I'm continually woken upduring the night by desire to have bowel movements

Digestive health
1

I am experiencing the same thing every night.  I go to sleep and about one hour later I feel pressure in my rectum and vagina as though I need to have a bowel movement. I manage to go but the stools are thin or like pebbles. This continues during the night at half or one hour intervals.  When morning comes I am always able to defecate more succcessfully at 7.00am.  I have looked on the internet and I am unable to find anyone else with these bizarre symptoms.  There is frequently a brief moment of  flatulence during the nocturnal BMs.  Last night I had to get up 10 times and although I can always get to sleep straight away when I get back into bed, I feel totally exhausted during the day.

My doctor has just told me that I have small external haemmoroids, which have obviously come because I'm straining during the night.

Every day I find that I am able to walk okay until about lunch time, then the pain in my vagina and rectum kicks in and all activity is painful and I end up hobbling around instead of being the active person who used to walk for miles every day with my dogs.  I have had a flexible sigmoidoscopy which revealed diverticular disease but I haven't read of anyone who is as troubled at night as I am. 

I am trying to avoid dairy products and gluten at the moment, to see if that helps as I love DIY and walking in the countryside, and I am in too much pain to do either, and on many days I am unable to anything other than sit on a doughnut cushion in agony.   (In recent years I have been unable to wear pants or tights due to vulvodynia)  My problems have affected my social life as I frequently have to decline invitations due to these health problems.

Lastly, I have ordered some tigernuts online as I have read that they help digestion.  Has anyone else had success with eating them?

During the day I find I am having BMs

2

You may want to buy some glycerine 4g suppositories.. Helped me out no end. Really easy to use and work quickly. Also.. For those times when you'd rather get some actual sleep than keep being woken you can try the suppositories or buy an enema bag then you can make sure you've gone before you even go to sleep.

A tablesppon of spoon of extra virgin olive oil 1st thing may also help as it lubericates the intestines.

3

I have had this problem too and usually means 7 - 8 am I am able to go more successfully too. Even if you did not strain these may occur anyway as illness like this can lead to more explosive BM's. I have a similar problem and did not strain. Very common with IBS I have been told. I walk and has helped enormously. I try to start the walk where there is a loo and take paper with me but I have been fine on walks though I have been caught short on buses a few times leading me to jump off. I second the morning metallic olive oil. I eat more fruit and this coupled with more exercise means I go more and this has helped though not cured me. When I have to be somewhere at a certain time causes me the biggest issues and let me ex down so many times she broke up with me. She gave me a second chance but I was worse. Also worked 8 days in a year so I know what you are going through. I have a funeral tomorrow and absolutely scared out of my mind I will be in the loo when the car arrives. This sounds like jest but my ex banged on many a loo door before going to christenings, weddings and meetings on her own because I could not leave the sanctuary of the bathroom so I have form with letting people down.

4

How long have you had this problem?  Has the doctor done tests or mentioned IBS?

5

I know exactly where you are coming from I'm more 7.30 am. I cut out dairy and I feel better for it.