Case-control study, 2003
Do IBS symptoms change across the menstrual cycle and vary by contraceptive use?
Women with IBS have higher symptom severity than controls, and symptoms vary by menstrual cycle phase and bowel pattern type. Oral contraceptive use did not significantly change most IBS symptoms.
What they did
Case-control study. Women with IBS and control women kept daily symptom diaries across one menstrual cycle. Researchers compared symptom patterns by oral contraceptive use and bowel pattern type (diarrhea, constipation, or alternating). Analysis controlled for age and body mass index.
What they found
Women with IBS had higher symptom severity than controls for GI, somatic, and psychological symptoms. The alternating bowel pattern group had the highest symptom severity, and the diarrhea group had the lowest. The strongest menstrual cycle effects were in somatic and menstrual symptoms. Oral contraceptive use did not significantly change the pattern of symptoms across the menstrual cycle.
What it means for you
Women with IBS may experience worsening symptoms at different cycle phases depending on their bowel pattern type. This is a single study over one cycle, and sample size is not reported, so findings would need replication in larger groups.
1
menstrual cycle (study duration)
About the study
- Original title
- Symptoms across the menstrual cycle in women with irritable bowel syndrome
- Authors
- Heitkemper MM, Cain KC, Jarrett ME et al.
- Journal
- The American journal of gastroenterology
- Year
- 2003
- Study design
- Case-control study
- What was tested
- Oral contraceptive use (observed, not assigned)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1111/j.1572-0241.2003.07233.x
Topics
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