Bowel Movement Anxiety

[rockhound]

Greetings All!
I looked around a bit to see if this had been brought up, and didn't see it. If I missed it, please let me know! I've been on my BiPAP for all of about three weeks now. I sleep fine, once I get to sleep. Here is the history of my "situation", before, during, and after my apnea diagnosis.

About 20 months ago, I sometimes started to become so anxious (not afraid of some thing, just the adrenalin) as I fell asleep, that I could not drift off. I finally figured out that this only happened when I was going to have a bowel movement soon. As soon as I would go potty, bingo! I'd drift off to sleep just fine! When I first lay down to go to sleep, I did not feel like I had to go to the bathroom at all. But I soon found this worked for me whenever it would "flare up". I also occasionally would get a choking sort of cough when awake that let me know I would soon be visiting the necessary.

On to sleep study time! On the first attempt for my sleep study, the first thing they did was let me try a very nice nasal pillow outfit at a "4" (which felt like a gale force wind!). I had no problem breathing in, but on the exhale I could feel my throat being inflated, and a tickle in my throat where I feel the choking cough at. And sure enough, the anxiety came on strong!! I kept trying, but just kept getting the panicky response. The guy sent me home, I was too worked up to get good readings that night. (I then divided up the study into one night of just sleep, and one night of just machine. Everything went well with a FFM on a BiPAP!)

Now, I sleep fine, other than some dry mouth, even with a FFM. (And by the way, calling it "dry mouth" isn't giving it it's full due: GLUE mouth would be more like it!) But I still have the anxiety sometimes when getting to sleep, which will be remedied by a successful trip to the loo. But I don't like it, because it should not be happening. I also don't want getting to sleep to be associated with anxiety, for fear that the apnea treatment will be seen (by my brain) as guilty by association. Its also just such a "pain" to be really sleepy and not be able to get to sleep!

What say ye?

[LinkC]

I'm guessing the two aren't related, and CPAP won't help your anxiety/digestive problem. However, CPAP can cause increased flatulence via ingested air (aerophagia).

[roster]

What say ye?

I suspect you have GERD. It is not well known, but a good BM will relieve symptoms of GERD. These symptoms can include a type of minor anxiety.

You, like most, probably went a long time with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a major cause of GERD. You need to find out whether you do indeed have GERD and start treatment if you do.

You also need to time shift your daily BM to the morning. Here is how you can do it.

1. Eat a good breakfast every morning. Drink a hot beverage with or after breakfast. Those two things help stimulate the bowel.

2. Leave some time for the digestive system to stimulate your bowel. I find that by the time I shave after breakfast "things down there are ready".

3. Start eating three ounces of Bran Buds with your breakfast every morning. Measure them out in a three-ounce cup to make sure you are consistently eating the same quantity every day. After a few days you will be amazed at the very pleasant and thorough results achieved every morning.

4. Make sure you keep well hydrated by consuming 32 to 64 ounces of liquids each day. Just about any liquid (decaf coffee, tea or soft drinks - all preferably diet) is good but they say water is the best. The magic ingredient in Bran Buds is psyllium seed husks which are soluble fibers. Soluble fibers expand and become mucilaginous when wet.

Did I write that?

[sleepycarol]

If you can get the anxiety under control the other issue will probably resolve itself. I went through a period of waking in the night and have to go complete with stomach cramps. Doctor said it was due to anxiety and once it was under control then it would ease up. Have you tried some destressing techniques to see if that will help you relax?

[dtsm]

Deleted post, apologies for playing doctor

[roster]

Bottom line - no one would ever have thought I'm the kinda of person to have anxiety and get stressed out. Not family, not friends, not co-workers, not subordinates -- but anxiety and stress it is (or was?). If that is your situation, treat it. It's just another pill and eventually you can regain control.

Good luck and be positive

rockhound says he feels fine after a BM. Why in the heck would you suggest he take an SSRI? He just needs to take a ....

dtsm, If there was a way to prove it, I would bet that your anxiety came from untreated sleep apnea and could have been avoided if you had started a good CPAP therapy some years earlier. It is a shame that the medical profession has been so slow to learn this. Good to hear you are getting everything up to spec.

[dtsm]

Delete my post, sorry

[kteague]

Funny the things we tune in to about our bodies. Can be hard to identify correlation or causation, but you know something is there. Glad to know I'm not the only one with special little idiosyncrasies. One that my docs haven't been able to explain is I get these random zingers, an intense sharp fleeting stabbing pain, usually in an extremity, and they are ALWAYS followed by a small belch. I'm guessing either they are referred pain from gas or else tensing up when the pain hits forces out a burp. Anyhow, I've come to appreciate how in tune I've become to my body, even when I don't understand it. Thanks for sharing.