Me too Sally...see above. However after taking acidophilus bifidus for a while I have reintroduced milk and cereal which is a little better. I have also added a few slices of onion to cooking but because my DH hasn't eaten them so often either it encourages trips to the loo

I'm glad to see that hormones may be responsible for all the digestive problems~~I haven't had any stomach troubles in years..now at age 51, Gerd is becoming an annoying symptom. It was good to read what Chris said about hormones messing with the neurotransmitters in the gut, it seems peri can cause just about everything in our bodies to go haywire!! I was a gal with just minor symptoms for a few years..now it has hit me all at once. Some of the suggestions from you ladies are very good, I will try the crystalized ginger as nausea has been bothering me too!! Thanks everyone for some good ideas!!

I have the digestive troubles too since starting peri....I have been reading that ovarian cancer can cause digestive symptoms also....so how do we discern? Do we go to the dr. to rule out an ovarian problem and then just chalk tummy troubles up to peri?

I think that is caused by the ovary increasing in size??? My Mum died of ovarian cancer but had no symptoms at all. She just found a large lump and then of cause it was too late.

What a relief to find that all these digestive problems I have been having is just another sign of perimenopause. I have been having upper abdominal bloating, tons of gas and the abdominal muscles going into spasms. Doctor ran tests and everything fine so she just blames it on stress. I am new here so I have been doing alot of reading and I am very happy to have found this site. I can see already that all of you will be much more help to me than my doctor. Thank-you!!

Hi CathyW~~Isn't it funny how the Doctors want to blame everything on stress, and especially if your a woman. I went through that 12 years ago when I developed TMJ, every general practioner I went to just told me it's stress, put me on anti depressants..that didnt help at all!! I finally found a dentist that did an MRI and I had surgery in Atlanta Ga. for TMJ!!! not stress!! Anyway I got off the subject a bit but find it very disturbing that the Doctors tend to brush us off. I have found more help here on PS than anywhere.

As for the abdominal bloating..gas..and muscle spasms..I have them now too!! I am totally convinced that it is hormonal, because I never had these problems until now as I get closer to menopause. I read somewhere that hormones mess with every cell in our body and I believe it!! I'm taking the chewable Papaya tablets for the acid and gas, they have enzymes that help digestion. I got mine at GNC.
Hope you feel better soon~~

Hello. My doctor was a pony tail before he retired. He told me meno'al women get IBS(with/out) diarrhia, heart palpatations and acid reflux. He also told me to highly increase my fiber % to 48-50%. Guess what? No acid reflux, no bloating, etc, and no more heart pa;patations. Plus, I lost 50lbs without really trying. But I had to eat 5-6 minimeals a day. Now my problem is being able to feel joy and the whatever it takes to get you actually moving. I miss those wellbeing feelings. Chris

Finola - Did the surgery help the TMJ? I'm curious to know, because my dentist told me that 90% of the time it makes it worse so I hesitate to have the surgery. But I certainly do miss being able to chew easily.

Ladies

I have posted on this thread many times, the last time being in April/May. I was very concerned about all the gas, bloating, constipation, etc. that I was experiencing. I drove my doctor crazy and I too was convinced that I possibly had ovarian cancer.

I can tell you now that it's all due to the wonderful world of PERIMENOPAUSE.

After having just turned 50, I had my first colonscopy in May. The what ifs before hand were worse than any part of that procedure. I'm fine and funnily enough, the gas, bloating, etc. stopped after that.
When I told my GYN I was concerned about ovaian cancer she looked at me like I had 3 heads. After assuring me that I don't (I have a sonogram each exam), she told me that gastro problems are definitely related to hormone levels.

Anyway, this too shall pass (no pun intended )...only to be replaced by yet another symptom.

Hang in there!
Have a great day,
EJ

Butterfly46...What do you mean by "My doctor was a ponytail"???

The nearest thing I could think of was a horses ass...but judging by the rest of your post he seemed helpful...


Yours confused

I had the same question, a pony tail? Like Alice, I thought "horse's ass." Great minds!

Meg~~I had the surgery 12 years ago, it was what they call open arthroplasty..they cut down the crease beside my ear from top to bottom, can't even see any scar today. The purpose was to tighten the ligaments around my damaged discs. I can't say the surgery helped a whole lot..I still can't eat anything like hard pretzels, apples, corn on the cob, just most anything thats crunchy or hard, because I get a bad headache. It did lessen my overall pain,and the popping in my jaw stopped,but unless it's a badly damaged joint that must be replaced, I wouldn't do the surgery. I found out later that only 5% of people really need it, and it's expensive!!

I understand what you mean by not being able to chew easily , I have learned to live with TMJ but I miss the chewy, crunchy foods. Sometimes I'm bad and eat it anyway but I always pay for it later with the pain. I wish you well with your TMJ, they've probably come a long way since my surgery with better treatments and more options than surgery, if I can ever help in any way, I'm here~~

~~Hugs~~

EJ~~Thank's...I was sure that all these tummy problems were meno related, esp. since they started when my meno symptoms are at there worst. I't's just one hurdle after another

Butterfly~~~I've been increasing the bran in my diet and like you say..it does help!! You'd think it would make it worse but doesn't and it is filling so I don't eat as much other stuff~~I miss that wellbeing feeling too..somedays it's there, but most days not, but I have faith it will return for good after all this meno madness.

~~Hugs~~

Finola - Thanks for the info. Like you, I sometimes want something hard and chewy, go ahead and eat it and then pay the price with the jaw pain later. I think I'll bypass the surgery for now, this pain isn't so excrutiating that I'll starve to death! Probably will help me with my weight loss goals anyhow! Thanks again!!

Hi:
I'm a newbie! Don't know my way around this site very good, but I've been reading the messages that have been posted for several months and it has been a God-send for me. I'm 57, still going strong with menopausal symptoms. I've had many of the nervous symptoms: Funny headed, tingling, dumbness in feet. I have hot flashes (I can live with that). About a week ago, I began having a feeling like something stuck in my lower esophagus or below the sternum area. No pain & eating doesn't bother me. Sometimes it goes away; maybe I won't have it for a day. I have my yearly physical w/regular doctor in March. I won't know how to explain this & he's probably going to think I'm crazy. Even my OBGYN hasn't heard of some of the symptoms I've had. I have one spot in my breast that feels a burning sensation when you touch it. She said she'd never hear of that. I would probably be in the in the nut house if it wasn't for reading Power Surge messages. Thanks girls.

A ponytail is a man with long hair tied back in a ponytail. My mechanic was, too. They have a certain philosophy that transfers into all parts of their life. It's alturistic, very not self-involved. In fact most of my dr.s who were women were as interested in women's health issues. He's the one who glanced at my note about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and immediately told me about them in terms of menopausal women. He also told me I should try to do home cures before going to a dr. I have found that if I lift weights, even 1 1/2 pounds my shoulders down to my wrists on both arms get so painful I can't do or lift ANYTHING. I really hate that. I feel like we are all holding hands and going on this journey together. Thank you all.

Ah, that's more new words for me"ponytail" and Humpday. Hump over here means something entirely different... either 'in a mood' or a slang word for copulation.

I also know if you invite me to your house never to say it's 'homely'...that means ugly - right? And I'm not to say I'm rooting for someone am I?