I'm still trying, after all this time, to figure out exactly what triggers the pain, which is a burning and sharp pain that gets worse the longer I stay in one position at night. Sometimes it starts right away when I go to bed and other times in the early hours of the morning. Of course, I've had every test under the sun to rule out anything life-threatening. I've recently discovered this site and was not aware until now about the differences in soluble and insoluble fiber.
I seem to be doing a little better since I've started cutting out certain foods or preparing them differently. As to your question, I tend to think that it may not necessarily be the foods that I've eaten that day, but could be from the day before (which makes it even harder to pinpoint exactly what causes the problem).
When I get a bad attack of IBS-C I take a laxative as a last resort and get very narrow stools. I get the feeling that I'm swollen inside and this is causing the blockage. This seems to be caused by a reaction to certain foods that irritate my colon. It usually takes a few days to settle down to less intense pain after a bad attack.
As I may have mentioned, some of my triggers seem to be cheese, fatty food and "gassy" vegetables, especially onions, beans, broccoli, brussels and cabbage. I know I've not been careful enough lately (had some pizza yesterday) and I'm paying the price! I'm trying to get my act together to try another elimination diet, i.e. eating only "safe" foods for a week and slowly adding other foods back in. This is very tedious, but I think I'll have to give it another go if I ever want to get out of this cycle of pain.
One thing that helps a bit is to sleep on my back, propped up with a few pillows. This is not the most comfortable position for me, but it tends to lessen the pain (lower left abdomen). The pain is worst when I sleep in my favorite positon (on my left side) for any length of time. A warm bath before bedtime helps too. I know your daughter doesn't like using a heat pad, but I find it quite soothing sometimes.
Good luck in your search for a cure for your daughter.
Posts
Nighttime IBS Pain
