Who gets terrible Diarrhea in the lead up... - Endometriosis UK

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Who gets terrible Diarrhea in the lead up to their period?

kiwi1 profile image
6 Replies

And how do you deal with it? Especially when you have to work, look after kids etc - basically live life! I get it the same time each month - about 6 days before my period comes on. I have to go watch my kids go play sport soon and I am freaked there will not be a toilet close enough for me :(

I take codiene for the tummy pain I get and the amount of DR's that have said here take this because it will help with the pain and bung you up... not me! pain subsides but never goes away and it certainly doesnt "bung" me up! I have tried various other meds to slow my bowels down but nothgin seems to work.

I should add that before being investigated for Endo I went down the bowel route first, had colonoscopy, multiple tests etc and all were clear.

look forward to hearing back xx Hope everyone is feeling OK today xx

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melodyxo profile image
melodyxo

Me :( Was diagnosed with stage 2 endo last month, but have had this problem for 10 years +! I still really struggle with it, but just use imodium to help, usually just take half a tablet if it's mild, or up to 2 if it's bad. Always a week before my period and sometimes the first few days. Feels like i'm recovering from a stomach bug! Also had investigations for IBS and decided they would go down the colonoscopy route if it didn't turn out that it was endo, which it now has. I also take multivitamins with pro biotics, calcium + vitamin D+K, and seven seas perfect harmony for hormones which blends fish oil, evening primrose oil and starflower oil. Looking into the FODMAP and endo diet also :) It probably doesn't help, but lots of women have the same symptoms, at least you're not alone x

wp22 profile image
wp22

I get this too, yes it feels like you've got a stomache bug. A colonoscope will not show up endo as the scope goes into your bowel and the endo is the other side of your bowel, inside near your womb so it is completely pointless for trying to diagnose endo. You would have thought professionals would have know that, honestly! I don't take anything for it but if I was out when it happened it would be a bit of a disaster and an embarrassment as I cannot control the flood when it happens x

Westy_ profile image
Westy_

I find my diet really helps me... I try to stay away from wheat & caffeine in particular. Might be worth a try x

Yes, I get this all the time. I have been diagnosed with stage 4 endo, cfs/me and ibs, so have limited foods in diet to try and help, but it still happens x

lm330 profile image
lm330

hey there :) im sorry to hear that you are having such a tough time :) i get bad diarrhoea too. My bowels are not good throughout the month but its worst just before and in the first few days of period. At my local hospital they are increasingly working with multidisciplinary teams and this has helped me to make some progress. I saw a physio and a rectosurgical consultant. They did some tests including something called a proctogram, which identified that i have a rectocele and a poorly functioning pelvic floor. from chronic pain i believe that the pelvic floor can stop functioning as well and weaken and this is part of the reason why i get such urgency. i have been told to use a kegel machine to strengthen my muscles and if not then they will operate on the rectocele to put things back in place. im not far into the process yet despite having this diagnosis a year ago, because my vaginal and pelvic pain are so bad its hard to get the probe in to use the kegel stim machine. but it might be worth seeing if u can be referred to a physio as they can test ur pelvic floor using a probe and a computer. if uv been in chronic pain it may be that ur pelvic floor is not working properly any more too? who knows, but you could always give it a try :) also you can ask abotu the proctogram. its basically an x ray and u poo whilst having it. sounds awful (and it pretty much is) but it helps them to understand why u get the upset tum and urgency. the rectocele i have means a prolapse between vaginal wall and rectal wall. i think i had a lot of endo removed somewhere near there so its all related. keep trying :) we are all in the same boat :) hope u find out whats wrong and can move forward to some pain relief :) we all have days where it seems too much, but you sound like you are doing great :) take care xxx

kiwi1 profile image
kiwi1

Thank you so much for all the replies. It really does make a difference having people to relate to. Im330 I am back to Gastro specialist next month and I full believe I have some issue down there too but I don't think it accounts for the side/hip/kidney like pain etc I am doing OK thanks :) but that is probably because most of the time codeine is working for me :)

Fordie777 I too have tried eliminating foods from my diet but I cant pin point any one type of food that is doing it, just recently though I can now pinpoint when it is going to hit whereas before I just felt it was random. It is defiantly cyclic. I have some meds I take that help a little. The worst it when it hits at work :(

Thanks again the replies xx

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