Okay ... so this may sound sort of gross, but over the last few months, I have developed pain when I have a bowel movement during the first few days of my period. And it's not just light pain ... it is pretty bad. In fact, sometimes I need to bend over to relieve the pain and have even resorted to holding it in so I wouldn't go to avoid the pain. I know that is terrible. I really don't have problems during the rest of the month. And I know the pain isn't "typical" period cramping because I do suffer from that and I know what it feels like. It's not even in the same area as period cramping. This pain is primarly in my lower bowel area (for lack of a better description).
I have always had very heavy periods, usually very heavy flow for at least 3 - 4 days and they typically last at least 7 or 8 days, severe cramping, etc. I was on the pill for years prior to the birth of my son, which did help but I don't want to go back on the pill, mainly because we are still unsure whether we will have another child and I'm waiting until we have decided. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this and if so, what caused it? Was it serious and should I be really concerned? I am scheduled for my annual OBGYN exam next month and plan to bring it up to the doctor then, but am wondering if it is something I should be seen for sooner. Any help/advice would be much appreciated!
In response to a few of the responses I have received, I want to add that it doesn't matter what the consistency of the "poo" is ... I don't believe it is because I am constipated. The poo can be quite soft or even runny in consistency, and I can still have severe pain. So I don't think it is in relation to being constipated, but thank you all for your suggestions!
I was diagnosed with endometriosis and that was just one of my symptoms. When you go in to the doctor communicate that and hopefully you will get to the bottom of it. I know what you're talking about when you say it's really bad pain! Good luck to you...
Yes this was typical for me. The bowel muscles are entwined closely with the uterine muscles. I used to have such painful bowel/menstration pains that I could not stand up. They actually were more painful for me than labor. I would rather have a baby than a period any day.
Taking the pill helped until I go off the pill...then the pain was such a shock! The new pills are probably less dangerous with the hormones that you will get, so that is the way to go, but I hate to see you take them the rest of your life.
I have this problem, too. In my case, I believe it's from pelvic adhesions and scar tissue that developed after a challenging delivery. During my daughter's birth, there was a lot of tearing for me that didn't heal properly, and I had to have some restorative surgeries. I think the trauma from her delivery and the resulting scar tissue from the surgeries has caused some of my deeper plumbing to adhere to other parts. So when there is cramping, heavy flow, and smooth muscle inflammation during my period, bowel movements are very painful.
I don't have a solution for my own situation or one to offer you. I'm still exploring alternative ways of healing scar tissue down there and reducing inflammation during my period.
You might ask your doctor about pelvic adhesions, though.
Time to see the doc...
I had the same thing for years...but it directly followed an appendectomy...so it was pretty apparent that a nerve had grown back the wrong way, and attached itself to my descending colon. For me (even though it was painful) it was ironically fantastic, because it always happened 30 hours before my period started.
If yours has no obvious trigger (like a recent surgery), I'd definitely go get things checked out. It could be a bunch of things (ranging from endometriosis to polyps in your colon that inflame with the change of hormones related to your period, to something totally benign, to, to...). Don't be disappointed if you get sent for multiple tests...unfortunately anything relating to the abdomen (especially with women) isn't all found in one speciality...& they'll rule out what's common before they start the more exotic. And then they send you off to another speciality, where they run their run of the mill to exotic list.
Regardless, your symptoms are indicative of something, and it's worth finding out what it is and how to treat it.
It sounds like you have symptoms of endometriosis. Most women need laproscopic surgery for a diagnosis and treatment of the condition, especially if they are planning on having children. Good luck to you.
I have had a similar issue off and on for about 15 years- most of my menstruating life. I was always told that I had endometriosis, but it was never officially diagnosed. The symptoms generally get worse during pregnancy. My midwife suggested that I might have internal hemorrhoids. Since I am 8 months pregnant I am waiting to get it examined and treated, so that's not really official either, but it seems like a possibility. It's a very strange and painful sensation, and I have never heard of anyone else with it... Good luck and let us know what happens!!
I agree with those who suggested endometriosis. Endometriosis is basically your uterine flow going backwards...some goes back up into your abdominal cavity vs. all coming out. Every little piece of uterine tissue that ends up in your abdomen acts like it's own little uterus each month and causes extreme abdominal pain (although some women experience no pain) and can also cause adhesions with your organs. It's basically gummy and can stick your organs together. My sister-in-law dealt with it for years. Birth control medicine fakes your body out and makes your body believe that it's pregnant. The birth control pills (or surgery) are one of the only things I've heard of that will control the progression and severity of endometriosis (if that's what you truly have). I would definitely bring it up with your OBGyn.
I hope you don't have it!
M.
Hi J.,
I think more fluids would help...especially water and some herbal teas plus 100% juice.
what are your vitamins like?... too much iron can constipate ya.
Good Luck,
C. M Hamlin
J.:
This sounds like a symptom of endrometriosis, but I can't say for sure. When I talked to my doctor about stabbing pain in my ovary area during ovulation, he also asked about back pain during bowel movements. I don't think there's much you can do for it - but I wonder if you tried using a stool softener right around the time of your period, if that would help at all.
I am having the same problem, and very worried! It is unlike any pain I've ever felt. Did you have back pain in the lower pelvic/tailbone area, with tons of pressure? This just started happening a few months ago. My boyfriend thought I wrote your posting when he searched for details on my symptoms.
Any info/details that you have would help me out alot. I have seen tons of Dr's , and they give me a referral to see another.
I just had surgery 2 wks ago to check for endometriosis, and there was no trace. I had scar tissue removed, and was told this was likely the reason for the poo issue:) since the scar tiss was removed from the area the bowel needs to through.
Menstral Cycle should have started a few days ago, and I had the pain today again.
Usually pain happens on 2nd day of menstral cycle, which makes me feel it's not related to menstral and/or scar tissue
I understand your pain as I have developed the same problem over the last year or so. I have tried to talk to my doctor about it but she just said there is nothing unusual about it. But, as you said it is not pain from constipation and hurts so much you don't want to try to push. It would be nice to understand what is happening.
I agree with alot of the other moms that it sounds like endometriosis. I have that condition myself and even though i caught it early on before it caused too many problems (so far anyway, because it never goes away), i have done a lot of research. Basically the endometrium (which is the stuff you shed when you menstrate) builds up outside of the uterus, the cause is not known, but even outside your uterus, it responds to your cycle just the same, when your ovulating, the tissue swells in preperation for pregnancy and then when you don't get pregnant, it thins out and tries to leave your body, well obviously in your abdomen it has no where to go, so it settles and builds over time, it causes scar tissue and adhesions and can basically spread to any of your organs given enough time and severity. The only way to truly diagnose endometriosis is through surgery, usually a laparoscopy, which i have had and for me it was virtually pain free recovery. I would definatly bring it up to your doctor, this condition can present itself at any time. it's believed to start as soon as you hit puberty, but can take a long to time to become noticable.
Yes, I had that pain with periods and bowel movements for years and years. I also had long heavy periods and lots of cramping. The dr told me to take 800 mg of ibuprofen every six hours starting a day or 2 before my period started. Since my periods were also irregular I started once I felt any sort of difference that might indicate it was going to start. I got pretty good at estimating when and it did often help if I started before the pain was noticeable.
Endometrial tissue becomes inflamed during our menses. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflamatory and also prosteglandin ?. I don't remember for sure about the name of the part that influences production of hormones? affect of ibuprofen or if other anti-inflamatories have the same affect.
This was back in the early 70's. I don't know if they even knew about endometriosis then. Because the pain got to be excruciating causing me to miss several days of work the ob/gyn reluctantly decided to do ezploratory surgery. I had large amounts of endometrium adhering to my intestines. He scraped out as much as he could and I felt much better for a few months. Eventually I was having severe pain again and was told that the endometrium continues to grow. Sigh! More years of pain. Then an ultra ssound showed that I had unterine tumors and I chose a hysterectomy. After surgery they told me that quite a bit of my pain was caused by adhesions from previous surgeries.
By that time I was in my mid 40's. Relief at last not only from the pain but from a generally pervasive attitude of the early doctors that said, in effect, that it was all in my head.
:( :) I knew it wasn't but I continued to feel angry after the drs stopped saying that.
Medicine knows much more about endometriosis now than they did then. I've heard that there are more effective ways of treating now. There is nothing to be done for adhesions. I still have some pain from those if I run for very long or jump.
Be sure to remove a tampon before the BM. Also, go for one period not using tampons. See if things feel better. Just a suggestion that happened to help me with a similar problem.
