Is it possible to have pain at night. I am having windlike pains moving over the abdomen. I woke at 2 this morning and could feel them. Usual bloating etc but these are new. Have had ibs for years. Please anyone else get gassy pains not just lower left.
Regards
Like you I I suffer symptoms of bloating and wind at night. I can be feeling fine all day and as soon as I lie down the problems start and keep me awake. For some time now I have been troubled with heartburn as well. The antacid tablets the doctor prescribed are not effective. O ne of the doctors in the practise I go to said it was unusual to have IBS symptoms at night but another said this was common!
Hope you get some relief from your symptoms.
I don't think doctors really know what is normal for IBS sufferers - I get more discomfort at night time than I do during the day. especially nausea - it often wakes me up in the middle of the night and stops me sleeping.
'Normal' is whatever is typical for you. Look at what you have been eating/drinking and try to identify the trigger.
Night time is without doubt the worst time for me and has been for 20 odd years. I worry that it's never on the list of "typical" IBS symptoms and I asked my GP about it a few weeks ago. He seemed amazed that it's not considered typical - he said it was very common and as most of us eat our main meal in the evening, it makes sense. I dread the nights when my IBS is going through a bad patch. You are certainly not alone.
I too have had bad night-time symptoms - in fact because my symptoms often set off at night, this was the red flag 'trigger' for me to have more investigations done. But, it's just IBS. If you've got acid reflux too (I have!) raise the head of your mattress by putting a bolster or wedge cushion under it. This really helps.
Night time is the worst for me as well ,particularly early a m when digestive system wakes up .have solved heart burn with a wedge pillow
, eating no later than early evening ,and main meal. Mid day .
I've learnt to keep all my meals small and eat early in the evening. I use a small plate to remind myself that portion control, for my guts sake, is critical. I've also lost a stone, although that wasn't my intent and thus have much more energy. Also started drinking warm water instead of numerous cups of tea. Looked inside our teapot and saw the accumulated tannin. I've tried to limit my portions so that I feel hungry before the next meal, instead of piling more food in when I have no hunger pangs but the clock says it's supper time. I guess I've been overeating and my stomach etc. has been over working. I enjoy what I eat much more as a result. These are simple things but they have as much chance of working as any other route out of this life affecting problem.
Yes, I experience the nightime pains, mostly left side but sometimes cross abdomen. Sometimes need to get up in the night for a BM. (I'm IBS-c). Trying to eat less at dinner and spread food throughout day but not after 7 pm.
Thank you so much everyone for replying. It helps so much to know there are others in the same position. Do any of you have wind like pains moving all over abdomen. This is a new ibs symptom for me. I guess most of you know if anything changes it is a worry. All the literature says is left sided pain which I most certainly do have. I have had internal pelvic scan, abdominal scan, faecal blood test etc this year but still worry. Silly I know.
Thanks
Margaret
hi . yes i also get pains at night , sometimes feels like contractions like a tight band going around my mid section from under bust to hips, at other times its just sharp shooting pain around the gut.
Hi I also suffer pain only at night time. Unfortunately I tend to eat my biggest meal in the evening which aggravates it even more. I find that eating smaller meals more frequently helps. I feel like there is an alien inside me trying to escape!! A painkiller and a hot water bottle are the best solution if the pain becomes unbearable. Also make sure you are drinking lots of water as I have found this helps.
Hi choclover
You use the word unbearable - which perfectly describes it when it's bad. I know other IBS sufferers talk about extreme pain at times too. I went to an NHS IBS day last saturday and asked the gastro dr who was speaking, why the pain is sometimes so awful. It comes out of nowhere. He said if it was unbearable then it probably wasn't IBS - the worst thing to say to a worrier!! Having had it for 20 years or more and been tested for all sorts, I think he's wrong.
hi binks read your piece...am sorry to hear that you are suffering,like myself...and i find that its very difficult to get any sense/sympathy from doctors,who only seem to be able to say ,well it might be something worse...and just ignore your feelings /thoughts about curing the condition...its very annoying and i do have sympathy for you...i do hope you are ok,truly. take care. chris (uk)
I also get the majority of my IBS pain at night, it gets that I dread going to bed. It seems that as soon as I lie down my stomach and my bowel wake up!!! As for pinpointing what causes my IBS I just cannot. I seem to think it could be one thing but if I try that again I am perfectly ok. IBS is a horrible thing to have and I think we all know that it is very unlikely that a 'cure' will be found for it.
i am sorry there are so many of you with night time pain and rumblings . thought it was just me so feel relieved and agree about biggest meal in evening being major cause so wiil cut down portion size . always feel better if can pass the wind cos everything starts when i am in bed! so thahks for sharing it does comfort me.you start thinking the worst.hope you get better nights and thanks
Hi binks and everyone else,
I agree the Gastros should think before they speak. I saw my gastro yesterday and he said just ibs again. Last night I had awful pains going across the top of my abdomen and panicked as usual. He told me to take mebeverine but most people say it does not work but I am trying it. It has been such a stressful year and now this again. Does anyone else get pains along the top the transverse colon I suppose. he said do I get days when I have no pain. Well not since this last flare it is always somewhere and of course now I am worrying about that.
I know worriers are the perfect candidates for ibs but I still worry. he did say nightime pain is not usual and it makes him prick his ears when he hears that (again I worry) but he said it does happen. He did draw a diagragm and showed me how when the colon is stretched it can cause pain that mimics, gall bladder, stomach, pancreas and liver. Fortunately I have had all those scanned recently.So of course now I am thinking bowel cancer.I know neurotic is what I am. Thanks to you all though you have really helped and it makes such a difference to know you are not alone or going slowly mad.
Presumably none of you intake brassicas as these can cause wind.
Hi, I used to get really bad pain on a night but over time and removing some foods from my diet - wheat, onions and anything with bubbles my pain is now more like mild discomfort. From what I understand different people have different food triggers but to help reduce your pain I think its worth looking at diet - its not easy but may help.
Yes, I sometimes think that it is worse at night and seems to ease when I am up and about. Perhaps I lay and analyse it too much.
I have same symptoms and they were keeping me awake half the night. I experimented for six months and did find a solution that works for me. 1. Avoid eating after 7pm 2. Take strong senokot dose at 3pm every other day. It really works!
Thanks for this tip, I suffer the same as you so I will try out the solution you have found.
I get bad spasms every night. I dread going to bed at night. I have pain every day, and night. the so called experts say I have I BS. My life is a living hell. I tried to check out last year, but didn't succeed. I don't want to die; I just want this constant pain gone.
Look up FODMAP. It is hard work to follow a low FODMAP diet but it works for me. It has been scientifically shown to relieve IBS symptoms - not just a fad. You only have to follow it a few weeks and the IBS goes for a few months. When the diet is too hard sometimes I just give up caffeine and alcohol and reduce the amount of bread I eat. That helps too.
My pain is always worse at night, especially if I eat in the evening. Unfortunately, even if I don't eat, the pain is worse at night.
My doctor has prescribed me dicyclomine (bentyl) for my stomach spasms at night and it has been life changing. It makes all the horrid muscle contractions go away and allows me to rest. I start to feel the spasms coming about 9:30, 10, whenever I get into bed to relax. They make my body shake and convulse and I always tell myself tonjust puke and I will feel better but that is SO not the case. It makes it worst. Now, I take a dicyclomine as soon as I feel it coming and it stops it in its tracks!
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