Treatment for diverticulitis

Is diverticulitis an infection?  Should it be treated with penicillin.  I have had agonizing pain for one week on the lower right hand of the abdomen and am constipated.  Had blood tests which showed no infection.  The doctor is treating me with penicillin as she thinks it is diverticulitis.  

Grateful for a reply from anyone who has had this problem before.  

[Sue357]

Hi.  Yes, diverticulitis is an infection in the colon.  As we age, many people develop diverticulosis, which is small pockets in the colon.  When something gets "stuck" in one of the pockets, you can develop the infection.  It happened to me, last year at this time.  I was not treated with penicillin.  The usual course is 2 antibiotics: Either Cipro or Levaquin combined with Flagyl.  Heavy hitters, all of them.  Have you had any other tests, like a CT scan?  That is what they did with me.  Hope this helps.