Is your IBS worse in the morning, afternoon or evening?

[Jeffrey Roberts]

Is your IBS worse in the morning, afternoon or evening?

IBS tends to be worse in the morning. When you wake up, the motility of your large intestines increases. This can lead to IBS. Stress, which affects your gut motility, might also play a factor as you prepare to tackle your day.

Melatonin, otherwise known as the sleep hormone, plays an important part in gut physiology including the regulation of motility (movement), anti-inflammatory processes, and visceral (inner organ) sensation. This hormone is produced in two places: the brain and our gut. Our bodies produce melatonin throughout the night to help us sleep, but with IBS there is a miscommunication between our brain and our gut which can negatively affect the production of melatonin from our intestines. This can affect sleep quality and duration, as well as induce IBS symptoms first thing in the morning.

It’s no secret that there is a strong link between emotional disorders, life stressors and IBS symptoms. There are so many nerves that start in the brain and connect to the gut (and vice versa), which is one of the main reasons why stress, depression and anxiety have such a big impact on our gut issues.

Let us know what time of the day is worse for you.

[Ursula M]

The morning is the absolute worst.  I dread going to bed knowing what is waiting for me in the morning.  Nausea, gas pains, depression.  

[Esjie]

Morning mainly because it's then I have bowel movements. But I get a bit of discomfort later in the evenings too after dinner. Just a slight heaviness and unease  in lower abdomen about 4 hours after dinner, which never lasts too long. Maybe an hour or so. But I rarely have a bowel movement again after the morning unless in a very very bad flare up. The afternoons are usually peaceful.

[Esjie]

On 10/21/2022 at 2:46 PM, Jeffrey Roberts said:

Our bodies produce melatonin throughout the night to help us sleep, but with IBS there is a miscommunication between our brain and our gut which can negatively affect the production of melatonin from our intestines. This can affect sleep quality and duration, as well as induce IBS symptoms first thing in the morning.

Yes, I have definitely noticed shorter sleep duration at times when my gut is not too great. I don't wake up because I need the bathroom. I just wake up....earlier than I want to. When I lie thare I actually can feel okay and just wish I could fall asleep again.  It's only when I get up I feel my gut starting to get active and sometimes that can bring on a bit of mild-ish anxiety because I never know what to expect.

[MagdalenaHebda]

The worst are the first two-three hours after breakfast and in the late evening, just prior the bedtime, regardless of the fact that I follow a strict healthy lifestyle and super healthy, organic, whole foods diet, incl. lowFODMAP, no processed or refined foods or anything 'ready' whatsoever, all crafted by myself from scratch, preparation- only boiling in the water or in the oven (Romanian clay pot/crock- it's stewed), and prepare all the meals myself and support it with appropriate supplements and medications s.a. mebeverini hydrochloridum and Alverine citrate+simeticone  and Drotaverini hydrochloridum and exercise daily and have an orderly daily routine. Still not working well, struggling for like 15 years    Oh, btw, recently, I have found out that fennel tea, recommended in Poland by medical specialists and also literature provides evidence accordingly, international academic research documented its benefits for IBS, is unsuitable for IBS people according to my Monash University App that I have downloaded recently?

[Jeffrey Roberts]

On 6/14/2023 at 5:58 AM, MagdalenaHebda said:

The worst are the first two-three hours after breakfast and in the late evening, just prior the bedtime, regardless of the fact that I follow a strict healthy lifestyle and super healthy, organic, whole foods diet, incl. lowFODMAP, no processed or refined foods or anything 'ready' whatsoever, all crafted by myself from scratch, preparation- only boiling in the water or in the oven (Romanian clay pot/crock- it's stewed), and prepare all the meals myself and support it with appropriate supplements and medications s.a. mebeverini hydrochloridum and Alverine citrate+simeticone  and Drotaverini hydrochloridum and exercise daily and have an orderly daily routine. Still not working well, struggling for like 15 years    Oh, btw, recently, I have found out that fennel tea, recommended in Poland by medical specialists and also literature provides evidence accordingly, international academic research documented its benefits for IBS, is unsuitable for IBS people according to my Monash University App that I have downloaded recently?

IBS is different in almost each of us. Someone might not have a problem with fennel tea, but other might. Unfortunately, the same food may be fine one day and not so great the next. I have always felt that the act of eating is enough to bring on symptoms whether it was a safe or unsafe food. Antispasmodics as you have tried, help some people with urgency related to a meal.

[Saphire7]

I agree morning is the worst.  I just decided I'd try eating lentils again though I was told to follow the FOD MAP diet.

Well, my experience was the lentils didn't digest well at all resulting in diarrhea this morning.

At times I can tolerate beans if I eat some low fiber foods such as pasta, crackers or white rice beforehand.

However, my stomach fat has me worried. I have read it's better to avoid those foods I just mentioned to decrease stomach

fat.  So maybe I'll skip eating lentils for a while.

this has been my experience with trying to add back otherwise healthy foods like lentils.

Hope everyone is doing well!

[Saphire7]

Since you mentioned melatonin, how can I know if I'm low on that hormone?

I read not to take it if you're not deficient. So is there a test for melatonin?

thanks very much!

[Jeffrey Roberts]

3 hours ago, Saphire7 said:

Since you mentioned melatonin, how can I know if I'm low on that hormone?

I read not to take it if you're not deficient. So is there a test for melatonin?

thanks very much!

I found this page that describe melatonin and how to test it., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7142625/

I am not aware of any evidence at this point that melatonin has a direct connection to IBS. Personally, I wouldn't bother testing for it until any science has evolved.

[Saphire7]

Thanks for your reply.

I meant I was thinking of taking melatonin to improve my sleep. I will check the site. Thanks for posting it!