Each month, just before your period begins, fatty acids known as prostaglandins begin to relax the smooth muscle tissues inside your uterus to help it shed its lining. But those same prostaglandins can have a similar impact on your bowels, leading to — you guessed it — more poop, and even diarrhea.
Some people may experience diarrhea during or before their period. This is likely due to an increase in the production of prostaglandins in the body. Prostaglandins are hormone-like chemicals that assist certain functions in the body, including: muscle contractions.
They might last up to seven days after the start of menstruation. When your period is about to arrive, digestive symptoms tend to fall to the extremes. Some people get constipated, and others have diarrhea.
This helps us better understand that increased incontinence before and during our periods may be due to the decrease in estrogen which changes the pressure around the urethra causing it to lose elasticity and not being able to fully close and stop the flow of urine.
It's perfectly normal to notice some clumps from time to time during your period. These are blood clots that may contain tissue. As the uterus sheds its lining, this tissue leaves the body as a natural part of the menstrual cycle. So clots of tissue are usually nothing to be concerned about.
It's perfectly normal to experience diarrhoea with your period – with abdominal pain and diarrhoea being two of the most common period-related gastrointestinal symptoms . But you don't need to accept it as just a regular part of your monthly cycle.
Blame It (Partially) on the Hormones
There is good evidence that progestogens, such as progesterone, can stimulate appetite. Levels of this sex hormone reach their peak about one week before menstruation begins, which can help explain pre-period munchies.
Passing stool immediately after a meal is usually the result of the gastrocolic reflex, which is a normal bodily reaction to food entering the stomach. Almost everyone will experience the effects of the gastrocolic reflex from time to time. However, its intensity can vary from person to person.
Intensity of the pain
Period discomfort can be more severe than regular pain. Cramps are felt throughout the period. While constipation, indigestion, and gas pain typically strike suddenly and disappear after defecation.
Hormones are usually the cause
For most women who experience nausea during or before their periods, it's just a normal part of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). A hormone called prostaglandin circulates around your body during your time of the month. It can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headaches.
Several symptoms can inform someone if they are about to have a period and can include spotting, pain or cramping, bloating, swollen or tender breasts, acne, and mood changes. PMS usually appears the week before and goes away a few days after a period begins.
A significantly greater number of cycles (70.4%) commenced during the night or in the first 4 h after rising, compared with later in the day. In a large proportion of these (29 out of 76), blood was noted to be present on waking, menstruation thus having begun at some time during the hours of sleep.
Unlike the female reproductive system, boys do not have uterus and thus menstruation cannot occur. Therefore, it is biologically impossible for boys to have periods. However, boys during puberty may undergo mood swings or other emotional changes due to changing levels of the male sex hormone testosterone.
At the same time, the period hormones may stimulate muscle contractions in the intestines and bowels, which are close to the uterus, causing more frequent bowel movements. They also reduce how well the body absorbs water, making the stool softer and increasing the risk of diarrhea.
Perhaps you've noticed your stomach gurgling during your period but, why is this? Prostaglandins are believed to be the root of the problem. These are chemicals that release during your period, allowing your uterus to contract.
One of the hormones released during your cycle is called prostaglandin. Though most of it sheds with the uterine lining, some gets into your bloodstream. This can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches.
Healthy cardio and workout routines can help lighten your period. Exercising also alleviates cramps and bloating because it pumps you up with happy chemicals and lessens water retention. Working out may also reduce the length of your period because stronger muscles help your cycle function faster.
Most people notice spotting as a few drops of blood on their underwear or toilet paper when wiping. In most cases, spotting should not cause concern. Often, hormonal changes due to birth control, pregnancy, or menopause can trigger it.
Free bleeding has been used to challenge period stigma and taboos, to protest high prices of period products, and to draw attention to the environmental issues relating to disposable pads and tampons.
If you need to urinate, pull the string to the back or side. If you're going to defecate, pull it towards the front. If your tampon becomes saturated with urine, it means that you probably haven't put it far enough into your vagina. You need to take it out and put in a new one.
Technically, you can take out your tampon every time you pee, and if you only use the bathroom every four to five hours, go for it. But, if you're a frequent pee-er, and your flow is fairly light, then changing your tampon every hour or so may be irritating, and require a bunch of tampons.