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Menopause

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Original poster

Sick to death of my awful bowels. Ruining my life.

82 replies

Rhetorical · 01/02/2026 08:11

Morning all, I’m 52 and suffered from what the doctor has said is IBS since I was about 46, things went awry around the time my hormones probably started fluctuating. Here we are 6 years later and I’m still menstruating, still having horrible bowel issues.

When I was about 49/50 I visited the GP and she suggested HRT, even though I was still menstruating as I was having some other menopausal symptoms. I started on a low dose, one pump of gel and a progesterone tablet. After a week I felt so anxious, wired, jittery I stopped. I tried again and same thing happened. I also had diarrhoea at times, worse around ovulation.

I’ve tried on and off for two years to persevere but usually give up the oestrogen after a week, I feel rotten on it. I have kept taking the progesterone daily though as that seems to help me feel calm and has no negative effect on my stomach. As time has gone on the meno symptoms (fatigue, brain fog) have got worse and I’m think surely I need oestrogen by now.
I asked for low dose patches to hopefully deliver a steady dose. GP agreed and last week I started on a 25mg patch. First 3 days i slept well, no adverse effect, I really thought I’d cracked it. Fresh patch on yesterday morning and within an hour I could feel my lower stomach start bloating. It felt like I was being inflated with a pump! Went out to dinner with my husband last night and within 30 minutes I had the most awful pains and really bad diarrhoea, the pain is very low just above my pubic bone and feels like period pain but deeper. When I feel that I just have seconds to get to the loo and it’s full of yellow bile. It usually happens after a meal.

I ripped the patch off in frustration and went to sleep with a very sore lower stomach. Woken this morning after a poor night sleep feeling like I’ve been in a car crash, so much pain all over in my joints. My stomach feels like it’s been kicked and it’s gurgling and gassy.

I’m at a loss, I’m convinced my IBS is hormonal, I can’t cope with extra oestrogen but at the same time I need it for my other symptoms.

Any ideas please?

OP posts:
Ileithyia · 09/02/2026 12:32

igelkott2026 · 08/02/2026 20:51

Stress and anxiety can definitely affect your stomach. I've had GI issues since October 2024 and do parkrun every week. Because I am worried about needing a loo break during parkrun, I go about 5-6 times beforehand - it's exhausting. It doesn't happen on other days (though things certainly aren't perfect the rest of the week). I think for some people hypnotherapy would definitely help - the relationship isn't just one way.

One other thing to consider for menopausal women is collagen. We associate it with skin, but it is a big component of the gut lining too. So it might be a good idea to take it.

But in your case OP I think the fact your poo is yellow is the key thing. Guts UK says:

"Yellow poo can be caused by a condition called bile acid diarrhoea, where bile stays in the stools without being reabsorbed, and hence discolours the poo. Yellow, fatty poo often smells bad too and can be described as ‘greasy’. People with IBS can sometimes have symptoms when they eat fat in their diet. However, steatorrhoea might indicate the fat that is eaten in the diet is not being absorbed well. Other causes can be coeliac disease or pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI)."

Collagen supplements don’t stay as collagen, they are broken down into amino acids and used to build various types of proteins around the body. Interestingly though there is some evidence that collagen supplements can ease IBS symptoms

https://theibsdietitian.com/blog/collagen-supplements-for-ibs

Collagen for IBS - Comprehensive Guide - THE IBS DIETITIAN

Dietitian guide to whether supplementing collagen for IBS is a good idea, including what collagen is and the science behind the supplements.

https://theibsdietitian.com/blog/collagen-supplements-for-ibs

nondrinker1985 · 09/02/2026 12:35

If you have a high fat meal and you have IBS your body will dump shit literally

Calliopespa · 09/02/2026 12:37

Am working so sorry cannot read the thread fully.

I also preface this by saying I am not an expert BUT I wanted to mention I had heard you are not allowed to take progesterone alone. Maybe that's oestrogen. Go with what your GP tells you obviously but just wanted to flag it having read you were taking just the one.

TalulahJP · 09/02/2026 14:35

Calliopespa · 09/02/2026 12:37

Am working so sorry cannot read the thread fully.

I also preface this by saying I am not an expert BUT I wanted to mention I had heard you are not allowed to take progesterone alone. Maybe that's oestrogen. Go with what your GP tells you obviously but just wanted to flag it having read you were taking just the one.

it’s oestrogen you cannot take alone. progesterone is fine. oddly, many of us get an oestrogen dominance naturally as we age, so progesterone balances it out. there are online quizzes we can take to see if we have oestrogen dominance btw. i did but the horrific headaches i got from progesterone meant i couldn’t taje it.

JinglingSpringbells · 09/02/2026 14:49

TalulahJP · 09/02/2026 14:35

it’s oestrogen you cannot take alone. progesterone is fine. oddly, many of us get an oestrogen dominance naturally as we age, so progesterone balances it out. there are online quizzes we can take to see if we have oestrogen dominance btw. i did but the horrific headaches i got from progesterone meant i couldn’t taje it.

Show quote history

'Estrogen dominance' appears to have started in the US, sometimes linked to products containing progesterone.

What can happen is that in peri no eggs are released so the progesterone side of the cycle doesn't happen, so cycles are missed.

Post menopause, estrogen alone would be brilliant for symptoms (none of the side effects of progesterone) but it has to be combined with progesterone to prevent overgrowth of the womb lining.

Mjhope · 09/02/2026 15:14

Bile acid malabsorption. Have a look. Under diagnosed, easily treated.

time4anothername · 09/02/2026 15:21

you can be more at risk for microscopic colitis around menopause and this can only be diagnosed with a biospy as the colon can look normal in the scope. https://gutscharity.org.uk/advice-and-information/conditions/microscopic-colitis/ so do try to get a colonoscopy and ask if they will biopsy for microscopic colitis.

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