# menstrual cycles and progesterone



## 17008 (Jan 21, 2007)

I just came upon another discovery the hard way and wanted to check out if other women had the same things. I particularly want to see is women who take progestrone birth control pills have this problem.I always noticed that just before my period that my constipation would get worse and often would abate just before my period. I didn't give this many thought untill.....I took the morning after pill which has a high amount of progesterone. I had two weeks of horrible constipation. Purges of laxatives would only help temporarily until the constipation left naturally the day before my period. I then noticed that in the last week of the menstrual cycle, progesterone increases than severely decreases just before the period. IBS-D people get diarhea during their period. Women who are pregnant have major problems with constipation and incedentally, that is the time when progesterone increases the most. Does anyone have the same experience with progesterone?I have tried to do research on progesterone and it only mentions the benefits. No one seems to see it as a problem. There are many ways to raise my progesterone, but how do I lower it. What are the consequences of lowering my progesterone. Has anyone done research on this?


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## 17008 (Jan 21, 2007)

If anyone is interested, Females are disproportionately affected by constipation, which is often aggravated during pregnancy. Bowel function also changes during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The aim was to compare the effects of acute administration of female sex steroids on gastric emptying, small bowel transit and colonic transit in healthy postmenopausal subjects. A second aim was to determine whether withdrawal of the hormones was associated with a change in transit. Forty-nine postmenopausal females were randomized to receive for 7 days 400 mg day−1 micronized progesterone, 0.2 mg day−1 oestradiol, combination of the two, or placebo. Treatment groups were balanced on age. Participants underwent whole gut transit measurement by scintigraphy using a 99m-labeled technetium-egg meal and 111-labeled indium-charcoal via a delayed-release capsule. Transit measurement was repeated after withdrawal of the study medications. The primary endpoints were ascending colon (AC) emptying half-life time (t1/2) and colonic geometric centre (GC) at 24 h. Secondary analysis variables were GC at 4 and 48 h, gastric emptying t1/2 and colonic filling at 6 h. There was a significant overall effect of progesterone on colonic transit with shorter AC emptying t1/2 and significantly greater colonic GC at 48 h. No transit endpoints were altered by oestradiol or combined hormonal treatment relative to placebo. Oestradiol and progesterone resulted in looser stool consistency. Withdrawal of the hormone supplement was not associated with significant alteration in transit. Micronized progesterone does not retard colonic transit in postmenopausal females.


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