Hey all:
When I get my period it's seems like my symptoms worsen when I get it. Anyone know why?
Hugs,
Leah

Hi Leah. If your symptoms get worse right around your period, you may have endomitriosis (sp?) I would see an OB. God bless

If you've found that your Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) acts up when you have your period - you're not alone. Many women find that they experience more severe symptoms such as diarrhea and pain before or during their menstrual cycle.

What's going on?
Researchers think that this increase in symptoms has a connection to hormones. The amount of diarrhea experienced by women with both IBD and IBS increases during the days before and during their period. There are two compounds that are being considered for causing this effect - prostaglandins and progesterone.

There are several different types of prostaglandins that have different functions in the body. Some, called Series 2 Prostaglandins, are associated with changes in the bowel that stimulate diarrhea during menses. They can actually stimulate pain, and interfere with absorption in the intestines. These prostaglandins could also be responsible for causing the smooth muscle in the intestine to contract, causing pain and diarrhea.

The fluctuation of hormones before and during a women's period may also be to blame. It has been theorized that the colon could be reacting to the increase or the decrease in progesterone in the body.