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Quick answer
- Gut symptoms around periods are very common.
- Prostaglandins are thought to speed up your bowels.
- Painful poos on your period, bowel bleeding, or lasting changes are worth a GP visit.
If your bowels go a bit wild around your period, you have lots of company. In a study of 156 healthy women, about 73% had at least one gut symptom, like tummy pain, diarrhoea, constipation or nausea, just before or during their period.
Why it happens
The same prostaglandins that make your womb contract are thought to affect the gut nearby, speeding things up. Hormone shifts before your period may also cause constipation or bloating for some people. The exact mechanisms are still being studied.
What can help
- Drink plenty of water, especially if you have diarrhoea.
- Fibre from fruit, veg and wholegrains can help keep things regular. Soluble fibre such as oats or linseed can help if you are constipated.
- Go easy on caffeine, alcohol and very spicy or fatty foods if they make it worse. The NHS lists these as common triggers for IBS flare-ups.
- Anti-inflammatory painkillers reduce prostaglandins and may ease cramps. Whether they also settle loose stools is less well studied, so treat this as something to try only if they are suitable for you.
MythLoose stools on your period mean you ate something bad.
They can simply be your cycle. If they come in a pattern with your period, prostaglandins are a likely cause.
Sources
Written by the Splash teamSources checked
This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US). How we write and check articles.