Is It Normal to Get Diarrhea During Your Period?
What causes diarrhea in the first few days of your period?
By the time you reach your 20s, you probably have your own way of detecting an incoming period. For many women, it’s the dreaded menstrual cramps. For others, it’s when a few random pimples abruptly appear on your chin. And for others, the big clue that a period is starting is constipation and diarrhea.
Cramps and mood swings tend to get most of the attention when it comes to PMS symptoms, so you might worry that the wonky bowel movements you experience before and during your period are abnormal and problematic. Fear not: Upset stomach and diarrhea around the time of your period are very normal.
How common is diarrhea during your period?
A 2014 study tracked the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms of adult women before and during their periods. In the study, 73 percent of participants reported at least one GI symptom. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain and diarrhea. Participants who experienced mood changes before their periods were much more likely to also experience abnormal bowel movements than those who didn’t have mood changes.
What causes digestive problems during menstruation?
The digestive distress comes down to hormonal changes during your cycle. Estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout the cycle. These hormonal changes can alter the speed of your digestion. Slow digestion can cause constipation. Faster digestion can cause diarrhea or just more frequent bowel movements.
Some women experience GI distress regularly, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. For these individuals, their symptoms may worsen during their periods. Plus, women with IBS and IBD are generally more likely than other women to report other PMS symptoms (like mood changes), according to a 2015 study in Gastroenterology Report.
What can help relieve upset stomach during your period?
Like other PMS symptoms, one solution to deal with period-related bowel changes is hormonal birth control. This includes the Pill, the patch, or hormonal IUDs.
These options may reduce cramps, mood changes, and upset stomach by evening out the release of hormones throughout your menstrual cycle. If that’s a solution that appeals to you, talk to your doctor to explore which birth control option is best for you and your specific lifestyle.
However, many patients simply accept constipation and diarrhea as part of their monthly routine and make adjustments to their diet and exercise habits. Avoid foods that trigger constipation, and focus on getting more fiber in your diet. Here are more habits to help relieve and prevent constipation.
Dr. Wu is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in New York City.
00:00.264 --> 00:02.847 line:15%
(bright music)
00:08.210 --> 00:10.150
-: It's very common for patients to complain
00:10.150 --> 00:11.982
of constipation right before their period
00:11.982 --> 00:14.148 line:15%
and then diarrhea or frequent bowel movements
00:14.148 --> 00:15.350 line:15%
during their period.
00:15.350 --> 00:17.960 line:15%
This is all due to the hormonal changes during that time.
00:17.960 --> 00:20.520
Changes in estrogen or progesterone before your period
00:20.520 --> 00:23.520
and during your period can alter how fast food moves
00:23.520 --> 00:24.760
through your intestines.
00:24.760 --> 00:27.848
If it moves more slowly, then more of the fluid comes out
00:27.848 --> 00:30.160
and you can have constipation.
00:30.160 --> 00:32.760
If food moves more quickly, you may have diarrhea
00:32.760 --> 00:34.450
or frequent bowel movements.
00:34.450 --> 00:36.690
Patients who have certain GI conditions like
00:36.690 --> 00:40.140
irritable bowel syndrome, they are very prone to diarrhea
00:40.140 --> 00:43.394
and constipation even without their periods, so they may see
00:43.394 --> 00:46.530
a worsening of symptoms right before their period.
00:46.530 --> 00:49.400
Many patients complain of the constipation and diarrhea
00:49.400 --> 00:50.280
during their cycle.
00:50.280 --> 00:52.780
If they would like to try to get rid of the constipation
00:52.780 --> 00:55.550 line:15%
and diarrhea, we could try birth control pills,
00:55.550 --> 00:58.130 line:15%
because there's a more steady state of the hormones
00:58.130 --> 00:59.310 line:15%
during that time.
00:59.310 --> 01:01.130
Patients are very reassured when they realize that
01:01.130 --> 01:04.700
there actually is an explanation for it and it's based
01:04.700 --> 01:07.690
on their hormones, and many of them decide that they
01:07.690 --> 01:09.690
actually don't need birth control pills,
01:09.690 --> 01:11.640
that they will just deal with it with fiber
01:11.640 --> 01:13.493
and fluids and things like that.
01:13.493 --> 01:16.076 line:15%
(bright music)
Bernstein MT, Graff LA, Avery L, Palatnick C, Parnerowski K, Targownik LE. Gastrointestinal symptoms before and during menses in healthy women. BMC Womens Health. 2014;14:14.
Bharadwaj S, Barber MD, Graff LA, Shen B. Symptomatology if irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease during the menstrual cycle. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2015 Aug;3(3):185-93.
What can I do about cramps and PMS? New York, NY: Planned Parenthood. (Accessed on January 12, 2021 at https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/health-and-wellness/menstruation/what-can-i-do-about-cramps-and-pms.)