Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Shanna: how can you live with not going for a whole week? I'd be crazed from sleep deprivation!

Shanna and other severe C-IBSers:
Doesn't being constipated more than one day ruin your sleep? It sure does mine! If I'm constipated more than one day I have constant discomfort all day but then at night it becomes much worse- really terrible sometimes- and it either prevents me from being able to sleep soundly, and thus restfully, thruout the night. Then, since I haven't slept well, my bowels work much less well the next AM.

HOW do you sleep soundly when you're constipated for a week or more???? I can't use any sleep medications-they all make my constipation much worse. This makes sense to me b/c all sleep meds slow down the nervous system. So it's logical that they would slow down the nervous system's activity in the gut too.

As far as herbs, valerian is a no-no b/c one of it's side-effects is that it can cause constipation, which it does in me. The other herbs, like chamomile, hops etc do NOTHING to help me sleep when I'm constipated b/c the constipation discomfort is too great, so it overrides any relaxation effect that they provide.

BTW, colace, MOM and glycerin or dulcolax suppositories do nothing to help me get cleaned out, they all just make my poop mushy, but it STILL won't come out.

However, I do think that taking magnesium helps me- 400 mg/day to offset the 1000mg/day of calcium that I have to take. I have premature osteoporosis b/c I had to stop eating all dairy in childhood due to my C-IBS. Beware of this bone disease complication from having IBS,even though you are only in your 20s. Be sure to get as much calcium in your diet as possible from foods other than dairy, so that you can avoid having to take calcium supplements, b/c they are definitely constipating! grrrrr

What has helped me the MOST after years of struggling, suffering and searching is H's diet. It has made a BIG diff in keeping my stools softly formed.

HOWEVER, I do have to make sure to eat as much "cushioned" insoluble fiber every day as possible to keep things moving and coming out.

I came up with he word "cushioned" to help my friends understand what my colon needs b/c the concept of soluble and insoluble fiber is just too much to try to explain to everyone. However, I do want my friends to understand why I'm sooooo committed to H's diet whenever and whatever I eat. I know some of them still don''t really get it and think I've become a bit of a nut but I DON'T CARE. Hey, they're my friends, they've seen me suffering w/ this yukky problem for more than 25 years- since childhood like Heather- so they're just happy for me that the diet is working. PLUS I'm alot less nuttier than many people out here in crazy SF, even with IBS! lol

Lastly, taking Zelnorm 6 mg twice a day is what has helped me to get the poop out every day in combo with always getting up every day at 5-5:30 b/c my "window of opportunity is from 5-6:30. "Isn't that special"!! I hate having to get up this early every day- sure ruins my social life having to be in bed every night by 9:30- but I've finally accepted that this is the ONLY time I can poop, even with using Zelnorm. The Chief of Gastroenterology is my MD and about a year ago he told me that I'm the worst case of C-IBS he's ever seen- said I have a "dead colon". I recently told him - very nicely of course; didn't want to take out my longterm frustration on him when I know he was just trying to be empathetic- that it didn't help my head or gut AT ALL when he told me this and it definitely made me feel depressed for several months. Thank God for H's diet and Zelnorm, at least I'm no longer having to do enemas every other day. That was a BIG bummer but I was the only thing that helped me to be able to sleep, so that I could keep working each day without being a zombie.

Anyway, back to the subject. I still have problems with becoming constipated about once a week and I have NO idea why but when it happens I don't sleep well and then I have to do an enema again, which I hate doing! SO, any suggestions about how to decrease the discomfort at night so that I can sleep better on these bad nights would be great. I've got my fingers and toes crossed.
Thanks!

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Many years of C-IBS and pain too for past 2 years-

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