I'm 6 months post takedown, and I do the same thing! And, like you, I used to sleep curled up on my side. I have begun to notice that it is slowly becoming "safe" to sleep like that again, though I do mostly sleep on my back still. Maybe some "older" j-pouchers can give us some insight on this.

LOL, I was JUST noticing this tonight, in fact. I haven't even had my takedown yet, so all I'm passing is mucous, but I've been dealing with the sensation the last couple days of always feeling like I need to go, even though I know there's nothing there... but was just noticing a few minutes ago that it's a bit less noticable when I'm on my back. Weird... I hope that feeling goes away eventually, because it is pretty annoying.

Get an RX of bentyl or Donnatel. Both reduce intestinal spasms which might be causing your problem.

Sue

I have felt the same thing! I will say that over time, the feeling has gotten less and less. I couldnt even sleep on my side at first but now I can. I dont know if it's pressure from the position or what but I remember having an urge to use the bathroom as soon as I rolled over a certain way!

Hi Kim and welcome!

I too was never a back sleeper and had to adjust -- I am a 16 year veteran and can now sleep on both sides and my back. For me it did get better, but it took awhile.

I sleep great on my right side and back, but If I roll over onto my left side I tend to wake up feeling the urge to go to the bathroom????

I've found that back sleeping causes the urge to go. Right sleeping does not. Left sleeping is also alright but doesn't seem to be as good as right sleeping.

I've also noticed that when I do a Fleet Enema prep for a pouchoscopy that if I lie (lay?? I must have been absent that day) on my right side it takes forever for the enema to take effect. If I lie (lay? see above) on my left side things start gurgling right away.

Just one more thing that is individual.

kathy

Kim,

I sleep on my right or left side curled up in a fetal position, sometimes partially turning over onto my stomach. I have not noticed sleeping position to impact on my frequency. I am concerned that you may be attributing a causal relationship with sleep positions or patterns which may in fact not exist. I think you should sleep in the manner most comfortable to your body and forget about the causality between positions and frequency as something else might be causing it.

All of the above being said when I actually sit down on the commode and torque my torso to the left in a harsh twisting motion it enables me to evacuate more easily, in fact sometimes very forcefully as I twist to the left.

I have been thinking about this some more, and trying to pay attention to what exactly I feel happening in my body when I lay down at night. I think a lot of what happens, with me anyway, has to do with gas. I cannot easily pass gas standing up, but when I lay down I can. I think that perhaps the change in position from standing up to laying down causes the gas to reposition inside my pouch and try to "get out." This will often make me feel something like the urge to "go." Laying on my back eases this, as I can easily pass gas from that position without fear of an accident at this point.

Thank you for all of the feedback. Last night I spent most of the night on my back but was able to sleep the last couple of hours on my right side.

CTBarrister - I think you're right. I probably am finding a causal relationship where there isn't one. It's that whole UC mindset where you have to find what's causing your symptoms so you can make them stop...I'm still stuck in that even though I remind myself everyday that things are different. That said, I definitely get longer spurts of sleep on my back for whatever reason. And I have the same experience you have - if I twist to either side on the toilet I evacuate more easily. Weird.

Sue - I am going to check into the prescriptions you mentioned. I definitely have spasms and I've been taking Immodium, but I think it causes a little constipation for me - not very comfortable. I think I took Bentyl when I had milder bouts of UC.

I so appreciate this community. It is so comforting to know that I'm not alone

Kim,

Bentyl and Donnatal will definitely help, especially if they are taken 30-45 minutes before meals and at bedtime. Of those 2, I found Donnatal has milder side effects in terms of making me feel a little "loopy" or lightheaded. I still take 1 Donnatal at bedtime.

I think I'm in the minority of people in the world that sleep flat on their stomach (and I always have). This has helped me TREMENDOUSLY with being able to sleep through the night every night. There is the least amount of pressure on the pouch and "exit hole" (trying to maintain some dignity in these replies) and thus less of an urgency to have to go. If I sleep on my back or my sides, I will most definitely have to get up. I agree with all the others too in that the left side vs. the right is related to more urgency as well.

Glad to see that I am not the only one. I have a hard time sleeping laying down. I sleep better in my Lazy Boy chair. Don't know why. If I am in a motel I have to prop myself up. My 5 year old likes it though it makes it easier for him to sneak into bed with his mom.