I Hate Mornings

By tmholland

3 min read

I think it’s pretty common knowledge that many people that suffer with IBS have a really rough time in the morning hours. By "really rough time," I mean some of our more uncomfortable symptoms seem to AMPLIFY. The symptoms are terrible under normal circumstances, but for some reason they seem to want to become absolutely excruciating and uncontrollable upon waking. I’d like to share my experiences with this phenomenon and some ways that I have tried to, at the very least, minimize the havoc that IBS wreaks on our bodies and minds.

Preparing for the morning

I’m not sure that being a "morning person" makes this morning IBS attack any better, but for the sake of sharing, I am NOT a morning person. It may be because of the medication I take at bedtime, but I honestly am not fully awake until about an hour and a half after I get out of bed. This makes the pain and loss of control I experience a lot of the time, worse.

Because I am not yet my "go get 'em!" self yet, I find the six, eight, ten…trips to the bathroom completely demoralizing. Not to mention the fact that my guts literally hurt, and my back feels like it is on fire. Fun, fun, fun… I have done my best to take care of all the stuff I need for my day, at night, when things are a little more calm. I make my lunch, make sure my work stuff is in order, and pack my ‘IBS Bag’ with teas, medication, and other things that I need to help me through the day. My clothes are laid out at night, and my bags are put by the front door. So, all I have to do is grab my keys, and I’m gone, right?

Wrong? IBS in the morning makes things so much more complicated. Agreed? Agreed.

During the morning

Ok, so other than doing as much preparation at night as possible, what can we do IN THE MORNING, to ease our suffering a little and make it easier to start our day?

The first thing I had to change was my sleeping schedule. I realized I needed to allow myself a lot more time in the morning to deal with Mr. IBS. I decided to go to bed two hours earlier (understand I was going to bed at midnight or 1:00 am) and then to get up two hours earlier. Sucks, but a lot of this sucks and requires some sacrifice and change just to get by.

I still have a good breakfast, even though I may not want to. I think if you take your breakfast seriously and have a good dietary plan going, this will only help matters. I stretch and do some light yoga straight out of bed and then I shower.

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Now, as you can imagine, all this "regular morning" stuff is interrupted, sometimes at a frantic pace, by trips to the bathroom, cramps, and discomfort. I shower again. I may shower three or four times at varying durations to make sure that when things do settle down I feel as positive and fresh as I can when I finally walk out the door.

What works for me may not work for you. I do have medication that my doctor prescribed that takes the edge off a little, but certainly doesn’t FIX the problem. The morning is so important to having a positive outlook on the day ahead and what we go through with IBS some (or a lot) of mornings, may be one of the more difficult aspects of this illness. I will keep trying new things. I will also keep an eye out for what all of you are trying and see if I can’t up my game.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The IrritableBowelSyndrome.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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katles Member
I was wondering is other people find mornings the hardest too...ah,it's hard,I personally only drink tea,because if I have to leave the house for the day,then everything I had for breakfast will end up in a bathroom. Not eating makes me pretty weak but it's still better than when I do eat..and that can be anything,if I'm a little stressed,it will not stay in my stomach. I also do little yoga and stretching,and just like you,give myself time in the morning,because I know it will make me feel better and give me some extra time,just in case. Although my gut problem mostly flares up when I'm stressed, that means it's always there when you don't want to or in the least needed times,so at that I'm stressed about anything involving quiet places,small places and so on, had make some adjustments due to that,but I really do try to stay positive,practice self love and go trough the day besides the unvisible struggles, I hope you can too ❤
1. katles Member
 Sorry,I didn't re-read before posting,had a few missing words there and some that just didn't belong,but I hope you understand,also English is not my first language..finding excuses 
2. Chris H. Community Admin
 Thanks for commenting, <inline-mention user-id="2326384" username="katles"/> ! We've heard from others that mornings are really tough for them, too. Whether it's flaring from the previous day's food, or the anxiety of the upcoming day, it's understandable that mornings are hard. It's good to hear that you're taking steps to help address the morning difficulties! Have you ever tried drinking smoothies in the morning? We actually have an article talking about this in case you're interested! <a href='https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/food/smoothie' target='_blank'>https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/food/smoothie</a> I hope this is helpful. Thanks for sharing with us! -Chris, (IrritableBowelSyndrome.net Team Member)
kelliannschultz Member
I can so relate to this post. Mornings are my absolute worst. I used to be such a morning person also but by the time I'm done in the bathroom, I'm ready for a nap. I recently was also diagnosed with colitis which as you can imagine makes my mornings rough. Sometimes my stomach is so sore I won't eat for days. I ended up in the hospital for dehydration one time. On the advice of several persons, I tried marijuana. This is a miracle drug if you ask me. It stops the spasms I get every time I have to go to the bathroom, and by stopping the spasms, I go less. It also stimulates my appetite when my stomach doesn't want to eat. I've also changed my diet somewhat. It took a lot of trial and error, but starchy foods seem to negatively affect me. They make me feel bloated and then my stomach starts hurting. I also use less dairy using almond milk instead. Hard cheeses don't seem to affect me too badly, but still in moderation. I also try to avoid eating certain foods several days in a row. Back to the dairy. I may eat some one day and I'll be fine but eat in the following day also will give me problem. I'm down to at most 5 times in the bathroom only. All I can say is this is a horrendous condition. Oh and I also try to keep the stress to a minimum. I'm glad I found this site.
1. Chris H. Community Admin
 Thanks for weighing in, <inline-mention user-id="2309944" username="kelliannschultz"/> ! We're really glad you found this site, too. You're definitely not alone with the troublesome mornings. It seems like you have some good things in place to help manage your symptoms. One of our contributors, <inline-mention user-id="2318379" username="HessP"/> , has written an article on his experiences with medical marijuana. Here's the link in case you want to read more: <a href='https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/13-reasons-for-medical-marijuana' target='_blank'>https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/13-reasons-for-medical-marijuana/</a>. Additionally, I wanted to share an article with you about the low-FODMAP diet, which has helped many folks with managing food triggers: <a href='https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/ibs-diet' target='_blank'>https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/ibs-diet/</a>. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for taking the time to comment. - Chris, <a href='https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net' target='_blank'>IrritableBowelSyndrome.net</a> Team Member
nani Member
Well it's day 6 on the citracil. I don,t think I,m any better. Maybe a little but definitely not a miracle cure. I,ll keep on though. I bought the sugar free. I wonder if that makes a difference. Please let me know if you think it does. Nan
snottygobble Member
Just thought I would mention that although I have had chronic "C" IBS for over 40 years then the complete opposite before last Xmas before finally diagnosed as Microscopic Colitis ( 8 weeks of watery D 6 to 8 times a day) Thru sheer determination & willpower my bowel is behaving itself ( most of the time) ,& what I felt I had to do to achieve this is quite possibly a "no can do " for lots of folk! I gave up COFFEE for dandelion root tea! I stopped eating my nightly 80% cacao dark chocolate for 2 or 3 arrowroot biscuits! I also take double strength Nigella sativa (blackseed oil), & sprinkle Cumin & Chia seeds on most of my meals! Ginger & turmeric play a big part in my diet too! I now drink lots of water, Kangen Water which is an expensive but easy set up in a reasonably modern kitchen! I try to walk a couple of Km every day & have a renewed interest in maintaining the organic vegie garden so as to be able to serve fresh produce to go with only fish, seafood, or chicken, or making simple vegan meals! Most evenings I can get away with one GF beer, & a glass of wine watered down at least 6 times to accompany the evening meal! Like I said , not for everyone , but maybe by following just ONE of these restrictions & changes someone else will benefit also !!
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="snottygobble" user-id="2316060"/> Thank you so much for sharing what has worked for you! I'm glad that after 40 years of struggling and being diagnosed with Microscopic Colitis, you have figured out what helps you feel better. I had to give up coffee, too, and have also replaced it with herbal tea and lots of herbal tinctures. Your diet now sounds very healthy and being able to produce vegetables in your garden is amazing! Karina (team member)
CommunityMemberdbfc70 Member
Perhaps try a bidet addition to your toilet. It saves me from having to get back into the shower and helps me to feel clean. 
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMemberdbfc70" user-id="6764415"/> That's a great suggestion, thank you for sharing! Karina (team member)
explodingguts Member
Medicine today treats effects not cause. You must dig deep inside to recall what and who caused your digestive fireworks. I have had tremendous help with this from Centerpointe (an hour a day of deep healing with bells and rain), Hale Dwoskin and Paul Scheele meditation recordings. Learning to let go of the past is itself a discipline but for many of us essential. I've pretty much stopped exploding now but it requires constant daily work to retrain the subconscious b/c that's what is needed. Somehow, we get going on a jag of unhealth - some shock of cruelty or betrayal perhaps - and it's strangely hard to let it go and let health return. The good news is that recovery is possible. I have no special magic, believe me, but I'm SO MUCH better now. I still struggle with the hangover of stress before outings like a trip to Costco, i.e., but I'm working on it. I pray in a state expectant optimism. #BetterAndBetter
Penney Member
I remember my gastroenterologist once telling me that most IBS patients suffered in the morning (myself included). Also that IBS doesn’t usually wake us up in the middle of the night. I guess it makes sense since the body does most of its digesting while we sleep. When we wake up and our body starts to move our gut starts to get into motion too. Perhaps having our larger meal earlier in the day and giving ourselves time to digest it more might help. I don’t know, and eating earlier isn’t really possible for me, but maybe someone has tried it.
1. Karina Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Penney" user-id="9785825"/> That's a great tip, eating earlier works very well for me! It doesn't always prevent morning flares but makes me feel better overall. Karina (team member)
2. CommunityMember79e79f Member
 <inline-mention username="Penney" user-id="9785825"/> I’ve found that cutting off food and drink at 8 pm helps, as I go to bed around 11-12. I haven’t tried earlier meals but once but it did seem to help me feel better in the mornings - my stomach/bowel felt lighter, not bogged down with food. One drink that really helps is fresh lime squeezed into lime sparkling water but I have to wait for a lot of the fizz to dissipate. Plain water doesn’t taste as good to me. Apparently lemon is good for the gut. I like lime flavour better. Don’t know why they stress lemon since both are citric.
Njf0618 Member
Interesting article. I've never had a particular time of day that I can count on having problems and thankfully it is not an every day kind of thing for me. I'm glad people share what it's like for them and I usually read all the articles figuring I will likely get something out of each one and I usually do. Sorry that it is so often and that you must go thru this all the time.