Constipation, hormones and peri

[bungabungaboo]

As the titles says, is this a thing?

I have suffered from bloating, etc and seen specialists and changed my diet. This has balanced things out but now I am getting constipated a coupe of times per month

Eating lots of fruit and veg
Minimal bread
Bran and oats
Good quality protein

But finding this annoying, anyone else suffered?

I just seem to get through one symptom and another appears

Anyone?

Bran is thought to be counterproductive and the best way is fruit and veg, and LOTS of fluids- at least 2 litres a day.

If you google fibre in diet, the daily amount for women is around 25-30 grams.But it needs liquid to bulk it up and move it along.

Thanks jingling

I have one bowl of sultana bran per day and a bowl of porridge

Lots of fruit and veg

Anything carb seems to be the problem

Are you exercising daily and drinking enough fluids over a day?
Might be worth looking at the actual grams per day of fibre, in total, based on which fruit and veg you eat and how much, as you may need more than average?

Hi jingling

I drink over two litres of water & no more than 2 cups of coffee & one tea

Salad for lunch- tomatoes/watercress or rocket/ halloumi/ olives/ avocado/cucumber or variation of the above

Dried apricots and prunes every morning with porridge & kefir or live yoghurt

Meat/fish/tofu and at least six types of veg (evening meal)

Apple and pear every day

Bowl of sultana bran for supper

Cannot seem to eat processed bread or seeds (especially linseeds )

Interesting- I cannot eat linseeds or quinoa . Both give me awful stomach pains and both are very high in fibre. Is it possible you are eating too much fibre? There are different kinds, soluble and insoluble fibre. And apparently too much of one of them (I forget which!) can actually cause constipation rather than making it better. Also, have you been tested for coeliac disease? Coeliac (and non-coeluac gluten intolerance) can sometimes cause constipation rather than diarrhoea.

Just read your latest post - that really does sound like one hell of a lot of fibre!

Lazylinguist linseeds do this to me too- awful stomach ache and yet everyone suggests eat them (especially in meno)

Tested for coeliac, thankfully not!

It is getting the balance which is why I try to keep water & fruit/veg intake up as if I eat processed stuff- I suffer.

I wonder whether the balance will return or if this is it

NHS dietician not much help sadly

So i had bloating
I use 1 teabag of camolile tea
2 tblspoons of apple cider viniger
2 tblspoons of lemon juice
250ml of warm water
Everynight
Iv tryed this for last 2 weeks works a treat managed to lose 3lbs in the process.. ditch the carbs small amount each week

Thanks kimbo180

I have found carbs, especially white bread are bad news 🙁

By not eating so much processed food I have lost 1/2 stone (in two months)

Also just started period today and was constipated earlier in the week so I wonder if it is hormones and peri 🤷‍♂️

@bungabungaboo It's quite common to be constipated in the 2nd half of a cycle. It's the effect of progesterone which relaxes muscles in the body- and that includes the bowel.

Are you doing some walking every day? A lot of people go mad on fibre and fluids but don't appreciate that to keep the guts moving you have to do some leg work too to stimulate movement in the bowels. An hour or 45 mins of brisk walking a day should do it.

jingling I am not moving about as much as I could
My job is quite sedentary
I will also get moving if this helps, I have a huge garden so perhaps 30 mins weeding every day may help?

I use to be the same but since trying the drink i posted im regular going every morning id highly recomend

@bungabungaboo

jingling I am not moving about as much as I could My job is quite sedentary I will also get moving if this helps, I have a huge garden so perhaps 30 mins weeding every day may help?

Not really. You need continuous movement, like brisk walking. It gets all your guts moving and the circulation going. If you aren't doing this it's possibly why you are bunged up :)

I have no issues with being bunged up BUT I do notice a difference on the occasional days when I am in the house or travelling by car a lot, and don't walk.

I had chronic constipation once as I have hypothyroidism, it was partly as I was hypo but the Gp said I needed more of the fibre that is in porridge (can't remember which that is!) and also gave me some strange stuff that was tiny chocolate coated pellets but really helped to get me moving. Said Something about "bulk."

It might be you need something to help at certain times of the month?

I agree that's a lot of fibre, I adore fibre but can have too much! Brown rice has in the past caused lots of issues.

Have you tried more plant based protein rich foods, lentils, chickpeas beans etc? There's a lot of veg rich vegan curries I'm finding really helpful. (I've noticed a cyclical thing at times.)

I also agree that sitting exacerbates constipation

I've suffered from constipation my whole life (managed with diet) but peri menopause has made it much worse and diet and exercise alone no longer work. I now take a daily laxative (Dr recommends and says totally safe).

Yes, movement makes a massive difference. I walk (fast, with hills) for 45 minutes pretty much every morning, as I have a large, energetic dog. I then do a quick 15 min yoga session. I used to just walk fairly slowly to somewhere the dog can run around, which wasn't really giving me enough exercise! I've definitely noticed the difference in my digestion from that and the regular yoga.

Mine seems to be cyclical

I think more exercise will help

Peri has affected me in so many ways

Same here!

I think I have IBS (GPs agree, it's been sort of investigated over the years) and while I used to be more the 'diarrhoea IBS' , for the last few years (and coinciding with peri symptoms) it's been IBS with constipation, bloating and wind pain. God, I'd do a lot for a really good, emptying poo!

I've just had one of the worst IBS attacks in years, it coincided with a 'nasty' cycle (smelly, long, cramps, sore breasts - very different from my norm these days). I'm quite sure my IBS is different and worse now I'm in perimenopause. I definitely need to drink more water and move more, though.

Sorry to hear that you are having similar issues gloomofnit. It is quite debilitating isn't it?

I have to think very carefully, every day, about what I am eating and I am now avoiding processed food

Sorry glomofnit

OP have you had a thyroid blood test? Underactive thyroid is very common and can cause constipation. Can also cause heavy periods which is sometimes attributed to perimenopause.

crispinglpvershighkick
I had a blood test a while back, tested for coeliac's too

Not showing any other symptoms like tiredness though?