Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Afternoontea on December 21, 2020, 09:46:16 AM
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Hello all.
I’m 47 and think I’m in peri (even though my gp won’t entertain the idea).
One of my most bothersome symptoms are awful digestive issues. I’ve had IBS for over 20 years but the last 3 years everything has been ramped up a notch.
I seem to have so much gassiness and an frequent unsettled system. I have grumbling, gurgling guts (both in stomach and intestinal area). Stomach discomfort, acid feeling and I burp a lot.
I’m so careful what I eat (low fodmap, no fizzy drinks, no foods which cause gas). I don’t smoke or drink. I walk everyday.
It even wakes me at night several times a month with gurgling and rumbling and sometimes stomach pain.
Last summer I had a gastroscope with biopsies, a colonoscopy, an ultrasound scan and ct scan but nothing was found.
Last month I paid to see a gastroenterologist privately but he wasn’t interested and just said it was IBS.
But it’s non stop (I get about 3-5 ‘good/minimal symptom’ days per month) the rest of the time my days are on/off symptoms.
It really is getting me down and all I can think is that it could possibly be up and down hormones causing it?
I have a gp telephone appointment the week and want to discuss it with her (not that I have much confidence with what she’ll say!).
Does anyone experience this?
I’m sitting here half and hour after eating with pains in my stomach and constant burping!
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Yep. What don't GPs get about menopause >:(
As oestrogen levels drop the body may become dry: inside and out, accounts for the chicken neck look many of us cultivate ::). Skin, deep in the ears, nostrils, vagina [do read the threads about that] - as well as lack of oestrogen may cause laxity of muscles, including the gut. Hiatus hernia is common during The Change = heart burn, reflux when acid comes back into the mouth with lots of saliva, indigestion .........
Have you tried any over the counter remedies, mayB speak to your local pharmacist. My GP prescribed Omeprazolol [sp] capsules which helps keep the irritating cough associated with reflux under control.
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I’ve tried the standard otc stuff like gaviacon but it doesn’t help much. I have a gp appointment on Wednesday and will ask. Thank you.
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I’ve had awful digestive issues since June, bloating, acid reflux, burping, fullness, no appetite, rushing to the loo on waking, gp also said ibs. I’ve got up this morning feeling yuk no appetite forced down some cereal & got a weird still hungry feeling, I almost can feel heart beating in my stomach :o oh & exhaustion to top it off
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Sounds like me the last couple of days Itwillpass :-\ - I have stress with regard to Mum's care, the time of year is never good for me but ......
My body is hungry due to not eating properly the last 2/3 days :-\. I am trying to 'build myself up' with dry biscuits, Marmite on toast and Bovril mixed in hot water with toast.
It certainly is a sign of peri..
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Sorry to hear this CLKD :-\ I’m struggling with Christmas this year cannot seem to find much joy in it all at the moment. I ordered Nexium from Amazon hoping it might help to get me through Christmas & get a little bit of pleasure from food! Isn’t it strange watching everyone else stuffing their faces when you can barely swallow :(
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Strange doesn't cover that scenario. Many years ago I had a heavy cold. We arrived at In-laws as they were sitting down to their full C.mas lunch at 7.30 p.m. One sniff and I had to go home. :-X. We had already eaten and up until then I was kind of, OK-ish.
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Do have any other meno symptoms?
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Hi, yep I could have wrote this it really is awful and just has such a negative effect on your everyday living.I’m find that stress also makes it worse. I am on PPI,s which do help but I hate being on them have tried to come off them but things just get worse.I’m a carer for my husband who has a dense stroke and I don’t want to be always complaining but it is really difficult at times. I am thinking about herbal remedies but don’t know too much about them or heard any positive results would be good to hear if anyone has.So
grateful for this site just to know your not alone in this journey.xx
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Teddybear - if you were taking diabetic medication would you worry as much?
Drugs are designed to work for various conditions, sometimes they work ;-). If you are a carer you don't need health issues if these can be eased. What support do you have, maybe begin your own thread so that you don't lost. :welcomemm:
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Hi afternoontea
I had digestive problems for years very similar to what you're describing starting at about the same age as you are now. Healthy diet and lifestyle, but the gurgling (husband used to call me Froggy), the bloating, the stomach pains and nausea. On a good phase it would wake me at night, and last til about midday and then settle down a bit for a while, on a bad phase pretty much constant. All the usual investigations and nothing found, all the usual prescriptions and otc remedies but nothing really helped much. Gave up in the end trying to work out why.
More than once i asked gp if it could be hormone related and each time "are your periods still regular? - yes they are - well then it's nothing to do with hormones" But i also asked the practice nurse and she said the opposite, and that if i told the gp i was having hot flushes i'd be allowed to try HRT. A couple of years after that my periods changed and the hot flushes and other meno stuff started up, but at the same time the digestive stuff all settled down to almost nothing. Hell of a coincidence if it wasn't hormone related.
Not much i can suggest to help with symptoms, except maybe try regular grazing instead of normal sized meals, and to keep well hydrated. And although it's not for me to suggest that you lie to your gp, all i will say is that i really wish i had done that. I could have saved myself a couple of years of feeling bad.
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Hi Itwillpass
This bit "got a weird still hungry feeling, I almost can feel heart beating in my stomach" is familiar to me. I used to get this, it would thump away just above my belly button, I think this is where your colon runs, which makes sense if it's ibs. Have you tried Buscopan, that acts as an antispasmodic, might help to relax the gut muscles. Or Colpermin, which i sometimes used, didn't get rid of it but did ease it a bit.
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Morning. 'colpermin' when used regularly saved my Life. I had to swallow 1 capsule within an hour of eating my main meals, the idea being was to get rid of upper gut wind to make room for food.
We used to give the dog Buscopan, he had a hard gut sometimes and the tablet would make him burp which relieved the pain.
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Hey clkd, did you get minty-smelling poo? When i first used it, the prescription was for 2 capsules 4 times daily. Husband thought i'd bought a different brand of air freshener!
I didn't realise you could use if for upper gut problems, i was taking it for trapped wind in the bowel. Might be of some help to Afternoontea
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I did - ;D. Not unpleasant though ? Did it help at all?
Were you advised when to take 'colpermin'? I also had 'motillium' 3 small tablets B4 meals with the 'colpermin'. To move food through my system which had almost stopped working due to anorexia .
Let us know how you get on. I think 'colpermin' is available without prescription?
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Befuddled the heart beat in my stomach makes me really anxious, so relieved it’s not just me! I have tried Buscopan, also drink green & ginger tea yuk but will try anything, also been on aloe Vera capsules for 5 days obviously too soon yet but have read some good things about them ::) not heard of colpermin ladies but sounds interesting ;)
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Charcoal doesn't work the same way. I never had heartburn with the 'colpermin'. Once it does it's work, then consider charcoal [we used to give the Jack Russel and Gt Dane charcoal biscuits made by Shapes] ::)
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No I didn't ever get heartburn either, though i was aware of it as a possible side effect.
Colpermin and Mintec, both the same, both available otc. I think it was Mintec that I had on prescription, three times a day before meals, and before bedtime. I don't know if the nhs still does that now (cost cutting?), it was a few years ago, but much cheaper that otc if you can persuade your gp to prescribe it.
I remember trying charcoal tablets, but don't remember that they did much for me.
Try not to worry to much, Itwillpass. Anxiety often makes digestive problems worse even when not the cause of it
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Hello, just read your post. Sorry to hear you are suffering with this. I had something similar a few months ago. The bloating was unreal and gurgling like you mentioned, I was sooo uncomfortable whenever I ate.
In the end, after much reading, went on a combination of low fod map and candida diet.
Apparently a lot of women our age suffer with what they call sibo / sifo. I think it's hormone related but messes with the bacteria in your gut.
I had no sugar, wheat, anything with yeast in, for about 6 weeks. 1st week I felt really rotten, apparently that's your body getting rid of toxins. Since then, it's all calmed down, no bloating and can now go to the loo regularly.
I do try and stick mostly still to the candida diet as anything bread related still has the same effect but yiu can reintroduce things and see how you go.
Not sure if that's helpful but thought I'd share just in case.
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Morning. :thankyou:
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Sophie79 just wondered if it might be worth checking if you've developed coeliac disease?
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Hello all
I have been having awful gurgling stomach, burping etc for about six months and some mornings running to the loo or being awoken with a burbly stomach 😫
Twinings peppermint tea is helping a little
Do you guys find it gets worse as the day progresses?
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Hi Guys,
New on the forum but just wanted to add my current experience,been having problems with stomach issues that may be made worse by my hormones,I'm peri menopause,have PMDD and cyclical vomiting syndrome which all add their own complications!
I'm currently still experimenting with my HRT on Sandrena 2.5mg,uterogestan 100mg 7-10 days a month vaginally depending on how much I can stand that particular month and Tostran 2-3 times a week but unfortunately menopause clinic not open right now due to Covid.
I suddenly developed a new stomach issue last summer,bloating and pressure feeling in my stomach,actual stomach/upper abdomen,no bowel or lower abdomen issues,well...not related to this new issue anyway as far as I can tell.
It is very uncomfortable,like I've over eaten at Xmas kind of uncomfortable but with no acid,gas symptoms just the extreme pressure/bloating and nausea,loss of appetite in stomach/upper abdomen.
Seen a gastro Dr privately who doesn't think it's serious and asked me to try a diet and suggested I try Symprove.I thought I'd post as someone mentioned gut bacteria and Symprove is a way of getting these.It's a bit expensive but I'm giving it a go along with the suggested diet and I have seen a big improvement although not completely resolved,I have long periods of no symptoms at all now.
The diet I suspect is an IBS kind of diet,avoiding bread,wheat,lactose,some fruits/veg etc I can elaborate if anyone wants to know more.
I'm currently 2 months into the Symprove(they recommend trying for at least 3 months)-it's a drink I take on empty stomach every morning,tastes gross but it's only 70ml once a day.
I'm using lactofree milk and yoghurt currently but as things are improving I'm slowly reintroducing different food to see what or if I react to them,lactose is next on the list.
I'm not sure but I think with stomach/hormone issues I've had in the past the Symprove has definitely helped,there seems to be a lot more research being done about gut bacteria so may be worth a go along with live yoghurt.Fermented things like kimchi/kpmbucha are suggested but I haven't tried any of these things yet.
Hope this info is useful to someone.x