Poo issues before period (apologies, TMI).

[DragonfliesAboveYourBed]

Sorry, TMI!

For the week before my period I've started to have an issue where I have a sudden, very painful, need to do a poo. I get horrible cramps like I have diarrhoea, however when I actually go, it's a normal bowel movement.

The issue is the urgency and the pain. It comes completely out of nowhere and is a case of "I need to go NOW", and the cramps can leave me curled over on the toilet. But once I've been it's fine, and usually doesn't happen again until the next day. It's generally in the morning, within a couple of hours of waking up, and lasts for 5 or so days.

I know that hormones before your period can mess with your digestion but I've always associated that more with increased frequency, and diarrhoea. Is my issue caused by the same hormonal changes? Is there anything I can do about it? It makes me a bit anxious - for example, tomorrow I need to be out of the house early to drive to work and I'm stressed about it happening on the drive, or during the morning meetings I have.

I had similar issues to this and went to see the GP, who told me it was nothing to worry about. A year or so later it transpired I had adhesions inside due to an infection, and they had attached to my bowel. I don’t know why it only hurt when I had my period though.

@ThimbleT yeah I don't know if it's purely period/hormone related, or if the hormones are exacerbating something else (which was maybe the case for you?)
It's only before my period so I don't think it's a food intolerance or something like that. And it's only been the last 5/6 months.