Why am I sick in the night?

[Danestress]

First, I have tried to google this before asking. I can't find anything that seems to fit.

 

Every night, or almost every, I have been waking up around 2 or so, feeling nauseous. My stomach feels raw and I want toast. So I eat some, and don't feel a lot better, but maybe a little. Cereal is good too. I would say I am craving these things - like my stomach hurts and I just have to eat them to feel ok. I also might take tums thinking it's acid stomach. I sometimes take Tums before bed, thinking it can't hurt. But it doesn't seem to prevent this.

 

We are relatively late dinner eaters around here, and I am a good eater. I never go to bed hungry, and I don't think this is really about true hunger. For example, two nights ago it was DH's birthday. I made a nice meal, ate more than normal, and even had chocolate cake, and this still happened. I really needed that toast!

 

I am not really concerned about the calories, but I am wondering what is wrong with me. The waking up and losing sleep is a bigger issue for me than getting fat would be. I don't feel sick during the day. I am not someone who has a list of foods that don't agree with me. I eat healthfully but I'm pretty low maintenance.

 

Would this be worth talking to a doctor about?

[Jen500]

Maybe an ulcer?

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/peptic_ulcers.html

[Aelwydd]

I would see the doctor, to find out if you might need a prescription strength antacid. It really sounds like your stomach is producing some mad acid during the long "fast" when you're sleeping. You might try OTC omeprozale; you take it every morning.

[Sushi's Mom]

Could be your blood sugar. You might want to get a monitor and check it when you wake up in the middle of the night. You are craving carbs and that is how I am when my blood sugar is out of the normal range.

[Janie Grace]

Well, I don't know about the carb craving part, but my ds gets terrible nausea at night due to post nasal drip (allergies). Do you have any allergy symptoms? If he isn't taking allergy meds, the upset stomach actually makes him throw up sometimes.

[wapiti]

Could be your blood sugar. You might want to get a monitor and check it when you wake up in the middle of the night. You are craving carbs and that is how I am when my blood sugar is out of the normal range.

 

This would be my second guess, assuming you aren't, um, pregnant.

 

Try having a snack at bedtime, something mixed carb/protein/fat. That usually helps me not to be hungry during the night and helps my morning blood sugar levels.

[Chris in VA]

Sounds like GERD to me. :grouphug:

[Paige]

Sounds a lot like reflux to me. My older girls have it and even at 7 they will wake up at night sick if they skip their meds too often. Tums is a weak medicine for it. I would see the Dr and if it is reflux, something stronger may help. Or, you could try prevacid, nexium, or zantac OTC these days. It may take 2 weeks to notice a difference.

[Firefly]

This happens to me sometimes when I have post nasal drip. I hope you find some relief. :grouphug:

[abbeyej]

I would do one round of OTC Prilosec *and* schedule an appt with a doctor for about 2 weeks out. If the Prilosec *completely* eliminates the problem, you can cancel the appointment. If not, you can tell the doctor, "I've already tried that" when it's the first thing he or she suggests.

 

IF you get worse though, go in sooner.

[kalanamak]

Sounds like GERD to me. :grouphug:

 

:iagree:, given what I guess your age is.

[LittleIzumi]

Sounds a lot like GERD to me, too.

[all4them]

I get this exact same thing. It has to do with acidity in me. I go on a bland (like only brown rice and steamed veg) for a week or so. When it hurts...bananas work best.

 

I find it happens at times of high stress or during tomato season;)

[treestarfae]

Gastritis- One step away from ulcers. You need an acid blocker to feel any difference. Do you worry alot? Cut down stress.

[myfunnybunch]

We are relatively late dinner eaters around here

 

I agree with the other ladies. And you might also try eating earlier for a few days to see if this helps address the problem. I used to eat a mid-evening snack until I realized that when I did I'd wake with a stomach ache/false hunger. Once I stopped eating late (boo...I really like my evening snack!), the stomach issue mostly disappeared.

 

Cat

[GoldenMolly]

Gall bladder?

[Danestress]

I bought some Tagamet for ulcer and will take that for a while and see how it affects me, and if that doesn't work, I will see a doctor. I have actually had ulcers in the past, but I am not in any pain, so I didn't really think of that. Usually I have these same symptoms but also pain where the ulcer is, so somehow I just didn't put that together.

[catz]

When I had reflux and was dx w/a very small ulcer via scope, I had this going on in the middle of the night. I was going through a bunch of stress at the time - the GI system is very affected by stress hormones.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11752838

 

So I'd look at your own stress levels and balance, and diet too. I was on prescription antacids for a while but I cleaned up my diet a bit, watch my stress levels, work out regularly and I was able to come off them. Good luck!