Every month, in the lead up to my period, I get really extreme/severe IBS.
My abdomen swells up two clothes sizes bigger. I get cramping in my bowel that's causing me to cry out in pain - it seems to spasm in waves.
Also feels like my bowel is blocked. I don't pass motion for up to a week. I get bad body odour and bad breath. I've tried laxatives before but that hasn't helped. I think the "blockage" comes from swelling inside rather than what's trying to come through.
I take pain killers, but nothing seems to help. It's absolute agony and goes on for several days, up to a week.
As soon as period starts, it all relaxes and back to normal.
This has been happening every month for about a decade! GP did some tests that showed nothing (blood test and FIT test). Then would not follow up further.
I'm into menopause now and have been on HRT for a year. Nothing changed from that.
Any advice on how to deal with this? Does anyone else have this? It's happening now and I'm in so much pain.