The Entangled Web of IBS, Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain
If you live with endometriosis or adenomyosis or have even been told by your GP you could have it, you probably know that pain isn’t the only thing that comes with it. Many people also experience bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and gut discomfort that looks a lot like IBS. But what if it’s not just IBS? What if your gut and your pelvis are having a constant inflammatory conversation behind the scenes?
As someone who’s both a Naturopath and an endo warrior myself, I’ve seen (and felt) just how deeply connected the gut and pelvis are, and I understand it can be confusing. Let’s unravel this web together.
Endometriosis and Adenomyosis: Inflammation-driven conditions
Endometriosis and adenomyosis are more than “a bad period”. They’re inflammatory conditions where tissue that’s similar to the uterine lining grows outside of the uterus —it can grow on the bowel, bladder, or pelvic walls. In fact scientists have found it everywhere (except the gallbladder), even on a ladies eyelid!!! This inflammation doesn’t stay neatly contained. It sends out chemical messengers that affect the whole body, and you are going to have a lot more gut symptoms, especially if it is growing on your bowel.
Inflammation can weaken the gut barrier, leading to what’s often called leaky gut. This allows molecules like bacterial toxins (known as LPS- we can test for this) to move through the gut wall and into the bloodstream or pelvic cavity — where they trigger even more inflammation and pain. It’s like a feedback loop your body struggles to turn off. So unless we heal your leaky gut and reduce inflammation, things can just continue to drive themselves and lead to more symptoms.
When Poor Gut Health and Pelvic Pain Collide
A leaky gut doesn’t just cause digestive issues. It can alter your gut microbiome — the community of bacteria living in your intestines — leading to gas, bloating, irregular bowels and even body wide symptoms like a weak immune system, allergies, joint pain and headaches.
These microbiome shifts also influence estrogen metabolism and immune balance, both of which play key roles in endometriosis. So when the gut is unhappy, hormone and immune function can be too — amplifying pelvic symptoms.
Then there’s the physical side. Endometriosis often leads to adhesions — tiny bands of scar tissue that can literally pull or restrict the intestines and pelvic organs. These adhesions can slow gut motility, cause pain with movement, weaken digestion, and lead to conditions like SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth- we can also test for this & treat it).
The end result? A tangled web of pain, bloating, irregular bowels, fatigue, and inflammation that can easily be misdiagnosed as IBS alone.
Why Supporting Your Gut Can Help Both
Here’s the hopeful part — by working on your gut health, you’re also supporting your pelvic health.
Restoring the gut barrier, rebalancing your microbiome, and reducing inflammation can calm both digestive symptoms and pelvic pain. It can also support your immune system, hormone metabolism, and tissue repair — creating a ripple effect that helps your whole body feel more balanced and resilient.
It’s one of the reasons I love this holistic approach. The gut and pelvis are deeply intertwined — healing one helps heal the other.
Where to Learn More
Inside my Tummy Rescue Hub Membership, you’ll find a full masterclass and cheat sheet on Endometriosis, Pelvic Pain, and IBS, where I dive deeper into:
• The gut-pelvis connection
• Structural issues like adhesions and motility
• How to support a leaky gut and microbiome restoration naturally
You’ll learn practical ways to soothe inflammation, ease pain, and start rebuilding your gut from the inside out — so you can feel more comfortable in your body again.
If you’ve ever felt like your IBS and endo symptoms are two sides of the same coin — you’re absolutely right. They are. And the good news is, there’s so much we can do once we start treating them as connected parts of the same picture.
When we calm inflammation, repair the gut lining, and restore healthy gut flow, we can help both the belly and the pelvis find relief.
Your body is always working to heal — it just needs the right support and understanding to do it.
Interested in how the Tummy Rescue Hub works & how it can resolve your gut symptoms and give you food freedom back?
👉 Click here to join the waitlist for the Tummy Rescue Hub and be the first to know when doors reopen!
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This guide is easy to understand, so that you can begin implementing changes today and
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A bit about me!
I am Danielle Elliott a qualified Naturopath and the owner of Tummy Rescue.
I have been helping kids & adults improve their health for over 16 years, with the last 11 years concentrating on helping patients with any kind of gut disorder. I began focussing on everything gut related after my husband was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. And lucky I did……as my husband and both our kids have Coeliac Disease and my daughter has a dairy allergy.
So…. I am well and truly where I am meant to be!
I love being able to help people to soothe and calm their symptoms, investigate the causes and support and improve their gut function.
I also get to write educational pieces to train practitioners and am often interviewed for podcasts and summits, which is another really rewarding part of my work. I love educating people (this is something I do in every consult), because I do believe knowledge is power. It gives you the tools to make the changes you need to!
So, when you opt-in to my E-book, you are beginning on a journey of learning and discovery, of how you can reduce your symptoms of bloating, gas & pain and improve your gut health.
I would be honoured to help you along the way.
Danielle xoxo