Or is period diarrhoea fucking awful?

[toysoldier]

Just that really. Every time I have my period the first few days are so heavy I'm passing clots and my bowels go totally nuts... the worst room clearing farts ever and diarrhoea. I often don't know if the cramps are menstrual or diarrhoea. Today and yesterday have been horrific. Please tell me it's not just me!!

Yes it is completely normal and thought to be caused by prostiglandins. I hate it. Not only did I have periods that were so heavy I needed tampons and pads, bled on bedding every month, had anemia and felt generally sick but then I has to deal with loose bowels. Always felt dirty and had to carry baby wipes. And sod all those girls can adverts of women doing sport, I couldn't do any of that.

Yup here too and totally get the javelin arse, but only since I hit my mid 40's

Yep it’s a thing here too.

I also get the urge to go on a massive bender the night before my period. It always comes the next day. Not sure if it’s the wine that helps start them or periods that trigger the need to drink.

Definitely hormone related. I think it's to do with the hormones that relax the cervix also relax the muscles of the bowel too. I had to take pre meds before surgical management of a miscarriage to open the cervix and within 10 mins I was having the worst diarrhoea I've ever had. The nurse said it was the tablets.

For me it's trapped wind/lower intestine cramps. It's so bloody painful.

I found this which explains it somewhat:

www.healthline.com/health/period-farts

Seems like progesterone is the reason why. I hate progesterone. I always feel pretty happy during the estrogen phase (first 14 days) and then my sails slowly come lower and lower until boom I'm ready to weep for the whole world and chuck myself over the side of the boat just before period arrives.

It's got so bad recently and I am perimenopausal. Fecking periods and trapped gas/bowel spasms coming every 23 days. I don't know what to do.

@Oysterbabe I misread it as period dramas too! No idea why 😂

I get it too, although I welcome a good flush out because my bowels are slow the rest of the time!

For all those that are suffering with this - have you tried hormonal contraception? For example the combined pill?

It's often used to make periods lighter and reduce cramps etc - so I could imagine it might help ease some of these symptoms.

Ughhhhhhh, yes. For a few days before my period starts I am constipated. I presume that this is because I am retaining water. Then the day my period starts and the day after it is like an explosion in a shit factory. And the smell, GOD, THE SMELL.

It's the progesterone. I have crohn's disease which always kicked off with mental diarrhea, wind and bowel cramps when I had a period.

I also had PMDD which resulted in a hysterectomy and my ovaries removed to cure it. I'm on estrogen only HRT now and the crohn's has gone into remission.

And sod all those girls can adverts of women doing sport, I couldn't do any of that.

And they're always in little white shorts! Madness.

Yes, I’ve always had this.

This image sums it up:

Ah the period poo - someone at work once called it "peanut butter jelly time" and that's all I can think of every month.

And they are always looking so happy

Who the fuck looks so happy when they are on their period and they are always of course eating 🥗 (obviously this sets all us women into ecstatic grinning)

A day before my period I am teary in the afternoon and laugh hysterically in a rather manic way it doesn’t last

I get this, but it’s linked to my endometriosis

Never happened, menopause was far worse, minced raw ginger works fab for cramps, puy 1 teasp in boiling water with a of bit if honey .
It was the bad tummy ache and bloating that’s did me menopasally

Yeah I used to have this when I had Endometriosis and Adenomyosis and I was completely cured once I had a total hysterectomy including ovaries and the Surgeon carefully removed all traces of Endo... from around bowel and bladder. I was in surgery about 4hours.

He was a miracle worker tbh because I never had any more trouble like that ever again.

Me too!!
What is Javelin Arse?

I am laughing at these - but really. Do men have a sodding clue about what we have to put up with?

XH was actually pretty good about bodily functions, but I wouldn't have told him the details of javelin arse, the shits, etc.

When my periods were at their worst (pre-DC), I could just about stagger from my bed to the loo. I remember going to work with a hot water bottle stuffed up my jumper, wondering how I was going to get through a minute, never mind an hour. I wouldn't have been playing netball.

My DD seems to be going the same way. Fortunately for her, I have been there, so she will have a sympathetic audience.

@LetMeLayAmongTheStars You are lucky if you don't know this. It's the feeling that someone is sticking a red-hot javelin up your arse. Jolly painful, I can tell you.

Javelin arse is those awful shooting pains you get literally like a hot javelin up the arse for no good reason. See also: fanny daggers.

I’m actually thinking of phoning in sick tomorrow my PP are that bad...!

Yep me too on day 4 now and there cannot possibly be anymore shit to come out

For all those that are suffering with this - have you tried hormonal contraception? For example the combined pill?

The side effects of the pill is even more horrendous than the "shitting a suitcase"....so, no.

I get it too.
It's like when you get diarrhea in early labour. Your uterus cramping makes your bowls move.