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[KaraShannon]

Just wondering if irritable bowel is a menopausal symptom?

I never had it before but now there are certain things that set it off.  Nuts, chocolate, lettuce (of all things, none of this did before).  If I leave the foods out that irritate then my bowels are fairly calm and predictable, but it's a faff, lol, especially as I never had to think about it before. 

Only asking because if it's a menopause symptom it may require a change in my HRT, not feeling quite as good as I did at first on it (been on it just over a year). 

Thanks ladies 

[CLKD]

I don't think it warrants a change in HRT but often menopause can cause alterations in food tolerances.  Have you kept a note of everything that you eat: i.e. 5-6 days : and drink as well as what you are cutting out?

Which HRT are you using, sorry, menobrain here can't remember 

[Taz2]

IBS is such a nuisance. I think any changes like this should be mentioned to the GP  as quite a few digestive illnesses can masquerade as IBS. I think it's a problem if you begin experiencing it after a certain age - 45 maybe?

Lettuce is one of the known IBS triggers as are peas which I ate for years as they seemed so innocuous. Chocolate could be due to the fat content and nuts are also a trigger for my IBS. Have you had a look at the FodMap advice?

Taz x

[KaraShannon]

I don't think it warrants a change in HRT but often menopause can cause alterations in food tolerances.  Have you kept a note of everything that you eat: i.e. 5-6 days : and drink as well as what you are cutting out?

Which HRT are you using, sorry, menobrain here can't remember 

I'm on Evorel Sequi.  I found the Fodmap App was an easy way of logging problem foods and getting a quick answer as to which fodmap it might be.  Thanks for reminding me, I can't do all the listing of food anymore, lol.  Years ago it was that everything gave me gas, I found the fodmap that was the culprit and cut that out.  Was fine then started with the meno stuff and now I've got other irritabilities 

[KaraShannon]

IBS is such a nuisance. I think any changes like this should be mentioned to the GP  as quite a few digestive illnesses can masquerade as IBS. I think it's a problem if you begin experiencing it after a certain age - 45 maybe?

Lettuce is one of the known IBS triggers as are peas which I ate for years as they seemed so innocuous. Chocolate could be due to the fat content and nuts are also a trigger for my IBS. Have you had a look at the FodMap advice?

Taz x

Thanks Taz, you've reminded me that the fodmap app was useful.  I used it once before although I didn't exactly have ibs then, just certain foods gave me gas    I discovered it was the oligosaccharides, cut them out or limited them and solved it.  Then meno issues started, so it might be a combination of the two. 

I do eat far too much chocolate these days.   

[CLKD]

How can 1 eat too much 

A lot of foods are water based though which will irritate bowels.  IBS is a nuisance.  My symptoms almost killed me  until my GP gave me appropriate medication.

Certainly B4 each period I had 'the runs'.

[KaraShannon]

it's possible if I cut out all the chocolate I'll be fine.  The thing is I could be fine before this peri period no matter what.

It's possible I'm moving into menopause though as the last two months, not feeling the benefit of hrt as much, still am, but not as much.  Noticing I've been sweating.  Only a bit, not like before, in fact I wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't have been quite a feature before the hrt.   

And today I kept having to remind myself to sort out someone's card for their birthday and get it in the post.  No sooner had I thought of it then my mind drifted off.  So many times I could have forgotten it and that's not me at all, but it was happening just before I started the hrt a year and a bit ago.  Not promoting hrt but I felt it worked for me. 

I might run all this by the doctor and see if they can suggest a 'stronger' patch.  I like my Evorel Sequi but I know that people can graduate to something that gives a higher dose.

Also I was listening to Dr Renee the other day and she seemed to say that even with hrt we are not getting anywhere near what we used to make by ourselves?  I didn't know that, I thought it properly replaced what we used to generate ourselves 

[CLKD]

Dr Renne has a point.  Each lady is different, 4 me peri was over and done with in a few years.  Fortunately.  Others have fits and starts due to the ovaries continuing to pump out oestrogen but sometimes not enough so they suffer symptoms.

If you ae feeling generally better, it's most likely that your body has taken up the HRT regime and now settled.  Why would cutting out chocolate for example make a difference, it's a Feel Good Foodstuff, nowt to do with hormones.  Some do find that foods can cause problems during peri but that's usually nowt 2 do with HRT.

Sometimes ladies use half a patch in addition, a few times a week.  But that might upset the overall regime ........

I'm not on HRT and DH and I have similar - thinking about something that requires doing but drifting off to something else. I've been like that 4 years  .  We can make a list and forget the list ........

[KaraShannon]

I think it's too much chocolate that could be the problem, lol, it helps with hormonal stuff but I'm eating way too much lately.  Enough that if I went to the doctor they'd say cut it down and see if there's still a problem 

So today I will have my chocolate, but I'll have it this evening when I relax, and not be nibbling on it all day 

I'm wondering about a slight increase in hrt but not sure you can do that with Evorel Sequi, I will probably send a message to the doctor and ask.  If it doesn't go back out of my head 

[CLKD]

Make yourself a note and pin to the front door ?

It would be a brave person to separate me from chocolate  , I tend to eat every black chocolate, 1 piece in the evening.  As well as a finger of Twirl for pudding at lunch time, plus grapes++