Is it normal to have gas when you are on your period?

I’m not sure what it is about our periods that causes gas, but I know that it does. Get ready for “TMI” -- I also suffer from an abnormal amount of gas when I’m on my period. It’s like, “Isn’t it bad enough that I’m on my period? But not only am I on my period, I can’t stop farting.” My way of avoiding the gas, at least as much as I can, is by eating less of the things that normally give me gas, such as cheese, hummus, and Flaming Hot Cheetos. I’m addicted to those foods, but I’ll give them up for a week if it means I don’t have to feel uncomfortable sitting in public, worried that I won’t be able to stop a loud fart from happening. It’s embarrassing, yes, but know this, you’re not the only one struggling with the period-caused gas.

From what I recently read, it is typical to pass gas 6 to 25 times a day! That being said, it sure does seem that gas seems to escape more frequent during your period. It gets even worse during pregnancy! Maybe it has something to do with extra hormones released during those times. Check out Dr. Molly’s answer for a more medical take on the subject.

Yep. The whole system down there gets messy during your period and with the hormones shifting around and the prostaglandins helping your uterine lining to detach, more farting is common. Bonus! You can try some over the counter anti-gas pills if it’s really bad, but making more gas is common.