I'm a 22 yo female who was recently diagnosed with IBS. My doctor is not entirely sure that I have IBS though, as my symptoms are not typical of the condition. Around 2 weeks before my period is due, I begin to experience (at random times, usually when I'm out and about rather than at home) a pain in my abdominal area that feels like it is being squeezed. It sometimes feels like a shooting pain, and my mid section can be tender to the touch, but only during one of these 'attacks' and not at any other time. The pain will usually start around my belly button and spread all the way up to my stomach and down to my lower abdomen. The odd thing is that this pain will go away completely when I LIE DOWN!
Eventually, the pain will go away if I lie down for long enough but if I do get up, the pain will come back. My doctor finds my symptoms to be very unusual, and put me on Colofac for IBS which has not helped. I also have heartburn around this time of my menstrual cycle and am on Somac. I have had heartburn (few times a month) since I was 14yo. I eat a high fibre, healthy diet.
I'm really hoping theres someone who has had similar symptoms before who might be able to shed some light on whats going on!!
Hi mon2017a
How long does this pain last?..you could be getting these pains when you ovulate as you said it occurs 2 weeks before a period..that's when you ovulate 2 weeks before a period.....seems that IBS is health practitioner answer to everything when they do not know what is causing stomach pain...request an ultrsound or CT scan...best wishes..keep us posted..
Hi lilian,
Thanks for your reply! It can last anywhere between a few minutes to hours, but the pain only ever really goes away when I lie down for long enough! When I do this, my entire abdominal area relaxes and it is like an enormous pressure/weight has lifted. I also do think it has something to do with my menstrual cycle, as it only starts between day 15 - 20 of my cycle and can continue until the second day of my period. It is at this time that my GERD/heartburn symptoms flare up as well. I have read that at this time of the cycle, your progesterone levels skyrocket while your estrogen levels drop dramatically, so I believe it might have something to do with this... although my GP has said there is no need for a hormone test. I might try seeing a female practitioner or gynecologist who might have a better understanding of this. I will definitely request an ultrasound or CT scan at my next visit to the GP. He has asked me to come back next month to see if my symptoms persist after taking Ponstan which he has given me for what he suspects might be pain associated with ovulation/menstruation.
Thanks again - will keep you posted 
Hi mon2017a
No probs mon.....you may have blocked fallopian tubes which cause pain...mention to your doc as well as ultrasound and CT scan....an HSG test this is a Hysterosalpingogram that tests for block tubes...if you are presnting with pain theres something abnormal going on......say you want a second opinion which is your right as a patient....best wishes........
Hormones can make IBS worse and IBS symptoms can be very variable from person to person. There is such a thing as Atypical IBS which means you have IBS but yoyr symproms are not typical of the condition. Do you have a change of bowel habit?
I forgot to add that Colefac is not a good drug for IBS. It rarely helps and causes a lot of side effects with no benefits. When a doctor says your symptoms are unusual, this is code for 'I don't know what is wrong'. I was told my symptoms were confusing.
Thanks for your reply! That certainly seems to be the case with me, as my heartburn also pops up only around this time of the month too! I wonder if it could be a hormone imbalance or if this is considered 'normal'? I have thrown the Colofac out for that reason. As for change in bowel habit, I'd say I'm less regular during days 15-28 of my cycle which is when the pain occurs and I tend to feel constipated and very gassy. If you dont mind, what were your confusing symptoms? ☺️
Hearburn is very common with the monthly cycle. Diarrhoea or loose bowel movements are also common at this time. I have experienced both these things. Acid reflux is also an IBS symptom.
My stomach pain and constipation started at the time of my period while I Iwas eating oranges for constipation. One of the doctors said that my symptoms were confusing and she hadn't got a clue. She gave me Mebeverine which is what Colefac is and it made me a lot worse. I threw those out.
I thought it was just a bad period or oranges were causing problems because I had just introduced them into my diet. Another doctor told me to come off oranges which made me 50% worse so I went back on them and I felt 50% better. Eventually after stool tests, celiac testing, urine samples and an ultrasound came bsck negative, I was diagnosed with IBS which can make periods fell a lot worse.
Feeling gassy is also an IBS symptom.
Just wondering if you ever got any more answers on this from a doctor? I get he same thing and have tried searching for others who experience this with not much luck. Mine usually starts in the morning when I get up (I haven't paid enough attention to when in my cycle it happens) and it can last anywhere from a few minutes to hours and only goes away when I'm laying down and usually laying down on my side. I had one doctor say it's a stomach acid balance thing, especially on an empty stomach.
I can definitely relate to these symptoms of pain and then once I’m lying down it’s like “poof” the pain is gone. I’ve been dealing with this for almost 10 years. I’ve noticed that the pain does seem to begin after at least 4-5 hours of not eating and then right before I do eat a meal. Then I eat the meal, and the pain gets severely worse. Since this has been going on for years, I have no been able to relate it to any particular food. But does seem to occur on weekends more often. Question for you ladies who have similar pain- have you ever taken the drug accutane? I have done 2 separate trials of it. And after the 2nd is when these pains started.
I have had a similar problem now for about a year, but I can't pin it on menstrual cycle because I am male. One thing I do have is Diastatis recti - a separation of the abdominal muscles, which is common in pregnancy (but usually resolves once the baby is born) and can also occur in the obese - unfortunately I do fall into that category. There isn't a whole lot out there on Diastatis Recti, but enough to suggest that this condition could be a cause of my discomfort as it causes the core abdominal muscles to function badly and compensate in ways they weren't meant to work. I'm going through other tests as well to make sure it isn't anything more serious, but at the moment I am thinking this may be the cause. Unfortunately surgery is the only cure, and isn't guaranteed. In the meantime I am trying to lose weight to take the pressure off the muscles and we'll see what that does.
Hi! Ive been suffering with these symptoms of stomach pain for about 10 years now. I had gastroscopy once and they found an ulcer in my colon, which I was surprised. I was on meds for over 2 years. Since then I have learned so much about my diet that I cannot eat peanuts or any kinds of nuts including those hazelnuts and etc, they cause my body to get so acidic.
The pain still coming back now and again when my stomach is empty especially during my period. I hate the pain and now that I’m lying down and reading above comments. I realised I have a lot of IBP symptoms during my period but I don’t thing I’m going to take any meds for it apart from “making sure that my stomach never completely empty”. I’d look into natural remedies though for balancing the pH level in my body.
So i just started to get this pain today. But is weird because im a 18 year old male, that is perfectly healthy. I recently had appendicitis and got my appendix removed about a month ago. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. But like everyone else the pain goes away when i lay down. Not sure if i should go to the hospital for it or just deal with the pain. If anyone has some advice that would be great, thanks in advance.
Hi ArodtheGod
You have not indicated where in your abdomen the pain is...
Is your pain right sided? Maybe your surgery disturbed something; it can happen.
I have had this same pain for years (like 30!) and the doctors never could figure it out. Although they liked to say it was IBS. Usually it would come on slowly and get the pain would get stronger and stronger, until I felt like I might pass out. Only laying down would make it stop. And it would... immediately! I think I've narrowed it down to being either chronic Pancreatitis, which can be relieved by laying on your side. Or, one doctor at Cedars, said she thought I might have a hernia. Does your stomach get all bloated when it happens? It does for me.
I am so glad I have found this! I have been suffering with this pain since around October 2017. I have a constant pain in the upper abdomen that can travel down my left side. The pain can be that bad sometimes I am sick. Some days I can not even go into work as I struggle to sit at my desk. When I get the pain really bad my stomach does bloat, I have to push down on the upper part of my abdomen to try and relieve the pressure. I have been on a number of different medication for gastritis and IBS which haven’t helped. My bloods are fine and my ultrasound was fine to. I have been referred to a gastroenterologist and praying I will get some answers. It’s strange so many people are suffering with the same symptoms but no one is getting any answers!
I got diagnosed with IBS and my medication worked for me. I take Buscopan as and when required. I have been symptom free for months. With me, it’s all about controlling stress and anxiety. Have you had a diagnosis?
I was taking buscopan for three months and it didn’t help at all, they told me they didn’t think it would be IBS as I have a constant pain in my stomach which is sore to touch! I am waiting for my referral to see if they can pin point what’s wrong. I’m so glad you have found something that helps you!
My pain was constant for three and a half months and was sore to touch and I was diagnosed with IBS. The only thing that changed was the intensity of the pain. It would increase or reduce at different times of the day and would feel better when I was enjoying myself with friends and had forgotten about it. However, the pain did not completely disappear.
Once I was diagnosed with IBS, I found my pain went into remission for months at a time.
Buscopan is very mild and you maybe need a stronger medication depending on what you are diagnosed with. I don’t react well to strong medications.