Bowel movements and periods – a topic we don’t usually speak of very openly, but I thought to do that today. Why? Because I realised I never have and it may help someone out there.
Now, I’ve always had pooping issues during my periods and slowly, over the years, by improving my awareness I have been able to manage it better.
As you may know, I have endometriosis, adenomyosis and PCOS (amongst other issues like Painful Bladder Syndrome / Interstitial Cystitis, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, MCAS etc etc).
Relevant Read:
So when you have issues like endometriosis, adenomyosis, PCOS, you kind-of expect a whole host of digestive issues in the build-up to your periods and during periods – it’s a given, especially when it comes to bowel movements.
Mine definitely start behaving oddly and I find myself needing to adjust my habits, my food intake and overall being conscious of what my body is needing from me to feel comfortable.
But why are bowel movement issues a given? And what can I do to help? I try to answer those questions in this blog post.
Please Remember: I am not a doctor. I’m just a curious patient looking for answers and various coping mechanisms which I share with you here. If you experience anything I speak of then please speak to your doctor, like I did and get customised help – something we all deserve to get.
Here’s a short Q&A:
Do bowel habits change during period time?
Yes, they do! And if you’re currently on your periods and feeling really annoyed about this, then blame it on your hormones, but then again blaming won’t get you or me too far if we want to help ourselves in time for our next period cycle.
Why do we need to go to the bathroom more often during our periods?
During my periods, I get bloated and feel heavier in the digestive region – the stomach and the lower abdomen region. I feel like going to the bathroom to poop more often, and once I do, it helps reduce the cramping and bloating and overall, I end up feeling lighter.
Well, I only feel lighter for the next hour, until it hits again!
This happens because, just before our periods begin, the cells that make up the lining of the uterus start to produce more prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins (which are hormone-like) are produced to stimulate the muscles of the uterus which help shed the lining for our period to occur. But, if you produce more prostaglandins, and it gets into your bloodstream, then it does the same thing to your bowel muscles and hence, we poop more!
What are prostaglandins?
Prostaglandins are lipids which are hormone-like because they (and I quote Cleveland Clinic):
“because they coordinate different functions in your body and tell your body what to do and when to do it.”
Hormones are released from the endocrine system whereas prostaglandins are made by the tissue wherever it is needed, whether that’s to break up clots after the healing of an injury or to help with blood flow, inflammation, ovulation, menstruation, pregnancy (in inducing labor) or even to regulate hormones.
Why do we get constipation during periods?
Let’s blame another hormone now, shall we?! Nah no blaming, because our body works hard to keep us going in the best possible way.
High levels of progesterone (and sometimes, along with this, low levels of prostaglandins contribute) builds up before our periods begin, this slows down our digestive system which then possibly causes constipation.
(Reference for this here)
There are studies which now indicate that estrogen could be the problematic hormone and not progesterone, but frankly, I haven’t found any studies on women as of yet, only mice – so if you get to know of such a study having been done on women then please let me know.
O’ and the study on mice is here:
“Administration of estrogen resulted in a decrease in gastrointestinal movement, compared to normal; however, no significant change was observed by administration of progesterone. In conclusion, estrogen, rather than progesterone, may be a detrimental factor of constipation via decreased bowel movement in mice.”
In favour of this study, I have read other studies state that low levels of estrogen have been known to trouble gut movement but here there are low levels of progesterone too which mainly occurs together during peri-menopause and menopause.
Okay so it’s all a bit complex and currently beyond my understanding and it shows that after all these years we don’t have genuine clarity of what happens to women during their periods.
But either way, if you’re experiencing this, you’re not imagining it – regardless of the reason.
What is progesterone?
Progesterone is a hormone produced mainly in the ovaries after ovulation. If the egg isn’t fertilised, levels of progesterone drop, which causes a period to happen.
But if the egg is fertilised, the production of progesterone continues.
“This progesterone stimulates blood vessels to supply the endometrium. It also prompts the endometrium to provide nutrients to the developing embryo.”
(Reference for this is here)
After pregnancy occurs, progesterone is mainly produced in the placenta. The constant production of progesterone makes sure more eggs aren’t produced during pregnancy. Eventually, progesterone allows for lactation to occur.
So yep, progesterone is a very important, especially for pregnancy but as we know it can also cause constipation during periods!
What is estrogen?
Estrogen is a hormone that helps develop and maintain female reproductive system. It helps develop breasts, pubic hair and even maintain bone health.
Relevant Read:
Recently, I’ve got to understand that estrogen helps with cardiovascular health, and maintaining our cognitive abilities (the ability to think clearly).
Estrogen is produced by the adrenal glands, ovaries and fat tissues.
This is a hormone that I feel all women should really look to maintain, especially as we grow older – something I’m learning more about and maybe I’ll do another blog post about it sharing my experiences with maintaining it.
Why do you get diarrhoea during periods?
Remember we spoke of the hormone-like lipid prostaglandins earlier? Well, it’s the excess production of prostaglandins that can cause diarrhoea.
Having experienced constipation and diarrhoea during periods and especially before I’d had excision surgery for endometriosis – it was the diarrhoea that really made me lose a lot of strength. My legs would feel weaker, I would get dark circles but just the whole process of going through this almost every month (and a few times each month) pulled me down mentally.
I can confidently say that a lot of good came from my excision surgery. But if that’s a surgery you cannot do yet, or you may not have endometriosis, then maybe relook at your diet – are you consuming laxatives without knowing? I’ll cover more about this in the next question.
Relevant Read:
- How Much Does Endometriosis Excision Surgery Cost?
- My Guide: How to Prepare for Endometriosis Excision Surgery
- My Guide: What to Expect After Endometriosis Excision Surgery
- Six Months On: Endometriosis Excision Surgery – Am I Better?
What can you do to improve your pooping issues during your periods?
If you have constipation and gas-like pain, then it is recommended to stay away from gassy foods like beans and lentils, but you should increase your liquid intake and also look to at how much fibre you’re taking and even work on an anti-inflammatory diet, which I speak of here:
If you have diarrhoea, then like I said earlier, it’s important to reduce or stay away from food & drink that are natural laxatives such as apples, figs, citrus fruits, prunes, leafy greens and coffee or even laxatives in tablet form.
Please note, there is a longer list when it comes to food and drink that won’t help us, so I would advise you to see a nutritionist who can help guide you with a diet that will work specifically for the cause of your diarrhoea or / and your constipation.
For me, because my diet is gluten free, I am very conscious of consuming enough fibre, which I do by having chia seeds and this has helped me immensely.
Here’s my favourite chia seed pudding recipe:
Please remember: Having conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, IBD, Crohn’s disease, fibroids, ovarian cysts can all make period poop and cramping a lot worse so please do speak to your doctor about this.
Thank you for reading!
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