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Does your colon wake you or do you wake your colon?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/8/2012 12:19 PM (GMT 0)
 

When I was flaring my colon used to wake me up at 3 am, 4am,...

Now, being in remission it wakes me at around 7am.

But I've found that when I'm undergoing great periods of stress, it will nudge me out of bed at early as 5am or 6am...

When there's little stress to deal with ( there's always stress, but I mean not additional stress), then it lets me sleep until 7am or 8 am.

Anyone else have this?

For me, it seems to be related to my body's ability to handle stress.

Ever since having undergone 2 back-to-back major life changing stressors that both created PTSD and each lasting several years, I've been unable to handle even the slightest possible stress.

 

Posted 2/8/2012 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
Stress bothers me and my colon but if I am in a good remission, it doesn't seem to matter much. However, if I eat foods that don't agree with me, I might have some cramping that wakes me up. But for the most part, once I'm awake and have my coffee, my colon wakes up. When I am flaring tho, it tends to wake me up several times during the night.
Posted 2/8/2012 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
Same for me. Any kind of stress I immediately feel it in my gut. Before diagnosis I was in the bathroom every hour or two 24 hours a day. Now during a flare I might get up once maybe twice but usually I have to go first thing after I get up. Doesn't really matter the time. Now if I've eaten something spicy all bets are off. LOL
Posted 2/8/2012 3:08 PM (GMT 0)
I am currently flaring and my colon wakes me up at 4am every night and then again as soon as I open my eyes in the morning at 7am my gut says---gotta go! If I am lucky I can feel a rumble of gas moving down the pipe. When I am in remission I don't have these sudden urges and feel much better.
Posted 2/8/2012 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
I seem to do ok until I get woke up by my pups to go outside.. I will lay in bed for about 15 minutes and it seems that when I wake up, it is not long after that when I will need to go to the bathroom... and when I am stressing more, I do wake up earlier to go.. but I also drink alot of water thru the day and wonder if that is part of it, and having to go pee that wakes me up earlier... not sure... lol
Posted 2/8/2012 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Someone may find it funny but since my childhood I always had stress/anxiety induced diarrhea. Even now, a sudden onset of stress (like an email from the former boss, who I still have to be in touch with for some unfinished business) makes me pay a visit to the oval office.

Currently, I am recovering from a rather long flare and on 40mg of Pred for last 3 weeks. I still have a lot of gas, urgency and sometimes blood. So my colon does wake me up in the middle of the night. Last week, I could not go to the bed after the visit so pretty much spent 3 sleepless nights.

For stress management, have you considered meditation or yoga? Some folks do claim some benefit but my gut feeling is, its all has to do with your attitude towards attending the stress. My brother is exactly opposite of mine. He has been through a major stress period at his work (and his wife had a miscarriage as result of it), since then, he simply doesn't care and has become extremely aggressive and dominant on stressors (mainly at work). Keep your head calm all the time is his policy. Not really easy for me to implement but just an example that your attitude towards the stressors can give you a relief.

Hope everything settles down well. Good Luck.
Posted 2/8/2012 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Guys,

     Im glad you mentioned this. I suffered with " Anxiety " for 4 years before i was finally diagnosed with UC. I experienced abdominal pain, and diarrhe for 4 years. I was told that these were cause by my anxiety. I noticed that these symptoms seemed to worsen whenever i was put into a stressful situation. Stress did and still does play a major role in how I feel daily.

Posted 2/8/2012 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
When I flared I only had 2-3 hours of sleep a night. I was always getting woken up by my colon. I found sleeping on my back helped me get more sleep.
Posted 2/8/2012 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
When I was flared up, my colon definitely woke me but now, I don't wake up to go at all. Usually I am more likely to wake up because I have to pee.
Posted 2/8/2012 9:22 PM (GMT 0)
My stomach has the same stress reponses InSoFla. Had the same pattern of waking up at 2am, 4am, 6am -during a flare, but even before being diagnosed and currently now, have to wake up at 7 or 8am and have a bowel movement, its annoying but i'm thankful I dont have sleep problems (to get back to sleep).

I hope whoever I'm in a relationship with understands this. =/
Posted 2/8/2012 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
My colon definitely wakes me, so much so that my doc gave me xanax for at night, which helps a bit, but not much.
Posted 2/8/2012 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Me, I don't wake up, I wear huggies and when it's actually time to wake up to go the work, I start crying so someone comes and changes my diaper and cleans me. :D
Posted 2/8/2012 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
i could not sleep because of colon pain when i was flaring. and in the morning yes, my colon wake me (not necessarily a bowel movement, but enough to put me out of bed).

now...my colon wakes after my one and only cup of black coffee which i have in the morning. one short stop in the bathroom and that's all for the rest of the day.
Posted 2/9/2012 3:27 AM (GMT 0)

Somedude said...
Me, I don't wake up, I wear huggies and when it's actually time to wake up to go the work, I start crying so someone comes and changes my diaper and cleans me. :D


hahahahaha. Oh god, I had a toddler memory when I read this. Brings a new meaning to Huggies.
Posted 2/9/2012 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
UC brought on some 'pee' problems for me too, ever since I got UC its uncomfortable to go.
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