Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptom ComparisonsLesions in the BowelSymptom Timing/TriggersIBS DiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptom Comparisons
Lesions in the Bowel
Symptom Timing/Triggers
IBS Diagnosis
Treatment
It’s fairly common for people to be diagnosed with bothendometriosisandirritable bowel syndrome (IBS).While the evidence does not point to one condition directly causing the other, those who have both may notice that when one flares up, symptoms of the other are harder to manage.
IBS is a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder that causes abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, and other symptoms. Endometriosis is when tissue that’s similar to what lines the uterus grows outside of it, often on the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
This tissue can also grow in or on theintestineor other parts of the bowel.Because of this, endometriosis alone can cause IBS-like symptoms even if IBS is not also present.
Nusha Ashjaee / Verywell
This article discusses how these two conditions relate to one another, how symptoms overlap and differ, and how a healthcare provider can differentiate one from the other to recommend appropriate treatment.
Endometriosis Warning Signs
Symptoms of Endometriosis vs. IBS
The symptoms of endometriosis and IBS have some overlap. For example, both conditions can cause abdominal pain, cramping, diarrhea, or trouble having bowel movements.
But there are also some differences between the two. Endometriosis may cause painful urination, IBS does not. And while IBS can cause mucus in stool, that is not present with endometriosis.
In reviewing the following symptom comparison chart, it’s clear how having both endometriosis and IBS can lead to a compounding of symptoms. It’s also easy to see how having endometriosis alone may lead you to believe you might also have IBS, even if you don’t.
Endometriosis SymptomsStrong abdominal pain and cramping (particularly during your period, but potentially also present throughout your cycle)Bleeding between periodsDifficulty having and/or pain during a bowel movementNausea, diarrhea, and/or vomiting (especially when pain and cramping are severe)Bladder symptoms (e.g., pain, trouble urinating)Pain during or after sexual intercourseIBS SymptomsUpper abdominal pain and crampingPain that worsens with food and/or stressFullness, bloatingConstipation, diarrhea, or bothMucus in the stoolFeeling the urgent need to have a bowel movementFeeling like you still need to go more after having a bowel movement
Endometriosis SymptomsStrong abdominal pain and cramping (particularly during your period, but potentially also present throughout your cycle)Bleeding between periodsDifficulty having and/or pain during a bowel movementNausea, diarrhea, and/or vomiting (especially when pain and cramping are severe)Bladder symptoms (e.g., pain, trouble urinating)Pain during or after sexual intercourse
Strong abdominal pain and cramping (particularly during your period, but potentially also present throughout your cycle)
Bleeding between periods
Difficulty having and/or pain during a bowel movement
Nausea, diarrhea, and/or vomiting (especially when pain and cramping are severe)
Bladder symptoms (e.g., pain, trouble urinating)
Pain during or after sexual intercourse
IBS SymptomsUpper abdominal pain and crampingPain that worsens with food and/or stressFullness, bloatingConstipation, diarrhea, or bothMucus in the stoolFeeling the urgent need to have a bowel movementFeeling like you still need to go more after having a bowel movement
Upper abdominal pain and cramping
Pain that worsens with food and/or stress
Fullness, bloating
Constipation, diarrhea, or both
Mucus in the stool
Feeling the urgent need to have a bowel movement
Feeling like you still need to go more after having a bowel movement
What Does IBS Feel Like?
How Endometriosis Can Cause IBS-Like Symptoms
There are a couple of ways that endometriosis growths (lesions) could lead to IBS-type symptoms:
Endometriosis Pain Locations
How Can You Tell Endometriosis From IBS?
If you have endometriosis but have not yet been given an IBS diagnosis, know that only a healthcare provider can tell you if you have both conditions or if your gastrointestinal symptoms are due to endometriosis in your bowel.
If you have already been diagnosed with both, tuning into the timing and triggers of your symptoms may help you determine which may be to blame at any given time.
Timing of Symptoms
You can have endometriosis symptoms all month, but some people find that flares follow a cyclical pattern depending on where in theirmenstrual cyclethey are.
For example, you might notice your symptoms tend to peak right before you bleed. If you have mostly regular menstrual cycles and you consistently get a certain symptom (likepelvic pain) at around the same time every month, that can be a clue that it’s endometriosis flaring up.
Symptom Triggers
Your IBS symptoms might be worse at certain times in your menstrual cycle, too. However, you may also find that factors at other times of the month (like your diet andstress) can also lead to IBS flare-ups.
That said, some people with endometriosis also notice that stress and diet seem to affect their symptoms. One clue that it’s your IBS flaring up is if there’sa specific food(e.g., onions, nuts) that always gives you GI symptoms no matter what time of the month it is.
Why Is My IBS Worse When I’m On My Period?
Getting Evaluated for IBS
If you have endometriosis and symptoms that you think could be from IBS, it’s important to mention them to your healthcare provider. You may have been diagnosed with endometriosis through surgery, but that’s not how IBS is diagnosed, and further investigation is needed.
They will ask you about your overall health, family medical history, the symptoms you are experiencing, and whether they get worse when you’re on your period.
You will also be asked about whether you have specific signs and symptoms that align with theRome criteria, which practitioners use to help diagnose IBS and similar gastrointestinal disorders.
Endometriosis Self-Care to Manage Symptoms
Testing
As such, tests like arectal exam, stool culture, or colonoscopywill likely be ordered to check for other conditions that could explain how you are feeling.
Your practitioner will be able to diagnose you with, or rule out, IBS based on your conversation and the results of the tests. If you have both conditions, they might also be able to give you a better idea of which symptoms are more likely to be from one versus the other.
Symptom Tracking
If they feel they need more information to help you sort out your symptoms, you may be asked to track them over a period of time using an app or journal.
This can help identify patterns that may help you manage both conditions more effectively.
How IBS Is Diagnosed
Can Endometriosis Treatment Help With IBS?
If you have both endometriosis and IBS, treating one may help the other or at least help you determine what may be causing specific symptoms.
If you are treated for endometriosis and notice many but not all of your GI symptoms go away, you can deduce that any remaining ones are more likely to be from IBS (and vice versa).
IBS managementandendometriosis treatmentrequire very different approaches.
IBS Treatment
GI symptoms suspected to be due to IBS may be improved with a combination of prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) products, home remedies, and lifestyle changes.
For example, some people use medications that help relax the gut (antispasmodics), avoid certain foods that trigger symptoms, and get regularexercise.Your healthcare provider can advise you on the best treatment plan for you.
You may find that certain changes inyour dietand lifestyle that are recommended for IBS end up helping both conditions. For example, increasing your fiber intake and adhering to a low inflammatory diet can both improve bowel movement and GI issues related to IBS and help decrease symptoms related to endometriosis.
Medications For IBS
Endometriosis Treatment
If your GI symptoms are instead due to endometrial lesions in or on the bowel, the growths may need to be removed surgically. Surgery can also remove any scarring (adhesions) that can cause the organ tissue to stick together, leading to complications and infections.
If someone has severe damage to their intestines from endometriosis or has had complications, they may need to have part of their bowel taken out as well.This is typically done in severe endometriosis cases that also involve removal of the reproductive organs (uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries).
Summary
Endometriosis can cause GI symptoms similar to those of IBS, including abdominal pain and cramping. These conditions require different treatment approaches, so it’s important to know if you do, in fact, have both, or if shared symptoms are instead due to endometrial lesions in the bowel.
Anyone with endometriosis who is experiencing IBS-like symptoms should mention them to a healthcare provider so they can be properly evaluated.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Frontiers in Medicine. 2022;9. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:914356. Published 2022 Jul 25. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Ek M, Roth B, Ekström P, Valentin L, Bengtsson M, Ohlsson B.Gastrointestinal symptoms among endometriosis patients–A case-cohort study.BMC women’s health. 2015;15:59. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0213-2American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Selçuk I, Bozdağ G.Recurrence of endometriosis; risk factors, mechanisms and biomarkers; review of the literature.J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2013;14(2):98-103. Published 2013 Jun 1. doi:10.5152/jtgga.2013.52385Endometriosis Foundation of America.Endometriosis symptoms: gastrointestinal distress.Monash University.Endometriosis and IBS.Lacy BE, Patel NK.Rome criteria and a diagnostic approach to irritable bowel syndrome.J Clin Med. 2017;6(11):99. Published 2017 Oct 26. doi:10.3390/jcm6110099NIDDK.Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.Issa B, Ormesher L, Whorwell PJ, Shah M, Hamdy S.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A dilemma for the gynaecologist and gastroenterologist.The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2016;18(1):9-16. doi:10.1111/tog.12241Johns Hopkins.Irritable bowel syndrome treatment.Tanbo T, Fedorcsak P.Endometriosis-associated infertility: aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment options.Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2017;96(6):659-667. doi:10.1111/aogs.13082Endometriosis UK.Endometriosis and the bowel.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Frontiers in Medicine. 2022;9. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:914356. Published 2022 Jul 25. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Ek M, Roth B, Ekström P, Valentin L, Bengtsson M, Ohlsson B.Gastrointestinal symptoms among endometriosis patients–A case-cohort study.BMC women’s health. 2015;15:59. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0213-2American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Selçuk I, Bozdağ G.Recurrence of endometriosis; risk factors, mechanisms and biomarkers; review of the literature.J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2013;14(2):98-103. Published 2013 Jun 1. doi:10.5152/jtgga.2013.52385Endometriosis Foundation of America.Endometriosis symptoms: gastrointestinal distress.Monash University.Endometriosis and IBS.Lacy BE, Patel NK.Rome criteria and a diagnostic approach to irritable bowel syndrome.J Clin Med. 2017;6(11):99. Published 2017 Oct 26. doi:10.3390/jcm6110099NIDDK.Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.Issa B, Ormesher L, Whorwell PJ, Shah M, Hamdy S.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A dilemma for the gynaecologist and gastroenterologist.The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2016;18(1):9-16. doi:10.1111/tog.12241Johns Hopkins.Irritable bowel syndrome treatment.Tanbo T, Fedorcsak P.Endometriosis-associated infertility: aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment options.Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2017;96(6):659-667. doi:10.1111/aogs.13082Endometriosis UK.Endometriosis and the bowel.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Frontiers in Medicine. 2022;9. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:914356. Published 2022 Jul 25. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356Ek M, Roth B, Ekström P, Valentin L, Bengtsson M, Ohlsson B.Gastrointestinal symptoms among endometriosis patients–A case-cohort study.BMC women’s health. 2015;15:59. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0213-2American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.Selçuk I, Bozdağ G.Recurrence of endometriosis; risk factors, mechanisms and biomarkers; review of the literature.J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2013;14(2):98-103. Published 2013 Jun 1. doi:10.5152/jtgga.2013.52385Endometriosis Foundation of America.Endometriosis symptoms: gastrointestinal distress.Monash University.Endometriosis and IBS.Lacy BE, Patel NK.Rome criteria and a diagnostic approach to irritable bowel syndrome.J Clin Med. 2017;6(11):99. Published 2017 Oct 26. doi:10.3390/jcm6110099NIDDK.Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.Issa B, Ormesher L, Whorwell PJ, Shah M, Hamdy S.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A dilemma for the gynaecologist and gastroenterologist.The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2016;18(1):9-16. doi:10.1111/tog.12241Johns Hopkins.Irritable bowel syndrome treatment.Tanbo T, Fedorcsak P.Endometriosis-associated infertility: aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment options.Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2017;96(6):659-667. doi:10.1111/aogs.13082Endometriosis UK.Endometriosis and the bowel.
Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Frontiers in Medicine. 2022;9. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356
Nabi MY, Nauhria S, Reel M, et al.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analyses.Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:914356. Published 2022 Jul 25. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.914356
Ek M, Roth B, Ekström P, Valentin L, Bengtsson M, Ohlsson B.Gastrointestinal symptoms among endometriosis patients–A case-cohort study.BMC women’s health. 2015;15:59. doi:10.1186/s12905-015-0213-2
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Endometriosis.
Selçuk I, Bozdağ G.Recurrence of endometriosis; risk factors, mechanisms and biomarkers; review of the literature.J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2013;14(2):98-103. Published 2013 Jun 1. doi:10.5152/jtgga.2013.52385
Endometriosis Foundation of America.Endometriosis symptoms: gastrointestinal distress.
Monash University.Endometriosis and IBS.
Lacy BE, Patel NK.Rome criteria and a diagnostic approach to irritable bowel syndrome.J Clin Med. 2017;6(11):99. Published 2017 Oct 26. doi:10.3390/jcm6110099
NIDDK.Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.
Issa B, Ormesher L, Whorwell PJ, Shah M, Hamdy S.Endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome: A dilemma for the gynaecologist and gastroenterologist.The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist. 2016;18(1):9-16. doi:10.1111/tog.12241
Johns Hopkins.Irritable bowel syndrome treatment.
Tanbo T, Fedorcsak P.Endometriosis-associated infertility: aspects of pathophysiological mechanisms and treatment options.Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2017;96(6):659-667. doi:10.1111/aogs.13082
Endometriosis UK.Endometriosis and the bowel.
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