My bodily functions have been waking me up...

[rudeguy]

Without going into too much detail, every day now I wake up way before I need to because I have to poo. Its one of the run for the border, photo finish kind of deals. Its getting pretty annoying. I have a hard enough time falling asleep but now after only 3 or 4 hours max I am awakened by my nether regions.

I have tried multivitamins, bulk forming fiber, not eating for 4 hours before I crash. Nothing works. I have talked to my doctor and he says its another symptom of anxiety. That's great, but how do I fix it so I can actually sleep?

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[SociallyChallenged]

How many times do you wake up a night? Just the once or is it multiple times?

 

[rudeguy]

Just the once.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Other than the waking in the night to complete a bowel movement, do you have any other abnormal feelings in your stomach or gut? Cramping? Stabbing pain? Do you get any pain during the day or when you go, etc? I'm looking for as many details here as you can give me so I can try to help. Currently I'm looking into Irritable Bowel Syndrome for you.

 

[rudeguy]

No pain. Never solid though...been that way my whole life.

 

[joutlaw]

I was diagnosed with IBS in 1999. Basically I had lost a ton of weigh and lots of stomach pain. I got down to 130lbs and I'm 6'3". Things are quite different now, but the IBS is gone.

I had to be put on a stomach muscle relaxer to ease the pain. It also had a slight dose of benzodiazepan (sp) in it b/c IBS is usually related to anxiety.

It's weird you have no pain, but my symptons were similar as I rarely had any solid waste. I seemed to have to use the bathroom everytime I ate. I eventually got extremely dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room. I had upper and lower GIs and everything looked good. That's when they decided it was IBS.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I was diagnosed with IBS in 1999. Basically I had lost a ton of weigh and lots of stomach pain. I got down to 130lbs and I'm 6'3". Things are quite different now, but the IBS is gone.

I had to be put on a stomach muscle relaxer to ease the pain. It also had a slight dose of benzodiazepan (sp) in it b/c IBS is usually related to anxiety.

It's weird you have no pain, but my symptons were similar as I rarely had any solid waste. I seemed to have to use the bathroom everytime I ate. I eventually got extremely dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room. I had upper and lower GIs and everything looked good. That's when they decided it was IBS.

I always have to go after I eat too. Sometimes before I am done eating...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: rudeguy

Originally posted by: joutlaw
I was diagnosed with IBS in 1999. Basically I had lost a ton of weigh and lots of stomach pain. I got down to 130lbs and I'm 6'3". Things are quite different now, but the IBS is gone.

I had to be put on a stomach muscle relaxer to ease the pain. It also had a slight dose of benzodiazepan (sp) in it b/c IBS is usually related to anxiety.

It's weird you have no pain, but my symptons were similar as I rarely had any solid waste. I seemed to have to use the bathroom everytime I ate. I eventually got extremely dehydrated and had to go to the emergency room. I had upper and lower GIs and everything looked good. That's when they decided it was IBS.

I always have to go after I eat too. Sometimes before I am done eating...

The urgency with which you had to go to the bathroom in the night is what made me think it might have been IBS. You may want to go to the doctor and see if there's a way to remedy it. Even if you can't regulate it, it would be nice for you to get a professional opinion about the situation and to get more info on whatever it is.

 

[rudeguy]

IBS does sound pretty close. The only thing is that I can't do benzo's. I am an alcoholic and have to stay away from anything mind altering...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
IBS does sound pretty close. The only thing is that I can't do benzo's. I am an alcoholic and have to stay away from anything mind altering...

That doesn't mean you can't see the doctor and get some more info. Perhaps there's something you haven't done that can naturally help to curb the urgent-ness. Make it known up up front about the benzo's if he/she does want to prescribe you something. Go in and get a professional opinion. Maybe it's not IBS and is something much more routine. Who knows? The doctor.

 

[skace]

Excluding IBS for a minute, bowel movements often happen within a schedule. It is entirely possible that you've somehow set your body's schedule to 3am or whatever. Is it the same time every night? You could try to force the issue with exercise, something such as running will make you want to go to the bathroom, if done after dinner it might motivate you to go to the bathroom before going to sleep as opposed to the middle of the night.

Is the nightly bowel movement the only one of the day? Or are you going much more often. Also, you could move your fiber intake to lunch time as opposed to 4 hours before sleep.

 

[wheresmybacon]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
IBS does sound pretty close. The only thing is that I can't do benzo's. I am an alcoholic and have to stay away from anything mind altering...

You might talk to you doc about beta blockers. I too am an alchy and the beta blocker propanolol worked wonders for my anxiety-induced heart palpitations.

 

[joutlaw]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
IBS does sound pretty close. The only thing is that I can't do benzo's. I am an alcoholic and have to stay away from anything mind altering...

What is your drink of choice? What is your diet like?

I highly recommend not taking any benzos with alcohol. I've seen too many people go downhill that way.

Have you ever talked to a therapist/psychologist about the root of your anxiety. Not to sound preachy, but I imagine it has a lot of to do with your alcohol intake. I drink too, but recently went from 5-6 nights of week of a minimum of 4-6 drinks to 1-2 nights on the weekend.

My anxiety could be derived from OCD like tendacies. Whats interesting is in my job as a programmer with more system analyst like duties... you almost have to be OCD to be analytical.

 

[MrChase24]

Without going into too much detail, every day now I wake up way before I need to because I have to poo. Its one of the run for the border, photo finish kind of deals. Its getting pretty annoying. I have a hard enough time falling asleep but now after only 3 or 4 hours max I am awakened by my nether regions.

I have tried multivitamins, bulk forming fiber, not eating for 4 hours before I crash. Nothing works. I have talked to my doctor and he says its another symptom of anxiety. That's great, but how do I fix it so I can actually sleep?

It's been almost 10 years now since you have posted this. Are you still having this problem? Are you? I'm a victim of it too, and I hope I get help

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