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[20032003]

Hi! I'm new to the forum and hoping for some answeres... Am I absolutely 100% suffering from a horrible disease, or could this be "normal"

I'll try to keep my story as short as possible. 46 years old. Have had lighter-than-normal periods for roughly a year(?). My periods are now lasting not much more than 2-3 days in total, and before it would probably be 6-7 days before they were completely over. Have been getting - what I think are - mild hot and cold flushes for a while. I have night sweats sometimes. Tend to wake up at 2 am and having problems falling back asleep. Seems to be loosing more hair than before when I wash/brush. And more.... Seems to me I might be in perimenopause?

This past fall I had quite a bit of stress. My dog of 11 years had to be put to sleep (BIG trauma) and my mom went through heart surgery (planned, but still stressful...). At the same time my stomach started acting up. I really don't know how it started, but I ended up with rectal pain as my main complaint. I've had 2 rectoscopies (the last one in april). During the latter one the remains of an old hemorroid was found, and also that I have sensitive anal tissue. The GP (who performed the first rectoscopy) had mentioned the possibility of my uterus being enlarged so a couple of months ago I went to a gyno who did a transvaginal ultrasound. She found nothing wrong at all. I DO have a retroverted uterus, but I guess that shouldn't cause a problem really?

In January (at the time of my first rectoscopy) I also had bloodwork as well as fecal blood tests done. Both came out normal. The GP mentioned IBS as a possibility. I have been referred to a CT scan of my colon (GP said that it was mainly to ease my worry...), but I'm STILL waiting for an appointment almost 5 months later.

But I still have stomach problems... Some days I might have almost "normal" BMs. I have "always" gone in the morning, and still do. But many mornings I have very loose stools these days. Not watery diarreah, but not shaped poo either (I do apologize for all the discusting details, but I don't know how to describe my problem without them...). Can't say my stomach hurts much. I do get bloated sometimes. Not nauseous. My appetite is good most of the time. Except for when I worry... My rectal problems are better, but not completely gone.

So, my main question, I guess, is whether all this garbage could be due to my changing hormones??? I have spoken to the gyno that did the ultrasound and she did seem to think that it was possible. I tried to get my hormones tested at my local doctor's office, but they claim that it's not possible at this stage of perimenopause. I got a prescription for estrogen pills to try out for 4 months, but I must admit I have not picked them up yet. I worry too much about taking hormones because of my high blood pressure, and also a family history of stroke (grandma) and heart problems (grandma and mom). I actually think taking them would create even more health anxiety...

I have made an appointment with another doctor next week, but I would love to get some feedback from people on this forum ! Thank you!

[CLKD]

 

Am going to read your thread before I respond 

[CLKD]

You appear to be State-side?

Always a worry when family members require surgery, which can increase any under-lying gut problems.  As for having to part with your dog, we do have a dog thread.  Been there etc..

Your symptoms seem hormone related.  A retroverted uterus could be pressing on the bowel and rectal area = sensitivity. 

How has your diet been in the last 12-18 months?  Hormones can cause alterations in bowel movements.  For example, I  remember during my menstruating years that a couple of hours before the bleed began I would have to go to the loo 'now' with 'the runs'.  So I had to run my Life via the calendar as I couldn't afford to be travelling at that time 

I have had IBS eventually my GP gave me Colpermin (peppermint) capsules and Motillium to be swallowed within an hour of eating my main meals.  It really did help and I continued with them for 3-4 years.  Some I drink a probiotic 2/3 times a day and have taken to eating granola for breakfast which has altered my bowels.  Initially the next morning I would have small loose poohs in a rush, after 5-6 weeks that has settled.

When was your BP last measured?  There is a syndrome known as 'white coat' where the patient's BP is on the high side in the surgery but normal at home.

Browse round!

[20032003]

Thank you for the reply and for the warm welcome !

I live in Sweden. My diet has been worse since the fall at least. I've been feeling pretty low=not much desire to cook=not so many veggies and homecooked meals.

Yes, my stomach definitely used to be affected by my periods! I would be constipated right before, and then diarreah, stomach pain, nausea (almost like a stomach flu) when my period started.

"Small loose poohs in a rush"... That describes my poo most mornings actually. Weird...

I just had my blood pressure measured. Unfortunately, I don't think it ever will be lower than "borderline high". It runs in the family... My mom and brother have the same problem.

[CLKD]

DH bought a BP machine to use at home: every morning around 8.45 before breakfast.  A calmer bloke you won't find but even he had WC syndrome  - at home his BP is normal.

Sweden - that's a long way from me  .  I am anorexic-type so find food difficult at times.  I tend to graze so that I avoid that sudden lurch when my body is hungry.  I use dried fruits and nuts to nibble; bananas and granola for slow release; honey on pancakes can be a life saver.  DH is the cook.  He makes a finely chopped chicken recipe with ginger, garlic, tomatoes, salt, pepper - served hot on rice or with pasta. 

Do you have any foods that you especially like/hate?  If you are feeling low and lack interest in cooking, how about  a slow cooker? or make a batch of stew and freeze small portions.  When faced with large amounts it can be off-putting so it ends up in the bin!  Freshly baked bread? or toast can be tempting.

[Annie0710]

Hi and welcome, I used to have a retroverted womb , that and bicornuate, and when my IBS played up it was difficult to know where the pain was coming from , but felt like a sharp poker being poked high up !

Now I don't have a uterus the very rare occasion I get a flare up (usually extreme stress as I take meds for IBS) I get that same old pokey feeling

Annie xx

[20032003]

I don't usually have a problem with food and eating - at all. I LOVE to bake, and I used to think cooking was pretty much okay as well. But nowadays I feel restless, anxious, depressed, etc at times and I don't feel like shopping or cooking like I used too. Your ideas about using a slowcooker and making food to freeze are really good !

[20032003]

Annie and CLKD: It is interesting to hear that a retroverted uterus CAN cause problems. I really believe mine might be "pushing" on my rectum/bowels, even though none of the doctors seem to think that it should be a problem.

[Claireylou]

Hi there 

Yep. I too am in peri, 44 years old. I've got a retroverted uterus and ibs.  When my tum is off I get a hot poker feeling in high up in my rectum. Also had painful coccyx but that seems to have sorted itself.  Maybe the two are linked?

[20032003]

Hi there 

Yep. I too am in peri, 44 years old. I've got a retroverted uterus and ibs.  When my tum is off I get a hot poker feeling in high up in my rectum. Also had painful coccyx but that seems to have sorted itself.  Maybe the two are linked?

Have you always had this pain, or did it start later in life? I have, up until a couple of years ago, often had some brief rectal cramping as a sign that my period was starting. I guess maybe my cramping uterus was close enough to my rectum to cause cramping there too?

[CLKD]

we know our own bodies - pity GPs don't listen to their patients  - seems to be a World-wide problem  …….

(currently eating a soft-sish ginger and honey biscuit whilst DH cooks potatoes to go with the meat, suddenly got hungry  )

[Annie0710]

Annie and CLKD: It is interesting to hear that a retroverted uterus CAN cause problems. I really believe mine might be "pushing" on my rectum/bowels, even though none of the doctors seem to think that it should be a problem.

I had my hysterectomy for uterine, rectocele and cystocele prolapse, I opted out of repair and losing the uterus helped with those 2 too


Annie xx

[honeybun]

I also have a retroverted uterus. I was told at one point becoming pregnant could be an issue...ummm nope 
I also have IBS and stomach issues......stress related for me I think and also hormonal.

I never even considered that uterine position could make any difference to bowel issues...interesting.
I used to get the most dreadful pain in my rectum years ago. The only thing that helped was sitting on my heel....sort of jammed up my bottom. I also read that sitting on a tennis ball helped with spasms.

Stomach and bowel problems seem to be very common in menopause.
Wonderful time of life....not.


Honeybun
X

[GeordieGirl]

I don't usually have a problem with food and eating - at all. I LOVE to bake, and I used to think cooking was pretty much okay as well. But nowadays I feel restless, anxious, depressed, etc at times and I don't feel like shopping or cooking like I used too. Your ideas about using a slowcooker and making food to freeze are really good !

We changed our diet to almost exclusively home made with fresh fruit and veg, cutting down on a lot of dairy and more recently,  gluten and it's worked wonders. My daughter's eczema cleared up (she's had steroid creams prescribed over the years and not one GP mentioned dairy!), my skin is better than ever and we all have more energy. Apparently food allergies are wide spread, we're just often not aware of these.

One thing that really helped get my digestive system in order was blending fruit and veg. The 5-a-day rule for fruit and veg tended to see us sticking with a small selection of our favourite produce, we now challenge ourselves to see how many different veg we can use each week and as it's all just thrown into the blender, we don't even have to think much about preparation. This keeps the fibre high and is a great clean out. I've had a poor diet in the past (stress and time related when it was easy to live off caffeine and quick food) and didn't realise just how sluggish it made me until I changed it.

Re the colonoscopy - have you chased this? It's worth giving your doctor or hospital a nudge, 5 months is a very long time to wait.

I hope you get it all sorted quickly,
GG x

[20032003]

Re the colonoscopy - have you chased this? It's worth giving your doctor or hospital a nudge, 5 months is a very long time to wait.

Yes, it is. And it's been horrible going back and forth in your mind all this time about whether there is something wrong with me. Some days I think that I'm dying and some days I think that I'm silly for even worrying. I guess I wasn't put on "priority" since all tests came back normal... I will be going to another GP on Thursday to get some more input. There is a possibility that he can speed up the process, I guess.

I have seen a couple of normal BMs the last couple of days. The only thing that I've changed in my diet really is adding beans again. Maybe I DO need some more fiber these days?

Unfortunately, I had a really bad night's sleep last night. Fell asleep easily at around 10:30 pm. I pretty much always fall asleep fast. It´s the staying asleep that is difficult these days... Woke up a little after midnight with weird dream fragments (nothing scary, just weird) and a pounding heart. This happened 2-3 times, I think. Fell asleep again, but woke up around 3:30 and from then on I more or less was awake until I got up at 5:15. It makes me EXHAUSTED... And I think it wakes up and stresses my stomach. I don't think it's the other way around, i.e. I don't think my stomach is what wakes me up. But as soon as I start tossing and turning in the early morning I can feel my stomach start to work (maybe some gas, etc) and before you know it I feel that I need to get up and go to the bathroom. I have NEVER considered taking anti-anxitey meds or sleeping pills, but I'm seriously considering asking the doctor about this also when I go. Is this a bad choice???

I had a stretch of 3-4 good nights right before my last period, when I slept 10 pm to about 4 am straight and then fell back asleep for a while too, and I felt SO rested and had much more energy. Was less anxious and worried a whole lot less too. I really don't require so many hours of sleep, but they need to be quality hours. The ironic thing is that the days leading up to my period used to be the nights when I did NOT sleep well before. Everything is turned upside down with this hormonal garbage, I guess...