---
title: Do stomach and intestinal symptoms change during the menstrual cycle?
description: Yes. About one-third of women without usual gut problems get gut symptoms around their period. Almost half of women with irritable bowel syndrome report their
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/do-gastrointestinal-symptoms-vary-with-the-menstrual-cycle-1998/
---

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- Do stomach and intestinal symptoms change during the menstrual cycle?

Systematic review, 1998

# Do stomach and intestinal symptoms change during the menstrual cycle?

Yes. About one-third of women without usual gut problems get gut symptoms around their period. Almost half of women with irritable bowel syndrome report their symptoms get worse perimenstrually.

 Strong study design

Women in general, including asymptomatic women and women with irritable bowel syndrome.

## What they did

Systematic review of studies examining whether gastrointestinal symptoms vary across the menstrual cycle, including both physiological studies and symptom-based studies.

## What they found

One-third of otherwise asymptomatic women experience gastrointestinal symptoms at the time of menstruation. Almost 50% of women with irritable bowel syndrome report a perimenstrual increase in symptoms.

## What it means for you

Digestive symptoms commonly worsen around your period. This is helpful to know if you are investigating pelvic pain or other digestive issues, as the same condition (like endometriosis) causes different symptoms at different times of the cycle.

one-third

asymptomatic women with GI symptoms

almost 50%

women with IBS reporting perimenstrual symptoms

## About the study

Original title Do gastrointestinal symptoms vary with the menstrual cycle? Authors Moore J, Barlow D, Jewell D et al. Journal British journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Year 1998 Study design Systematic review What was tested None. This was an observational review. Read the paper [doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1998.tb10014.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1998.tb10014.x)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Endometriosis](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-endometriosis/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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