to ask you if you get diarrhea during your period

[FlappertyFlippers]

I have always suffered with diarrhea sorry if I've spelt it incorrectly during my period. Today I've had stomach cramps, runny poo and this evening AF arrived. For some reason I googled it tonight and it turns out according to Google at least that loads of women have this.

All my life I thought I was the only person in the world this happened to and I have always hated it and thought that I was the world's luckiest woman suffering with cramps, bleeding AND diarrhea.

I don't really have that many friendships where I'd be comfortable asking the other person if they have exploding poos when menstruating, so I thought I'd turn to mumsnet and try and canvas other women to see if it happens to them too.

Honestly I am not a troll, just someone who is genuinely curious (naive ham, pom bears, boak),

I had forgotten, pebbledashed toilet, javelin arse - I still get that, 3 years post hysterectomy.

Yes omni - I wish we got true information about what happens. I wish I got told the truth about what it is like to have a child - only because of people at working talking about it did I realise that alot of women need super fat maternity pads because you bleed alot after....tummy muscles can seperate for some women and so on. Never got told any of this.

Yes Lil couldn't agree more!

My mum and I call it red hot pokers, it just catches you off guard and you can hardly move!! I love that it has a MN name!! Gas, constipation, diahorrea, back to constipation. Seriously make up your mind. Its like my body is focused on period and forgets how to do anything else! (Which wouldn't surprise me if its taking cues from my brain)

Yes and I also only realised a few years ago that this was so common, after googling!

ok so those of you with bf/partner/husband - do they know? do you hide it? do they not care? I am not with anyone but sometimes during those times esp noisy poo times I think omg what would a guy think!

my husband knows and he doesn't give it a second thought

Yes I do. My husband knows, sometimes I get a bit of extra sympathy for it.

Yes, me too - although it's the constipation I particularly loathed in combination with cramps. (On continuous pill now for endo.) Shooting arse pain I vividly remember, and down my inner thighs. Oh how I do not miss it...

I had no idea this was so common- thanks OP. Also when pregnant no real morning sickness, but a very runny try for a few of the early weeks.

My DH knows. He has tolerated me being windy his reaction used to make me laugh. Such a delicate flower. He is on medication now which makes him fart every 5 minutes. Karma is a bitch! I never really shared about the diarrhoea, gotta have some romance, until I sharted just before we were going out somewhere and had to change We have been together 25 years though.

Hell yes - usually following a bunged up day or two.

I often get it when I ovulate, too. It's a wonder I have kids.

Yes because I say oh bloody hell I've got diarrhea (sp) again because of my period and he gives me sympathy.

@ sharted (sorry)

Wow, I thought last night I was being terribly brave to post this in AIBU and I'd get laughed off mumsnet for asking people a hideously personal period/poo related question.

What a relief to see that this thread has just filled up with many fellow sufferers and I've also learnt some fantastic new words (pineapple bum and javelin arse are my new favourite phrases in the world)

I am now feeling so much frustration hormonal rage at my useless sex ed classes where they covered periods, if this is SUCH a common side effect of periods why did no one tell us. Surely it should be common knowledge?

I do. Terrible IBS at the best of times but at this time of month it's horrendous sometimes I'm on the loo for half hour or more rocking with pain and continually pooing :(

Yes, I get this too.. and I have IBS, so there is always a little bit of toilet talk between me and my boyfriend.

We have a downstairs bathroom, both a blessing and an evil depending on the time of the day.

Yep.

I have IBS. The only time I am not constipated is two days before my birthday.

Period, not birthday.

So many things I am going to make sure and tell my girls!

Why is this "women's stuff" all so hush hush? Do men have this problem with common stuff that happens with them (not sure what it would be but I'm not a bloke so hard to imagine!).

Me too. All of the above. Very glad I'm an old gimmer and past it now.

I'd not heard of the term 'javelin arse' until relatively recently but it describes the pain perfectly. Stopped me in my tracks a few times.

I've a strong feeling my ten year old isn't far off starting her periods. Poor thing. But at least my husband won't be living with two hormonal women. Don't know how my dad coped with four of us!

actually lolled @ birthday

Google has taught me a great deal about the ubiquity of the symptoms of menstruation that so many HCPs had dismissed as unrelated.

U2 - that was such a funny typo hahahahahaa...

And DH gets extra horny when I'm due on. Always gives me a cue to cut back on the cheese and spicy food, as they make the difference between floppy rapid fire poo and whole bowl paint job.

Things always smell stronger on my first day, too. It can be nice, as in realising how fragrant chamomile tea can be (I'm a super sniffer, anyhow) but it can also be intensely awful if, say, I'm on a bus on a wet summer's day. All those sweaty pits and damp coats that got put away wet, when they were last used. Ugh.