The menstrual cycle takes a woman’s body on a hormonal roller coaster. In each phase of the menstrual cycle, you can experience different symptoms that hopefully aren’t too extreme if everything in your body is well-regulated! However, if you have PCOS, your menstrual cycle may already be out-of-whack, making symptoms of each stage more intense.
One common symptom women experience during the menstruation (period) phase of the cycle is digestive issues like constipation. For some, it’s the first indication their time of the month is here! However, constipation can make an already heavy and painful PCOS period even more uncomfortable. So, today, I’m discussing why your period can cause constipation and what you can do about it!
P.S. Beyond fixing just constipation, let’s get your menstrual cycle back on track and make those periods a lot more manageable naturally. Read my post called How to Regulate Periods with PCOS and listen to my podcast episode called Period Repair Manual to get started!
Until then, let’s get those digestive issues under control:
The Connection Between Your Constipation and Menstrual Cycle
If you notice changes in your bowel movements throughout the menstrual cycle, you’re not alone. However, understanding what exactly is causing the variations can help you get your digestive situation back in order.
Does Menstruation Cause Constipation?
Yes, menstruation can cause constipation! This is because the increase in progesterone levels during your period can slow the digestive system down and lead to constipation. You may also get constipated before your period, since those progesterone levels rise in the luteal phase. (Here’s more on the phases of the menstrual cycle.)
If you’re not sure if you’re experiencing constipation, here are the symptoms:
- Infrequent bowel movements
- Hard, dry, or lumpy stools
- Straining to pass your stools
- Feeling of incomplete evacuation of stool
- Bloating, cramping, or abdominal pain
- Blood in your stool
9 Menstrual Constipation Remedies
Increase your fiber intake.
A balanced, healthy diet can do a lot for our bodies especially for our digestive system. Eating a lot of fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can relieve constipation in two ways. First of all, it adds bulk to your stool by absorbing water, which can stimulate the intestines to move to push stools out faster and easier. That extra water, though, has an additional benefit of softening the stool for easier passing. This is one of the best solutions for fighting constipation caused by high progesterone!
Stay hydrated.
Drinking more water can help with constipation too! Adequate water intake softens stools and promotes regular bowel movement. Plus, dehydration can cause fluid retention that often worsens constipation, so drink plenty of water to prevent that and keep everything moving regularly.
Exercise every day.
I know, I know . . . the last thing anyone wants to do when they’re on their period is exercise. We’d all rather curl up on the couch and binge watch Monk or something, right? However, exercise has a ton of benefits, such as relieving the side effects of menstruation!
Slow-weighted workouts can reverse fatigue, boost your mood, relieve pain, improve sleep, and actually promote healthy digestion! Physical activity stimulates the muscles in your intestines to make those period poops easier to pass and more regular! We have a ton of full body workout videos that are PCOS friendly in The Cysterhood app!
Reduce your stress.
Stress can actually slow down the movement of food through your body, leading to weight gain, bloating, and, of course, constipation. Plus, stress triggers hormonal imbalance that can drop your progesterone even lower than normal during your period, which, as we’ve learned, leads to constipation, too. So, relieving stress can help keep you regular even on your period! I recommend meditation, spending time in nature, setting the environment for uninterrupted sleep… just more self-care!
Drink peppermint or ginger tea.
Herbal teas have INCREDIBLE health benefits! In fact, some blends are so powerful they can help regulate your hormones and support your PCOS healing. That’s why I created Testosterone Relief Tea to help women with PCOS target their imbalanced hormones and get the most out of their healthy lifestyle!
A couple of teas that are particularly powerful for constipation while on your period are peppermint and ginger tea. Peppermint tea after meals has been shown to help with digestion and bloating while ginger tea has been shown to stimulate the digestive system and reduce inflammation that could be worsening gut health. That means both are great for constipation!
Take a multivitamin with magnesium.
A multivitamin is essential for any Cyster! Nutrition deficiencies can worsen all your PCOS symptoms and even your period symptoms. A multivitamin like the MetaMulti that has magnesium can really help with constipation not just in the short-term, but it can help keep your digestive system regular month-after-month.
Magnesium draws water into the intestines, which helps soften stool and encourages its movement through the digestive tract. It also relaxes your intestinal muscles to prevent you from straining and struggling with your stools. If that wasn’t enough, magnesium has more benefits for PCOS, too!
Try probiotics.
Probiotics are great for maintaining healthy digestion! These can come naturally from food or can be from supplements as well. They help maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut to reduce inflammation, decrease bloating, improve constipation, and better overall gut health! Take them regularly with your Ovafit supplements to keep everything running smoothly.
Get in the right posture.
Another way to make stools easier to pass and relieve constipation is to get in the right position. Studies show it’s actually better for our feet to be elevated, so we’re in a squatting position. It helps reduce strain and allow for easier passage of your stool! They even make special stools to keep your bowel movements strain-free!
Ask your doctor about stool softeners.
If you’re still struggling with constipation after trying these methods, consider talking to your doctor about stool softeners. However, these methods should get things moving like they’re supposed to no matter your stage of the menstrual cycle!
Periods can cause constipation, but there are plenty of natural remedies that’ll fix it!
Constipation is uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Keeping regular bowel movements will be super important to your PCOS healing process, because it improves digestive health, hormone balance, inflammation, skin health, and your overall well-being!
Use these tips to get yourself back on a schedule and download The Cysterhood app for more resources, recipes, and workouts that’ll help you live symptoms-free with PCOS no matter the time of the month!
