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[Wanderer]

Morning Ladies! I have said many times (yawn!), about the impact of menopause on my digestion, worst symptom defo! It has affected my pelvic floor, which is now very, very tight (thanks to the lovely ladies who have pm'd me!), or it is perhaps the other way around, I don't know. I have horrible spasms in the pelvis and in the diaphragm, and a weird "wave like" sensation that makes me feel a bit spaced out, no pain, just this odd feeling that makes me feel weak. I am sure it is a motility problem, as some days I am very constipated. This I think was proved when I had to take Picolax for a Colonoscopy (all was ok, bizarrely!), and for 24 hours I felt great! When I have a bm, I find my pelvis feels very "jelly like" for hours, which goes into my legs, and it feels like I have flu! I am seeing my GP on Monday, and think we need to decide how to deal with this, as some of the other menopause issues have been helped by AD (Venlofaxine), and Evorel 50 patches. I now need to add Progesterone, that's why I am seeing her. But what I wanted to ask you all, is there any HRT that you have had, I am post menopause, not having had any periods for 3 years, that have helped the digestion? I believe the digestion is affected during Menopause because Oestrogen helps the bowels to process Insulin, and remove waste products.

I could do with some advice please. I have a lovely GP who is pro HRT, and she is trying very hard to help me!

WANDERER. XXXX

[CLKD]

Do the bowels produce insulin?  We need Honeybun to comment here ……. I thought the bowels were the repository for waste matter before it is expelled from the body …… 

I have had strange feelings after going to the loo.  Like my lower belly is all wobbly  but I have got used to it now.  I have to discipline myself and say 'it's bowels not a bug' …….. 

If the body expels waste suddenly then it can go into 'shock'.

[Ju Ju]

Insulin is produced in the pancreas.

[honeybun]

Well I was about to copy an article but basically when I read it through it was just too wordy and not terribly relevant.

The quick way of saying it is no the bowels don't process or produce any insulin.

They are doing trials on mice for something or another but basically it has nothing to do with what our bodies do naturally.

I think it's far too easy to blame meno for just about everything. You are not going to find...in my opinion....an HRT that helps digestion.
You need to separate the two things and treat them individually.

A food diary....tests for food intolerance....a consult with an alternative therapist.

There was a thread running about fainting not that long ago. It was mentioned about the vegus(sp) nerve. It can cause the symptoms you describe.

I think you need to address one problem at a time. Try and look at your diet to cut down on the risk of constipation


Honeyb
x

[CLKD]

Perhaps keeping a food/mood diary for 3 months will help?  Noting everything you eat/drink, what times of day …….. how food affects the mood and when you open the bowels.  I often feel bunged up/slow transit but when I check my calendar, it's usually only 36 hours since I last 'went' 

[Winterose]

I am on the 5;2 diet and my main issue with it was constipation ,  on my diet days I drink a slimming shake and quite by coincidence found that they give you a really good well formed bowel movement, ( probably tmi ) but until you sort yourself out and bowels out try some of these just to get you regular, they do have sucralose in them which I know is not good for you but nothing , prunes, Physillium husk , etc etc has the result for me  of these drinks,

[CLKD]

AAAH  the good old surcalose  ....... haven't met anyone yet who doesn't go regularly if they have it in their diet 

[CLKD]

Well I have found another food stuff that loosens my bowels.   .  We like the stuffed peppers with cream cheese so I bought 2 jars …… the oil appears to be 'doing it' : if I eat 1 pepper for lunch then my bowel is OK, 2 for lunch then the next day I get a sudden pain and have to dash  .  So am giving those a miss unless I get slow transit 

[Taz2]

The cream cheese would have done it for me CLKD let alone the peppers!!

Taz x 

[CLKD]

Oh I was blaming the heavy oil 

[Taz2]

Peppers (especially red ones) are known for causing IBS diarrhoea so it could be a bit of both.

Taz x

[CLKD]

These are small round ones …….. well soaked.  Fortunately not much upsets the bowel apart from onions unless well cooked and anxiety …….. it's slow transit which causes any bloating etc..  I've always tried to get comfy after breakfast B4 we go anywhere, a habit from school days  . 

[CLKD]

For me it causes nausea as the bowel feels 'backed up' if that makes sense ?    ….. at least after the dash earlier my bowel feels empty, without the pressure of a 'need' ……...

[CLKD]

Exactly! 

Fortunately I don't get pain too often but if it nips then I have to dash   

[CLKD]

My whole Life revolves around my gut