Why can't I get any sleep????????

[dolor]

I have Crohns disease and am doing o.k. My worst problem at the moment is that I cannot sleep. No matter how late I stay up. When I was first diognosed w/ Crohns I would take frequent naps during the day(depression) but my night time sleep was fine. When I started taking Pentasa I started to lose sleep. My Dr. said that 2 months of Pentasa would CURE my Crohns. Anyway, ever since I finished my Pentasa I can not get more than 3 to 4 hours of sleep at one time. I have tried several sleep aids. Anyone out there have any Ideas? Does anyone else have problems sleeping???

[Wilson]

I just thought of something... is it possible that the emails you're writing are too LONG to send? You should be able to change the setting for maximum size of the emails you send.

Oh well, good luck.

[Wilson]

No problem dolor. Did you get my reply to your email? I have another address so I'll send you that one to try.

[dolor]

Wilson,
I tried to e-mail you again yesterday. It won't go through. I spent over 1 hour writing you yeaterday. I wish I could figure out what was wrong w/ my e-mail. I have several customers that I just can't send e-mails to. No one seems to know why.Ihave a full day today and I go see a new Gastro. DR. this afternoon. Hopefully, sometime today I will have time to ask my internet provider whay I can't e-mail certain people. Feel free to e-mail me all you want. If nothing else I can make non descript comments in the forum. I think that is better than nothing for now. I will keep trying. Hope all is well

                           dolor

[dolor]

Thank you for your concern. I tried to e-mail you yesterday. Both times I treid to send the mail it came back as nondeliverable. That stinks because I had written some good stuff.What about if I give you my email address. That way I should get the return address right when I respond. Hope all is well. Didn't see you in the forum today. Anyway my e-mail address is; ***@****. Talk to you later

                         dolor

[Wilson]

dolor - sorry to hear about all your troubles. Anyway, email me if you want and I'll "spill the beans" to you, sparing the rest of these good people my story.   ***@****

[dolor]

first off, the energy bars that you mentioned are the same ones I eat.To me there is no other flavor other than CHOCOLATE. This is the only induldgence that I allow myself now. I am a choco - fiend. There are some studies that indicate that a bit of chocolate can actually be benificial. Whithout a doubt I eat more than the tiny amount that they say is o.k.The way I see it I am sick and in pain anyway, why not enjoy things a bit.
To answer your question about my Crohns, I go from minuet to minuet now. One Minuet I am great, five minuets later I doubled over w/ pain. Ten min. later I can hardly walk because of this doggone rhumitoid arthritus(SP). Constant nausia and rectal urgency. See wilson most of the time I hide my pain and symtoms.I first became an accomplished "pain hider" in my teens. I have suffered w/ this Crohns since I was maybe 15. Back then no one talked about Crohns, even though it was isolatede, identified and named I believe in the 1950's. At that time I was told that it was all in my head. So for 22 years I have been hiding my pain in one way or another. Now, since I was diognosed w/ Crohns(8/17/01)I have really turned up the acting heat, hiding and dening that I am hurting, nausious and massivlly depressed. I have to hide things now because my sickness is taking it's toll on my relationship w/ Vickie. She see's me in pain and it ruins our hole day, week and sometimes month. She loves me so much that she gets mad that she is powerless to eveliate my suffering. She also lost a young daughter to cancer about 8 years ago(before Me). When she see's me all sick it brings her back to the time that she had to watch her beautiful young daughter slowly slip away. I believe she see's me slipping away as well. I must have lost 30 lbs in the past 3 months. I used to be fairly muscular. Now, Not. She sees the changes in my body even more than I do. All of my pants literally fall off of me. I write positive things in this forum to try to help others. I get relief from my pain by helping others. Plus these folks aren't visiting this site to get all bummed out. I believe they visit to get answers and communicate w/ those that are in a similar situation. Pentasa didn't work. Only thing that works is the power of the mind and the comfort of true love and communicating with you! Now it's your turn to spill the beans.
         Have a great weekend. I'll be looking for your story on my next visit to the forum. dolor

[Wilson]

Hi.. yeah, the "rush" you get from those energy bars is probably from all he sugar they have. I think that's where they get most of their calories from. But I know what you mean about your body not being used to getting certain things, and then reacting strangely when it finally does.

I've been eating those MetRx bars for protein, but to me they're annoyingly sweet. I recently discovered the Power Bar "Protein Plus" version (290 cal., 24gm protein, 38gm carb, 5 gm fat). They come in some good flavors OTHER than chocolate, which too much of can be a problem. I usually have one protein bar of some type per day. Sometime I wonder if that much 'artificial nutrition' is going to be harmful long-term though. I don't know whether it's this way for you, but for me it's like I said - sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get the calories.
Kinda the same way I think about the sleeping pills - sometimes you just have to do what it takes to get the job done, artificially or not.

You mentioned in your first post your Crohn's is doing ok. But then in your last one you said your symptoms sometimes overshadow the nausea from the 'Ensure'. I was curious - is your CD under control now? Did the Pentasa "cure" it like your doctor said it would?

[dolor]

I said ensure because it was the only thing I could think of at 2:30 in the morning. I actually drink this generic stuff from a retail grocery store in the south called Publix. This drink is milk/whey and lactose free. I guess you must be lactose intolorant? Anyway, when i drink this stuff I feel kind of nausious(sp) for about 10-20 min. If I am working I tend to forget about it. if I drink them when I am not working it seems like I feel sicker. I can't remember if I told you that I am a landscaper. I guess it is all the physical activity involved in my work. Don't have time to feel nausia? Plus, all of the other Crohns symtoms uasually overshadow the nausia. Hey Wilson, I just remembered. i also started eating these energy bars. They are kind of nasty tasting, but they are much more redily absorbed them "solid food". After I eat one of them I get kind of a rush. I think it is that my body isn't used to getting all that it needs and suddenly when it does, it doesn't know how to act. Great talking w/ you. Give those energy bars a try and let me know how they work for you.
                           dolor

[dolor]

Thank you for your advise. I will give the meds another try. As far as your absorption problem. I recently started drinking an "Ensure" type product. It contains 360 calories and is easy to drink. Find a flavor that you like or at least can stand(I like chocolate flavored best)I noticed that after I started to drink this stuff I started to have more strength and energy. Sometimes, when I can't eat, I'll drink a drink and I will actually feel full. Not to mention the fact that my body finally has some gas that it can burn. When you have absorption problems your body has trouble finding any way to fuel itself. As you know the body can work much more effeciently and easily with a liquid then a solid. Thank you again for your concern. Hope to here from you soon

[Wilson]

Thanks for your advice and concern. I drink protein shakes etc. when I can. I've tried Ensure and sometimes it made me feel sick - perhaps all the artificial stuff, or maybe the fact that it's milk based (whey protein). But we do what we have to to get enough nutrition, right?

Good luck with your sleeping.

Thanks again.

[Wilson]

Hi...yes, I have alot of trouble sleeping also, which may or may not be due to stomach problems. As far as I know I don't have Crohn's, but in the past I've been diagnosed with some mild malabsorption possibly due to food allergies or a slight chance of celiac disease (see under post by "Meggy" below). I know there can be a certain amount of malabsorption with Crohn's disease, and I've read that malabsorption can cause sleep disturbances. I guess you have to treat the underlying cause first (as you have), and then do the best you can with diet, exercise, and sleep meds.

I find that if I'm able to get some exercise that helps alot. I have to watch what I eat in the evening - nothing too fatty or sugary. Then if all else fails I'll take an OTC antihistamine like Sudafed, or maybe an Exedrin P.M. I try not to do that too often - just when I'm really desperate for a good night's sleep.

I know this isn't exactly breakthrough information, but I hope it helps.