Why do I get more gassy and sometimes poop more when I'm on my period?

[Anonymous]

I rarely fart and I only go poop once a week usually but on my period it's closer to every day and fart a lot. I never understood it though

[selfishstars]

During your period, hormone-like substances called prostaglandins cause your uterus to contract, in order to expel your menstrual fluid. The prostaglandins can also affect your bowels, causing them to contract, which can result in more frequent pooping, diarrhea, and more gas.

[Asker]

Oh wow. Crazy and interesting

[Gooseman]

Is this the same reason why pregnant women fart a lot too?

[Asker]

I know with pregnancy it's because of the hormones

[snowangle]

Your uterus contracts during your period to get the lining out (this is what causes cramps), and these contractions irritate your intestines which causes the indigestion. It's fairly common.

[itsallover]

Yeah that's normal. Hormones can make your body act in strange ways.

[Asker]

It's not just pregnancy?

[itsallover]

No, your hormones change during periods too.

[Klaatu51]

weird... don't remember any gal mention that before... maybe it's not coz of yer period but sth else? :-)

[Asker]

Something else and it's different?

[selfishstars]

Nah, it is related to periods, and plenty of women experience it. We just don't talk about it a lot!

[jdbaird]

You need to take more fiber if you're only shitting once a week, that's really bad for your colon.

[Asker]

Really?

[jdbaird]

Yeah, all that poop sitting in your intestines can create polyps.

[Asker]

I didn't think it would be formed already. Are polyps cancerous?

[PippiL]

Because the hormones that tell your uterus to contract during your period sometimes go a little crazy and latch onto your bowels. Your bowels contract, hence the extra pooping and farting.

[Asker]

How do they affect my bowels?

[Anonymous]

You should already be farting and pooping often, but hormonal imbalances take place during pregnancy and periods that make us extra farty and have to take bigger, more frequent dumps. It seems like everything about being a woman is about passing more gas than men, unfortunately

[Zendrya]

If you only poop once a week then you are constipated and should seek medical help. And it is just from the hormones and stuff

[Asker]

I need to seek medical help for that? It's been going on for years. I used to go poop 3 times a day but then when I was 13 it changed to once a week. And is it like how pregnancy can make you go more often and more gassy?

[Zendrya]

It is extremely unhealthy to poop that little. You are suppose to poop 3 days a week or more and most people poop everyday or multiple times a day. And yes it is just like that.

[Asker]

Wow. Interesting. And I don't know why it changed. All I know is that I got diagnosed with constipation when I was 15 but nothing

[Anonymous]

I've never heard this...

[Asker]

Never heard it?