Skip to main content

Why do I get constipated before menses?

Reader's Query

Rina asks:
A week before I get my period, I get constipated. However it disappears when menstruation occurs. What could be the reason? And how do I tackle this?

Hormonal levels keep on fluctuating during the menstrual cycle. Constipation is just one of those long list of symptoms experienced during PMS. A few days before the onset of menstruation, there is a sudden surge in the hormone progesterone which rapidly falls as soon as the menstrual flow commences.


Progesterone is a muscle relaxant. High levels of progesterone relaxes the muscles of the intestine, making it difficult to move the the stools and other waste products outward and hence causes constipation. With the fall in progesterone, the muscles of he colon are no longer affected by it and there is an increase in bowel activity, which is why your constipation resolves itself as soon as the menstruation starts.

However not all menstruating women experience this. Constipation is also experienced by some pregnant women, due to this very reason - the  increased production of the hormone progesterone during pregnancy.

constipation


Now if you have never had this 'constipation before menses' problem, but are experiencing it recently, be aware that certain medications also tend to disturb the pattern of your menstrual cycle. 

If you are on contraceptive pill or if you have been taking fertility drugs /injections to conceive, then this too can have an effect on your cycle which in turn can affect your bowel movements too.  Also with age,not only the pattern of your cycle but your PMS symptoms will also vary. As long as your bowel movements resume to normal with the beginning of the menstrual flow, it isn't such a cause for worry.

Also in the later half of the menstrual cycle, your serotonin levels decrease and to compensate for that, you get food cravings, particularly the sugar  and carbohydrate variety. So if you gorge on such carbohydrate rich food or junk food to satisfy your urges you are prone to constipation as these foods are known to cause bloating and constipation.

You can't pretty much do anything about those hormonal fluctuations but you can minimize the symptoms to a great extent with right food choices and exercise. You have to be particularly alert about your diet during the second half of your cycle. Eat lots of fibrous food, particularly green veggies and fruits. (If you don't like veggies here's a post on how to sneak veggies into meals without tasting them.

Try and minimize the consumption of non-veg food, particularly avoid red meat during that period and go slow on dairy products. Consume lots of water and fluids. Exercise regularly. Exercise can help with bowel movements. 

Yoga poses such as Baddha Konasana, Butterfly pose (Titli Asana), Surya Namaskar (Sun salutation Pose) and other poses mentioned in Home Remedies for PMS will help. You may also try brisk walking. Practise of Pranayam breathing exercises such as Anulom Vilom, Bhramari & Kapalabhati will also help. A combination of yoga poses, pranayama and meditation can boost your serotonin levels and also minimize the symptoms of hormonal variations.

If your constipation is severe and the above remedies don't seem to help much then go to your obstetrician / gynaecologist. He / She will carefully evaluate your situation and may prescribe a mild laxative to tackle this problem.

Comments

  1. Shreya1:55 PM

    Usually when you have your period, some chemical gives some people diarrhea, so maybe if you're constipated, that's why it relieves it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Samira1:56 PM

    Some people get constipated before their period. its normal. its just that sometimes your body can be telling you that your period is coming or something. i know a lot of people like that and they are okie afterwards. its nothing big to worry about

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nutan1:58 PM

    Constipation is a fairly common side effect of periods. A warm water enema will always cure

    ReplyDelete
  4. Madhuri2:03 PM

    This happens to me every I get my period. What I do is watch my diet during my period and I try not to eat any cereal or bread, and any type of junk food.
    I also drink a lot of water and juice, but what helps me the most is eating really healthy a few days before my period starts until it ends.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deepika2:04 PM

    You get constipated because of hormones. When it is time for your period start loading up on fibers and drink alot of water. It is normal and ok so don't worry.

    ReplyDelete
  6. increase your fibre intake is the best thing for constipation and that means wholemeal bread, high fiber cereals and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Saraswati2:47 PM

    Of course the best thing to do (and you probably know this already!) is to try and modify your diet so that you don't get constipated.



    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments posted on this blog are moderated and approved only if they are relevant, on-topic and not abusive. Avoid using links to your site/blog in the body of your comment unless it is highly relevant to the post.

Popular posts from this blog

Home remedies for sore throat

Sore throat is a common malady that each one of us faces sometime or the other in our lifetime.  That scratchy, dry and abrasively painful feeling at the back of the throat that you experience is so very discomforting! There are many ways to relieve that scratchy and painful, infected throat. Sore throat home remedies are many and varied and range from the folk ones to the medically tested and proven ones.  With this common recurring condition many sufferers have their own favourite sore throat treatments that seem to work for them. Sore throat is one of the ailments which responds very well to home based remedies, so there is no reason why one should hesitate to try out these invaluable tips which have been handed over to us by generations of yore.  After all these remedies have negligible side-effects and so there is no harm in trying them. And you can always rush to a doctor if they don’t work for you. 

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...

Pore shrinking mask recipes from home

A face with large open pores when seen from close quarters doesn’t look so good. While it’s quite common for oily skins to have a tendency towards open pores, an attack of pimples also leaves ugly scars and open pores behind.  Even though the scars may fade away after some time, open pores appear to be more obstinate and hardly show any signs of shrinking.  Age also takes its toll by giving an uneven/pigmented tone to the skin and making the open pores more prominent. Heredity could also be a contributing factor in determining your pore size. It’s not easy to get rid of these pores or shrink them completely or permanently using serums, lotions or face packs. Even resorting to drastic chemical/surgical procedures at the dermatologist’s isn’t quite capable of giving satisfactory results.  Nevertheless, you can try and minimize their appearance at least temporarily with clever makeup and a few natural skin care masks such as these: * Cleanse your face with a mild ...

Teeth whitening remedies

Teeth could be naturally dark or could be discolored by repeated exposure to beverages like tea, coffee or red wine, smoking and also medications apart from decay and trauma to the tooth. If you want your captivating smile to be adorned by a row of glistening pearly white teeth, then try these treatments and remedies: ‘In chair’ bleaching at the dentist for teeth whitening Though there are several options available for teeth whitening, bleaching at a cosmetic dentistry clinic can significantly lighten your teeth within an hour. A large percentage of the people who have undergone bleaching have experienced a positive change in the color of their teeth. Read about it at About Cosmetic dentisty . ‘At home’ teeth whitening bleaching kit The ‘at home’ teeth whitening technique is also a popular bleaching procedure to whiten your teeth. You can obtain the bleaching kit from your dentist or make an over-the counter purchase. Use it conveniently at night and the gel should work while you sleep...

11 things you can do with olive oil

Besides lemon , milk , sugar , aloe , turmeric , sandalwood and honey , olive oil is another household item that has multifarious uses as a beauty aid. It is a mild, non-irritant, antibacterial oil that is rich in antioxidants; hence is ideal for the skin. Here are a few things that you could do with olive oil .