Hi All....

I have had really strange bowel habits the last 3 years which coincided with irregular periods, now ultimately no period since August.

I am 48 (xmas day)....and am desperate to get rid of the problem....here's what happens:

I get gurgly/bubbly sensations in my gut (usually when I eat something that my stomach doesn't like, which I believe is wheat and dairy, but I get it even when I don't eat them!)....I usually have a bowel movement first thing in the morning, but it's loose and thin. Sometimes by afternoon i feel constipated and the gurgly stomach can begin (not EVERY day, but often) and when I try and force a movement out, it starts off hard but then is loose and still is 'thin' and I rarely feel like I have emptied my bowels. I don't always suffer from pain, but sometimes get a lower abdomen dull pain.

Last time I had sex - believe me ladies, I don't have an interest either - it was quite painful like a sore spot was hit, so we stopped.

Now I'm worried that all this is connected and I have fibroids or something more dire.

I have an appt to see a gyn for a pap smear end of Jan, so I guess that will tell me something?

Anybosy else have problems like this, and if you have what was the problem and how did you get rid of or lessened your IBS symptoms?

Caz

Hi Caz,

Oh yes, yes, yes. I could have written what happened to you and I really feel for you as it is really painful. Mine got to the point where the pain was equal to labor.

Here is what I did. I found a site [sorry I cannot put the link here] called helpforibs dot com. And if you follow that, and pay particular attention to always eating your "SOLUABLE" fibre before ANY other food, your tummy will settle quite a lot. During sex, it sometimes feels like the air gets trapped and can cause pain. But if that persists after you have taken care of your diet, then I would see your doc for just a checkup. It usually always turns out to be all Peri

Just start thinking Rice, Potato, Oats etc etc.......I know....boring, but it sure works. Soluable fibre is the secret.

If you cannot find the link by typing that into google, PM me for the link.

I hope this helps,
Viktoria

There is no doubt that this peri-meno can play havoc with the gut. Unfortunately, it is a massively complex problem. During this difficult phase there is no doubt that thyroid function is being altered to shut down the reproductive process and this in turn can affect gut motility. People with an overactive thyroid get the runs and those with an underactive thyroid suffer constipation.Then there is the oestrogen/progesterone battle which once helped to control gut motility. I always used to find that my gut motility was better just before a period and I can remember that just before giving birth nature stepped in to clear the colon. Suddenly we find ourselves in no-mans land without these important triggers and the gut gets a bit unhappy and confused. Pain during intercourse could just be that you don't feel up for it. (If you know what I mean.) It could also mean that the colon is sluggish and a bit full. There is only a finite amount of room in the old pelvis! I think that you just need to pay a bit of attention to gut motility and help it along with things that work for you. Soluble fibre does help many but not everyone. It is now available in powder form for the supermarket and is very convenient to take because it will just disappear into any liquid that you choose to stir it into. Needing to eat 5 bananas per day can get rather tedious! I think that you are right to get things checked out at a basic level as well, it all adds to peace of mind which we all need, at this time of life. Also you may need to be a bit more careful about what you eat. If you feel that a certain food is causing grief, omit it for the time being. Remember that along with everything else, Peri brings heightened sensitivity to certain substances and increased allergy.
Oh and do remember that when you come along for your next life tick the box marked Man instead of Woman, that should do the trick! lol.

XIII

thanks Viktoria and XIII....I will look at that website and educate myself a bit more on the subject!

I'll report back if I get good results.

Happy New Year to you! (and me!)

Caz

I've had IBS all my life, have been prescribed every medication under the sun, and for me, the answer has boiled down to two things: 1. Soluble fiber, every single day 2. Exercise. It's almost a mirable cure for irritable or sluggish bowels. The new powdered fiber they sell is unbelievable...I used to have to force down that gritty psyllium husk based stuff every morning, and now I just put two heaping teaspoons of benefiber in my morning coffee, and voila! ---I'm done. Sometimes I'lll take another couple of teaspoons in a glass of water or tea. You can't taste it or even tell it's there. And exercise; the digestive tract loves exercise...even just simple walking for 30 minutes...


Hope you get some relief soon...

Hi All-

Yes I am suffering from this as well. I never did until about 2 years ago. I have an upset stomach, gas, bloating, and nausa. I get intestinal spasms that clench and I feel as if I am in labor. Really painful. I can actually feel the attacks come on. They are really awful and for me they are quite frequent now (but not always) My period always starts this off and then it takes awhile, after it ends for this to subside. This last period went on for weeks so I am not a happy camper.

I am now using Heather's Tummy fibers which is an organic soluable fiber you can get at some stores or order on line. I have just started using it and it seems to help (www.helpforibs.com). She also has an Eating for IBS Diet and Cookbook that won some type of Julia Child award so I am going to pick that up tomorrow.

Her website is extremely good and helpful.

Peri is such fun!

Sandy

Hello everyone. Ibs is a real nuisance. For me, it hits out of the blue. I get the pain under the left breast, and stomach spasms as well. I also feel like a gas pain is inthe upper part of my back, between the shoulder blades. Soon after, the burping begins. My docs say ibs and gerd.

The food doesn't seem to make a difference. Some days everything bothers it, some days the same food don't bother it. I know when I am anxious, ( which is pretty much all the time), it is worse. There is def. a connection between the brain and the gut. Three differnt doc, a gp, gastro, and gyno siad to try a xanax when it's at it;s worst and you know it does calm everything down. I ws never a medicine person, not even ibuprofen, but sometimes through this transitition, I decided to use all the hlep I can get. I still struggle with the thought of taking anything, but it becomes a quality of life issue with me. Do I want to be miserable or comfortable? Comfort is winning. My doc's have given me two dif. antispasmoid meds, but I never tired them I really get nervous about it. I know how I react to the xanax, so I try that first.

Good luck to you all.

now....I'm thinking that maybe I don't have IBS...maybe I have candida?...or food intolerances?...or........
........?

Are there major differences between them?...can I eliminate candida?

I wish I could find out for sure what the problem is, as I'm still getting over anxious about it!

Any replies welcome!

Caz

hi caz,

sorry that stuff is causing you pain & anxiety. many good suggestions were given. i found the site that viktoria mentioned to be the most useful source of info after dealing with ibs since age 17. what you described sounds like it could very much be ibs. but as always, it may be good to talk with a trusted doctor if these are entirely new symptoms. whenever my symptoms changed with this disorder, i would have a work-up just to make sure there wasn't anything else going on. but a heads up as well - most doctors don't address the disorder well & don't generally have ideas for how to manage it. so i would encourage you to look at that site if you haven't already.

i can't speak to the other possibilities that you mentioned. i do know that the more anxious i get when my guts get all goofed up, the more severe the flare-up is & the longer it lasts. mine used to be d-predominant, usually triggered by food & accompanied by severe cramping. now it can alternate between d&c. (do i even need to mention what our hormones do to our guts?) adding a probiotic daily has helped me quite a bit. eating regularly is important, even if you don't feel like it. cutting out possibly irritating food while you are flaring is also helpful - the faster i get flares under control, the more quickly they resolve. fiber supplements may help; some people react poorly to fast fiber intact or type of fiber -so proceed carefully.

i also use peppermint as an anti-spasmodic, but it also seems to help with things slow down as well (the most effective is the enteric coated tablets). peppermint may interfere with upper digestive problems like gerd & may have other effects that i am not aware of - so approach it like any other drug/supplement. using this has meant i rarely use the strong prescription meds like donnatol.

good luck - it's miserable stuff, but there is hope.
ellen

Have you been to a gastroenterologist?

Add me to the list of people who have developed IBS since menopause. Sugars, bleached flour and fried foods seem to set mine off. I do fine as long as I stick with a high fiber low calorie diet.