The natural process ofmenopausecan trigger changes in many parts of your body and affect yourirritable bowel syndrome(IBS) symptoms. Whether or not you have been diagnosed with IBS, you may find that as you reach a certain age, you start to have more frequent bowel symptoms. Although studies haven’t yielded clear-cut evidence about why menopause affects the way the stomach works, some research has been done in this area. Let’s take a look.
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Body Changes During Menopause
Menopause occurs after a woman’s final menstrual period, but the body begins to change before then, exhibiting symptoms of the phase calledperimenopause. Women who are about a decade away from menopause (typically those in their late 30s and early 40s) may experience perimenopause, which may alter how often they menstruate or ovulate
Healthcare providers consider women to be in perimenopause until they have gone a full year without a period. At that point, a woman is considered to be finished with menopause and in the post-menopause phase that lasts the rest of her life. The exact age these phases start and end varies from one woman to the next.
Digestive Changes in PerimenopauseMany women, with and without IBS, report the following digestive symptoms during the perimenopausal phase:Changes in the frequency of bowel movementsIncreased symptoms of abdominal pain and discomfortIncreased bloating
Digestive Changes in Perimenopause
Many women, with and without IBS, report the following digestive symptoms during the perimenopausal phase:Changes in the frequency of bowel movementsIncreased symptoms of abdominal pain and discomfortIncreased bloating
Many women, with and without IBS, report the following digestive symptoms during the perimenopausal phase:
IBS Symptoms Worsening With Menopause
Research studies on the relationship between IBS and menopause have yielded mixed results, but there does appear to be some indication that IBS symptoms increase during perimenopause.
One report identified a peak in these increased symptoms as occurring from the ages of 40 to 49. This increase in symptoms may be a result of the leveling off of sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) that occurs at this time, in much the same way that women experience an increase in IBS symptoms during the days before the onset oftheir periods. The levels of these sex hormones have an effect on IBS symptoms because receptor cells for these hormones are located throughout the digestive tract.
Population studies indicate that the prevalence of IBS symptoms decreases for women after the age of 40 or 45, a decrease not seen in men. So, it’s possible that the leveling off of sex hormones in post-menopausal women has a beneficial effect on IBS symptoms.
A Note About Osteoporosis
No discussion about the relationship between menopause and IBS is complete without addressing the risk of osteoporosis, a thinning of bones that increase your risk of experiencing a fracture. The loss of estrogen that occurs with menopause increases your risk of an osteoporosis diagnosis. But did you also know that having IBS is a risk factor for osteoporosis? Scientists do not know for sure why a person with IBS is at increased risk.
To lower your chances of developing osteoporosis, you should eat a healthful diet, making sure you are getting adequate levels of calcium and vitamin D. Make exercise a regular part of your life and be sure to speak with your healthcare provider about your risk factors. Make sure overall that you are doing all you can to keep your bones strong and healthy.
3 Sources
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Heitkemper MM, Chang L.Do fluctuations in ovarian hormones affect gastrointestinal symptoms in women with irritable bowel syndrome? Gend Med. 2009;6 Suppl 2:152-67. doi:10.1016/j.genm.2009.03.004Kim YS, Kim N.Sex-Gender Differences in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018;24(4):544-558. doi:10.5056/jnm18082Stobaugh DJ, Deepak P, Ehrenpreis ED.Increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Osteoporos Int. 2013;24(4):1169-75. doi:10.1007/s00198-012-2141-4
Heitkemper MM, Chang L.Do fluctuations in ovarian hormones affect gastrointestinal symptoms in women with irritable bowel syndrome? Gend Med. 2009;6 Suppl 2:152-67. doi:10.1016/j.genm.2009.03.004
Kim YS, Kim N.Sex-Gender Differences in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018;24(4):544-558. doi:10.5056/jnm18082
Stobaugh DJ, Deepak P, Ehrenpreis ED.Increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Osteoporos Int. 2013;24(4):1169-75. doi:10.1007/s00198-012-2141-4
“Menopause"NIH: National Institute of Aging.
Palsson, O. & Whitehead, W. “Hormones and IBS” The UNC Center for Functional GI & Motility Disorders.
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