Women on their period often experience weird symptoms. Besides mood swings, abdominal cramps, and aches, change in poop is also common. While some women get constipated, others get diarrheal.
If you fall under the latter category and wonder why you poop more on period, we have got you covered!
The foremost thing to blame for the frequent urge to defecate during the period is hormonal changes in the body. Besides losing the sync of popping with your cycle, you may also experience a change in poop quality and consistency. No matter how gross it may sound, it’s true for many women.
In fact, a study has revealed that women experience gastrointestinal symptoms during their periods (1). Let’s delve a little more into the topic and find out why you poop more on your period.
Why are Period Poops So Bad?
Women experience extreme hormonal changes in the body while on their period. Often, it messes with the digestive system, causing frequent urges to poop.
Other than hormonal changes, your mood and physical changes also determine how often you poop. Women with underlying digestive problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, or endometriosis can also lead to frequent pooping on period.
Elaborated scientific reason for more period poop relies on prostaglandins, the fatty acids released by the body during periods. While prostaglandins help smoothen the muscles of the uterus to contract and shed lining, it can also affect the bowels.
Besides making the uterus muscles smooth, prostaglandins also make the muscles of the colon smooth. As a result, they contract faster and get active. It causes them to poop more on period.
If you have experienced loose poop a day before the period starts and throughout the bleeding days, it’s all because of high prostaglandins.
Characteristics of Period Poop
Not all women feel the same on their period. While some have mood swings and cramps, others live like there is nothing discomforting.
Likewise, some women poop more; others may get constipated. If you frequently visit the toilet to defecate, you may also observe the change in the poop. For instance, it may look and smell different.
To some extent, this change in poop can be blamed on hormones. Apart from prostaglandins, the reproductive hormones progesterone and estrogen equally play a part. As these hormones alter, you may crave fatty, sweet, spicy, etc., food types. All these can hamper your poop quality and consistency during the period.
Research suggests that women crave fatty and sugary foods before their periods come (2). It could be one of the strongest reasons that affects the poop frequency as well as quality.
How to Stop the Frequent Urge to Poop on Period?
The period itself is annoying, and when it gets accompanied by frequent pooping, it makes the day hard to deal with. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate these effects and live peacefully. It can be done by
- Keep a track of your period poop
- Note down how many more times you go for defecation compared to normal days
- Jot the poop changes, if any
- Also, note your food cravings 1-2 days before and during the period
- How much water you drink during periods
All this information can help you decide why you poop more on your period. Sometimes it’s not out-of-body or hormonal changes but your food choices that hamper poop frequency and quality.
Staying hydrated and eating healthy food is the key to having healthy poop throughout the period and beyond. At the same time, try to avoid junk food that are rich in processed fat, unhealthy carbs and sugar.
If not all, sticking to them can help you relieve some of your frustrating poop symptoms during the period.
Dealing with Period Cramps and Period Poop
Often, period cramps make you feel the urge to visit the washroom and sit on the toilet seat to release your bowel.
If you feel so, its perfectly normal due to the surge of prostaglandins. In such cases, easing cramps can help. You can try putting a hot water bottle over the abdomen to get some relief from cramps.
Moreover, taking over-the-counter medicines can also help provide relief from period cramps that will reduce the period poop too.
Why Does Pooping Hurt While on Period?
Some women experience pain while pooping on periods which is different from period cramps. It makes the situation worse.
If painful pooping occurs only while you are on your period, it could indicate an underlying medical problem called endometriosis. In this condition, the tissue from the endometrial lining grows in places where it shouldn’t and attaches to the bowels. As a result, you feel pain while pooping.
In such a condition, visit your doctor and get the right treatment.
Conclusion
Now all women experience more poop on their period; however, if you do, taking certain preventive measures that we have mentioned can help- if not completely, to some extent.
The major reason why you poop more on your period is the high level of prostaglandins, progesterone, estrogen, and other emotional and physical changes in the body. Also, how your body responds to these changes can cause the issue.
If it bothers you and affects your quality of life, try to make a few lifestyle changes. If the problem persists, visit a doctor for consultation.
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