Case-control study, 2024
Are stomach symptoms worse before your period and linked to mood?
Yes. Digestive symptoms like bloating and constipation are much more common in the week before menstruation in women with and without PMS. These symptoms are linked to worsening mood in both groups.
What they did
Large study using menstrual tracking app data. Researchers analyzed 33,628 menstrual cycles from 32,241 participants. Groups included 27,897 without PMS and 4,344 with PMS. They tracked digestive symptoms and mood across cycle phases.
What they found
Gastrointestinal symptoms were reported significantly more often in the luteal phase than the follicular phase in both groups (p < 0.001). Mood symptoms were significantly positively associated with GI symptoms in both groups during both cycle phases (p < 0.001). As many as 73% of menstruating people experience digestive symptoms before menses. PMS affects roughly 20% of menstruators.
What it means for you
Digestive problems before your period are extremely common and linked to mood changes in most women, not just those with PMS. Study participants used an app to track symptoms, which is convenient but people may not report accurately every cycle. More research is needed on why mood and digestive symptoms go together.
32241
Total participants
73%
With digestive symptoms
20%
With PMS
About the study
- Original title
- Mood symptoms and gut function across the menstrual cycle in individuals with premenstrual syndrome
- Authors
- Hannan K, Li X, Mehta A et al.
- Journal
- Hormones and behavior
- Year
- 2024
- Study design
- Case-control study
- Participants
- 27,897
- What was tested
- None
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105634
Topics
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