# IBS When I wake Up



## October_55 (Apr 7, 2012)

My first post. I am very grateful that I found this forum. It makes me feel a whole lot better to see that others also have to deal with this miserable disease.I think my recent symptoms are slightly different than most that I have read about. I wanted to see if any others have had the same experience.First a little background. I was diagnosed with IBS in 1996 after I started to have predominantly cramping gas and left lower side pain. My original symptoms started after I had an emergency appendectomy that resulted in a post-operative ileus where I was in and out of the hospital for about three weeks. The doctors finally got my intestinal system working again by inserting an NG tube for three days. Oh, boy that was fun.Shortly after that experience, I started to have problems with intense cramping at times and pain on my lower left side. In addition, I had and continue to have the feeling that I never could completely evacuate my system. I always feel that I still needed to get more out, but just can't do it. This has led to me needing to go to the bathroom at least 2 - 4 times a day (sometimes more), whereas before the appendectomy, I never went more than once a day. I had all of the usual upper and lower GI tests that were all normal and my primary physician diagnosed IBS in 1996. I really don't have any serious constipation or diarrhea issues, just the cramping gas pains and feeling of incomplete evacuation. Also, probably my worst problem is traveling, especially on airlines where I often feel like I'm going to explode when the cabin pressurizes.It has been difficult for me to sit for long periods of time, so working has been difficult. I have been able to fairly manage these symptoms with increased fiber from Metamucil and watching what I ate although it is still difficult to deal with. I had a colonoscopy in 2006 that was normal, and it just reconfirmed the previous diagnosis of IBS from 1996.Just recently, I started to have a slightly different set of symptoms that I wanted to see if others have experienced. One night about two months ago, my wife and I ate at a well-known chain Chinese restaurant. The next day, I was sick with intense stomach pains and a fever with diarrhea that lasted about 48 hours. I completely recovered, but I now some additional problems. I go to bed feeling ok and sleep ok, but when I am awakened by my bladder and have to pee (usually after about three - four hours), shortly afterwards my intestinal system seems to wake up and I experience cramping gas on my left side that requires me to get up and try and pass to get some relief. (The cramping pains are not what wakes me up, but rather happens shortly after I have to pee.) I also usually have to have a bowel movement to get me total relief. This process can take an hour or so to complete which is causing problems with my ability to get a good night's sleep. Also, it seems that there is a particular place on my lower left side that starts burning after I poop. I often try to lay back down, but it burns for awhile and then gradually goes away and I go back to sleep. Sometimes, I have to get up again because it hurts more when I lay down and I have to wait for the burning to go away. Strangely, I never experience the burning sensation at any other time of the day and I feel pretty good during the day except for my usual IBS symptoms that I described above. Of course the fatigue from not getting a good night's sleep is not fun. All of these new symptoms started all at once after the Chinese restaurant sickness episode.I have read about the new theories that IBS is caused by an initial infection that clears up, but then results in IBS symptoms and I'm wondering if I have now added some new symptoms after the Chinese dinner sickness episode. I've tried to convince my doctor to refer me to some GI doctor in the area I live where I get the breath test for SIBO but he knows of no doctor who does it and it is not within the established protocol for my managed health care plan. So I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the kind of night time episodes that I have recently encountered. And I sincerely appreciate all who respond.


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## Leon (Sep 3, 2011)

I have never heard of this but it sounds like Post Infectious IBS. Yeah, you need to see a GI. I suggest immediataly cause it may even be something else occurring.


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## TheOutlookChild (Sep 2, 2011)

Hmmm....maybe you should have blood tests? It could be your gallbladder, though that usually causes pain on your right side.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually the colon wakes up when you wake up but that usually is a near dawn thing, not a middle of the night.But the signals can get crossed, so even if not as typical as when you get up for the day it could still be IBS.One concern if you mostly get diarrhea at night is there could be microscopic colitis, for some reason that tends to be a during what should be sleep time and OK during the day type of pattern, but that usually is a watery diarrhea several times a night thing.If you limit liquids for a few hours before bedtime can you make it through the night without having to pee? I'm just wondering if you don't wake up during the night does the colon stay sleepy until morning when it should "wake up".


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## lindielou (Jul 11, 2010)

October_55 said:


> My first post. I am very grateful that I found this forum. It makes me feel a whole lot better to see that others also have to deal with this miserable disease.I think my recent symptoms are slightly different than most that I have read about. I wanted to see if any others have had the same experience.First a little background. I was diagnosed with IBS in 1996 after I started to have predominantly cramping gas and left lower side pain. My original symptoms started after I had an emergency appendectomy that resulted in a post-operative ileus where I was in and out of the hospital for about three weeks. The doctors finally got my intestinal system working again by inserting an NG tube for three days. Oh, boy that was fun.Shortly after that experience, I started to have problems with intense cramping at times and pain on my lower left side. In addition, I had and continue to have the feeling that I never could completely evacuate my system. I always feel that I still needed to get more out, but just can't do it. This has led to me needing to go to the bathroom at least 2 - 4 times a day (sometimes more), whereas before the appendectomy, I never went more than once a day. I had all of the usual upper and lower GI tests that were all normal and my primary physician diagnosed IBS in 1996. I really don't have any serious constipation or diarrhea issues, just the cramping gas pains and feeling of incomplete evacuation. Also, probably my worst problem is traveling, especially on airlines where I often feel like I'm going to explode when the cabin pressurizes.It has been difficult for me to sit for long periods of time, so working has been difficult. I have been able to fairly manage these symptoms with increased fiber from Metamucil and watching what I ate although it is still difficult to deal with. I had a colonoscopy in 2006 that was normal, and it just reconfirmed the previous diagnosis of IBS from 1996.Just recently, I started to have a slightly different set of symptoms that I wanted to see if others have experienced. One night about two months ago, my wife and I ate at a well-known chain Chinese restaurant. The next day, I was sick with intense stomach pains and a fever with diarrhea that lasted about 48 hours. I completely recovered, but I now some additional problems. I go to bed feeling ok and sleep ok, but when I am awakened by my bladder and have to pee (usually after about three - four hours), shortly afterwards my intestinal system seems to wake up and I experience cramping gas on my left side that requires me to get up and try and pass to get some relief. (The cramping pains are not what wakes me up, but rather happens shortly after I have to pee.) I also usually have to have a bowel movement to get me total relief. This process can take an hour or so to complete which is causing problems with my ability to get a good night's sleep. Also, it seems that there is a particular place on my lower left side that starts burning after I poop. I often try to lay back down, but it burns for awhile and then gradually goes away and I go back to sleep. Sometimes, I have to get up again because it hurts more when I lay down and I have to wait for the burning to go away. Strangely, I never experience the burning sensation at any other time of the day and I feel pretty good during the day except for my usual IBS symptoms that I described above. Of course the fatigue from not getting a good night's sleep is not fun. All of these new symptoms started all at once after the Chinese restaurant sickness episode.I have read about the new theories that IBS is caused by an initial infection that clears up, but then results in IBS symptoms and I'm wondering if I have now added some new symptoms after the Chinese dinner sickness episode. I've tried to convince my doctor to refer me to some GI doctor in the area I live where I get the breath test for SIBO but he knows of no doctor who does it and it is not within the established protocol for my managed health care plan. So I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced the kind of night time episodes that I have recently encountered. And I sincerely appreciate all who respond.


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## lindielou (Jul 11, 2010)

I am certain that I am much older than you. I was diagnosed with "spastic colon", this was before the term IBS came into use. Over the past twenty-five years I have not been able to sleep through the night. When I realized that there was no REAL help for this condition I knew I had to live with it; change my sleeping habits by going to bed earlier. There is a connection between the bladder, and the gut, they push upon one another. The pain in your lower left side can possibly be a symptom of Diverticulitis, has this been ruled out? I am now in my seventies and I still have this awful disorder, but I found a Gastroenterologist who specializes in Neuromuscular diseases of the intestinal tract. I still get up every night to pee, and often to poo, but I am much better than I was before I found this great doctor.Good luck


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## October_55 (Apr 7, 2012)

Thanks for all of your responses. It really helps to get some new insight.Outlook Child, all of my pain is on the left side only and I had an ultrasound several years ago of my gall bladder and it was ok.Kathleen M, I don't have the watery kind of stools, but Colitis is something to think about. I sure hope that's not it. Regarding the need to pee at night, it doesn't seem to matter what I drink before bed time, I can only go about 3 - 4 hours before having to pee. I've been told as men get older, it's a pretty common thing. My burning sensation on my lower left side seems to be related to what I eat. Last night I had Mexican food and I paid for it this morning in pain, but it eventually went away. I also just recently found out that it also hurts when I eat something with canned tomatoes in the recipe like spaghetti. So, I'm going to eliminate them from my diet. When I have the burning sensation, I also feel kind of sick and draggy, but it goes away.Lindielou, I'm 56. Several times Doctors have suspected that I had Diverticulitis, but the colonoscopy came back clean in 1996 and 2006.


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