Menstrual and digestive discomfort often coincide: \u201cIf you ask women about \u2018period poops\u2019 they\u2019ll tell you they\u2019re having menstrual cramps and those GI cramps at the same time,\u201d said Taylor Judkins, a nutrition researcher at the University of Florida who has spent more than a decade studying the phenomenon.<\/p>\n
Period-related GI symptoms are common enough to have their own moniker. The science, however, has barely kept up. Judkins has personal experience with the phenomenon; when she first went looking for research on the phenomenon as a university student, she found almost nothing. A decade later, she says, there\u2019s still a lot to learn.<\/p>\n
Why do period poops happen?<\/p>\n
It all starts with the uterus. As your period approaches, levels of estrogen and progesterone fall sharply. That\u2019s the signal for your body to start breaking down the uterine lining, which you start shedding on day one of your period.<\/p>\n
At the same time, cells in the uterus start making<\/a> hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins. These cause contractions in the type of muscle cells that make up most of your uterus and digestive tract, among other effects.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear exactly what happens next. But the leading theory, said Judkins, is that some prostaglandins enter the bloodstream from the uterus and stimulate similar contractions in the neighboring gut. This would explain the intestinal cramping and diarrhea many experience alongside menstrual cramping, especially on the first day or two<\/a> of their periods.<\/p>\n One other theory relates to the vagus nerve,<\/a> which runs signals between the gut and the brain. This neural pathway is highly sensitive to stress signals and inflammation. When activated, it provokes<\/a> fluid release within the gut and increased contractions of its muscles, leading to diarrhea. This is why some experts believe many people get an upset stomach<\/a> when they\u2019re anxious. Judkins theorizes that menstruation may also trigger the pathway.<\/p>\n Many women also note constipation one to two weeks before their periods start, says Judkins, which may be a consequence of high progesterone<\/a> levels. However, the evidence is less clear on the prevalence and timing of that symptom.<\/p>\n People with irritable bowel syndrome<\/a> and inflammatory bowel disease<\/a> tend to have significantly worse symptoms around their periods, and those with endometriosis typically carry a higher burden of GI symptoms overall. But you don\u2019t need an underlying diagnosis to have period poops.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very common, and some will tell you that it\u2019s normal,\u201d she says, \u201cbut it doesn\u2019t mean you should have to live with this drastic decrease in your quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n Can anything reduce period gut symptoms?<\/p>\n Options exist, but none are a clear fix.<\/p>\n Judkins and her team ran the only randomized trial to date testing the effects of probiotics on menstrual GI symptoms. Probiotics improved indigestion \u2013 but not diarrhea, the symptom most people are actually trying to solve.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782330911_688_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n