According to Dr. Michael Bimbaum at InfertilityPhysician.com, 5 percent of women with endometriosis experience symptoms of intestinal involvement. Referred to as intestinal endometriosis, 70 percent of these cases involve the sigmoid colon and are initially mistaken for colon or rectal cancer. Diagnosis is based on a woman's history of symptoms since endometriosis implants are not detected on X-rays or during a colonoscopy.
Loss of Appetite and Nausea
Two of the most common symptoms of intestinal endometriosis are loss of appetite and nausea. Vomiting occurs rarely. Bimbaum says that his patients notice that gastrointestinal symptoms vary with their menstrual cycle. The symptoms can present all month long and get worse during the period or may occur only with a period. The severity of the symptoms depends on the extent of endometriosis involvement in the colon.
Chronic Abdominal Pain, Significant Bloating and Abdominal Distention
Bimbaum cites the results of a study conducted at Baylor University in Houston. Researchers found that women with endometriosis frequently complained of chronic abdominal pain, significant bloating and abdominal distention. It was shown that these women have major alterations in the muscular action of the bowel wall and an increase in the frequency of contractions of the muscles of the intestinal wall. These abnormalities were not seen in women who did not have endometriosis.
Changes in Bowel Habits
Pain with bowel movements, sharp stabbing rectal pain, diarrhea or constipation are symptoms associated with endometriosis involvement of the colon. Rectal bleeding that occurs with menstruation is indicative of intestinal endometriosis. Deeply invasive endometriosis causes scarring and blockage in the colon. Consequently, a woman experiences painful bowel movements throughout the month and rectal pain during intercourse or sitting and rectal pain with passing gas. Dr. David B. Redwine of the Endo Resolved website, says that most women with intestinal endometriosis do not always experience rectal bleeding. But rectal bleeding and painful symptoms during a period can indicate involvement of the intestines.
