endometriosis bowel symptoms

[MayM95]

hi, anyone who experiences bowel symptoms a lot with their endometriosis (like me), do you get a lot of trapped wind, and if so, any suggestions on how to help it/reduce it at all? I seem to get it a lot, after almost every big meal, and I’ve tried wind settlers which sometimes help, and I’ve been taking Mebeverine 20 minutes before meals which also sometimes helps, but I’m still getting it a lot and it can be really painful!

[Jas1224]

Yes! I haven’t found a remedy that works 100% but have found ginger tablets and chamomile tea to be helpful in managing it - I take a ginger tablet every morning and it often helps with any nausea associated too

[MayM95 in reply to Jas1224]

yes I’m finding that too! Feel like I’ve tried absolutely everything and I still get it so much. Can you just find ginger tablets anyway like Holland and Barrett or something? I do get a lot of nausea too so that would be good

[Jas1224 in reply to MayM95]

Yeah you can buy them pretty easily! I usually just grab these once every couple of months - amzn.eu/d/02v0uBc - they’re a bit nasty to take because they start breaking down as soon as the water touches them 😂 but usually sets me up for the day and I barely get any nausea when I take so highly recommended. Will keep an eye on this thread to see if anyone else has more suggestions because more help with reducing wind would be great haha

[MayM95 in reply to Jas1224]

thank you so much! I’ll definitely try them, anything to help! Did they take a while to start helping with wind? I know a lot of vitamins and supplements can take a few weeks to start working x

[Jas1224 in reply to MayM95]

Yeah I’d give it a week or two to see the difference with wind. It’s not major, or hasn’t been for me, but has definitely made a difference - I now notice the difference between days when I take them and days I don’t. Nausea-wise though I noticed the effects within days so super helpful for that!

[MayM95 in reply to Jas1224]

At least they make a difference! I feel like when I first started taking Mebeverine, it really helped but not so much now. And I have to take Cyclizine (anti sickness tablets) for my nausea so would be nice to take something natural for it instead!

[Jas1224 in reply to MayM95]

Ahhh, I was on Cyclizine too but stopped because I felt it wasn’t helping anymore - also wanted to find a more natural alternative and can 100% say these have worked really well in regard to nausea for me and as I mentioned before, fair amount of difference with wind. Coupled with some chamomile in the evenings it’s been working a treat. Let me know how you get on! X

[MayM95 in reply to Jas1224]

It’s nice to know you’ve tried Cyclizine before and it felt it stopped helping, it’s the same with me! And I hate nausea so much. I will, thank you so much! Xx

[BunnyMad in reply to MayM95]

Oh wow, I'm not the only one then-! I take cyclizine 50mg (only when very desperate) for nausea too when it's severe and it's been feeling less and less effective lately.

[MayM95 in reply to BunnyMad]

mines literally the same!! 50mg and at first it was amazing, and really helped my appetite, but now, it just doesn’t seem to do much and if it does, it won’t kick in for maybe an hour or two

[Floslair in reply to Jas1224]

hi these ginger root tabs says to take 1-3 tabs a day can I ask how many you take to feel ok pls? Thanks 😊

[Jas1224 in reply to Floslair]

hey! I actually only take 1 per day usually to keep the nausea at bay - if I wake up feeling particularly windy & nauseous I’ll take 2 but test it out and see what works for you. I’ve found them to be really effective x

[Littlebug77]

can I please add to this. I always get this but recently I’ve developed belly button pain vomiting and sever stomach pain that buscopan and mebeverine sometimes don’t touch. Going to the bathroom is always urgent as I’m in agony and it’s accompanied by spotting, bleeding or clots from the vag area. I have chronic diareah and take an Imodium everyday because after I eat 15 mins later I need the toilet. It’s difficult to plan day as when I need to go I have to sometimes I have urinary and bowel incontinence

[Katielaa in reply to Littlebug77]

bless you. I feel your pain, I was exactly the same. 15 minutes after eating it was horrendous. My social life stopped and working was very stressful. Thankfully since my hysterectomy and bowel surgery I’m ‘fairly’ normal xx

[PaintToughTed]

I did but have since cut out dairy and have found this helped massively. It might be that it’s a good intolerance, so might be worth keeping a food diary and seeing if cutting out any of the main culprits (dairy, wheat etc) helps at all! Good luck and sorry to hear you’re in pain x

[Escapologygirl]

Probably stupid me and embarrassingly my braindead question but do you mean wind as in farts or burp like? If its the fart type then I definitely need to start the ginger tea or tablets as I have a big problem.

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

mines more farts not burps, I really don’t have an issue with burping at all funnily enough! But I get so much trapped wind (farts) pretty much every day, and sometimes it’s so painful! Yes I’m going to look at the ginger tablets I think

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

Thank you for your reply and not laughing! I had no idea this extreme wind everyday was also due to endometriosis too! Its really embarrassing and I just gave up having a social life.

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

yeah it definitely is linked with my endometriosis! I think because most of mine was found in my bowel, I get so many more bowel symptoms that actual endometriosis symptoms!! I totally understand, I struggle to maintain a social life too

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

On the one and only laparscopy I had where I was diagnosed it was already on my bladder and rectum and that was in 2018 so lord knows how it's spread since but the wind is a huge problem and using the toilet is a nightmare. Can't be too far from a toilet as holding it is extremely painful and on my period its like knives cutting just trying to sit on the toilet not to mind using it

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

yeah I’ve had two laparoscopy’s so far but my last one was 2019 so I have no idea what the current state of my endometriosis is now! And yeah mine was found on the Pouch of Douglas which is between the uterus and rectum. Yeah I’m the same with needing to be near a toilet at all times! It’s awful isn’t it!

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

Its just mind-boggling the way medical professionals regard endometriosis and its just debilitating and frustrating for us

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

I know, it’s not taken seriously enough, considering it’s such a serious disease!! I was fobbed off for 5/6 years with “it’s just IBS”

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

yep and also had my coeliac disease and underactive thyroid blamed too!

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

as if to say, there can’t be anything else going on?! 🤦🏻‍♀️ it’s easier to just blame it on something else, than to actually take the time to figure out what’s going on

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

The gaslighting is insane

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

oh yeah it’s terrible. Especially when I first started going to the doctors about it when I was probably 15/16, they never took me or my pain seriously, one doctor even said “get more sleep”

[Escapologygirl in reply to MayM95]

When my periods suddenly stopped for a few months in early 20s I was told stop stressing over it and have a warm bath I was a typical female worrying over nothing

[MayM95 in reply to Escapologygirl]

horrendous isn’t it! 😤

[JOSANDY40]

There's no easy answer. Change diet cut out Gluten and Lactose, cut beer, sugar where possible, stop fizzy drinks. If you have allergies stop foods with Histamines in like eg. banana, avocado etc or foods with soya in as it has Estrogen in it. Try using good bio gut bacteria tablet, Antihaistmes, try Belladonna tablets and Fennel Tea from health food shops which tastes a bit werid but they work. Hot water bottles and my must have for all endo pain TENS machine. Exercise! walking, floor excerise. x

[MayM95 in reply to JOSANDY40]

thank you so much for all the tips! Interesting about soya, I’m lactose intolerant so I drink soya milk instead but that might be making my endometriosis symptoms worse?! And I practically live with my hot water bottle! I’ll have a look into the Belladonna tablets and Fennel tea, again thank you so much for the advice! X

[JOSANDY40]

Soya has Estrogen in it which Endo likes! I started on Soya when I went Lactose free, it was fine for 2yrs then my bowel adhesions became worse as seen after another keyhole surgery, thats when I found out. I now drink very little, but Lactose free milk when I do. Soya is in a lot of freefrom shop food as well!!

[MayM95 in reply to JOSANDY40]

thank you for this!! Very helpful because I had no idea! And I have it everyday on my cereal. So is lactose free milk fine to drink? Or is it still something to only drink a little of? I’ve heard Oat Milk is meant to be better for you than Soya Milk but I don’t know in terms of endometriosis

[JOSANDY40 in reply to MayM95]

Oat milk maybe OK but it does have a gluten type effect. Myself the Lactose free cows milk is better.

Endo is driven by hormones. Estrogen being the main factor. Drugs like Zoladex which effects the Pituary Gland to make this. The Pituary Gland concrols the Edocrine System. There is another tiny gland in the head called thymus which maybe still making Estrogen if the Pituary Gland is stopped by Zoladex. My body over longterm use of 10yrs of Zoladex had Estrogen readings. Zoladex is only prescribed for max of 2yrs without break in treatment. Because my lungs bleed monthly in 30yrs it was a way of reducing the inflammation in lungs.

Its probably why I look young, in my family we live to 100 or die young of Endocrine Cancers, Thyroid, Reproductive areas or Breast Cancer but we don't have BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. No one else in family have Endometriosis but I was exposed to chemicals of Crop spraying, at 8yrs would swim in the river near by. My mother also would use a lot of chlorine in the house cleaning.

[MayM95 in reply to JOSANDY40]

oh right okay, I’ve had Lactose free milk before so maybe I’ll go back to that! Thank you so much for the advice ☺️

[Inanutshell]

I only found out I have endo because of my bowel symptoms! I‘m pretty much constantly bloated if I’m not taking laxatives to help move things along. Also helps when I do the child pose position with my butt in the air. Buscopan and mebeverine slow the contractions of the bowel muscles and therefore slow mobility, I had to stop taking buscopan for that reason.

[MayM95 in reply to Inanutshell]

sounds like we’ve had the same kind of journey to diagnosis then! I only really suffered with bowel symptoms for years, my periods were always absolutely fine! Yes I do that pose a lot 🤣 oh really?! So you think Mebeverine didn’t actually help with bowel movements or trapped wind??

[Inanutshell in reply to MayM95]

it certainly does! Same here, I was diagnosed via MRI at the start of this year after 10 years of back and forth with the doctors telling me it’s IBS. Finally got referred to gastro and gyne, MRI came back that my womb is attached to my sigmoid colon. Gastro think I could also have a problem with my pelvic floor (if going to the toilet hurts you you’re more likely to have a tight pelvic floor, therefore harder to go to the toilet/expel wind). My gastro confirmed that the antispasmodics slow mobility (because they work by slowing the muscles) I was taking buscopan everyday for about 6 months and getting more and more bloated/constipated, stopped them and started taking laxatives which has massively helped with the pain. But obviously it isn’t fun taking laxatives everyday 🤦🏻‍♀️ currently on a waiting list for my laparoscopy which will hopefully be in the next few months 🤞.

Ps. Child pose is my saving grace (until it doesn’t work 😂)

[MayM95 in reply to Inanutshell]

yes I’m currently doing pelvic floor training with my physio as I couldn’t stop weeing all the time! It’s helped a lot! I couldn’t risk taking laxatives because my bowel is so unpredictable, one minute can be really hard to go (sorry TMI) and the next, I’m rushing to the loo with the complete opposite! I hope you manage to get the laparoscopy done within the next couple of months 🤞🏻

P.s Child pose is great when it works, you’re right 🤣

[Coral07]

hi lovely I am exactly the same before I even got diagnosed I always knew something wasn’t right because the trapped wind I got was so painfull I couldn’t stand up straight and still had to go to school💔 over the years I’ve learnt what foods that tend to make me gassy for me it’s carbs and cheese and stuff since then I don’t suffer with gas nowhere near as bad, don’t get me wrong when I have a flare up it comes back I use BeYou cooling patches and do gentle massages round my bowel area. Hope this helps lots of love🫶🏼🫶🏼

[MayM95 in reply to Coral07]

yes it really is so painful isn’t it! Yeah over the years, I’ve learnt what foods tend to trigger it more, but sometimes it’s just random or it’s when my endo flares up obviously! Thank you for the advice ☺️🫶🏻

[TogetherWeAreStrong Moderator Endometriosis UK]

MayM95 thank you so much for your post, it raised such interesting and varied responses. And Endo Warriors thank you as always for rising to the occasion and sharing your stories, it's not always easy. I do suffer with this issue and as a result of an appointment with a psychologist as part of my Endo pain management programme, I am now looking more into food as a medicine

[MayM95 in reply to TogetherWeAreStrong]

Thank you for taking the time to read it ☺️ I hope you manage to find some benefits from food as medicine, I have heard that the anti-inflammatory diet is very recommended for endometriosis sufferers x

[endowarrior12]

peppermint capsules are an absolute life saver, highly recommend