ibs. menstration and diahrea
#2447 - 03/11/03 10:12 AM
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louise
Reged: 02/05/03
Posts: 836
Loc: canada
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how do you control ibs when you are menstrating. I GET VERY LOOSE BOWELS at this time of the month and my system gets soooo unsettled. this morning I had a really bad bout of diarhea soon after a bowl of oatmeal(oatmeaal not being the culprit, but my cycle), thank goodness for BAGELS. I know it wasn't the oatmeal because I had a good bowlful on an empty stomach before, and i was fine after it. It is so hard to control ibs at this time of the month. any suggestions? : :( :(
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Hi - This is a problem for almost every woman with IBS. Prevention is the best thing, but that can be hard too. Try increasing your soluble fiber supplement in the days before your period is due, and be extra careful to avoid trigger foods then, get extra sleep, and keep exercising. If you take any medications for cramps, try to use them to pre-empt the cramps before they get too bad - it's often the cramps themselves that then trigger colon muscle contractions and IBS attacks. Heat, from heating pads or hot water bottles or even sitting in a really hot tub, can relax all your muscles and help prevent/relieve the IBS spasms (and thus the diarrhea). And keep drinking your peppermint tea, all day long.
Personally, I have found yoga to be the single best thing for dealing with this problem. It's weird, because it took at least six to nine months of regular practice, but one day I just realized that I never, ever have IBS flares with my period any more. And the only thing that had changed was I'd started yoga. I've also noticed that, unlike any other form of exercise, yoga actually helps stop cramps altogether (other workout would make them much worse). I'm to the point where I no longer pay extra attention to my diet or fiber supplement with my period, and even if I get whacked by cramps my IBS never flares. I don't know exactly how or why the yoga has done this, but it definitely has.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I, too, have more IBS-D attacks around "that time of the month". I just try to relax and always make sure I have Imodium with me. I carry 4 chewable Imodium in my pants pocket so that I have it handy all the time. I carry 4 because that is the max you can take in a day and that helps me keep track of how many I have taken in a day. I very rarely have to take more that 2 per day to stop an attack.
One other thing I do is try to remember to take an Advil or two per day (or what ever you take for cramps) a few days before your period. It seems to ease the cramps for some reason...maybe because the pain reliever is already in my system when I start.
Stick to the IBS diet and tips, etc...exercise....and yes, Yoga...I have just recently started Yoga and, although I don't do it on a regular basis yet, it does help with stress, etc. I'm trying to get on a regular schedule with it. I just do it to "Rodney Yee" tape that I bought off of an infomercial.
Take care!
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Re: Heather?
#2469 - 03/11/03 01:45 PM
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KinOz
Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 909
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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It's so great that Yoga can make such a difference. I was wondering if you have any specific postures that you include on a daily basis? I'm pretty familiar with most so just the names would be great. Or do you think it is the relaxation and state of mind that goes with the yoga rather than the yoga itself which has helped?
Kerrie
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
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Hi - I think it's a combination of everything. The specific postures, the actual exertion of the regular workouts (which leave me soaked with sweat), and the relaxation of it. I'd actually lean more to thinking that it's the physical postures and breathing aspects of it, because I wasn't particularly stressed before I started yoga, and I have other ways of relaxing pretty effectively.
I have a yoga for IBS site that I'm still working on, but it has a page of specific poses for different GI symptoms. Right now it's just the names of poses, but I'm going to add pictures to the names when I have a chance.
The link is Yoga Bellys.
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
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Nice to see you lot talking about this - it's my biggest problem at the moment. I've been following Heather's diet for about 10 months now, and so everything is pretty much under control. But I have always had really bad period pains, and nowadays they trigger a bad D episode everytime. I would be happy to get rid of one or the other! I'm allergic to NSAIDs and have had pretty bad side effects from oral contraceptive (birth control) pills. That's all the doctors have offered me for the cramps. So I just take paracetamol and curl up with a hot water bottle. That really isn't sufficient, especially if the cramps come on overnight and by the time I'm awake it's too late to take a painkiller - by then I'm already screaming at my housemate to get me the hot water bottle :-( Is there anything else I could take? If I knew what to ask for I could go pester the doctor for it.
It's really annoying because it happens no matter how careful I am with my diet. And it can take a while to get my stomach back to normal again afterwards - by which time I'm already dreading the next month :-(
Maybe it's time to give the yoga a try then. Any other ideas?
Thanks,
geekgirl
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Hi geekgirl
I have suffered from Cramps from Day One and about 4yrs ago my Doctor suggested I go on the Depo Shot I was really hesitant about it but it worked like a miracle for me. I'm not sure if that's the route you want to go. I would someday like to be off of it, but I can't function or work when I have mine. I don't know if this helps at all
Georgette
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Hi Heather,
I couldn't remember the exact poses that corresponded to your site & went for a look.
I found quite a few matches on http://www.reebokfitness.co.uk/Workout/Yoga.asp
With your sequence for IBS, is that something we could do every day? Does it flow like, for istance, salute to the sun?
Just like to say I've spent the last 10 minutes with my office locked lying on the ground & I'm feeling heaps better for it. Now to make sure there's no carpet fluff on my suit - that'll have people talking!
Thanks again for all your help, it always seems to make a big difference. 
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Thanks for the info. Funnily enough I've been much better since I wrote that post. I'm not entirely sure why - but I've been *really* careful with my diet because I've been away a lot, and I'm now taking my vitamins regularly. So maybe that's it. I've yet to see how long it lasts though. Fingers crossed.
geekgirl
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As many have already stated, yoga is a great way to deal with not only menstruation issues but also the IBS flare ups that can often go with them. Menstruation is a time of purification on psychological as well as physical levels. This is a time when women tend to feel more sensitive and vulnerable, so it is a good time to attune to the body's needs and and adjust any yoga postures that you do accordingly.
When we get our periods there is a lot of heat in the body. Cooling postures such as forward bends and pranayama (breathing) can be done to counteract this. However you may wish to avoid overexertion and allow yourself to be slow and gentle. ( I personally like a vigorous practice during this time but that's what works for me) In yoga, it is important to honor your own individual body and experience.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
Peace,
K
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"You have to be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
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Hi - Thanks for the link - great pictures! It's bothering me that I don't have pictures for the poses on the yogabellys.com site. When we have the IBS Yoga DVD done I'm going to use stills from the video to show the postures. And the sequences in the video do flow. The sequences listed on the site right now are from a Patricia Walden yoga book, and they're meant to be done all in a row but they don't really flow like a sun salutation does. It's certainly something you could do every day, either alone or in addition to your regular yoga classes/practice.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I too have the same problem. what I found that works is using a heating pad every night the week before I start my period. I bought one that you heat in the microwave, so I don't have to worry about electricity, it also smells like lavender which relaxes me. I just heat it up before I crawl into bed to watch the news and when it is cold I am done. I also take midol during my period. I am almost symptom free since I started this routine. good luck.
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Re: Heather?
#9733 - 05/22/03 08:47 PM
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Corinne
Reged: 05/19/03
Posts: 202
Loc: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
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I can't seem to find a photo of the cross bolsters pose listed for D. Is the name correct or does it go under another name?
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If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
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I don't know what the cross bolsters position is. I don't have the Sanskrit name for it. Can you help here?
Thanks,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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H,
Hope this helps......
Cross Bolsters. (Salamba Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Place a bolster or rolled blanket on the floor. Lay another bolster across the center of the first. Sit in the middle of the top bolster and then lie back along its length, with your spine supported and the top of your head touching the floor. (If there is strain in your neck, support it with a folded blanket.) Lay your arms out to your sides, fingers pointing away from your torso. If you feel discomfort in your back, raise your feet on a block. Your chest should be supported at the apex of the pose so it can expand and open.
To come out of the pose, bend your legs and turn to the side.
BENEFITS.
This pose helps you breathe deeply. Circulation is increased through the adrenals, the thyroid, and the kidneys.
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"You have to be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
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Thanks! I'll give it a try.
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If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
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