Foul Gas x 1week before mentrual period every month

[RNMOMMA]

I am 32 y/o female 5'7", 150lbs, 2 children and happily married. I do not take any medication or BC pills. I have minimal stress. (many blessings!)My problem: Every month approx one week prior to onset of my period...I experience horrible foul smelling flatulence.  It is embarrasing and needless to say hard to ignore. 3-4x times a year it is accompanied by severe and sudden onset diarrhea, migraine, and other common PMS symptoms.  In researching this topic, I find much on PMS symptoms and treatment...but little mention of this particular problem other than "IBS" or "bowel changes". I do not have mood swings (even husband agrees) but, I am often more tired, clumsy-(I drop things), stutter, and have uncomfortable back pain DURING my period.  What is causing this smell? I am not kidding when I say it is THE foulest odor you can imagine and for 3-4 days of the 1 week it is frequent. Obviously, I try to "hold it in" if in room with others and it is not explosive but, it is so foul I even wake up in the middle of the night because the smell has woken me. I have what I would consider "normal" gas normally.  Please help...I want to know the specific physiologic reason it occurs and what I can do about it.  Thank you.

[jbjohn]

I can't offer any help...but if there is strength in #'s I'll help make you stronger;)  I'm 45 and I've had that problem, well, forever.  It is about a week before my period...and you are not kidding...it is sulfurous gas.  I have several theories.  First, I'm wondering about endometriosis...possibly some endometrial stroma glands in the colon that are playing with the balance.  Secondly, strong downward engergy (Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine) that compounds things.  Thanks very much to the magnesium poster...I'll definitely give that a try.  If nothing else, it makes one look forward to menopause ;)

[BAY478]

I too have EXACTLY the same symptoms.  I will give magnesium a try as well.  Has anybody had any luck with it?

[trytobehealthy]

I, too have the same problem, although lately it seems like more than just that week!!  If indeed there is a magnesium problem, isnt magnesium tied to calcium absorption?  and if so, then we are all not getting enough calcium!    My Grandmother had this problem too, as I recall, and she ended up with severe osteoporosis.  also, I do have endometriosis, but who knows what causes this...I have always maintained that it is the hormones we produce around our periods that causes the reaction.  

[Frankzhere]

We've been married for almost 6 years now, and I've been very sensitive, understanding, and supportive so far, but it is getting old.

I hope someone can find a cure to this issue because it is really starting to irritate me.  My wife says she isn't aware of the exact moment the gas is being passed!  This just sounds rediculous to me because I've had many years of passing gas.  I know when it is developing, when it is building, when it is unbearable and when it NEEDS to get out!  So when I hear her say, " I can feel it " really shocks me and pisses me off.

I don't want to sound like a complete ***, but my patience is running down and out.  To top it off she doesn't seem to want to try anything that might help the situation.  I'm also getting angry that I wasn't made aware of this before we got married.  It wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but it would have been nice to clear the air. (punn intended).  I feel some resentment developing in my gutt.  This whole thing may sound a little shallow and immature, but I didn't have anything hidden from her about my body.  From the jokes between her and her best friend, I know that she has had this issue for a long time-even before we got married.

signed,
Frustrated and fed up.

[BAY478]

You will pleased to hear that I have found the cure.  About 10 days before your period is due cut out milk and everything that contains milk - butter, cheese and the numerous things that contain milk powder.  This includes goats milk and other types.  I am English and so have tea with milk but I still have this because it is against the law not to.  Margerine made with 100% sunflower oil is a good alternative to butter.

The thing with milk is that in your stomach it reacts with the acid and turns into a cottage cheese like consistency and ferments, which causes gas.  I don't know whether this is made worse in the lead up to a period because we have more of an acidic environment in our gut because of hormones or whether out digestion is slower but whatever the reason it works.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

[YuliaD]

Thanks to everyone who has posted about this I am very grateful.  I have been too embarrassed to ask anyone about it and was very happy to find this discussion. I am only 18 and just started having this problem about two months ago. I never had this happen to me when I was younger.  I will try to avoid milk, I do eat a lot of dairy.  If anyone else has had other treatments that work, I would appreciate the help.