Does anyone manage to sleep on their side, i can only sleep on my back, if i try and sleep on my side it makes me feel sick after a while.

[Biggles]

Does anyone have a problem with stomach cramps (where the stomach was pre opp) i seem to get them when i have been walking for a while, i sit down and rest and they go.

[AndrewB]

Hi Biggles

It is now just about three years since I had my op. I have toi sleep on my back propped up. If I sleep on my left hand side I get bile reflux (something to do where the bile entrance to stomach has been moved up) Sleeping on my left hand side is just uncomfortable and feels like my insides are being pulled. When i slip down the bed I get acid reflux so constantly adjusting my sleeping position.

Andrew

[Hidden]

Sleeping position does cause a lot of problems. Your body has undergone a lot of changes internally and your position will affect how gravity deals with your re-organised digestive organs. The details of the surgery may well affect this, but it will probably improve as the weeks go by. Some people find that sleeping on one side rather than another is less uncomfortable, and sleeping on your back, propped up to deter reflux, is probably the most favoured one. But everyone has to use trial and error to find out what suits them best. So you are not alone! Memory foam mattresses can help with the slipping down the bed.

Exercising is important, but only do what you feel comfortable with. Gentle walking is beneficial. Extend what you do gradually, but be prepared for feeling the negative effects the day afterwards if you overdo it. You have to learn what your body can take, and if you carry on until you feel tired you have probably left it too late! So try and anticipate what you will be able to cope with (easier said than done!). It will get better gradually, but some days you will feel as if you have taken a step back. But if you have been taking two steps forward, you are still making progress overall! During your surgery and treatment you probably have not felt like exercising, but gradually getting back to using all the bits of your body again is a very positive thing to aim for.

[Bazz]

I had a similar problem and have largely overcome it. I developed a trick that now enables me to sleep well and even eat fairly late, if I really have to such as when eating out with friends etc, and yet still go to bed soon afterwards:

Sitting pretty upright in bed, propped up with three pillows, I listen to my excellent DAB radio, with earphones that don't disturb my wife next to me,. Even if it's an interesting program or good music I fall asleep soon afterwards - can't help it. Sometime in the small hours I wake up, often caused by an extra loud sound from the radio. Making sure that enough time has elapsed (trial and error, but in my case about two hours) and re-arranging my pillows, can then lie in a more prone position, on my back or side, but I am still very careful to have my heard raised to a certain extent.This way I can sleep fairly undisturbed throughout most of the night.

Never listened regularly to the radio before, there are so many really good programs - if only I could stay awake!

[hunsdon]

Hi guys and girls, I have just noticed that we are talking about sleeping in the upright possion and not laying on our left side if we can help it, and also about bile coming back up into the mouth which we all agree is horrible, so what are the solitions or any assistants to helps us out for a good nights sleep. when it first happens that the bile is back in your mouth we start to cough but its also not very nice so do we try and spit out as much as we can or do we take somethink for it if so what????