I just wrote out the issue I am having and by mistake, hit a button and lost it, so if it posts twice, I am sorry.
I started with menopause issues 4 years ago, at that time it was night sweats then hot flashes. The night sweats stopped 2 years ago. But after the menopause began, I was also having diet related bowel issues I believe. If I consumed too much red sauce, salads/dressing, gravies, caffeine, chocolate, different fruits and veggies, in the morning I would have muchy/loose stool. Somewhat formed, never watery. I am 58 and up until I was 54, I have had true diarrhea 3 times in all those years, I am truly blessed. It's been almost 2 yrs since Ive had night sweats, but the hot flashes come daily. The past 3 days, I consumed a lb of cooked carrots with meals. This morning I got up, after about 20 mins., I got a slight urge to 'go' as soon as I sat down I knew it wouldnt be my usual hard, straining ways of my morning ritual. It was mush, then awhile later I tried to go again, soft blobs with straining, then again awhile later, very littlle with a small, hard stool. So when this happens, usualyy it's from what I ate. Since Sept my stool has been almost daily, hard or normal soft, with a lot or little straining ( the norm for me and yes I need to drink more water). I was wondering if this could be IBS-C, or menopause issues? Thank you
I just wrote out the issue I am having and by mistake, hit a button and lost it, so if it posts twice, I am sorry.
I started with menopause issues 4 years ago, at that time it was night sweats then hot flashes. The night sweats stopped 2 years ago. But after the menopause began, I was also having diet related bowel issues I believe. If I consumed too much red sauce, salads/dressing, gravies, caffeine, chocolate, different fruits and veggies, in the morning I would have muchy/loose stool. Somewhat formed, never watery. I am 58 and up until I was 54, I have had true diarrhea 3 times in all those years, I am truly blessed. It's been almost 2 yrs since Ive had night sweats, but the hot flashes come daily. The past 3 days, I consumed a lb of cooked carrots with meals. This morning I got up, after about 20 mins., I got a slight urge to 'go' as soon as I sat down I knew it wouldnt be my usual hard, straining ways of my morning ritual. It was mush, then awhile later I tried to go again, soft blobs with straining, then again awhile later, very littlle with a small, hard stool. So when this happens, usualyy it's from what I ate. Since Sept my stool has been almost daily, hard or normal soft, with a lot or little straining ( the norm for me and yes I need to drink more water). I was wondering if this could be IBS-C, or menopause issues? Thank you
It could be both IBS-C and menopause. Cooked carrots for some people can be constipating. But if you're having to strain every time you need to move your bowels then you're constipated. I have IBS and constipation problems all my life and I am almost 51. Last March I decided that I had enough of the pain and misery of being constipated all the time so I decided I needed to make some major lifestyle changes. I put myself on a high fiber diet 25-35 grams a fiber a day,drinking at least 64 oz. a day of water,taking Citrucell in the morning and evening,and most important is having a set daily schedule for sitting on the toilet to have a bowel movement. One of things that I have found that makes it a lot easier to move my bowels while sitting on the toilet is to put headphones on and listen to relaxing music and continuously do slow deep breathing exercises until I have moved my bowels. It relaxes all your muscles including the anal and rectal muscles making it painless to move my bowels. No more straining and forcing myself to expel hard dry stool. I can also tell you if I get lazy and don't take the time every day to have a bowel movement then I pay for it dearly the next time I try to go. I use a glycerin suppository if I haven't moved my bowels in more than 36 hours to help soften the stool and make it easier to go.
