Abstract: Lower bowel pain such as that associated with menses, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or irritable bowel syndrome is alleviated in a mammal suffering therefrom by administering to the mammal a pain alleviating amount of nontoxic local anesthetic such as lidocaine, lidocaine hydrochloride, bupivicaine, and the like. These local anesthetics will be applied as an injected intra rectal jelly, intra rectal suppository, or orally in capsule form.