Hi everyone I’m 49 and have suffered with IBS for over 10 years now but for the last 5 years have been peri menopausal which has got worse year on year it got so bad and symptoms were intolerable so resorted to hrt 3 months ago out of desperation as was struggling to cope everyday working and also 2 kids 11 & 13 youngest with special needs so life is very busy and stressful
During this time my IBS symptoms have got a lot worse I’m sure there must be a link? anyone else had or experiencing the same I feel a physical and mental wreck just want to curl up in bed but no chance lol 😔
Written by
Jettax21
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I am not peri menopausal but I have only had periods last 2 years and I am 42 it's because of a transplant and complicated lol
But I have noticed and brought it up with my gastro that 2 weeks before I am due on my ibs is out of control for a week to the point I can't walk... He advised me to take my buscopan constantly 4 times a day and this is the first month I have not been in agony he did say womb issues were connected to our bowels... Maybe you should see your gp or gastro x
Hi, I'm 61 now and have had IBS getting on for 35 years. It was always worse when I had a period and the menopause was pretty awful too. I think it is quite common for women with IBS. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Maureen.
Interested in this to, have been reading there is a link. For the last year and a half my ibs has been a nightmare and now in the peri menopause (44) but think the ibs may be linked to it. If you do a search on Google you can read why but so far haven't found anything that really helps.
Hi Jettax21, I totally agree with you there is a link. My IBSD is horrible and specific times of the month, namely mid cycle and when on a period. I too an peri menopauseal and am on HRT patches, I take mebervine, acidophilus and have just started on Entersol gel. I will try anything to alleviate the symptoms. My GP agrees there is a link and we just have to ride it out. Not helpful when working full time. Il let you know how the Entersol goes as its got fab reviews. Take care xx
Hi I have been on the Entersol gel for nearly a week and I have my period and its really made a difference. No diarrhea at all. I'm going to continue with it for the recommended 21 days xx
I am 51 and started peri menopause/menopause at the age of 45. I am life long sufferer of IBS, diagnosed at the age of 16. My IBS was and has been all over the place since peri, it is very common for this to happen. GP's and various consultants have told me over the years. Now I am nearly four years without a period, it has started to calm down now and is more or less triggered by food rather than anything else. I have been told that falling oestrogen can actually affect the digestive system because it tends to slow everything down. So if you’re already suffering from symptoms such as constipation, bloating, wind, diarrhoea or cramping, then this slowing down of your digestive tract is actually going to make your symptoms worse. Nightmare isn't it, but there is an end to it, I promise, just find the best way for you to manage it whilst your in this phase of your life called peri menopause. It will get better. Hope this helps. Good luck. x
I started with peri menopausal symptoms at 38 and my IBS has got progressively worse over the last 13 years. I had to have my medications for it changed, and it’s a daily battle, along with the hot flushes, insomnia and brain fog. I’m hoping I haven’t got too much longer to go before I can declare myself post menopause and then hopefully, things will calm down a little.
Yes mine seems to have been a lot worse I’m 49 terrible diareah barely make it to toilet esp after food so food allergies worsened I have fibromyalgia also
I tried 50 billion probiotics and tried not to panic over symptoms and it seems to have settled down doctor thinks my symptoms have increased due to perimenopause 😟
I have noticed my IBS has been a lot worse since in perimenopause. Mostly constipation and bloating which can be a pain. Since I've been using movical it has helped a lot . Does not get rid of irritation and memory loss though sadly. Lol.
Hi - my IBS started 9 years ago when I was 44 - about a week before my periods my bowels would just go mad for a couple of days & I would pass lots of bowel movement & I felt so ill with it - never dirrohea though. My GP made the connection between my IBS & hormones and so put me on the pill which would stop my periods and then hopefully stop the IBS. My IBS didn't stop. Anti-depressants did help a little as they relaxed the bowel - but they also made me constipated which wasn't good as I also have a bladder condition. I am now post menopause and the IBS is a little calmer but I still get one day a month when my bowels open big time. I recently saw another GP who told me that once you get IBS you have it for the rest of your life - I'm really hoping the GP is wrong on this one!! My biggest bug bear is when people tell me what foods I should cut out of my diet to stop this IBS - nobody ever believes me when I say my IBS is hormone related - no matter what I eat and what I don't eat and how many probiotics I take etc - I am not going to be able to stop my IBS. I'm sorry I can't give you a solution to your IBS - but you have my absolute sympathy. My whole life seems to revolve around my bowels and bladder and sometimes it can get me down especially when planned trips have to be cancelled. I'll let you know if ever I find a remedy for this horrible IBS!
Hiya yes i think there is a link. I've suffered with ibs forever and struggling with menopause to. I tried hrt for a month but the bleed at the end of the month was absolutely horrendous so i threw the patch in the bin in a rage. Went to see gp yesterday re headaches, aching and just totally knackered every day and she said by the time your 52 you should be ok. That's 18 monrhs away!!! Like you i want to curl up and sleep like a cat, but hey ho i can't. I'm a carer for my hubby and have a 9 year old daughter. O to be a woman eh 🙄
I know great isn’t it ?! Oh bless you it’s so hard isn’t it just getting through each day Just hope to god one day things will get better for us take care x
I have had ibs all my life but over the last 2 years it gone of scale( ibs c) i have done everything... probiotics, digestive enzymes, peppermint oil and it works BUT i now am having peri menopause issues to ie periods all over place and heavy , ive bled on and off for whole month. Moods , irritable, could sleep all day and night and TMI but vaginal dryness.
Which is effecting my stomach aswell now... indigestion, bellyache.
Someone mentioned wellsprings osetrogen as it the hormone drop when we become this age( 45) has anyone tried a natural hormone NOT HRT
This is exactly what has happened to me - always suffered around mid cycle & before my period now I am peri menopausal it’s horrendous in I am constantly bloated & in agony.
I'm so glad to hear that I'm not alone, although I feel for all of you with this suffering. I've been in peri for at least a year or so. My IBS symptoms are getting worse and worse. I never had IBS prior to going into perimenopause, so this is all new to me. I have severe pain in my abdomen, bouts of constipation with an occasion bout of diarrhea so severe and unexpected I can't make it to the bathroom even if I'm steps away. It got to the point I was terrified to leave the house. I started self-treating for IBS since I don't have medical insurance. I found an herbal IBS remedy that seemed to help the constipation immensely, but after using it for a few weeks, I started having more bouts of diarrhea, so I went off that and started taking psylium fiber, which helped for a while, but then gave me horrible gas. I've cut out gluten since there's a family history of celiacs disease, and I gave up dairy because it causes horrible gas lately when I've never had an issue with dairy before. I've got it to a manageable level by taking the IBS supplement when I'm constipated and fiber when I feel the opposite. Some days I'm actually normal, but I rarely leave the house for long without some kind of pad or something for protection in case of an accident. I'm really hoping this goes away after menopause, or at least gets more bearable. It's pervaded every aspect of my life. Luckily I work from home, so I don't have to be at a job. I don't think I could! And my love life has all but stopped because of the stomach issues. I don't know what else to do. It's nice to finally tell someone about it that will understand. My mother went through something just like this during her menopausal years. She's in her 60s now and still suffers occasionally, but not like before, and not like I am. That gives me some hope.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Is it IBS?
IBS and Kefir grains/Milk 
IBS or not? 
IBS is such a bitch! 
IBS & Severe Constipation
