Waking up for a BM is never good! Please let your doctor know so they can adjust your meds and get you feeling better. Stress is definitely a trigger for flares. Not only for primary reasons, but we also tend to not take care of ourselves when we’re stressed (bad food choices, lack of sleep, no water etc).

We can totally empathize with you! Definitely been in your shoes a number of times…no fun at all. I’m sorry you’re going through this right now. Stress can absolutely contribute to flares, for sure, but definitely isn’t the root cause of your ulcerative colitis. In addition to being in close contact with your GI team and getting into remission with the right medication combo, see if your GI provider or primary care provider can recommend a psychologist or counselor with a background in working with patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s. I’ve benefited immensely from having a counselor as part of my care team.