{"id":23776,"date":"2021-03-22T19:44:23","date_gmt":"2021-03-22T19:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=23776"},"modified":"2023-01-31T01:15:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T01:15:36","slug":"what-are-period-poops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/what-are-period-poops\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Period Poops Actually a Thing? We Asked a GI Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’ve ever Googled “why do I poop so much on my period” or “are period<\/a> poops a thing,” you’re in the right place to find answers. Spoiler alert: You’re not alone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

I’ll never forget the time a friend voiced a sneaking suspicion I’d had for years: Something funky happens when you poop on your period.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

As if the high maintenance of menstruation wasn’t enough\u2014not to mention other lingering butt care concerns<\/a>\u2014we both noticed undesired changes in our bowel movements (BMs) on a monthly basis. However, was this merely coincidental or unique to us… or are period poops a real thing?<\/p>\n\n\n

To get a definitive answer, I spoke to Ashkan Farhadi, MD, MS, FACP<\/a>, a board-certified gastroenterologist based in Fountain Valley, California.<\/p>\n\n\n

Are period poops a thing?<\/h2>\n\n\n

As it turns out, my friend and I were on the money. “Changes in bowel habits are fairly common during menstruation,” Dr. Farhadi confirms, “mainly due to fluctuations of hormone levels that change during menstruation.”<\/p>\n\n\n

Plus, the experience is actually quite common. In a 2014 study of 156 premenopausal participants, 73 percent of women (with no major history of GI, gynecologic, or psychiatric distress) experienced at least one GI symptom before or during menses<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Woman<\/figure>\n\n\n

What are period poops?<\/h2>\n\n\n

Now that we know that period poops are real, what are they exactly? Dr. Farhadi states that period poops involve one or more GI symptoms in tandem with your cycle, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n