If you have IBS or have mostly recovered from IBS and you are a woman, I can bet that you have noticed a connection between your menstrual cycle and your IBS symptoms. There is absolutely a connection here and in today’s episode we are going to discuss what that relationship is and what you can do to support yourself.
This is episode 2 of my series on different causes of IBS flares, our reproductive hormones are definitely at play for recurring symptoms of IBS.
Find the full transcript for this episode and other resources at healingheribs.com/50.
Hormones and IBS
I have heard quite frequently from women that there IBS symptoms come on stronger right before they get their period and then during menstruation. This is a common situation but can also be confusing.
Maybe you’ve asked yourself:
Why are my IBS symptoms so bad during menstruation and what can I do about it?
Let’s also normalize this reality, because even women who don’t have IBS can often experience very uncomfortable symptoms like cramping and bloating during this time of the month. Many women without IBS also notice changes in their bowel movements before or during their periods as well.
This is happening because before menstruation our reproductive hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are changing quite notably in our bodies.
Estrogen is a hormone that generally supports smoother gut motility (the rate at which digestion happens) and it also has a mild anti-inflammatory and has the effect of gently modulating your pain.
During our late luteal phase, right before menstruation, during postpartum and during certain points of our perimenopausal phase, estrogen drops—this can cause constipation or diarrhea to happen.
Progesterone is also at play for women and increases in our bodies during the luteal phase and during pregnancy, this increase slows gut motility and can cause constipation and bloating. Then when it drops suddenly, this can cause a rebound effect in your gut and cause loose stools or cramping.
It’s important to keep top of mind that this is a cyclical reality and a biological sensitivity and not anything to do with you being damaged or less than. As women our bodies and our cycles remind us that we are nature and always changing.
The more you can frame these hormonal shifts in a normalized way and even connect to its beauty, the better off you will be, the more empowered you will be and this emotional shift WILL positively affect your gut. Just having more understanding of this pattern can reduce symptom sensitivity.
The Hormonal Reframe
So please know that if you do experience increased IBS symptoms during these common hormonal changes, there is a very specific and rational reason for this happening, and it doesn’t mean anything is going wrong with you.
Culturally we have a certain stigma or shame that comes with our menstrual cycles and with our reproductive hormones in general. It can be hard to manage your symptoms and on top of that the sense that you are defective or somehow weaker due to these hormonal shifts.
You are simply different from a man; your hormones affect your body and mind differently.
If you experience on top of the physical, the mental or emotional feelings of weakness or Less than ness (is that a word?) please remember that this is a cultural shame and not your own.
Please remember that these reproductive or sex hormones are part of our incredibly powerful bodies, bodies that create and bring life into this world if we and/or when we choose. Whenever I am experiencing PMS or perimenopausal symptoms, I do like to remember that this pain is connected intricately to what I consider my superpower as a woman and I am instantly uplifted.
There are also practical tips that can make this time more comfortable for you as your body is shifting and changing hormonally.
Just as an interesting aside-I just learned that Spain has recently passed a law that allows women to take 3-5 days off work for medical leave if she has pain associated with her menstruation.
Though I don’t think there’s a similar law in the US, it’s incredible to see countries moving to allow flexibility for women and women’s bodies in the workforce.
Hormone Supports for IBS
Let’s get to the meat of today’s episode:
Okay, but what can I do to help ease myself through the hormonal shifts?
What helps during hormonal flares:
- Eating predictably during vulnerable windows
- Prioritizing sleep and rest (more than food tweaks)
- Reducing symptom monitoring
- Gentle movement
- Hot water or blanket on your gut and uterus
- Self-compassion instead of control
It helps to start to orient yourself to the reality of your life and your cycles as a woman instead of measuring yourself against how men behave or act and the expectations society has for us that are based upon their energies and hormones, which are very different from our own.
Once you learn to honor your reality and your needs, you can teach and communicate that to others.
My IBS learning has been round and round, learning and re learning the same thing repeatedly.
How can you care for yourself more? How can you treat yourself more like a precious baby?
Thank you for listening today and listen into the following episodes to learn more about other common IBS triggers and reasons we might have a flare.