ileo_man

I have had an ileostomy for a few months now, and am still trying to
cope with the problems of having an ileostomy. One particular concern
is the interrupted sleep, for waking up one or two times in one night
to empty my full pouch. I found myself periodically checking that the
pouch is not getting too full that may cause leakage.

I generally finish my dinner at about 7PM, after getting home from
work at about 5:30PM, and try not to have any more food or drink after
7PM. At about 10:30PM, I generally empty my pouch immediately before
I go to bed, so that I can wake up to work next day at 6AM. Still, I
have to wake up once or twice every night.

Any suggestions to have an uninterrupted sleep?

rex j atkins amibe

In article <1171937329.874427.126790@p10g2000cwp.googlegroups .com>,
ileo_man <ileo_man@hotmail.com> writes


I have not had a full nights sleep for 25 years.................... I
have to empty at least once sometimes twice a night....

Trick is to ask your doc to give you a drowsy pill that allows the bag
to wake you up so you dont make a bed mess but allows you to go back to
sleep again....

In my case it was 10mg of valium.........

YMMV

Rex in Norwich
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Rex J Atkins, AMIBE
E-Mail ra1702.20736ar@tiscali.co.uk

pjf

Rex,

Your solution works well for me too. Good advice! But anyone interested in
this approach definitely needs the DR's OK as well as the prescription.
Valium (generic) is much cheaper than the TV prescription meds for sleep, at
least for me.

Hope this helps

m

Have you tried using Imodium (Loparimide) to slow your output down
overnight.

M
ileo May 2002 due to CD dx'd in 1996

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pjf

Imodium (Loparimide) works well but use it cautiously! I rarely use it
except when the output is almost totally liquid and at the quantity and
frequency of a fire hydrant -- with the possibility of causing
dehydration.. And even then, I usually take only half a tablet. I've had
two occasions of painful blockage of my output, NOT from using Imodium but
from other, unrelated, causes. Nonetheless, IMHO, Imodium, not used with
great care, could so slow down peristalsis as to cause painful blockage. I
guess all you can do is try it and see if it works for you. But, I'd suggest
half a tablet initially.

gruver

I have been taking imodium tablets for about a year now. I actually use
the generic version from Walmart. These have been wonderful and I have
had no ill effects at all. I'm a person that enjoys ice cream before bed
and that used to cause my bag to fill up quickly so I avoided it.
Now I can have my treat before bed again. I've had some blockages
through the 25 years with my ileostomy but imodium has not caused a
problem at all.
Good Luck
Sandi G

joe

I have a continent ileostomy (BCIR) and perhaps had maybe a handful of
nights where I slept all night. Those nights had in common that I went to
bed hungry. I did not eat past noon.

Now I find myself eating 2 small meals a day (not gaining weight or losing)
and nothing after 2 pm. Any snacking I do will result in my waking up
during the night.

Although my pouch is internally constructed with small bowel tissue,
when it is full, I am in pain and it has to empty. It takes about 2 to 3
hours to fall back asleep due to the endorphins released cause of the pain.

Bottom line, don't eat anything for 8 hours before going to bed.
It usually takes 5 hours for a complete trek through my system.

Yeah, I know that going to bed hungry ****s.

--
Joe