Getting through the night

About 3... trying to get it down but I think my inflammation is acting up. Try not eating about 3-4 hours before bedtime, 1 or 2 Imodium, and melatonin

@Rob McLorinan You’ll find a wealth of information from dozens of folks here on this exact topic with a simple search for the word “sleep.” Just click on the magnifying glass icon.

My medication strategy is to take one (or occasionally two) Lomotil at bedtime, and rarely use it at all during the day. This lets me almost always sleep through the night, as long as pouchitis is under good control.

I also average about 2 to 3 times a night...Imodium will cut it down to 1 for me but then I strain a lot to empty so I stopped using it....

I have at least one tri to the bathroom per night  if i only eat a small meal for dinner. If I eat a larger meal after say 6pm, i will be up at three times. I tend to have a bigger meal at lunch and a smaller meal in the evening. that seems to work for me

I do not fight with bathroom trips during the night.  If you stop fighting with it, your body adapts and lets you go back to sleep after trips.  They can be reduced with imodium, but in many or perhaps even most cases, it probably will not be completely eliminated.

It reminds me as well that when I signed my first lease it was a small 1 bedroom condo in downtown Fairfield right next door to the very busy Fairfield train station. Maybe less than 100 yards from the train tracks.  This was back in 1995 or so.  For the first two weeks I could not get to sleep because I heard the trains all night.  I called my father at the time and told I was going to have to break the lease because I could not get to sleep.  He said, give it time.  Funny thing but shortly after that I stopped hearing the trains.  Your body adapts, it like tunes them out.  I lived in that condo for 5.5 years and I never heard the trains again after the first two weeks.  Your body simply adjusts.  Let it do that and don't fight and it will adapt over time.

For me the best thing is not to eat within five or six hours of bedtime, so mostly I am empty before bed.    I agree with Andy, eat more early in the day.  If I am strict,  I usually get up once, but sometimes that is just for #1.   If I eat later my sleep definitely suffers.   

Thanks @girlunky I had a feeling that might be a way to go. So you don't eat from about 4 pm on. I imagine that would take some discipline, and I guess you probably are not overweight? I seem to recall eating less later in the day is better on that subject. Cheers

Yeah, I'm not overweight, but nor am I underweight.  I eat more calorie-dense foods than I used to, I guess. 

As far as I know it's better for the j-pouch if you keep your weight optimal and intra-abdominal fat low.  I donated a kidney (back before I got sick with ulcerative colitis) and my surgeon said it's best not to gain weight after kidney donation either.  Less chance for hernia, type2 diabetes, etc. 

I spend 4 nights a week with my significant other.  It's so easy to be disciplined when I'm with him because I hate being "heard" in the bathroom and waking him up.  We usually eat late due to his work, but as long as I have a very small meal that doesn't trigger anything bad and go to the bathroom right before we go to bed I have 1 or no trips to the bathroom.  On the nights I'm with him, I also take a lomotil.  The last 3 nights I didn't get up at all!

Wow that's great thanks. I have changed up my use of Loperamide  that seemed to have a positive impact

Sorry...I take Loperamide, not Lomotil.  I'm glad you are seeing some improvement!

Around 5 or more I believe. I am always tired since I go to the bathroom 13-20X a day, so I am pretty active all throughout the day. You could try loperamide but it clogs me up to much; it might work for you. I just accept everything for what it is. I am just grateful my pouch gave me what I need which is PEACE