Have I got IBS?

[David_H]

Hi all, wonder if anyone has experienced same problem I have. In short, I wake up about 5am and straightaway feel like I need to poop but if I get up I'm not ready to. Feel a bit nauseous, anxious and feeling generally unwell. So I lie there for a couple of hours, get up, drink some tea and after about 30 mins (still feeling awful) I know I definitely need to go and all is feel after. I don't tend to suffer much in the way of discomfort during the day; just when I wake. I saw a couple of gastroenterologists who weren't particularly helpful and just put it down to 'being me'. One suggested probiotics which I've yet to try. No mention of foods/ drinks to avoid. Thanks David

[Maureen1958]

I don't think I would call what you are experiencing IBS. We all have different times when our bodies start needing the loo in the morning. Perhaps it's just your body getting ready to get out yesterday's waste. You say you are woken by this at 5am, can I suggest that rather lay there feeling rough for a couple hours, you get up straight away and make some tea. You may find that you can go to the toilet and go back to bed for a while before getting up for the day.

All my life I have had a cup of tea in the morning (my mum or dad would bring me a cup to get me up in the morning). When later in life I got IBS, I always found it was better to have a hot drink (sometimes two) before going to the loo as it helped it along.

[David_H in reply to Maureen1958]

Thanks Maureen. You probably right. Just reluctant to wake others so early and getting my body used to wanting to gp so early. Had this problem for long time. Maybe it's a stress thing. I'm not one to relax and always busy or maybe beer irritating the gut not that I have much. Its a very unpleasant feeling for sure

[Maureen1958 in reply to David_H]

You can say that again! 😞

[David_H in reply to Maureen1958]

Oh forgot to say. Do you think worth trying probiotics? I picked some up from Boots

[Maureen1958 in reply to David_H]

Some people think they are good but they never did anything for me. But give them a go as you have bought them, you never know!

[Hillhouse05 in reply to Maureen1958]

I can recommend Kefir made from goats milk for a healthy gut. The cows milk version of kefir isn’t as good. Made by the Laughing Goat company in Wales. Takes a few weeks but it’s good stuff.

[David_H in reply to Hillhouse05]

Thanks a lot. Appreciated

[xjrs in reply to David_H]

I have tried many probiotics. The best I have found is Alflorex. It is quite expensive, but has had the most effect on me.

[David_H in reply to xjrs]

Thanks a lot. Appreciated

[Iguvup]

Hello David,

This is similar to how I experience IBS - diagnosed by GP. I wake up In morning with bloated painful tummy. Once I’ve had a hot drink such as fresh coffee with breakfast I go to the loo and feel such relief. I had this for a couple of years on and off. Then I saw a dietician and followed Fodmap approach. Realised that I could not tolerate: milk/cream, crisps, more than a little alcohol, milk chocolate, non sourdough bread, ……. So I cut down on these things as well as started to drink more water and the IBS symptoms disappeared! It’s a coincidence reading your message , I have woken up this morning with awful bloating and painful stomach - but I realize over Christmas I’ve not been careful what I am eating - last night I finished off Christmas pudding with brandy cream!!! So I will get back on the wagon now. I would definitely recommend finding out what triggers your symptoms. Def try drinking more water too. Good luck.

[David_H in reply to Iguvup]

Thanks a lot. Not tried the dietician route yet. It just seems weird that as soon as I wake up I feel like I want to go and feel unwell until I do which maybe an hour or so later

[Carlettejaque]

It may just be that you are intolerant to some thing you eat regularly. Could be dairy or wheat. Try cutting out one food for 2 weeks if you feel the same then reintroduce it and cut out another different food. An exclusion diet might discover what it is. Try dairy first . The top intolerances are dairy, wheat, yeast.if it's an intolerance then probiotics won't help.

[Artyfartymum]

this sounds like me too! I was on here a couple of months back questioning whether i had IBS after a suffered nearly a month of desperately needing the loo. After some inconclusive tests it went back to normal-just like you-needing the loo quite urgently first thing in the morning and for the most part, feeling relieved afterwards. It’s often quite loose…I know my gut isn’t right as i get bloating often in the evening and seemingly random bouts of nausea-which i always thought was dehydration but i now think is tummy related as i drink regularly throughout the day. From being on this forum one thing i have learnt is that it takes a lot of perseverance and insistence with the GP if you want a diagnosis but there are lots of supportive people on here who will offer good advice regardless of a diagnosis or not 😊

[David_H in reply to Artyfartymum]

Ah thanks. Sorry to hear you've been suffering too but good to know I'm not the only one! How can you wake up at 5am every day instantly feeling you need the loo but wouldn't be able to go if you tried! Beyond me!

[David_H in reply to Artyfartymum]

Hey. I was just revisiting my posts as I'm having another bout of the same problem and seeing your reply I thought I'd ask and see how you're getting on with your IBS?

[Italy45]

personally I feel like your symptoms fit ibs as that’s what happened to me before I was diagnosed.

[David_H in reply to Italy45]

Thanks. Yes it's very annoying and unsettling

[Montykat]

do you take any medications before bed? I find if i need for example gaviscon before bed i wake up much earlier and need the bathroom. And will feel uncomfortable until i go.

[David_H in reply to Montykat]

No I don't take any meds thankd

[Montykat]

ah was just a thought. Hope you are doing okay

[David_H in reply to Montykat]

It was a good point thanks. I think the anxiety causes more anxiety and stress . The more you worry about it thd worse it becomes. Hey ho

[Montykat]

absolutely agree!

[David_H in reply to Montykat]

You wouldn't think a simple thing like going to the loo would cause so much grief would you

[Molly1965]

Hi David I started Alflorex probiotics around 4 months ago & I’ve definitely improved. Wouldn’t be without them now. Hope you improve.

[David_H in reply to Molly1965]

Thanks a lot. Appreciated

[Luisa22]

What you said sounds familiar to me! I used to get that same thing. It wasn't very nice.

I must admit, the few times that happened to me have made me a bit scared of "waking up too early"! So much so, that I deliberately stay up late, so I am very unlikely to wake up at some godforsaken hour feeling my gut playing tricks on me and feeling so alone and bleak! If it happens at 8.30am, and it's daylight, I am somehow more able to cope with it.

Yes, I used to get that. Scary, gut wanting to go, but nothing until a bit later, slight creepy nausea, shakiness, etc. It passed though and stopped happening. I know feasibly it could happen again but try not to think about that.

It used to happen more when my IBS was just starting. At that time I had no idea about tailoring my diet to my weird gut. I was still trying to eat my normal "super-healthy" diet! (which was NOT suiting me, but it took me some time for the penny to drop.)

Low Fodmap diet helped slightly, and me finding out what foods were unfriendly to me personally and which were friendlier. (those don't always have to be low Fodmap foods, but what suits us for a calmer gut personally.)

It could definitely be IBS, but have you had some tests via the doctor that might help to be sure?

[David_H in reply to Luisa22]

Thank you very much for your reply. I can definitely relate to what you say. I'm lying awake in bed feeling a bit sick and feeling like you need to go but if you get up it's not 'ready'. Feeling anxious, heart rate up, etc. If lucky will go within 30 mins but often have to wait an hour or more and it can be a struggle (probably because I'm not waiting that bit long enough). Occasionally use a suppository if I run out of patience. If I get delays for a few days I take a Laxido in the evening which tends to help. It's a problem I've had for a long time and never really got an answer to it even after seeing a couple of professionals . I'm sure it would help if I was more of a relaxed type of person and having it on your mind all the time can't help! Enough of my whinging... hopefully matters will improve. You take good care. David

[Luisa22]

I feel (with me anyway) that to wake up with anxiety has become to some extent a learned response to a bit of fear about what my gut is/might be about to spring on me. Sometimes I can wake up like that and find once I get going, I have a perfectly normal bowel movement and no pain etc. So I think "what was all my anxiety about when I woke up" ?

I think there's some learned response about it, could be based on one or two unpleasant experiences that somehow I'm not letting go of.

Have you tried having a cup of coffee? It doesn't have to be strong. But a coffee after washing face, brushing teeth, etc does give a fairly gentle stimulus to the bowels. (If you get horrible diarrhea in mornings, you might not want to do that though)

It can often help that nasty anxious feeling for me, to focus on going downstairs, having a coffee, going out in the garden, feeding the wild birds, just pottering about for a few minutes, and then going to the loo.

I suppose some people might call it my way of "getting grounded" (not much fun in pouring rain though! aargh!)

[David_H in reply to Luisa22]

Thanks for that. Yes I try similar. This morning good example. Wake 5.15. Try to doze til 7. Get up 2 teas 1 coffee and feeling anxious til 8.30 when I manage to go a bit. Even took Laxido last night too. Its that fight or flight type of feeling. Once I go I tend to have discomfort free day. Hopefully it will resolve!

[Luisa22]

I do know. In a way my mornings can be similar-ish. I am never sure about the day at all, until I've "been" at which point I do settle more and can get on with the day. I realise that is quite lucky as some people get much worse than I have. I know that fight-or-flight sensation too. That doesn't seem to trouble me as much nowadays but it did used to esp. at first.

My heart used to race I think with the anxiety of what might/might not happen with my gut! It can be really difficult to focus the mind on anything nicer. But what I try to do, is write down any dream fragments I might remember. It takes my mind slightly off my tummy....and potter around outside a bit while I drink my coffee. A Crow visits me who has become my friend, since 2016. It's always nice to see him in the morning. I only give him a little treat but he enjoys it.

[David_H in reply to Luisa22]

Yes it's very unsettling isn't it. Can't plan the morning at all these days

[Beathebasset]

hi I’m a newbie here but wondering if you have found a solution to your gut health? I have just started with a probiotic today 🤞.I have tried everything over the years but often have flare ups which make me feel terribly anxious it is a debilitating condition . Nothing seems to work for very long !

Any advice most welcome

[David_H in reply to Beathebasset]

Hi. Yes it's a real pain isn't it and it's taken me a long time to find a 'fix'. I say a fix and I've been ok for z few weeks now but you never know if it'll last of course. I found a Dietician who has an interest in IBS and associated gut issues. She advised making few relatively minor changes (mainly involving increased fibre and liquid intake) and I've not been having the early morning discomfort. Hope it stays that way! May be worth considering it as an option for you to try? Good luck