Anyone noticed a correlation...

[Mangomama]

Between heavy periods and the onset of IBS?

[Yasai]

I don't know if I can offer any suggestions, but this is my experience:

I've always had very heavy periods. Not only heavy, but excruciatingly painful - I've fainted before and would scream the house down every month when my period started. My sibling would come in and ask "who's in labour?" every month.

My mother also had terrible period pain and PMS and she passed that onto me. The way she would describe it is that I was experiencing pain equivalent to the first stage of childbirth. I couldn't have that level of pain while being away at university so I started taking the pill and it settled it down.

My IBS always acts up during PMS and when my period starts. It usually begins with diahrrea and once my body settles into the period I get constipation for the remaining duration. The PMS is worse for me than the actual period to the point where I've been taking the pill back to back for months because I can't afford to miss 3 days of work.

I've heard mixed messages on if how I take the pill is correct or healthy. Right now it's just an inconvenience to have one and I need to be working so I've been putting it off, ready for when I can time it properly with 3 days off in a row.

[Huggaboo]

Hi! I found this post when I was searching for peer support with ibs and painful periods. So I joined the site!

This weekend was brutal. I have noticed my periods have been getting more painful. It seems they are always a little more painful than the previous month. Day 2 is the worst for me. I used to get bad periods when I was younger, usually just back aches where I couldn't move or stand up from my seat.

Now I have nausea from the pain. I feel like I will pass out. I can't sleep. I just want to curl up with a hot water bottle and cry.

I started getting diarrhea last week. I was so bloated on Wedneday afternoon I had to undue the top of my pants at work. My period started on Thursday. On Friday I was counting down the minutes for the shift change because I had to run to the bathroom to poop. I felt like I was going to explode. But nope, it was pebbles. And some mucus.

The pain was awful. I know the anxiety of not making it to the bathroom in time made it worse. . I couldn't stop worrying that that my coworker was going to call in sick and I'd have to stay and I'd crap my self at the front desk. I started sweating a lot and was so sooooo uncomfortable. I couldn't get home fast enough. I laid on the floor when I got home and tried to massage my stomach. I'm not an RMT so I didn't know what I was doing. My lower left abdomen was so tender and sore to touch. I noticed a new silvery stretch mark and that stretch mark was a sore. I don't think I was that bloated???

My stomach was making the LOUDEST sounds when I touched it. So much swooshing. And internal gas.

I couldn't fart though. I couldn't poop. When I did it was just mucus and pebbles.

The weekend gradually got better.

I've had some normalish poos this morning. The first two. The last 3 were diarrhea.

My stomach doesn't hurt to press on anymore. So I don't know what is happening.

I had laproscopic surgery when I was 20 on my left ovary (twisted). I have had a bartholin cyst on the left side since February. I had covid and know I need to see my doctor. But these are things I think I need to be seen for.. like pelvic exam, touch the stomach, not a 5 minute phone call.

I'll update as I learn more about my situation...

[Mangomama in reply to Huggaboo]

Good luck with the doctor. My stomach issues started a few months before I had my annual check up and learned I was anemic. I had also noticed my periods were getting heavier, hence the anemia, around the same time. So I went to GI and she dx me with IBS. I do think there is a correlation between the two. Next month I’m getting an iud to help with the heavy periods. I’m hoping to also see an improvement with my ibs symptoms (diarrhea, bloating and gas). I’ll let you know too how it goes.