Tummy Troubles

[BruFord]

Is anyone else having stomach issues during perimenopause? For a few days most months, I have a slightly upset stomach and I’m fairly sure that it’s hormonal. I’m not really ill, just off my food and feel nauseous and uncomfortable. Then it disappears!

A hot water bottle on my stomach at night helps but it still bothers me during the day. Has anyone found a way to relieve these symptoms?

I don’t want to be glib, but welcome to menopause. Constipation, diarrhea, trapped wind, nausea / off food, bloating, cramps, abdominal and thoracic pain, indigestion, acid reflux all seem to be par for the course.

But you can drink herbal infusions and it will all magically go away(!) 🙄

Realistically, try eating more fibre, more regularly, drinking enough water, keeping your body moving (can be gentle e.g. walking, beginners’ yoga video) and decent pain relief.

Oh great. 😂

Thanks for the suggestions @NicolaCasanova. It’s so annoying.

Yes! Upset tummy every month for no apparent reason. It's so annoying.

I began using the "Rheal" gut health powder every day and it has helped massively with hormone related gut issues!! Not gone, but much better.

Thanks @Greentomatoes21

OMG this happens to me it’s about the only thing that I’ve not blamed the menopause for!

Same here. For example, I ate some soup at lunch with some sort of green beans in it as well as chicken, by mid afternoon in agony with trapped wind. Suspect it was the 'healthy' beans. Lentils have same effect. Brown bread, brown pasta. I looked 6 months pregnant! Apples, banana sometimes do it.

TMI but eventually farting out mucus which looks bloody 😕 My insides feel inflamed.

I get constipation as well. Never like this before peri.

No constipation. No food affected me. Flat tummy.

It's sh*t isn't it? Dr's are useless. I use peppermint tea and avoid foods that affect me.

If you are getting bloody mucus please go to see your doctor. I hate to be alarmist but that could be a symptom of bowel cancer.

I do around day 10 -12 of my cycle, I’m assuming it’s linked to ovulation.

Yep. My digestive system is fucked from this perimenopause. I've never had so much of a sniff of an issue in the past yet for 3 years now, on any given day I will have nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, trapped wind, hugely bloated stomach. I get scared to eat in case it sets anything off. It's really very very debilitating.

@SusiQ18472638 That’s what I’m assuming as it’ also hits me about halfway through my cycle. Bloomin’ hormones!

@SuperBlondie28 The mucus does sound worrying, I’d tell your GP about that symptom.

I have had weird, monthly stomach stuff for the past few months and never thought it could be connected! Just came on to this topic to research more as my symptoms have gone crazy, and saw this thread. Yet another symptom to add to the list!

Yes - mine was extreme enough to get scans & thought I had gallstones / reflux / GERDS / IBS - or all of the above. After weird symptoms I pinpointed histamine intolerance. Developed food issues with all kinds of ordinary foods - a book called "what HIT me" was a big help.

I tried. They stool tested for blood, found none and that was that! Ironically I never said I saw any blood in my poop.

Been going on 10 years so probably not bowel cancer. The bloody mucus is when I have a 'flare up' with trapped wind mainly.

@SuperBlondie28 have you been tested for Crohns disease or other digestive issue or food intolerances? Keep a food diary and see if there's a link to the flare ups and certain foods.

@BruFord yes, same here. I could absolutely link it to the second half of my monthly cycle. Now I'm post menopause, I still get digestive issues and there is a cycle to it where it gets worse then settles down, just no period and a longer time between episodes. Certain foods make it worse. When it reaches it's peak then goes away, I say I've had my phantom period and know I've got a month or 2 before it all starts up again. I'm hoping as the years go by, the time between the episodes will get longer and longer.

But no doubt, by then, I'll have some other issues like arthritis to take its place.

Godda love being a woman

I had this along with other symptoms - had cancer and IBD ruled out, symptoms calmed down for a few months and then came back worse, had tests for things like coeliac which were all negative.

Taking Symprove every day got rid of it. I also had an ultrasound scan, also showed everything was (now) healthy.

Very tempted to think it's menopause related.

It never goes away once it starts. So many food intolerances. Coleslaw just a tablespoon set me off this week. Bread, caffeine, spicy foods, tomatoes, gluten, lactose. Mushrooms, onions, garlic, pasta, alcohol, etc and nauseum.

There's six of us good friends from kids primary school days went out for lunch recently only one of us didn't spend ages checking the ingredients in every dish. We all got to listing our intolerances .

The only one who ate everything and drank well is the baby of the group 🤣

@justasking111 Yes, I suspect that I’m developing intolerance to certain foods that I could previously eat with no issues. I haven’t figured out what they are yet…if caffeine is one of them, it’s going to be rough. 😂

I’ve become gluten intolerant. If I eat more than a slice of toast or a scone I get diarrhoea the next day. Oh, and also get hay fever and am sensitive to a lot of moisturisers.

@MagpiePi Yep, pollen never affected me in the past, but I’m sneezing more and more in recent years.

Azurra decaffeinated instant or any ground decaf beans. You get used to it

It's trial and error. Bread is my worst. But I can eat crumpets weirdly

Hayfever and late onset asthma. Scented candles, bio washing powder. I use an inhaler now.

Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Diagnosis and The Food List foods high in histamine

this list might help. I developed lots of intolerances and was histamine related.

That's interesting, chocolate definitely sets me off especially good quality dark chocolate.

Shellfish really doesn't like me. I do miss it

Weirdly I was booked in for a colonoscopy. Had to drink moviprep. Testing came back negative.

The after effects of the moviprep was the weirdest thing. My bloody stomach settled down for ages. Whether it was the fasting or the complete clear out the consultant couldn't be sure. But leaned towards the moviprep.

Histamine flare ups are weird - I've only just understood mine after a year of on and off issues. They are peri related & some foods will be ok and then depending on flare up causes more & more foods will be triggers. I had endoscopy & bowel checks and all clear and it was process of elimination that led me to histamine issues. I'd never had allergies before but peri & other health issues kicked things off. Dark choc & wine are bad news for me too.