Symptoms worse at night?

[kelly81]

Hi i have just been diagnosed with Crohn's after spending over a week in the hospital. I am taking Prednisolone currently at 40 mgs a day on a morning. I am finding that my days are much better and i hardly need to go apart from once in the morning. But by about 7-8 i need to go more often and during the night. (Although this is a big improvement from before) Is this normal? Sorry if my post doesn't make much sense i'm new at this

 

[Mia_G]

Sorry to hear about your recent diagnoses and troubles.

I definitely experience symptoms that are worse at night, so you're not alone there. My mornings can be tougher as well. The afternoon is probably the best time for me, personally.

 

[Ki3]

Im so glad you posted this omg! I thought I was the only one! My symptoms are always worse at night, every time I have gone to A&E (or now the ward as I have a passport) is at night because even in my worst flares I am never in as much pain during the day and my symptoms are always only 1/2 as bad as they are at night, I don't know why but I'm always worse at night!

 

[CrohnsChicago]

It is quite normal to have urges to use the bathroom during the middle of the night and early morning. When you are awake, your body needs to use as much of your energy as possible to get through the day. When you sleep, you are immobile, so your body channels that energy towards healing/repairing the body.

This is why some people feel more pain and symptoms during the evening. Your body is channeling all of the energy to the locations in your body that are not well and doing all that it possibly can to fight illness and rid the body of inflammation. You in turn feel the results of the fight.

Heating pads help ease some of the discomfort that many on here have during bedtime. Also, you mention you are on steroids. Steroids are meant to be fast-acting medications so as you continue to take them, you should feel less and less of your crohn's symptoms. If your symptoms do not go away with steroids, you need to let your doctor know as you may need a dosage/medication adjustment.

 

[ronroush7]

I tend to need to go more at night.

2

 

[PVail]

Im pretty much grounded in the mornings until lunch time ,in that I cant really go anywhere because of unpredictable bowel movements . The pain im now used to and have come to live with it .
Im only working because my work has many toilets on each floor and basicaly its a safe place for me. So i would say everyone is a bit diferent regards there times . When im flareing ,night time is terrible.
Sorry you got diagnosed but atleast now you have medication and some possible help.
Peter

 

[zilla7777]

I feel your pain here too. You aren't alone! In particular, I get reflux which burns my throat overnight and causes immense pain until the following night. Sucks. Hang in there, it'll get better!

 

[Skybird14]

I've wondered for years whether I was the only one to feel worse at night and after reading this, it's clear that I'm not the only one.

My main issue is with pain and gut spasms and they quite often come on in the later part of the evening and sometimes they get to the point where I just have to go to bed with a hot water bottle because there's nothing else I can do. I'm not normally that good in the mornings either and am not normally able to eat anything until about 11 O clock-ish.

 

[ronroush7]

I said that I am usually worse and night and that is true. Also, there have been some Fridays, when I am scheduled to go to the chiropractor in the morning, when the need to go to the bathroom is such that I consider skipping breakfast.

2

 

[kelly81]

Thanks to everyone who replied, I'm relieved to know I'm not totally alone with this issue. It feels like when I lie down at night the pain starts and doesn't ease up no matter which way I lie. I'm going to try a heating pad tonight and see if it helps any.

Also, you mention you are on steroids. Steroids are meant to be fast-acting medications so as you continue to take them, you should feel less and less of your crohn's symptoms. If your symptoms do not go away with steroids, you need to let your doctor know as you may need a dosage/medication adjustment.

I've been taking them for 6 days and I do feel like they are helping. I go to the bathroom 2-3 times (usually before bed, once during the night and morning, no problems during the day) instead of the 10-15 times like before. It is still diarrhea though, I'm not sure if that's normal or i need to be patient with the steroids?

 

[ronroush7]

Thanks to everyone who replied, I'm relieved to know I'm not totally alone with this issue. It feels like when I lie down at night the pain starts and doesn't ease up no matter which way I lie. I'm going to try a heating pad tonight and see if it helps any.



I've been taking them for 6 days and I do feel like they are helping. I go to the bathroom 2-3 times (usually before bed, once during the night and morning, no problems during the day) instead of the 10-15 times like before. It is still diarrhea though, I'm not sure if that's normal or i need to be patient with the steroids?

You speak of a heating pad. I wonder sometimes if that would help when I am having symptoms of the Crohn's Disease. My wife is in a wheelchair and suppose to get a service dog around Christmas. I have heard that sometimes dogs can sense where in your yummy you are having trouble and act as a service dog.

2

 

[kelly81]

Does anyone have any advice on my last post? I gave in and called my Clinical Nurse Specialist (I saw her the day I was discharged from hospital and she's the only contact number I have). I explained about still having loose BM and she said it's normal because the frequency I was going has decreased? My main issue was diarrhea and the frequency/urgency of it. I've been reading a lot and other people seems to stop pretty quickly after starting Pred.

Also since I started the Pred I am having MAJOR problems with sleeping. I cant have slept for more than a hour at a time and most nights I don't sleep at all. It's not making me tired during the day though which I don't understand. The nurse said it's a side effect and couldn't suggest anything.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I feel really stuck and confused.

 

[Crohn's gal since 1989]

When are you taking your pred? I found taking it first thing helped me avoid the sleeplessness at night.

I wonder if the increased issues in the evening are due to us being more sedentary. I know as the mother of 2 under 11 I don't really sit still till after they have gone to sleep. 9ish, then at bedtime I usually go before I sleep.

 

[CrohnsChicago]

Does anyone have any advice on my last post? I gave in and called my Clinical Nurse Specialist (I saw her the day I was discharged from hospital and she's the only contact number I have). I explained about still having loose BM and she said it's normal because the frequency I was going has decreased? My main issue was diarrhea and the frequency/urgency of it. I've been reading a lot and other people seems to stop pretty quickly after starting Pred.

You must take into consideration that not everyone will experience the exact same symptoms and exact same results. Some people when starting steroids will gradually see a decrease in bowel movements and looseness over time, some people return back to their "normal" bowel movements, and there are some people who will become constipated after a day or two of taking steroids and can't go at all for a few days (I fall into this category). Each person will respond differently to medication, that's why it is important to monitor your own individual progress and if after a week or two you still do not see any continued progress, you let your doctor know.

Also since I started the Pred I am having MAJOR problems with sleeping. I cant have slept for more than a hour at a time and most nights I don't sleep at all. It's not making me tired during the day though which I don't understand. The nurse said it's a side effect and couldn't suggest anything.

I know I'm asking a lot of questions but I feel really stuck and confused.

Insomnia is a VERY common side effect of steroid usage. If your sleepless nights are being caused by your medication, unfortunately steroids are very powerful drugs and there is not much you can do about this until you come off of the steroids.

The only suggestions I can offer based on my own experience is to avoid naps and keep yourself physically active during the day in hopes that you will tire yourself out enough to sleep through the night. When the steroids started easing my symptoms, I CAREFULLY and SLOWLY increased my physical activity through exercise which included daily walks and light cardio every other day or two. I also talked to my GI about doing this first to make sure I would not make my crohn's worse by doing too much exercise too soon.

Hoping that you start to see more progress in the coming days and weeks!

 

[kelly81]

When are you taking your pred? I found taking it first thing helped me avoid the sleeplessness at night.

I've been taking it about 8 after breakfast (It says to take with or after food) Do you think I should take it few hours earlier? I normally try to sleep at about 10-30 PM (habit from working even though I'm off sick atm). I feel like I should be exhausted after no sleep for a week but I'm not. It is making me feel really irritable though.

 

[Crohn's gal since 1989]

The majority of the time I was on prednisone I was working full time and had to drop my kids to daycare so I would take it between 6:00-7:00am.

 

[tracy3808]

I can understand what you are going through, my crohn's symptoms are always worse at night, sometimes keeping me up for hours.

 

[fissure2]

^^ yea i though i was alone on that