In the never-ending quest to discover the magic, cure-all link between IBS and behavior/food/emotions/activity... I've stumbled on something new...to me at least.
I have IBS leaning toward C, although I'm not C, I just never feel empty -my colon just seems to be very sluggish and inefficient. I've noticed that sometimes I'll be very stable - no symptoms, feelin' good, dancing in the streets almost, and I always announce that "I'm Cured!". And attribute it to some small change I made or food I eliminated (or added). Then, about two weeks later, my symptoms return and I beat myself up that I screwed up somehow and spend the next two (miserable) weeks trying to get stable again.
I never related this to my cycle - I've been on birth control for so long that I really don't even have periods, thus nothing regular to track my hormonal changes by. Every once in awhile I'll notice that I seem a little grumpy or that my face is breaking out, but otherwise, my cycle has never seemed to affect my life much.
I found a website online about The Cycle Diet which says that our dietary needs are much different in the first 14 days of our cycle (post-period) than in the second 14 days. That in the first 14, we can eat far more freely - that our bodies are more capable of dealing with "stress" foods like red meat, fat, processed food, etc. During the second 14 days (ovulation - PMS), our immune system is down and we have to eat very carefully. It's not a book about IBS at all, but the premise makes perfect sense to me and seems applicable to IBS. When we have stronger hormones coursing through our body, our system is more sensitive and more reactive.
I went off my birth control last month and am having my first round with true PMS in a long time. It sucks. But I'm also highly IBS symptomatic, can't eat anything without feeling bloated; I've gained 6 pounds literally overnight.
Maybe this is obvious to women who are on regular cycles, but it wasn't to me! Any thoughts?
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Jennifer
42 years old
Neither D nor C - just sluggish
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