few days. I had decided that I would go completely into carnivore starting January (to get beyond the Christmas celebrations with family). I have managed 2 Christmas’s cooking only Keto meals and family enjoyed this. Would like to know if anyone here managed to stop a diverticulitis flare using carnivore and how they went into it. My idea right now is to start with clear fluids then introduce meat if the symptoms (abdo pain and severe diarrhoea) ease.
Diverticulitis flare - investigating Carnivore
I don’t have Diverticulitis, but a notch below it with Diverticulosis. I went on a shotgun approach gut healing regime, and as far as not pissing off my lower end anymore… added fiber back in. Took a lot of hell and a colonoscopy to just be told I did it to myself with lack of fiber, and that adding it back in would stop if from giving me the hell that it did, you’re aware of the “end” problems and pain it causes. Stupid Fiber! All it took.
I have been “mainly” avoiding fibre for a while now as it immediately results in pain. Carnivore would fix that completely. There is a book called “Fiber Menace” by Konstantin Monastyrksy which is very enlightening for anyone struggling with a high Fiber approach to eating.
I was on the verge of surgery as well. Not had a flair up in over a year, since giving up veggies and nuts. It may be different foods for different people. But I am basically carnivore now and zero issues. A HUGE relief! Good luck!
Thanks for your reply. I have a lot of hope that carnivore will be the way to go. Did you have to start with a fast or clear fluids? Were you suffering an acute diverticulitis attack when you started Carnivore? Thanks for you help 
I began with keto right after an acute attack. I always went to an all liquid diet and took the 2 antibiotics immediately at the first sign… we get pretty good at recognizing the signs very early on, don’t we? I think you’ll probably find relief with carnivore, which is where I ended up. The good thing about eliminating so many food from your diet is that your body will tell you very clearly what it likes and what must go. I felt like my body was having a big clearance sale. Everything must go! Until I was left with carnivore. No issues anymore.
Thank you @robintemplin. Yes the symptoms become very easy to recognise. I had a blood test done this morning (CRP) which usually also gets elevated during an attack. Now I am back on Antibiotics (oral) and will go clear fluid for a few days. GP appointment Thursday for Blood Test results. Carnivore sounds promising. I had my first diverticulitis attack several months after starting keto in 2019. Recurring ever since. But I did notice already I need to reduce / avoid fibre. I have had issues with bowel blockages and inflammation for years now. But I noticed the period I was on medication for my Autoimmune Disease (form of Vasculitis … inflammation of the blood vessels) my Bowel symptoms were practically gone. I do know that for Crohn’s they use a similar treatment so that may be why my symptoms calmed down and started up again once I was in remission.
I had chronic constipation for most of my life. (I am 67, so we are peers.) I started keto to lose weight and I’ve lost over 65 pounds in a year and 1/2. I finally noticed that my acute flair ups happened after eating even a small amount of veggies. Someone on here shared a quote from a doctor that said “Adding fiber is like adding more cars to a traffic jam. How is that going to help?”
I finally have normal and regular bowel movements. Good grief. All the years I put up with so many health issues and never really considered my diet!
Ive also read on here that meat is totally liquified in our gut. That feels true to me. I hope you find the success I have. Let us know if you get any news from those tests. In the meantime, carry on Carni! You got this.
I used to believe that too, but since I never had any of those (lower end) issues before I lost most of my dietary fiber with standard keto, and they all went away when I brought more in, there no question that’s what it was. Never had an issue pooping 2x a week (sometimes longer), never had struggles to get that out, never pooped like a cat. brought back fiber and everything moving through normally again, no struggling, no more creating pockets in my intestines from trying to get rid of bricks.
I believe it has way more to with out of whack gut bacteria reacting to fiber than it was fiber itself. Plus, big difference between high fiber, and eating enough to keep things moving. I also did do Carnivore for a while when it got popular because I was a big Shawn Baker fan, made no difference with me at all.
@robintemplin unfortunately things got totally out of whack and by yesterday afternoon I had a high fever, high BP and in general felt awful. So had to head back to hospital. Tests show inflammatory markers all up and scan shows diverticulitis in transverse colon. No wonder I felt so ill. Now back on intravenous antibiotics and clear fluids. Will be in hospital for a week. Hopefully this time when I am discharged I will be totally clear and can then focus on diet alone. Luckily our Family Christmas was planned for Jan 1st this year as people were busy catching up with other family and friends. Yesterday all the food arrived and I had to put all the meat into the freezer. rotten timing 
Thanks for your support.
@lfod14 You are probably right re out of whack gut microbiome. Back in hospital with an acute flare of diverticulitis so won’t be able to have anything other than clear fluids for a while. Will go back to basics, carnivore, after I recover and then see what that does to the gut Thanks for your support.
Carnivore can correct this.
Key being go all in point blank. There is no real quessing on what ZC will do for you on your issues but only way to know is do the plan as we know it should be done. Then you can find you on it
Many have corrected this issue point blank. Many healed gut issues of all kinds on this plan easily.
Is this you? Only one way ya know to find out.
but you will have to walk thru adaption time and it can mean more gut issues or possible big D hits ya or more as the change hits you but that only can be seen when you do the plan.
On all carnivore/zc forums you read many walking thru the gut changes and finding great gut health they can not achieve on any other plan…so again, come on in and try what you need to do to see you on Carnivore and then you have more ammo to know your body and change more to the better.
wishing you the best
For me, fiber = gut issues, IBS, constipation, etc. I don’t believe I have diverticulitis, though.
Consider salads. I can have one, maybe two salads a week. That’s it, otherwise I get IBS, constipation, it’s hard to poop, etc. How do I know? Every time I go on vacation and have to eat salads to replace things like french fries, I get these issues. They go away once I eat mainly meat and low fiber vegetables.
@VirginiaEdie I wasn’t trying to be funny here. Nothing very amusing about being in hospital on fluids and intravenous antibiotics so I was simply asking for comments from others with similar experiences.
I believe the comment was directed to the notion of evil salads, not at all to your hospital stay.
Thanks @PaulL. Even so … rather off-putting to have ridiculous chit chat when someone is asking for serious advice
You’ll get used to it. The nuggets of wisdom embedded amongst the chit-chat make it all worthwhile. In the meantime, just keep calm and keto on; you’re doing fine.