---
title: Do bowel symptoms get worse during menstruation? | Niyora
description: Yes. 34% of women without IBS reported gas, diarrhea, or constipation during menstruation, and women with IBS were significantly more likely to experience the
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/evidence-for-exacerbation-of-irritable-bowel-syndrome-during-menses-1990/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do bowel symptoms get worse during menstruation?

Survey study, 1990

# Do bowel symptoms get worse during menstruation?

Yes. 34% of women without IBS reported gas, diarrhea, or constipation during menstruation, and women with IBS were significantly more likely to experience these symptoms during their period.

 Early or limited evidence

Women in Maryland from Planned Parenthood and a gastroenterology clinic

## What they did

Cross-sectional study. 369 women from a Planned Parenthood clinic and a gastroenterology clinic were asked whether they had gas, diarrhea, or constipation during menstruation.

## What they found

Of 233 Planned Parenthood clients without IBS, 34% reported menstruation-related bowel symptoms. Women at the gastroenterology clinic with IBS were significantly more likely to experience each of these symptoms during menstruation, especially increased gas.

## What it means for you

Bowel symptoms during menstruation are common, especially in women with IBS. These symptoms were not explained by psychological factors like stress or mood changes. This was a study from 1990 in Maryland and cannot prove that menstruation causes these symptoms.

34%

Planned Parenthood clients without IBS who reported bowel symptoms during menstruation

233

Planned Parenthood clients surveyed

369

Total women surveyed

## About the study

Original title Evidence for exacerbation of irritable bowel syndrome during menses Authors Whitehead WE, Cheskin LJ, Heller BR et al. Journal Gastroenterology Year 1990 Study design Survey study Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0016-5085(90)91079-l](https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-5085(90)91079-l)

## Topics

[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[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.

## Related studies

Case-control study, 2006

Do women with IBS and period pain have worse symptoms?

Survey study, 2002

Does the menstrual cycle change gut sensitivity in women with IBS?

Cohort study, 2025

How common is PMS in Chinese teenage girls, and what factors are linked to it?

Randomised trial, 2005

Does stopping ovulation help irritable bowel syndrome that gets worse during the menstrual cycle?

Systematic review, 1998

Do stomach and intestinal symptoms change during the menstrual cycle?

Study, 2026

What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗