Ostomy Super Active at Night - Will It Ever Change?

My ostomy, Willy, is a night owl and I am not. I suffer from insomnia but that means my sleep is more precious and in still not a night own despite my brain taking hours to fall asleep. Oh and I am incapable of napping. So! I need sleep. But Willy my ileostomy has other ideas. Here it is 3am and I emptied jim...he was full...at 10 and midnight and 230. But it seems I empty him once during the day. Maybe he's confused. He is new, not even a week old but what gives? Will Willy switch to s daytime routine ever? And I fear pooping him at night or him getting to full and gushing over. 

Hello Gemd. Perhaps a round the world trip, passing through several time zones might confuse him enough to get him into a daytime routine? Seriously, it sometimes takes a while for things to settle down into an acceptable routine. However, if this doesn't happen in the first few months I would suggest experimenting with diet and timing of your input, which might also confuse the sytstem into working to slightly different times. There are also medications which can speed up or slow down the system but I would be reluctant to suggest going down that route until you have tried all the natural remedies as all medications can have unwanted side-effects.

Best wishes

Bill 

Hi there, my ‘alian’ (or volcano) is active at night as well, but I figure it out, I think.  In my case, I need to stop eating 2-3 hours before I go to sleep.  However, I still have to get up at least twice, three times sometimes, bc of ballooning.  May have very little output, but the gas built up..... gosh, it’s something else!  I’m a very picky eater, I eat mostly yogurt all day, make my own;  rarely do I eat meat or gas causing foods.  But, I think all the friendly bacteria found in yogurt, break done whatever else I have in there, releasing gas.  Last night, for example, I drank like 32 oz of tea and juice, and my pouch filled, making me go empty the thing 3 times. It is a neusance any type of input, food or fluids, the ballooning is out of this world.  I put on an EZ vent, thinking I could just stay in bed and opening the valve.....bad idea?  Not just the foul odor, which also needs to be expelled in the bathroom, away from other humans, but since I put out liquid always, found a way to seep through the valve.  Big mess, shower, change of clothing, etc.  

My Willy also is quite loud, sounding farty often. But I hear the first few weeks post op are worst as your body adjusts. And the occasional gas pains, whew! Short and sweet but shabby. But I know it's gas as it stabs, moves, stabs, and a bit later my bag is air-y. I also am drinking from a straw not by choice (thanks hospital) so I'm sure that isn't helping. I do eat more than 2 hours before bed but that little sucker just wants to poop all night! I guess it's good in a sense...the first few days post op nothing happened and the doctor's were worried and then like magi, super liquid poo. Then when they got worried my super liquid poo might never get more applesauce-y, Bing thenext day it's applesauce-y.

Hi Gemd :)

I've had my ileostomy for maybe 18 months and have had to get 3 prolapses fixed in that time (yep wow)..I too have had many many many a night waking & emptying every 2 hrs (ileostomy)  i used to set my clock to go off and i am sure glad i did! Yr not alone in sleepless nights i can tell you cos i've had so many leakages you know the drill wake up in a puddle of # I'm lucky because i can call the on call home nurse for shwr and change nightie and the bed sheets and now i use what we call a Bluey that they use on the hospital beds (material waterproofed on bottom side so the bed doesn't get too messy, now i use Eakin Pelican Large sized drainable bags ( they're not too large) and yes i still use the Bluey just in case!

I cannot and will not again ever try to drink a Pepsi because my bag decided it was a Zepplin ! I thought it wanted to try to get me airbourne... (i havn't found the right time to try a beer) but summer is coming here down under :)

I now use Eakin Perform (little white satches) just slip one in the bottom end of bag after emptying before you go to bed, it turns the liquid to gell , and my nights have gotten bearable again for now There is also a product called Diamond satches (black) not too sure who makes them tho, I hope these tips help you :) 

Nice to meet you Gemd & Hang in there kiddo (that's what i keep saying to myself ) because there is no support groups around this area of NSW to tell me that 

That's how i stumbled onto this site The tips that everyone gives are gr8t and i'm sure one day i shall get on here reguarly (i hope) LoL :)

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister