# IBS worse during period



## Lookin'foraLife

My IBS-C symptoms are mostly controlled during the month through anti-inflammatory diet, Motilium and L-Ornithine,however when period time comes (though I now take BC pills consecutively for 3 months before letting it actually come, doctor approved) it rears its ugly head once again no matter what. Even when I finish a pack and immediately begin another of BC I experience IBS symptoms when I;m "supposed" to have menstruation.Any ideas???


----------



## em_t

I'm the same my symptoms are always worse just before my period, then sometimes strangely about 3 days in I'll have an attack of diarrhoea (which usually never happens) I generally feel a bit better during my period than the rest of the month - probably because I make a point of pampering myself and looking after myself and generally find my appetite improves a bit! Then after my period back to being horrendously constipated. I think its pretty normal for your symptoms to be worse during your period. Have you been tested for endemetreosis? Sometimes it can make period pain very severe and make bowel problems worse, so if you have pain every month, especially if you have abdominal pain that radiates into your back or legs you could ask your gynaecologist if they think its a possibility. Don't want to alarm you, just something to maybe keep in mind.


----------



## melodymsw

I decided that for me, at least, my hormones were messed up and one of the primary triggers of my IBS flares. My doctor agreed. When it was all said and done, I was literally 30lbs thinner without trying to be and I looked like a cancer patient. I had a complete hysterectomy (she left the cervix), put myself on a gluten free diet and I have been fine ever since. Surgery was the first week of April last year. I also eat 24 oz of Greek, fat free yogurt daily for the natural probiotics. Life is oh-so much better. Good luck on your personal journey. I Aldo suggest you begin eating only "safe foods" the week you would normally be due to start. Get yourself tested for food allergies. It is a journey, but don't give up!


----------



## Lookin'foraLife

Thanks for you repies!em_t: I mentioned endo to my gyno because of the severe pain + my sister had endo, but he did a manual check and decided I seemed clear and didn't want to give a laporoscopy that might be unnecessary.Melody: It's terrible they had to go as far as givng you a hysterectomy to solve your problems. Glad it helped though! Anything that can improve quality of life and relief from IBS is always the right step in my book. I wonder if there might be another way besides hysterectomy or endless trial-error with BC pills to control these hormone problems.I've been tested for all food allergies and nada. It is however a good idea to eat "safe" the week of. I find anti-inflammatory foods (oatmeal, olive oil, quinoa, blueberries) are always best.


----------



## intrepid.slug

Hi there It sounds like you might have endometriosis - this is a condition where womb tissue grows abnormally (very short summary!), and it can often cause IBS, especially when your hormones fluctuate ie during your period. It is well worth asking your doctor or even making an appointment with a gynocologist, if you can, as if you have endometriosis, you will need surgery. I just found out last year that this is what I have, and since having surgery my IBS has been much, much better. Part of the treatment for managing Endo. is to go on a certain type of contraceptive. Because you are managing your homones well, the IBS symptoms during your period should slow down. It seems interesting that your doctor did a manual check - as there is no manual check for endo, the only reliable way to tell if someone has it is to do laparoscopic surgery.... I mean of course there are symptoms that would give an indication that you either did or did not have it, but the only way to know for sure is surgery. I didn't get diagnosed for 13 years after first having symptoms, so it pays to get it checked by a specialist who knows what to look for.Hope you manage to sort it out!Michelle


----------



## lonewolfpal

Hello all,I am new to this site, and I am very happy I found this site! I too suffer from IBS-D and have been on medication for 2 years to help control it. I had Novasure done 3 years ago for a different problem instead of a hysterectomy (I did not know at the time I had IBS).After the diagnosis of IBS, I still get a severe IBS attack as my PMS symptoms rear their ugly head because of the hormonal changes and the levels dropping/raising. Most of the time after a few hours of going to the bathroom and sitting with a heating pad on my stomach (which really helps) I am fine. I have been to several doctors and none of them has suggested a hysterectomy to relieve this problem. I can tell when the attack is coming so I am prepared for it. I have learned to deal with it and know what I need to do to relieve the pain.Hope this helps a little bit.


----------



## em_t

Hormones can definitely play a big part in IBS symptoms. Even in normal women, its not uncommon for them to get slightly constipated before their periods due to the change in hormone levels, then once their period arrives many women suffer a short bout of diarrhoea due to the constipation beforehand. In people with IBS their symptoms are often more pronounced during their periods. Even before I was diagnosed with IBS I would frequently suffer from extreme nausea during the early part of my cycle and that was whilst taking the contraceptive pill, I'd dread to think what it would have been like without it. I too quite often take my pill without a break in it when I am suffering from a really bad flare as my period can make the IBS much worse. Although fortuntately for me my stools tend to be a bit looser during my period, good as I have IBS-C!I know with my mother she suffered from ulcerative colitis for years, which was never well controlled despite various different medications. However, she had a hysterectomy for other reasons and since then her symptoms improved 80-90% She was able to come off steroids and reduce her medicines, so much so that she no longer takes any medication and considers herself not to have the condition any longer. She still gets a bit of urgency in the mornings and maybe the odd bit of diarrhoea if she's eaten something that hasn't agreed with her, maybe once or twice a month but no bleeding or pain, so much more like a mild form of IBS-D than anything else. Perhaps its about finding the right birth control or someway of balancing our hormones. Definitely something which deserves more research!


----------



## BQ

Hormones can be balanced just fine.... and they themselves can still be the trigger.


----------



## elzz234

How can hormones be balanced though?


----------



## PajamaKitty

My period always sets me into a flare, so I too have moved to the three BC packs back to back and therefore only have my period 4 times a year. Talking to my GI and my OBGYN they both said that this is quite common for women with IBS. The hormones that cause the uterine wall to contract and shed it's lining are called prostaglandins, and they can also cause the intestinal walls to contract. For women with IBS, this is often significantly more painful as our guts are hyper-sensitized. One of my main symptoms is visceral hyperalgesia, and my period often puts me bed-ridden with abdominal pain. Obviously this is a problem when you work full-time so here are the best tips I have found for period IBS torture..


anti-inflammatory pain killers! I can't take these because of a history of ulcers  However, NSAIDS like ibuprofen can help reduce the production of prostaglandins.
Heating pads or a hot bath. Most of us know that but seriously, I have taken a heating pad with me to lecture before... Why not? Screw those kids with their laptops that need to be plugged in, my needs are greater 
Exercise and caffeine: When I was 15 and first got my period these two tricks were the ones my mom taught me and I was amazed how well they work. It can be hard to motivate yourself to work out when you are having a flare up I go for a brisk walk for 30 minutes and that almost always helps.

Hope this helps some  I feel your pain. Stupid periods!


----------



## jilliantodd

Many women find that their IBS seems to get worse just before they get their period. For other women, their IBS symptoms are worse when they have their period. The bottom line is that there is a strong relationship between a woman's menstrual cycle and the functioning of her digestive system.There are two main hormones associated with menstruation: estrogen and progesterone. These hormones do not just affect the sex organs. In fact, there are receptor cells for these hormones throughout the gastrointestinal tract.

For many women with IBS, their across-the-board IBS symptoms worsen when they have their periods. For some, their systems are more reactive to food in the days surrounding menstruation, particularly gassy foods. (However, one survey found that a small number of women actually experience an improvement in IBS symptoms during.


----------



## kaiem

About 2-3 days before my period is due, my IBS flares up with a vengeance. I tend to miss more school before my period than during. I can always tell my period is coming, since those days before are filled with wicked stomach aches and diarrhea. Not a pleasant experience.


----------



## Belle Simons

jilliantodd said:


> Many women find that their IBS seems to get worse just before they get their period. For other women, their IBS symptoms are worse when they have their period.


This is so true for me! I can''t even go to my shop or do any chores when this happens.


----------



## pukka

Yes, there is a correlation between your period and an IBS flare. I am in peri menopause and having irregular periods, yet I still get a flare every month no matter what. It seems like my body is trying to have a period and that is enough to trigger the flare. Sucks


----------



## hummingberd

This is absolutely the case for me. I'm a runner, and suffered from what is called "runners trots" for years. It made racing and training, miserable. It got so bad, I refused to run outside, because I wanted to be close to a toilet at all times "just in case."

Here is what I've discovered that has helped me significantly:

1.) dairy and soy are huge irritants for my bowels. I have removed those two food groups entirely.

2.) because I no longer eat dairy and soy, the amount of processed foods and snacks I consume are limited. Processed foods have a lot of PUFA's or poly unsaturated fatty acids. This type of fat is known to cause inflammation in the body. When I get too much fat in my diet, especially PUFA's, my intestines pay the price. Moral of the story: make sure to have the proper omega 3:6 ratio in your diet, and keep your fat intake to a moderate level - no more than 20-25% of your daily calories. Make sure you're including healthy fats like those from fish, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado and grass fed animals (if you can tolerate those foods.)

3) do NOT consume caffeine during your period. Caffeine is a stimulant that increases cramps, acts as a diuretic, stimulates the bowels and reduces blood flow. Best to avoid all caffeine while you are having symptoms.

I hope some or any of this information is helpful to you. I went from a 10 to about a 2-3 at worst - in terms of pain and flare ups!


----------

