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Posted 6/30/2008 8:42 PM (GMT 0)

Hi. I've been diagnosed with UC for a little over 2 years now and this is my second time with a severe flare. My doctor put me on prednisone a few weeks ago and (aside from all the negative side effects it gave me) I am feeling better generally but what is really frustrating is how many times I have to wake up at night to use the bathroom!! it's really annoying and I haven't been getting any sleep in weeks! I don't know if it's from the prednisone or not (though I think it's not because the last time i had a flare-up I had this same problem and i wasn't on prednisone).

has anyone had this problem too? does anyone know any suggestions to what can make me stop having to wake up at night to go to the bathroom?

thanks.

Posted 6/30/2008 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
i had that same problem and i just had to wait until the prednisone kicked in. my flare lasted 2 mos and i was up 2-3 times a night the whole time. hope the pred kicks in soon and you can get some sleep!
Posted 6/30/2008 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
I had night sweats and was in the bathroom a few times a night but it was god sent because my cramps dissapeared within 24 hours of starting the treatment not to mention that my energy level went through the roof. It goes away as your start tapering down on the prednisone.
Posted 6/30/2008 9:09 PM (GMT 0)
Me, too. My flare has been going on for well over a month and I finally got away from the night poops about a week ago. I know how frustrating it is because sleep is so important. There's nothing worse than having a flare and not being able to sleep. I definately feel for you. I wish I could offer a solution, but I really don't know of any. I'm sure this is just common sense but try having larger meals earlier in the day and a light supper. My old boss always used to say "Have a breakfast fit for a king and a dinner unfit for a pauper." He was a health nut and swore by his mantra!! LOL

Good luck to you,
Lisa E.
Posted 6/30/2008 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
I think a lot of us have been there - until my meds kicked in I was practically on autopilot during the night, I'd actually wake up running to the bathroom, it happened so often (if only my brain could have dealt with the whole thing while I was asleep :-) ).

It might not work for you, but I found that if I lay in a certain position (for me, it was on my right side), I tended not to get the urge so much. If I so much as moved an inch from this position, I'd be heading for the bathroom again, but after a while my body learned to stay in this position and I got a bit more sleep. From what I've read from other people, a lot of us seem to have a bit more trouble when we lie on our left for some reason. I'm a good way towards remission and I still favour my right hand side or lie on my back.

Give it a try anyway - you might get an hour or two more sleep (which I bet sounds like a luxury right now).

Good luck,

 

Posted 6/30/2008 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
For me, I end up getting out of bed whenever I get gas. Because sometimes it's NOT gas....which sucks. Sometimes I just shove a panti liner in the back of my underwear and just take a chance. For some reason, it mostly happens in summer. I seem to be ok the rest of the year. I wonder if perhaps I am a lighter sleeper in the summer due to more sunlight.
Posted 6/30/2008 10:24 PM (GMT 0)

Bum Deal said...
I think a lot of us have been there - until my meds kicked in I was practically on autopilot during the night, I'd actually wake up running to the bathroom, it happened so often (if only my brain could have dealt with the whole thing while I was asleep :-) ).

It might not work for you, but I found that if I lay in a certain position (for me, it was on my right side), I tended not to get the urge so much. If I so much as moved an inch from this position, I'd be heading for the bathroom again, but after a while my body learned to stay in this position and I got a bit more sleep. From what I've read from other people, a lot of us seem to have a bit more trouble when we lie on our left for some reason. I'm a good way towards remission and I still favour my right hand side or lie on my back.

Give it a try anyway - you might get an hour or two more sleep (which I bet sounds like a luxury right now).

Good luck,

 

That is true for me too! and here I thought i was the only one with that problem. I always try to sleep on my right side too and if i move just an inch suddenly i get cramps and i'm running to the bathroom. i do try to stay in the same position for as long as possible but then my right side gets numb and i just have to move (which leaves me very conscious during the night and also interferes with my sleep). but thanks for the advice. I really do hope that this stops really soon.
Posted 6/30/2008 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
When I wass flaring there were some nights I had to get up like 7 times I'm guessing, some of the times was gas too. I hope you start to feel better soon. Good luck.
Posted 6/30/2008 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
I was having the same problem, but not nearly as severe (I was only waking once in the night to poop). Try to eat dinner as early as possible without sending yourself to bed absolutely starving. I wish I had more to offer, but that's the only thing that helped me.
Posted 7/1/2008 9:40 AM (GMT 0)
Haven't slept a night through for over 3 years... These days it happens on auto-pilot. Never found a way to stop or reduce it.
Posted 7/1/2008 11:13 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to Healingwell :) What other meds are you on at this time? Have you ever tried rectal meds? Fiber supplements? If you haven't tried rectal meds then I highly suggest them. They really do help. And fiber supplements can help bulk things up for you if you can tolerate them; which in turn may allow you to rest and not use the restroom as often. Another suggestion - though this should be used sparingly is occasional use of Immodium or if you are in pain at night you can ask your doc for Darvocet. Darvocet is a narcotic pain reliever which can help slow your colon down a bit allowing you to rest.
Posted 7/1/2008 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
During my flares, I'm up most of the night, too. I used Canasa suppositories right before bed, and that usually got me at least a few solid hours of sleep before the hourly trips to the bathroom started up!
Posted 7/1/2008 4:00 PM (GMT 0)

this happened to me too during my flare from hell last sept/oct.  I was up every hour or so or more.  Once the meds kicked in I was ok.

until that point, I had to sleep a couple of times, so I took some tylenol PM just a couple of times and it did help me, though I still got up once or twice.  Also, what really helped me too, but more w/cramping was a heating pad a big one it is about 15 inches wide and maybe a little longer. 

so sorry you are going through this!  I know how awful it is!! It took a couple of months to get rid of the black circles under my eyes I got from it.

Posted 7/1/2008 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem. I would go 6 times throughout the night. It would actually be worse at night during the day. I just had to deal with it until the prednisone and remicaide kicked in. Last week was my first week not to wake up to go to the bathroom.

Posted 7/1/2008 8:20 PM (GMT 0)
OMG I love this post! I too find sleeping on the right side makes it easier to stay in bed longer and eating earlier helps. If I eat later I start waking up about 1am for the bathroom trecks. . . .if I can get dinner in earlier I don't wake up until 3-5am may not seem like a big difference but when you are exhausted it helps.

lol "auto-pilot" to the bathroom . . .I wish I had a nickel for every time I've done that because I would be rich!
Posted 7/1/2008 9:40 PM (GMT 0)
I am a little confused with the original question and the responses. I took the question not as a BM because of the UC but rather a side effect that I had with Prednisone that made me go P numerous times each night. I apologize if I incorrectly understood this post.
Posted 7/4/2008 10:39 AM (GMT 0)
sigh. It's been awhile but the last two nights I've woken up after sleeping for some hours to sit in the bathroom with D for awhile. I'm waiting now for my bowels to calm down so I can go back to sleep. That's usually when I know my flare's getting bad, when I even have to go to the bathroom when I'm asleep.

(Also, I'm not on prednisone so it's not from a side effect for me, and I don't recall prednisone ever making me have to pee a lot or waking me up to pee)
Posted 7/5/2008 11:33 AM (GMT 0)
omg i am in the same boat. i cant even move an inch either or im running to the can. if i even think about maybe moving, i have to poo.
left side, = bad
right side = kinda bad
back = kinda ok...
tummy = no way jose

problem is, that spending the whole night on my back starts to hurt and becomes uncomfortable.
i usually see each hour in the bathroom.
i have to put my space heater on the floor right in front of the toilet cuz its winter here and i would freeze to the toilet otherwise.
i have my sweatshirt close by to throw on on my way to the can as well.
it must look quite comical actually. hehe

but yea, nights are bad. i find myself sleeping in til 10-11am cuz the whole night i dont get any sleep. it finally comes about 5am - 10am.
sucky.
wish i knew how to make it stop, but im kinda used to it now... like posted before "auto-pilot" sums it up well.
Posted 7/5/2008 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
Kazygirl, try putting a pillow under your knees when you sleep on your back. That helps relieve the pressure on your back and may help the achiness.

When I was flaring, I was up to the bathroom every 1-2 hours. Apparently it's common, as it was one of the first things my GI always asked me. He seemed to use it to help gauge the severity of my flare. Since the flare went on for 5 years, my body trained itself to jump out of bed and go the the bathroom the instant I awakened, and if I wake in the night now, I sometimes still do that.
Posted 7/6/2008 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Yup, night time BMs are one thing a doctor uses to guage the severity of a flare. Add some pred to the mix and I'm getting up to pee as well - sleep just doesn't work... I did try Ambien while on 40mg of pred - didn't wake up all of the time and when I did, I felt drunk... Neither was a good option, but sleep was necessary and the Ambien got me about 5 uninterupted hours. (That was at 10mg.) I started cutting the tablets in half (to get me 5mg of Ambien) and that helped a bit.

I have in the past used Darvocet to help me get a few hours of sleep. I know, not really what you're supposed to use it for...

Nap when you can!
Posted 7/6/2008 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
thanx judy, willl try that tonight.

its 3.30am and i just got done with one of my regular toilet visits for the night.
puked as well cuz it hurt so bad.
i think i might cry
Posted 7/7/2008 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
So sorry! I know how awful that is. I sure hope you got a few hours a sleep!
Posted 7/13/2008 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
During my flares I will be up at least ten times a night. So annoying! I actually go each time too. Ugh.

When I was undiagnosed I counted how many times I went during a 24 hour period by making tallies.. Yup, it was a grand total of 48 times. I knew something was wrong then! Yikes and ouch.
Posted 7/14/2008 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
I don't have the problem of having to go at night...my bowel movements only get me in the morning hours between 7 or 8am to 12pm. Now the preps for the colonoscopies do keep me in the bathroom at night.
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