Can menopause cause or worsen IBS?

Today's topic

Are you finding that your IBS digestive problems are getting worse in menopause and perimenopause? Or are you finding that IBS-like symptoms are appearing out of nowhere? Are you getting diarrhoea, constipation, cramping or bloating, and you're wondering if it just might be IBS?

Today on A.Vogel Talks Menopause, I take a look at how menopause can affect IBS, including how it can cause it or worsen it, and what you can do to help yourself.

What causes IBS to worsen or develop during perimenopause and menopause

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder, with women being twice as likely to experience IBS symptoms as men and menopause can impact it in several ways, making it something that can either worsen or develop during perimenopause and menopause.

So, let's take a look at how perimenopause and menopause can impact IBS:

Fluctuating hormones: If you tended to get a little bit of IBS or digestive problems before a period when you were getting regular periods, it's more than likely that the same thing will occur. Very often, it's due to your oestrogen dropping before a period, causing digestive problems. So, if your oestrogen is continuing to fall during perimenopause and menopause, then it's more likely to trigger these symptoms as well.

Stress and anxiety: Both common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, we know that being stressed or anxious can have a huge and very swift impact on your digestion and all the symptoms associated with it.

Lack of friendly bacteria: If you've had a lot of antibiotics, if maybe your diet is not particularly good, then a lack of friendly bacteria can have a big impact on your digestion and also your elimination.

Symptoms of IBS

So, the main symptoms here are a change in the frequency of bowel habits. So, you might find you go more. You might find you go less. Maybe instead of going once a day, you're only going once every second day. I've had women tell me that they're so constipated, they're only going once a week which is really, really bad for you for all sorts of reasons.

It could be diarrhoea or it could be a combination of diarrhoea and constipation so one minute, you're constipated, and the next day, you're ending up with a few bouts of diarrhoea.

It could be abdominal pain or cramping. You might find that you experience discomfort in your sides where your ascending colon and the descending colon are located. This is where food waste can risk getting a little bit 'stuck', and discomfort may be felt.

It could also be bloating. You might find that you get dressed in the morning that you can get your jeans on no problem, but then, by night-time, you find that you have to loosen everything because it's just so very, very uncomfortable.

Do these symptoms ease after menopause?

It does seem so. There seems to be a little bit of research that shows that the prevalence of IBS symptoms decreases for women after the age of 40 or 45, which is not the same as in men.(1) If men get IBS, it tends to just continue throughout their life.

So, it is thought that when the hormones start to calm down and rebalance themselves postmenopause, this can have a positive effect on your digestion. But it does depend on what's causing it too and how you manage it.

What can help ease IBS or IBS-like symptoms during menopause

There are lots of simple things you can do to help ease IBS symptoms during menopause. Here are a few things I recommend:

Limit food triggers: Very often, certain foods could be triggering your constipation, diarrhoea, or cramping. So, it's a good idea to keep a food diary for a few weeks. Be brutally honest about what you're eating and drinking, the times that you're eating and drinking these foods, and when you get your symptoms. And very often, you can start to see a pattern developing.

So, the main food culprits are dairy, wheat foods (bread, pasta, cakes, crackers, etc), high sugar and high salt foods. Coffee too. It's amazing how many women find that coffee will trigger a digestive upset. Alcohol can be another one as well.

Try a low FODMAP diet: There are a specific group of carbohydrates found in your diet known as FODMAPs, which stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. Foods that are high in FODMAPs are known to contribute to bloating, abdominal cramps and wind.

Some people find that going on a low FODMAP diet can help ease these symptoms quite considerably. Check out our Nutritionist Emma's guide to FODMAP-friendly foods to help you get started introducing low FODMAP foods into your diet.

Maybe even just do it for a month and that would give you a good indication as to whether it's some of these foods that are causing your issues.

Bitter herbs: To help aid digestion you could try bitter herbs such as Yarrow.

IBS remedy: You can also try Silicolgel which is recommended for symptoms of IBS.

Stay hydrated: Remember the water because dehydration can have a huge impact. It will slow everything down. And dehydration can cause bloating as well. So, it's a really important one. And some people find that peppermint tea can be really helpful and it's a nice calmer for that upset digestion.

Stress management: If you're stressed, if you're anxious, then that really does need to be addressed because these two are so linked together very, very closely.

Support your friendly good gut bacteria: I recommend taking a course of probiotics. There are companies that do probiotics specifically for bloating, which can be a really good one for calming down, and especially if you've had antibiotics within the last couple of years, that can be a big factor in your IBS symptoms as well.

Check your medication: Some forms of HRT may cause a digestive upset. If you're on any other daily prescribed medications as well, then check out the symptoms list. It's something we tend to not think about, but it's important to check things when we're taking supplements and medications for other health issues. So just have a quick check to make sure the things you are taking are not contributing to your IBS as well.

When to consult your doctor

There may come a point when you need to seek medical advice so it's really important here to consult your doctor:

• If you are continually bloated for more than a fortnight
• If you are in a lot of discomfort
• If you're getting regular spasming pain
• f you find that you're getting constant constipation which means that you're really maybe only going once or twice a week
• If you find that you are getting diarrhoea just about every single day
• If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, together with experiencing sudden weight loss.

So, if you experience these, this is the point when you need to check with your doctor because there could be other things going on that need treatment and maybe medication.

Don't just put up with these uncomfortable symptoms because there are lots of things that you can do to help yourself.

I hope you found this helpful. If any of you have any other tips or suggestions for helping with IBS, please share them. We would love to hear all about them.

Until next week, take care.