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does anyone have trouble sleeping?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/26/2012 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
I don't know what happenend to me,but after menopause I really have trouble trying to fall asleep and staying there. Then with the Uc, some nights it's just a horrible night, i wake up exhausted and wonder how  I'm suppossed to get through the day. I take Ambien, but that doesn't

 work any more.It used to get me to sleep for a good 6 hours, but now it only good for about 2 hours. I'm so tired all the time and need to switch to something else stronger. I don't know what to take. I hear Seroquel is supposed to help with insomnia. Maybe I'll ask my PCP to let me try on it. I've tried Melentonin with no luck. ANyone else have sleep problems with any advice?

Posted 2/26/2012 11:22 PM (GMT 0)
I have not slept a full night's sleep in awhile but I don't feel tired the next day. I also take Ambien and Valerian Root. Are you very active during the day? I find that I sleep better (maybe not a full night) if I stay as active as possible during the day.
Posted 2/27/2012 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
I don't sleep well either. If I'm lucky enough to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time then I will probably wake up in 3-4 hours and be up for 2-3 hours and then maybe fall asleep for another 2 hours tops. I have been doing a little better since I started exercising but some nights still stink.
Posted 2/27/2012 2:38 AM (GMT 0)
Im taking 2 different kinds of steroids AND a steroid enema every other night... Im lucky to get 4 hours
a night. I dont have issues during the day because the steroids give me more energy. The problems
start when I taper, then Im exhausted and sleep all the time.

Carlie
Posted 2/27/2012 11:34 AM (GMT 0)

sherbear46 said...
I don't sleep well either. If I'm lucky enough to fall asleep in a reasonable amount of time then I will probably wake up in 3-4 hours and be up for 2-3 hours and then maybe fall asleep for another 2 hours tops. I have been doing a little better since I started exercising but some nights still stink.


Maybe your sleep pattern is appropriate. I ran into this article recently: "The myth of the eight-hour sleep" www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
Posted 2/27/2012 12:25 PM (GMT 0)
Waking up due to colon gas or urgency is a sign of flaring. I had that a couple years ago and it just made everything worse.

The three things that gave me relief from inter-night wake-ups are:

1. removing dairy from diet (gas) and anything else that causes gas such as fruit late in the day and other sugars.
2. using generic-Rowasa (mesalamine) retention enemas before sleeping. Calms the colon down after getting over the "learning curve" of using them at first.
3. taking an over the counter sleep aid that has diphenhydramine hydrochloride 25 or 50 mg. Lots of OTC meds have this in it but generic is the cheapest (I like the gel pills). Look at Unisom ingredients and then find a generic. Same med is in Benadryl and Tylenol nighttime. It's never caused any UC symptoms.

It was such a relief to get enough sleep. All your UC problems won't be solved with this but it will help you think clearer and make better decisions. Good luck.
Posted 2/27/2012 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting article Tap. I will tell you that if I actually sleep decently I usually feel worse than if I slept a couple hours, woke up for a couple hours, and then back to sleep. Whether I'm just used to it or not I don't know. But if I only sleep 2-4 hours I feel terrible.

For me its not waking up because I'm gassy or need to have a bm its just how I sleep. Nights using a enema are no better. And benadryl does nothing for me. :(
Posted 2/27/2012 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Sleeping well has been a huge challenge ever since I was diagnosed.
I've tried everything but the colon is a powerful alarm clock.
I'd take knock out drugs if they had them.
Posted 2/27/2012 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
We are all different and so are our sleeping needs. I think the need to sleep 8 hours a night in the majority but it's not everyone. If i am left alone with no alarm i can sleep 14 hrs straight without a problem.
Posted 2/27/2012 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
Does Mesalazine affect sleep?
Posted 2/27/2012 6:24 PM (GMT 0)

Dsm4life said...
We are all different and so are our sleeping needs. I think the need to sleep 8 hours a night in the majority but it's not everyone. If i am left alone with no alarm i can sleep 14 hrs straight without a problem.

 

And i'm the opposite.  I don't need an alarm clock.  During the week, I get up at 5:45AM for work.  On weekends, I still get up the same time. 

Posted 2/27/2012 8:12 PM (GMT 0)
I think some steroids stop you getting a good nights sleep, I'm just coming back to being ok now after about a year of being up around 5 am every morning and that after going to bed at about 2am. My night sweats are what interferes with my sleep now, but even these are getting less now, fingers crossed
Posted 2/28/2012 9:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hi I have had trouble sleeping since having steroids for both what I call my bad flares ,have not had any steroids for at least 18 months but can't remember the last time I slept all night,takes a long time to go to sleep then wake up 2-3 times in the night.
Have tried all sorts of things warm bath ,hot water bottles ,warm drink ,sleeping tablets think its just me
I also work nights and find I just as hard sleeping in the day can be awake for over 30 hrs without sleep which is not good I know i lay down but no sleep am resting though which is good
Any ideas on sleep would be great
Posted 2/28/2012 1:31 PM (GMT 0)
     This is such a common problem anymore!!  I have had insomnia since my last hospitalization for UP in 2008.  They gave me Ambien in the hospital.  I suppose I got hooked on it but the doctors don't like to prescribe it.  I now take OTC Sleep Aid from Walgreens and that works pretty well.  I also bought Melatonin and some Sleepy Time Tea.  I try alternating nights..lol.  UGH.  I went through menopause twenty years ago at age 45.

     I had surgery, total colectomy with end ileostomy, because of the severity of my condition.  I was dependent on prednisone for two years prior.  This was in 2010.  I thought once off prednisone I would be able to sleep better.  Not so sad .

     Ironically, the doctor on Good Morning America was speaking about how dangerous sleep med could be.  I got scared, thinking it would lead to heart disease!  However, she just mentioned how sleep meds can make one drowsy the next day and the perils of driving while feeling that way, etc..  Whew!  I am 65 and have been retired and I don't have to go out in the mornings.

Posted 2/28/2012 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I have been on ambien for a long while...and my sleep pattern has been changing as well. I started cutting my dose of ambien in half and taking a half of a xanax and that does the trick for me... Hope this helps.
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