--- title: Does stopping ovulation help irritable bowel syndrome that gets worse during the menstrual cycle? description: Yes, stopping ovulation with leuprolide acetate significantly improved bowel symptoms related to the menstrual cycle. Adding tibolone (a hormone) did not impr url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/leuprolide-acetate-treatment-with-and-without-coadministration-of-tibolone-in-2005/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Does stopping ovulation help irritable bowel syndrome that gets worse during the menstrual cycle? Randomised trial, 2005 # Does stopping ovulation help irritable bowel syndrome that gets worse during the menstrual cycle? Yes, stopping ovulation with leuprolide acetate significantly improved bowel symptoms related to the menstrual cycle. Adding tibolone (a hormone) did not improve bowel symptoms further but did improve quality of life more than leuprolide alone. Strong study design 120 premenopausal women in Italy with irritable bowel syndrome related to their menstrual cycle. ## What they did A randomized controlled trial with 120 women divided into three groups. Group A received leuprolide acetate (11.25 mg every 3 months) plus tibolone. Group B received leuprolide plus placebo tablets. Group C received placebo injection plus placebo tablets. All women had bowel problems that got worse during their menstrual cycle. Treatment lasted 6 months. ## What they found In all groups, bowel symptoms and quality of life improved from the start. However, groups A and B (leuprolide) showed significantly more improvement than group C (placebo). No difference was found between groups A and B in bowel symptoms. Quality of life scores were significantly higher in group A than group B. ## What it means for you Stopping ovulation using leuprolide acetate effectively treats bowel problems that worsen during the menstrual cycle. Adding tibolone does not improve bowel symptoms further but does improve overall wellbeing more. The study was conducted at two universities in Italy and only included premenopausal women, so results may not apply in other settings. 120 Number of women studied 6 months Duration of treatment 11.25 mg Dose of leuprolide acetate given every 3 months ## About the study Original title Leuprolide acetate treatment with and without coadministration of tibolone in premenopausal women with menstrual cycle-related irritable bowel syndrome Authors Palomba S, Orio F Jr, Manguso F et al. Journal Fertility and sterility Year 2005 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Leuprolide acetate (11.25 mg every 3 months) with or without tibolone, compared to placebo. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.12.007](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.12.007) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[GnRH agonists and ovarian suppression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-gnrh/)[Estradiol, progesterone and hormone therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-hormone-therapy/)[Perimenopause and menopause](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-perimenopause/)[IBS and gut symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-ibs-gi/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/) 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 Systematic review, 2025 Do drugs that stop ovulation help women with PMS? Cohort study, 2022 What are PMS and PMDD and how should they be diagnosed and treated? Survey study, 2024 How do hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle affect gut health and mood? Case report, 2023 Can stopping ovulation help severe PMDD when other treatments do not work? Cohort study, 2010 How do anxiety disorders differ across different life stages? Survey study, 1999 Do bowel symptoms vary with the menstrual cycle in women with IBS and inflammatory bowel disease? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗