# IBS and the monthly cycle



## Mel31 (Nov 24, 2009)

Hi everyone. I am IBS-C and am due to get my period in two days, and am also getting over a terrible cold. Funny thing is during the cold my stomach was SO well behaved. Today was my first day back at work though, and I woke up with bloating, back pain, etc. Does anyone notice that the flare ups of IBS tend two come within a few days of getting your period? This is just awful. I am also on the pill which I know can be a trigger as well, but I have terrible cramps ( from my period) without it.


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## PeaLea (Sep 16, 2009)

Yeh im on the pill too...im unsure if its doing me any good or not atm ive switched from microgynon to femodette! and i now also take it at night! i get random bleeding to which also means im constantly wearing pantyliners LOL (n still get cramps a bit)im taking it back to back too..see if things calm down, i know i got cramps before, but what i might do is finish this pack and try with out and have a period, and see how it goes from there


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## Mel31 (Nov 24, 2009)

Yeah this is really just plain awful. I was on this pill for years and never had IBS, so I don't think the pill is the cause, but since you have to take a few days of inactive pills before your period starts up, maybe its from all the hormone yo-yo-ing right before the period starts that causes me to flare. Stress and anxiety are also really big triggers for me-probably the biggest.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Mel thumbtacked to the top of the page here is an article about IBS & Homrones... Very common to have a flare up around one's menses.


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## blondeoverblue24 (Oct 20, 2009)

Before I started taking continuous birth control, I used to take ibuprofen a few days before my period and it seemed to help with the pain and cramping somewhat. My stools were still looser but at least I wasn't in much pain.


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## PeaLea (Sep 16, 2009)

Blondeoverblue- what birth control are you on?! ive been on microgynon and now on femodette!


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## blondeoverblue24 (Oct 20, 2009)

I'm currently on camila, which is a progesterone only pill that you take continuously without placebo. I had bleeding for the first week and a half I was on it, but since then I have not had spotting. However, I did have my GYN tell me that the spotting becomes a problem for a lot of people. He basically asked me when I was considering having kids (I've never been pregnant) and when I answered "about two years," he said "That may hold you over to that time"...So I am hoping it works. I was switched over because they think I developed migraines with aura (awaiting neurologist visit in early January) and people with that who receive estrogen are at higher risk of stroke. Overall, I don't really care for camila, but it's not for GI reasons - I'm having horrible acne right now (I initially went on birth control for acne problems, not as contraception) and I don't like that it's slightly less effective than combined birth control pills. If there was another progesterone only birth control form I could tolerate, I'd love it - They don't like doing IUDs in those who haven't had kids and I don't want to do depo again for the reasons below and also there's often a 6 mo - 1 yr delay in return of fertility and I don't want to risk that. If only they had a nuva ring that was just progesterone!In the past I was on seasonale and seasonique, both of which I enjoyed a lot. For awhile I took them without the placebo weeks, but as my IBS got better, I started taking the placebo and having my period every three months. Back when I was having a major flare in 2005, they put me on depo provera, which also eliminates your periods altogether. It was during that time (along with bentyl and paxil CR) that my symptoms came under control...I'm not sure if one medication was responsible or it was a combination of all three. However, I started having reactions to the shots...A couple days after I got them I developed these horrible hot flashes and feelings of nausea that I could not handle.Of note, I still think that initiating birth control may have triggered my IBS....I had just finished my first month of yasmin when my symptoms began. However, I think not having periods really made a difference for me - If that makes any sense!


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## PeaLea (Sep 16, 2009)

Yeh it does =) thanks! i was using birth control thinking it would calm my ibs...but i seem to still get bouts of nausea, even taking it at night doesnt seemto help. im positive its the hormones,and ive had break thru bleeding also. i only have about 10ish days left of this packet im unsure weather to just come off or not.. specially being sdo close to chirstmas n that just incase things swing to being worse! before i was on the pill a week before my period id feel unwell..get bad cramps and generally feel poop! n feel sick. a few days into my period id feel ok and return to normal... now since starting both the microgynon (old pill i was on) and the femodette its like i havent had a come down so to speak, ive constantkly felt nauseaus! im on metochlopramide for it..i swear it isnt working now, before i was on birth control it worked! well for the weekleading up to myperiod!


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## blondeoverblue24 (Oct 20, 2009)

How long have you been taking the pill? Sometimes even non-IBSers find that they have some nausea in the first month or two after starting birth control. If you can get a hold of your doctor, I'd try asking him/her if they can recommend a different pill, as it might be better than stopping altogether (especially with the holidays coming up!)


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## PeaLea (Sep 16, 2009)

ive been takin the old one since october..i started my new femodette about 11 days ago..so altogether including my swap ive had been taking the pill for about 45days today.. i started my old pill the day of my period in october...and since then ive been on the pill =)


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