Symptomatology of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease during the menstrual cycle.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic and clinical observations without systematic review methodology.
PubMed 25788484 · doi:10.1093/gastro/gov010
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature on gastrointestinal (GI) physiological variations and symptom patterns across the menstrual cycle in healthy reproductive-aged women and patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical figures or statistical measures. It notes that healthy women show prolonged oro-cecal or colonic transit times during the luteal phase. Patients with IBS experience heightened abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea during menses, potentially linked to elevated prostaglandin levels and visceral hypersensitivity. Patients with IBD similarly report exacerbated symptoms during menses, though it remains unclear whether this reflects physiological cyclical variation or true disease flare.
Why it matters
Recognizing that menstrual fluctuations can trigger or mimic GI symptom flares helps clinicians avoid misattributing cyclical symptom shifts to true disease worsening in women with IBS or IBD.
Limits
The abstract provides no quantitative data, search parameters, or study counts. Existing studies cited in the review failed to control for common confounders such as oral contraceptive pills and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used for dysmenorrhea, introducing potential bias.
Cited by
- supports During the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, progesterone elevation causes increased water retention, abdominal bloating, irregular bowel movements, disturbed sleep, and increased basal body temperature.