IBS flare ups before af

[Frosty66612]

Do any of you have IBS which flares up a week before af starts? I get so bloated that I look 6 months pregnant, and I get gassy, cramps and an upset stomach.
I’m very careful with what I eat and I take buscopan when it gets too much. Just curious if anyone else suffers like this too?

I call it shark week 🦈, and my gynecologist said it's normal to have a flare around that time.

My Crohn's is a devil before shark week.
It's the hormones, but I forget I'm due on and think I'm having a terrible flare and start panicking that I'll need an ileostomy and then the penny will finally drop.

It might be endometriosis

I was going to say endometriosis too. Often diagnosed as IBS (which should be a diagnosis of exclusion, ie everything else ruled out). If endo is growing on your bowel it can cause bowel issues, not surprisingly. Have you had any gynae checks?

AF is most commonly short for atrial fibrillation which would have been an odd link with IBS that's for sure!

Mine has started to flare up now as I'm getting older. I've found taking a high grade probiotics soothes the symptoms of gassy, bloated tummy with diarrhoea.

My IBS made my life hell and I was always extra ill around my period.
I changed my pill to anon break one. And got mebeverine and Lemorazide. It's made life a lot more bearable.
I have a lost less incidents now.
Keep going back to the doctors. You deserve a good quality of life

Also came here to say endometriosis.

All of you suffering definitely have my sympathy. It took me nearly a year to for it to click that shark week/ Aunt Irma was making the flare up worse. My ribs feel fractured, my back aches. I find Colpermin and peppermint tea do help. I got some Mefenemic Acid prescribed and that did make a difference with a lighter flow and ease the rib pain.
Found that when I was pregnant, the bloating and pain decreased.
It is a difference of 2 dress sizes with/out the bloating.

I feel your pain! Have horrendous ibs basically every day and nothing seems to help, am in constant pain and this pregnancy has been the worst ever, guess that's the hormones!

I also get shortness of breath and pressure/pain in my chest which is freaky until I remind myself it's just bloody ibs. I have been woken up in the night and spent hours doubled over in pain. As well as the general pain and bloating I have specific pain in my lower right abdo (appendix area) which can radiate into hip and down leg. It feels like my insides are being strangled.

Is anyone else's bladder also affected? I have painful bladder at times and feel like I constantly need to wee. It's not all the time and only started last 3 or 4 years, had IBS for 12. Bladder symptoms similar to interstitial cystitis and definitely seem to tie in with the worst of the ibs

Yep, me too. Every month in the week before my period and the first couple of days, plus a few days around ovulation as well. I've seen several GP's and although I've been diagnosed with dysmennorhea and take tablets for my bleeding every month I still suffer!

Thanks for explaining AF to me!
I actually have worse issues during the actual period, and the last poo. At least then I know it's over!

@Flaminglingos yes to probiotics! Try those OP, I resist mentioning them as it sounds a bit hippy but I found it healed mine loads, took supplements as a course twice loved 3.5 months and have then just carried on having lacto free Keffir.

And yes @MrJohnReese when mine got really, really bad 4 years or so ago I had bladder pain, v low down and almost cystitisy, don’t know what the link is but it was definitely a symptom of it for me. x

I do take a probiotic every day (bioglan) and it has helped a bit, but I still get the flares a week before my period :-(
It’s so frustrating as I never had any IBS until I got to the age of 29. I only eat lactose free dairy products now as I feel like I’ve been poisoned if I have lactose