Bags Blow Outs at Night?

How many of us have experienced blow-outs at night? If so, how does it affect our sleep?

I have experienced several over the past few months, and I am afraid to sleep too long - so I drink a few cups of water each time I wake to empty the bag to make sure I don't oversleep.

I have developed a routine.
No food after 7pm. In bed asleep anytime before midnight.
I wake up between 4am-6am and empty the very puffy bag, back to bed and generally back to sleep.
The bag only ever gets puffy over night.
When I first wake up - I always try and trick myself that it's not as puffy as it is. I feel it a few times in my half sleep, accept that it is puffy, then get up and empty it.
My body just seems to wake me up.

I did the 1st week after surgery... my dr said the air is from breathing @ night you breath in s LOT of air.... I sleep with a under pad in my pants lol... its folded and nicely comfortably put in front so if I have a blow out its contained and not everywhere

samboi, i agree, its very strange- like a sixth sense that tells us when we need to empty. i have got into the awful habit of eating dinner as late as 10pm some nights. i'll go to sleep at 1am and i'll get up at maybe 4am and at 7am it's time to get up for work, both at 4am and 7am the bag is full completley. i've definatley been pushing my luck!

Does it make decrease the quality of your sleep, worrying that you must wake up at a certain time to empty your bag? I wonder why they don't invest better in creating an alarm system that will sense when the bag overfills?

I have no trouble falling asleep.
Once I have woken and emptied the bag, I sometimes have a bit of bother falling back asleep. Maybe once a week. Longest has been about an hour or so.
But then I go back to sweet dreams and wake up to the proper alarm - not a puffy bag!

Sorry this does happen! I think I've gotten to the point of even being asleep and checking it now. I can even gauge it...can I have 20 minutes more sleep? How about a cuddle with Freya (the dog) before I roll out and empty?

But, I eat my lightest meal at night now, and I think that has saved me alot of grief. And eating earlier.

You will learn what works for you!!
:heart::heart::heart:

Ive gotten into a routine where i wake up after 3-4 hours sleep to empty the bag, most of the time it is full of air, and although i've never experienced a blow out, because of the way i lie on my side, i very often end up with a leak, and this gets worse when the bag is full of air like a balloon.

on a few occasions i have slept right through and woken up feeling like the bag is going to explode at any moment. and on one occasion i woke up with crap everywhere, but every other time ive had a leak ive been able to spot it and just get up and change, or... leave it and sleep on my other side to make sure nothing else gets through.. lol


tbh id rather eat something before bed, if i dont i still get a high out put which will be watery instead of a bit thick

getting up in the night is just routine for me now. i empty the bag semi-sleeping and usually in the morning i can't remember emptying during the night but know i have.
it's a pain though because my bedroom is upstairs and our only bathroom is downstairs towards the back of the house

Same with me, I usually go to sleep around 10 and then I am up every 2 to 3 hours to empty, and yes if I didn't I would have a mess, I don't sleep well at all, It seems like I just get to sleep and I'm up again.

Sometimes I'm lucky and will sleep right through. Other times the bag will just be full of air and I can just empty the air out from bed without getting up. Othertimes I feel the need to get up in the night to empty the whole thing.

I think my body is used to it now. I never used to sleep on my back at all, whereas now I'll fall asleep on my side but often wake up on my back where I've subconciously not laid on my side to squash my full bag and cause leaking.

I tend to eat dinner by about 7pm, and then have a snack at 9:30 and then bed by 11. I empty my bag just before falling asleep, and sometimes, I'll wake up once to empty, and other times (like last night), I didn't get up till 6am to empty.

When I first came home, I would sleep on my back, and that seemed to result in the output gathering around at the top and causing a blowout. I used to set my alarm to wake me up every three hours, as well. I now sleep on my side with a pillow to have gravity do its thing and slide things downwards. I never think to set my alarm anymore, either.

I tend to eat a lot more fibre based foods during the day, and ease up on raw vegetables and other higher fibre foods at night. That way, my output isn't so thick.

I haven't had a night-time blowout in quite a few months. Not sure if that's just luck or something else, but 'touch-wood'!

Kismet

I do not have an ostomy, but realise it it always a possibility with my Crohn's. Do you folks have different size bags for night time ? You seem to have the annoyance of having to get up throughout the night to empty. I know a larger bag would be cumbersome during the day..but at night would it not give you a bit of a break (to sleep)? Just trying to educate myself as much as possible. thanks

I use to have issues when I was using Coloplast. I find with the Hollister because it attaches with a fabric bandage type material it tends to absorb any leakage. I just use the large size bags all the time.

Having a colostomy I guess I'm lucky as I very rarely have any output overnight. I guess my bowel sleeps when I do...lol I do have gas though...but I just usually burp it in bed - an added bonus to that is that it grosses my fiance out...lol

you would think they would make bigger bags for night time use

DanHerefordshire said:

you would think they would make bigger bags for night time use

Click to expand...

You all sound like you need to start using what I am going to start using the EZ vent I get air at night and during the day.
My surgeon says it has nothing to do with what you eat or drink its the air you breath and how you breath it in
.I believe him because I have had 5 sinus surgery's and I breath terrible so sleeping is my worse and I get a lot of air intake that way sleeping that is.

http://www.exmed.net/p-1814-kem-ost...y-pouch.aspx?gclid=COa7-I6apa4CFULe4AodexlqQw

This thread jinxed me! I emptied my bag at 4am this morning then woke up at 5am to fid output all over my sheet and pjs

I don't know how but the seal wasn't on the wafter properly and it all leaked! Eeep!