Period Poop: It's A Thing. Here's How To Deal

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTStory from WellnessADVERTISEMENTPeriod Poop: It’s A Thing. Here’s How To DealErika W. SmithLast Updated February 6, 2020, 2:46 PM Periods can really mess up your day (or week). They’re often accompanied by cramps, headaches, or bloating, and of course, bleeding. Having to change your tampon, pad, or cup regularly is annoying. Your appetite and your sex drive may change. And, that's not all: Periods can affect your digestive system too. That's right. They can seriously screw up your poop schedule.

Why your pooping patterns change on your period

You’re not imagining it — period poop is absolutely a thing. And there’s a scientific reason why you’re pooping more (or less) than usual. During your period, your body increases its production of compounds called prostaglandins and decreases its output of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is needed for pregnancy. Levels of the hormone increase until your period starts, when your body realizes that nope, you’re not pregnant this month, and levels drop back down. At the same time, your prostaglandins increase. That signals to your uterus that it’s time to shed the uterine lining, causing contractions. AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

Why periods give you diarrhea

You guessed it: both progesterone and prostaglandins can screw up your poop cycle. While prostaglandins target your uterus, they can also affect the digestive organs nearby, making you poop more often. Dips in progesterone can also lead to frequent trips to the commode — and diarrhea.

Why periods make you gassy

Those prostaglandins that make you poop more can also make you gassy — and the food you eat contributes as well. Consider premenstrual syndrome, aka PMS. Right before your period, you may experience increased appetite and food cravings, which doctors believe may be related to higher progesterone levels. This means that in the days before your period, you could be eating more and pooping less, making you feel bloated. When your progesterone drops, your body has more to get out than usual.

Why period poop smells so bad

You can also blame PMS eating habits and that progesterone drop for your smelly period poops. If your eating habits change during the days leading up to your period, you'll see — and smell — the result in the toilet. Menstrual blood has an odor too, and that may also contribute to what you're smelling.

Why periods make you constipated

Progesterone has a slight constipating effect (which is also why constipation is common during pregnancy), so it's normal to have some constipation in the days leading up to your period. And if your food cravings lead you to eat more fatty and less fibrous foods than usual, that plays a factor as well.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT

What to do about period poop

There are a few things you can do to lessen the havoc your period wreaks on your digestive system. In a recent New York Times column, OB/GYN Dr. Jen Gunter suggested taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen shortly before your period is about to start. The meds block prostaglandin production; this can reduce both diarrhea and period cramps. Taking birth control containing estrogen can also help reduce both cramps and diarrhea. If you're constipated, eating a high-fiber diet can help. And if you’re experiencing severe pain, check in with your doctor — some health conditions, including endometriosis and irritable bowel system, can flare up during menstruation. While period poops are annoying, simply understanding that there’s a reason your body’s acting out of the ordinary can help you get through it. Bodies: they’re weird!Related Content: AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT HoroscopesBuckle Up! The First Mercury Retrograde Of 2026 Has ArrivedR29 babes — sorry to say this, but the winter blues we’re all feeling aren’t immediately going to get better from Mercury’s backspin in Piby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 22 To 28Cosmic beings, you survived the Aquarius Solar Eclipse and the launch of the Year of the Fire Horse, and honestly… that was a lot. This week shifts the pby Dossé-Via TrenouUnbotheredBlack Grief Practitioners Are Protecting Black Life In DeathLike so many other injustices, Black people face magnified problems in death and dying wellness spaces. These women, aka "death doulas" are working to solvby Stephanie LongAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTHoroscopesPisces Season Is Here — & Drama Is IncomingRejoice! As we enter Pisces season, we’re also getting closer to spring. From February 18th to March 20th, the sun will be splashing around in the enby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 15 To 21R29 babes, this week begins in the dark of the moon, and we can all feel it. In the days leading up to the Aquarius Solar Eclipse, emotions run high beneatby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesEclipse Season Is Here! Here’s How To Get Through ItEclipse season is here! The onset of the annual solar and total lunar eclipse is bringing a fateful chance for us to transform. We are shifting our ideas aby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Valentine’s Day Horoscope Is HereHappy Valentine’s Day! This year, we are reflecting on the importance of connection and acceptance — not from others, but from the relationship we haveby Lisa StardustHoroscopesSaturn In Aries Is Here — & It’s Time For You To Take ControlTime stands still for no one, or so the planet Saturn teaches us. Saturn is leading us into Aries on February 13th. As we move onward in life, the austere by Lisa StardustHoroscopesVenus In Pisces Is Here — & Now Let Your Own Fairytale UnfoldIn the midst of all the chaos going on in the world, it’s nice to know that Venus in Pisces is bringing us a fairytale vibe. Venus in Pisces, which lby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 8 To 14Cosmic beings, this week opens with the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio, a liminal checkpoint between what has already climaxed and what is about to be rebornby Dossé-Via TrenouSin VergüenzaYour 2026 Valentine’s Day Tarot Reading Is Hereby Tatianna TarotHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 1 To 7Cosmic beings, this week opens loud. The Leo Full Moon on February 1st is not subtle, not chill, and definitely not interested in you playing it cool. Thisby Dossé-Via TrenouAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT