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How do you sleep during a flare?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/16/2011 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
The one thing that my hubby seems to have the most problem with is the lack of sleep at night during a flare up. In previous flare ups, he's had diarrhea starting at 3 or 4 am until about 7, and then things quieten down and he can nap a little. This one, he has gas pressure that keeps him up a lot. When things were worse in his last bad flare, he got little to no sleep at all.

He doesn't nap a lot during the day - he feels he should be working from home, instead of taking the day off and napping, and the lack of sleep I'm sure is affecting him.

Is he alone in not getting much sleep during a flare up? How do some of you others manage to get enough sleep to feel rested during a flare-up? Do you take any supplements or meds to sleep?

Thanks for any advice on how to cope with lack of sleep during a crohn's flare up.

PV
Posted 1/17/2011 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
I take Phenergan 25mg just about every night. Not only does it relax me, it relaxes my gut, too. There always is the possibility of an accident, though, when you're so relaxed. I have a bag so that limits my accidents to leakages. I have also slept with a heating pad, but I don't recommend it at all. Huge burn risk.
Posted 1/17/2011 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Ya I found it really hard to sleep when I'm bloated and in pain. I tried T3's but I don't know that they helped much...
Posted 1/17/2011 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
What is T3? I've never heard of that.
Posted 1/17/2011 3:23 AM (GMT 0)
I think Rider is referring to Tylenol #3, a script pain reliever. Which brings me to my point. Our bodies do their best healing while sleeping/resting, so if your husband is not able to sleep, it will take longer for his body to heal. If he needs some pain medication or sleep medication in order to rest, he should ask his doctor for something. I don't sleep when I take pain medication, but if I need something for sleep, my doctor will give me something for short term use, especially when I am on steroids (not sure if this applies to your hubby). A mild sleeping pill might be just enough to get him some rest and help him feel better.
Posted 1/17/2011 3:45 AM (GMT 0)
Hmm, hubby's problem is more he is constant gas bloating, and the gas isn't easy to pass. It causes a band of pressure across his abdomen, and he pushes it out. And sometimes when he has this gas pressure, he also feels hot. It seems as this flare goes on, he's having temperature regulation problems - he's hot, he's cold, he's running a mild fever, then, he's ice cold. . .

I think part of the problem is the gas doesn't flow out of him when he's lying down. He sleeps propped up, but even then, he just balloons up, and the gas doesn't seem to exit unless he pushes it out. So in his sleep, if he doesn't take a sleep aid, he feels some discomfort, and he wakes up and squeezes it out. But if he's down for the count with a sleep aid, he says he doesn't wake up until it is painful and then he has to push it out.

During the day the gas is irritating, but not a huge problem, he pushes a little, it vents, and he gets back to whatever he's doing. But at night, it seems there isn't a way to get the gas from giving him problems. Any ideas?

PV
Posted 1/17/2011 3:48 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, I forgot to mention, he's taking gas-x and he's taking Papaya enzyme. The only thing we haven't tried is activated charcoal - we haven't cleared that with his doc. Any other products out there that will help him be a little less bloated and gassy at night?

Also, his last meal of the day is at 7:30. After that he doesn't eat anything, and only tries to go to bed at 11. Is he eating too late?

Thanks!
PV
Posted 1/17/2011 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
I would say he is not going to bed early enough (when in flare the more sleep the better), and also how much walking is he doing (I find exercise helps me move the gas, also apple juice helps me too)?
Posted 1/17/2011 5:22 AM (GMT 0)
I sleep with a heating pad right next to my pillow. It's the kind that shuts off automatically after an hour. If I wake and hurt, I switch it to the lowest setting. This sometimes will help me sleep through some of the cramps and such.
Posted 1/17/2011 6:50 AM (GMT 0)
Percocet and Ambien..
Posted 1/17/2011 7:46 AM (GMT 0)
I took OTC painkillers, gax-x, imodium, and sleeping pills before bed. Even then I had to get up and go every 2-3 hrs during the worst.
Posted 1/17/2011 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
here is what happened to me when i tool gas x. my body still produced gas, but I couldn't get rid of it because that darn gas x. I got so bloated that is scarred me, when I get gassy and bloated, I have to get rid of the gas, just to be comfortable, so I take nothing for it. I eat fresh papaya, which is a god send for me, I absolutely have to be able to get rid of that gas, trying to stop it will cause mucho problems. that is part of cd,GAS. try it, don't take any gas x. see if he finds it easier to get rid of. makes sense about gas at night, because of food building up thru out the day, nighttime is gas time. My goal was not to stop gas but to kill odor, which i did with fresh papaya. For me when I'm bloaty and gas just rolles around, i will take 1 vicodin, and within 20 minutes, gas starts to break up and I start cutting them


by the way, pv, papaya enzyme is not as effective as fresh papaya, the enzymmes didn't work for me, only fresh. but it is easy to get fresh here in san diego

Post Edited (artist guy) : 1/17/2011 7:42:36 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/18/2011 6:00 PM (GMT 0)
I like the heating pad when I am having pain, but as far as gas, the other thing that might help is something like Librax (it's an anti-anxiety anti- chol.... however you spell that.... drug). It helps calm down the gut which may slow down the gas problem enough so he could get some sleep.

Of course you can always dope him up with sleep aids - I have used Ambien successfully (be careful to time this one so that you have plenty of time to get it out of your system before you have to be coherent in the morning - lol!). Also in the old days I used Trazadone ( an anti-depressant, but it really knocked me out!).

I was told by my first GI doctor to always sleep on my left side to slow things down. Don't know if that's an old wives' tale or not!

Good luck!

Sudsmom
Posted 1/18/2011 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
I am addicted literally to my microwavable heating pad. I will wake up in the night to reheat it. It keeps me more comfortable and able to sleep and really helps with those gas pains. Hugs!
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