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.

[ALF71]

I think a lot of this has to do with our diets.  If we eat "bad" food on a regular basis, this is already built into our digestive system.  When the hormones go out of whack during our monthly cycle, the IBS can kick in and cause all kinds of havoc.  I use to have this problem too, but my work around was due to gull bladder issues starting to develop.  I stayed away from fast food, soda and processed foods.  I also started taking Philipps Colon Health pills each night... which are great!  The pills help reduce gas in general and I no longer had the bad gas during PMS time.  I am a firm believer that our diet is related to a lot of the issues we experience.  Try staying away from the bad foods and take the Phillips Colon Health and see if that helps.

[sophie998]

Dear Ashland,
I came to this string of discussions by chance, and also by chance I read your post. I hope you are allright now. Couple of years ago, I had the same PMS like you described (horrible cramps, massive flows) and turned out that there are considerably-sized, benign growths (in my uterus). The doctor operated and I have not had those symptoms anymore (no more horrible cramps or massive flows), but I do still suffer from horrible indigestions and allergic symptoms a week or so toward the onset of my period, as well as suffering from clumsiness and muscle pains!

[Ines71]

OMG, I thought I was the only one.   The gas, the pain, the mood swings, the headache...everything!
Thanks for your comments and advice. (-;

[qudiva]

Well you can add my 15 almost 16 yr old to the bunch.  She's been getting terrible bloating and burping monthly - along with a little stinky but not terrible farting.  We eat about half and half process/natural foods - but she does eat a ton of vegetables (more than most teens I would guess).  She doesn't drink milk or soda so that helps but is a big cheese/yogurt eater.  I'll get her on the suggestions and watch this discussion.  Plus will try gasX.  thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[CS30]

I wonder if there are evolutionary causes behind us getting this unfortunate, foul smelling flatulence. Could it be that by this way, female mammals may be keeping the males off them during menstruation I wonder. [..if other female mammals suffer from the same thing too because many mammals have overt or covert menstruation]

[k8raye]

I am 30 and my friend and I have always called it "period gas". I think more women have it than will admit to it, but I also had it during pregnancy, with both my children. As for the monthly loose stools, my doc said they were caused by the same hormones that make out uterus contract (intestines contracting) to shed the lining (our period ). Don't have any suggestions, other than Gas-X and keeping a food diary. HTH!