Problems while sleeping

[milner06]

Hey everyone. Lately I've been have problems while sleeping. Oh, I'm sleeping all night, but I'm pretty much having an entire bowl movement while I sleep. Almost every morning I wake up in a puddle of poop. I wear a pair of depends when I sleep and I take 4 lomotil every night before bed time. For the most part, I do not eat dinner late or snack right before I go to bed. It's just starting to get frustrating having to change the sheets about 4 times a week. And trying my wife from rolling over into it is just depressing. Is there anyone else out there that's having this problem? And if so, I'm so sorry to hear that I'm not the only one, but how do you deal with it? Meds? Preventative schedule? Thanks for any info. Hope all goes well for everyone.

 

[Nancye50]

I'm so sorry. I haven't had to deal with that. Would you be able to get an alarm and try to make a preemptive trip to the bathroom? Is there a way the lomotil is wearing off and almost "rebounding"?

 

[milner06]

The alarm idea does would probably work. I know that some nights when I wake up and make a trip to the rest room, my nights aren't that bad. The only down side that I could see is that the nights that I have a "bad night" as I call it, I sleep, but I don't rest. I may try this out and see how it goes. I don't know if the lomotil is wearing off. I haven't been on it for a long time. I was out on it 4 years ago after my surgeries, but I only took it for a year or so and then can off of it. I started it again when the night time problem started up about 8 months ago. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Nancye50]

There's a sleep app called "sleep cycle" that can sense when you're moving in bed; in a restless state and wake you up in a range of time. So if you set it 2-3am, it would wake you by 3.

 

[Mmleonr]

Try avoiding food before going to bed. And sit in the toilet for at least 20 minutes before going to bed and as soon as you wake up. And in time your body will slowly train itself when it's time to go. My problem Is that my bowels want to move as soon as I finish eating but I know to eat at home. And I trained my body to go at a certain time when in at work. Best of luck.

 

[milner06]

Hey Mmleonr. I avoid eating after 7:00 and I'm usually in bed around 10:00-10:30. And I do go to the restroom right be for bed. I don't know if I can train my body though. I've had my entire colon removed and my jpouch doesn't really do well holding "food" for eight hours. Thanks for the input though. I do appreciate it very much.

Nancye50, I got that app and tried it out last night. Seems to work pretty good. I set an alarm to get up at 1:00. I went and voided my system and didn't have any leakage or anything when I woke up at 4:30 this morning. Thanks again for the help.

I hope all is going well with everyone! Thank to all!

 

[Nancye50]

So glad to hear it!

 

[UnXmas]

When I got my ileostmy I got a draw sheet to protect my mattress in case of leaks (luckily never had that problem as it turned out).

Before my ileostomy I did have some bowel incontinence, both while sleeping and while awake. I used Molimed pads (I didn't choose the brand - that's just what the NHS provided me with as standard), the thickest pad, though not the ones that are basically disposable underwear - I used a thick pad but like a sanitary towel placed in my own underwear, which worked alright.

One thing I did find (and in relation to my bladder incontinence too): I had to wear fairly tight underwear. I lost some weight and my underwear was a little looser, and this seemed to make it easier for leaks to come out around the pad. Might be something to try? if you're wearing disposable underwear and it doesn't contain it all, maybe try a smaller size to keep it tighter against the skin?

I also used to take a lot more lomotil than the dose you're taking, and also loperamide and codeine (I was taking all three together, didn't seem to be a problem - they were all prescribed by a doctor). My doses were around 20 pills total for all three each day, though spread out through the day. If you're only taking anti-diarrhoea pills at night, try taking them throughout the day as well so your digestive system is consistently slowed down.

Time of eating never seemed to make much of a difference to me.

I know it's such a horrible problem to have. :ghug: One more reason I'm glad to have my ileo. I have far less mess with my ileostomy!

 

[UnXmas]

Try avoiding food before going to bed. And sit in the toilet for at least 20 minutes before going to bed and as soon as you wake up. And in time your body will slowly train itself when it's time to go. My problem Is that my bowels want to move as soon as I finish eating but I know to eat at home. And I trained my body to go at a certain time when in at work. Best of luck.

I'm not sure everyone's body will "train itself" - I know mine wouldn't!

 

[milner06]

UnXmas, thanks for all the info. I had considered a smaller disposable undwear, but I'm already wearing the smallest I can find in my local stores. Things have been going pretty good with waking up and emptying my jpouch in the middle of the night. I also was on lomotil and codien, but it was right after getting a temp elio and a jpouch surgery. It worked for me then, but I slowly came off both the meds because the need for them was no longer there. I understand the simplesity of an ileo (had a temp for 8 months) and I know that I will have to go back to one someday, but I personally, am dreading that day. I felt very limited. Thanks again for all your info.