Are you on hormonal birth control? It seems like an easy way to test this theory would be to skip a period or two (assuming you're on a monophasic pill).

I don't know what mechanism would cause this but it definitely doesn't sound crazy. It also kind of makes sense to me that something that has stumped your GI for so long could have to do with some other system that they're not as expert on (in this case, if it's gyno related)

Spooky,
You are on to something. I always bleed from my pouch/stoma around my period...I just thought that the hormones from my period were making the tissues more sensitive around that time of the month and were the culprits...it never bothered me beyond the obvious problem of anemia. I also find that my gums bled more around my period too...so maybe it is all of the mucosa in the body that react.
Sharon
ps...no more period, no more problem.

I'm not currently on birth control. I stopped taking it about 4 years ago. I'm not sure I'd want to go back on it at this point even just as an "experiment"; I'm 35 and getting to that age where birth control pills are contraindicated. And there's some scary stuff about Yasmin these days.

I will definitely mention this to my GI when I see him on the 25th. I have been anemic on and off since all this started, but I have no other GI symptoms but the bleeding. My one question would be, if it is related to my cycle, why did it only start happening more recently? (Unless it's changes in my hormones as I age). My pouch is over 5 years old, and this bleeding issue has only become apparent since late last fall. Anyway, it's all very interesting... I'm really starting to wonder if there is a connection.

For whatever it's worth (possibly not much since I'm only 4.5 weeks after takedown), my stools have randomly been bloody during my period too! I have been worried about the blood but after reading what you guys posted, I'm thinking it's just the period thing and realized the blood correlated with the start of my period. My pouch is "angry" too so many it's just common like all the other symptoms.

Thanks for sharing! Though I'll know to get it checked out if it sticks around after my period ends.

P.S. I loved not having periods on the depo shot but that shot not only caused my prior UC to flare up terribly, it made my libido non-existent. After dealing with that, I was nervous to go on anything hormonal. I'm on the copper IUD now but it's not the best choice for period issues. Good for libido, though.

I have the same thing and have more recently noticed this trend sometime over the last few years. I also get extremely sharp pains and palpable balls (of gas?). I had asked my GI about it and he said "get a sex change". I have a new GI now and he consulted with my GP who now has me on the pill just 3 days ago. I hope to have good news in a month. What did your doctor say at your appointment on the 25th?

"Get a sex change?" Really!?!

Glad you have a new GI, since that is a particularly unhelpful response. Hopefully, he was kidding, but geeze, I don't mind a little office humor, but unless it was offered with some useful advice...

Hope the Pill works. I found it useful when I had my colon, but had flares during pregnancy. They were mild flares though. Maybe the patch would be OK for those who can't go back on the Pill.

Jan