I got my period yesterday and my colon was reacting to it as always as did the consistency of my poop (it always hardens up just before and during my period). Today I even felt stubbing pain deep inside during BM and remembered that I had that happening for many years now : (. I just never paid attention to it since I had no other problems with my GI system or neighboring set of of organs (except extremely heavy periods) So, I did a little research and this is what I found !!! I will definitely look into endometriosis as possible underlying condition for me. I just need to find very good OB/GYN now !!! Thought other girls might want to know about this possibility, especially since there are a few here that have worsening symptoms during their period.
"Endometriosis implants may be found on or in the bowel wall. How common is this? Reports of the incidence of intestinal involvement of endometriosis range from 3 to 34%; conservative estimates range from 5 to 10%. The hallmark of the diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis is that a woman has significant GI symptoms that vary with her menstrual cycle. The symptoms may be present only at the time of the menstrual period or they may be present all month long and worsen at the time of the period. The most common symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea (vomiting is rare), diarrhea, increased gas, significant bloating, crampy abdominal pain, painful bowel movements, and sharp stabbing rectal pain. Many women also complain of constipation that seems to vary with the menstrual cycle. Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia may also be a clue to the presence of intestinal endometriosis. Another clue is rectal bleeding that is associated with menstruation."