# IBS and sleep disorders/insomnia



## 22395 (Apr 16, 2007)

Since I began having very serious IBS/bowel problems about 4 months ago, I've had horrible, horrible insomnia. So I started taking Ambien CR. I've started having problems of getting up at night and falling and hurting myself.Does anyone else have insomnia problems as a result of IBS, if so what do you do for it?Also, I'm afraid I've become adicted to the Ambien CR and now want to figure out how to get off of it.Has anyone else done this? It's simply not the pancea that I thought it would be. I've now been on it for about 3 months.Help!Evelyn


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi Evelyn,I also have bad insomnia. I'm not sure if my insomnia is caused by ibs, or if my insomnia is the trigger for worse ibs symtoms. I guess for me it was a combination of stress and pain at night -- and they just built together with insomnia to make a vicious cycle. Do you have pain (or your ibs symptons get bad) at night? If so, you need to talk to your dr. about it and they can prescribe some antispasmodics or something to help with that. If your not at the moment taking any meds maybe you could stop the ambien and give melatonin a try, cos it's non-addictive, i think.I also tried Mike's CD and it is helpful when I could calm down and actually listen to what he says in the CD. If you're not anxious about your sleep to the point where you just can't calm down to listen to anything, Mike's CD is definitely a good choice. Hope you get some relief soon.


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## 22896 (Aug 19, 2006)

I have had trouble sleeping for years. I always seem to have to take something - ambien, tylenol pm, antihistamines, ativan or whatever I have. Even if I fall asleep on my own I never stay asleep all night. I too wonder about being addicted but at this point if I don't a good nights sleep I feel rotten the next day. Sorry I can not offer you any advice, only to say you are not alone. Take Care. Mindy


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## 18704 (Feb 12, 2007)

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## 14529 (Feb 1, 2007)

i have terrible insomnia as well. And it started when my IBS started about five years ago. A couple of weeks ago, my sleep was getting better because I stuck to a strict sleeping and waking up schedule. I woke up at 5:30 everyday (because of work), and I was able to fall asleep at around 10:30. It was great...I thought I found my cure. But last Tuesday I got really constipated for some reason, and it hasn't been getting better. And since last Tuesday, my insomnia has been horrible. And I'm not stressed about being constipated (I'm always constipated...but to various degrees) or stressed about work. My sleep is so unrefreshing and I'm just not sleepy. I'm sure there is a connection. And it's not stress or anxiety...although my psychologist would like to think so. But please don't take melatonin. I did and it made my IBS horribleeeee. Melatonin is also secreted by your GI system. And the amount your body needs is 10 times less than what the pills give you. It totally messed up my pooping situation for over two weeks.


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## Kelly_K (May 15, 2007)

I've had really bad insomnia lately too. It started shortly after I got IBS, so I did wonder if the two were somehow connected. But too, I have allergies, which have gotten worse, and the med my ENT put me on for the allergies doesn't seem to be working. He also suggested Ambien CR or Lunesta, but I really didn't like that idea when I recently heard something in the news about those sleep aids that are causing people to sleep when they're supposed to be awake. People were literally waking up at work, dressed, and not knowing how they got there! But I already had Alprazolam, for in case of panic attacks, so he recommended I take that to help me sleep. I did that for 3 nights in a row, and in the morning, I would feel like a panic attack would be coming on. Since then I have started to see a therapist for the IBS and the panic/anxiety, and one of the books she recommended, "Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" stated that if you take only 1 Xanax/Alprazolam a day it will have a backlash effect and possibly cause a pani attack. So now I'm back to square 1 with the sleep problem. It's just making me tired and feeling lousy throughout most of the day. But if I actually manage to nap in the afternoon, then oddly enough my head feels like #### afterwards, like I had too much sleep, which isn't possible.


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## K9Mom (Sep 20, 1999)

Just as an FYI, thyroid disorders cause IBS like symptoms as well as insomnia/sleep problems. All women over the age of 35 should have a thyroid screening blood test as thyroid disorders are very common as women age. Just something to think about....especially if the IBS and insomnia started at the same time.


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## WARRAVEN (Mar 11, 2004)

Attacks will wake me up, and I don't think anyone should expect to sleep through an attack, but check your meds, mine tend to make me more tired. I've actually had insomnia problems since I was a kid, but that was mainly because I can't take too much sun, so I enjoy the night.


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## unspoken (Jun 17, 2007)

I have insomnia as well. I've had it since I was a small kid and although it's got better over the last few years, I have a bad attack of insomnia when I get stressed or the weather changes. The last week or so I've had a lot of trouble sleeping and staying asleep. I'm scared of actually taking sleeping pills, in case I become dependent on them, but I know my IBS would feel better if I could sleep more. I have found that it is important if possible to get up the same time every day, because even though it makes you feel bad in the short run, in the long run it tends to lead to more stable sleep. I still can't sleep for the same amount of time 2 nights in a row, it's just not possible for me. Also herbal sleep tablets such as Kalms and Nytol help me sometimes, sometimes they don't but sometimes they will make me stay asleep all night. Generally other advice, hide any clocks that will show you the time while you're trying to get to sleep, never think "only 4 hours till I have to get up" because it will most likely mean you won't sleep at all. If you can't get to sleep, get up and do something else.


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## ChuckCharles (Jan 4, 2012)

I'm very nocturnal but I get really bad patches of insomnia and have done so since I was 7 when I started getting IBS attacks. I was told it was quite common for people with IBS to suffer from insomnia and or sleep deprivation and was put on Amitriptyline (when I was 16) in a really low dose to try and counteract the spasms in my stomach and try and help me sleep but it had the complete opposite effect to the insomnia, I was sleeping for up to 22 hours a day so I had to come off that. Since that I've kind of steered away from wanting to take sleeping pills and the like so personally, I drink lots of camomile and peppermint tea to try and coax out sleep but it seems that the only benefit is the calming effect it has on my stomach. My doctor suggested drinking warm milk and taking hot baths, I'm lactose intollerent so the first one was out but the baths were quite helpful, you just have to watch you don't fall asleep in there.I've just learnt to deal with the sleepless or sleep limited nights, I just let it ride out until the point where I'm so tired my body puts me into hibernation.


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## faze action (Aug 6, 2009)

I've had intermittent insomnia (which is now pretty constant) since I was a little kid (now 40). I know it's not caused by the IBS, which started only a few years ago. The only thing I've ever taken for it is benadryl, which works sometimes, but not always. I refuse to take Ambien or any of the other hypnotics because they generally cause rebound insomnia once you come off them. I've also heard horror stories about people doing things on Ambien (like driving!) and having no memory of it the next day. No thanks...I'll stick with benadryl, limiting caffeine, and regular exercise. That's what seems to help the most.


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## Zenable (Apr 24, 2013)

For me the problem is that if the abdominal region is even slightly uneasy with gas, etc,I wake up after say 4 hours of sleep, and have trouble going back to sleep.

Often, a very small (1/4 tablet) dose of clonazapem helps to get back to sleep for another few hours.


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