# estrogen & constipation?



## 20708 (Mar 28, 2005)

I've been on Zelnorm for a little over a month, and it works for me daily. There was one little blip over Thanksgiving, but besides that it's the only thing that gives me a BM.I started on HRT 4 days ago with the Vivelle Dot. Is it a coincidence that I haven't had a BM since I put that patch on? It's been since Sat., 4 days now.I took that patch off this morning and haven't put another one on yet. Has this happened to anyone else? I told my gyn about my colonic inertia and Zelnorm, and he said that's why he gave me a patch instead of a pill. I've been off hormones for about 2 yrs (since that scare about heart attackes), but I wanted to go back on them so I can be a woman again instead of an empty body. But I won't do this if it makes my constipation worse so that the Zelnorm doesn't even work.


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## kazzy3 (Apr 11, 2003)

Hi Anitasue. Try laying it out for your doc. Tell him what concerns you and that you want to have good hormonal balance AND you don't want to be constipated. Ask if there are alternatives to what you have done so far. If this dosen't help try talking with a registered dietician who can help with the diet and c, if you are still on the hormone meds. Good luck.


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## 20708 (Mar 28, 2005)

I appreciate your input, but it's kinda complicated laying it out for the Dr, as there are two different Dr's involved, the gastro and the gyn. My previous gyn blew me off when I told him about my constipation for years. Post hysterectomy, I usually only go to a Family Practioner or specialists when I need them. Previous to seeing this gyn last week on a different issue, I hadn't been to one for about two years, hadn't had a need. He's off for two weeks now for the holidays, and I'm sure in his opinion, constipation is not at all an emergency, whereas to a gastro, they'd 'get it'. So, for now I'm not putting that patch back on, and I'll tell him about it when I see him again in two weeks. Sad as it is, I'd much rather be able to poop than to have sex. (which, I know, is partly due to low or no hormones... a vicious circle that I have to pick one or the other.)


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## lkemerson (Feb 7, 2002)

AnitaI had total hysterectomy in September and was put on the Vivelle Dot afterward. I've noted that my IBS D has all but disappeared. I am finding that I have more formed stools and even at times feel constipated [I always think my body had D for 25 years and just doesn't know how to act with formed stools...so is that really constipation, or just me adjusting to 'different?']Anyway, I am now wondering if the patch isn't causing some of that! Thank you for bringing this subject up.For a gal who could never eat salad or fruit, I've become quite a frutarian and love a nice salad each day!!! Total turn around for me!I'm going to jump over to a hysterectomy site I visit and bring this up. I'll let you know what the gals there say!~Karen


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## 20708 (Mar 28, 2005)

Hi Karen,Hmmm, I might be onto something here, sounds like the patch made you a bit C, which for you might be a good thing if you normally have D. Not so good for me, though.I'm not sure which hyster web-site you use, but I did post this on Hystersisters, but I can't find it now. I forgot which heading I put it under.


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## lkemerson (Feb 7, 2002)

anita,I posted it to hystersistersthat is one great site. We'll see what we come up with!







~Karenwho is doing well on the vivelle dot. So far, so very good.


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## lkemerson (Feb 7, 2002)

Anita,We got a lot of hits with the question on the other site.Here is some of what is said [check out the hormone jungle threads it is there...I won't post links here as I believe that may be against the TOS of this site]_I never had a constipation issue before my surgery. I have had constipation show up more and more since my surgery. At first is was mild, but it's gotten increasingly worse over the 6 mos. since surgery. I had a really bad experience a few weeks ago when I simply couldn't . . . go. Since surgery I'd been eating prunes daily to help the bowel movements during recovery. But even with that it has gotten increasingly worse. I'm wondering if changing the brand of calcium suppliment could cause this. (My mom always said that cheese (i.e. calcium?) can cause constipation, bananas will regulate things. . . ) Just this week I decided to add milled flax seed to bring both fiber and omega 3 into my diet to alleviate the constipation and condition my skin. It has immediately softened my stools! Yea. But I woke up the next day with puffy eyes and swollen fingers and I'm now finding out it's a source of phyto-estrogens. (See my other post today.) So now I'm wondering if the phyto-estrogens is making me estrogen heavy. Harumph?.But, yes, the constipation for me is definitely related to my hysterectomy! Who'da thunk!___________I have noticed that bowel "looseness"/"tightness" is directly proportional to estrogen levels. When my Lupron shot (low estrogen) was in effect, things were loose. When the Lupron wore off (very obvious), things were back to normal. Not constipated, but normal in my opinion. I also notice this with the patch as the days go by.Maybe you are allergic to flax, because I think the phytoestrogens are pretty weak unless the oil is super fresh.Calcium can be constipating, although I have not noticed this. I do have a problem with magnesium tablets. I have to cut them in half or else they give me the runs. So much for taking cal/mag in the proper ratio.__________Interesting about the magnesiun . . . the calcium suppliment that I ran out of WAS a cal/mag combo. This new calcium didn't have magnesium and that's when the constipation started to show up. That's why I was wondering if it was "something" with the new calcium I started. The new calcium was a free sample. So much for that! Interesting though. Something else to monitor._______________Hi! I am not on the dot but have tried bio-creams and now pills made from my compound pharm. Threw all the different levels and amounts I have had it go back and forth between constipation and loose. I even have had major pain to way before I have to go. I have IBS and first thought it was just that but I've come to relize it's the different levels of hormones. I also know if I take my vitamens regularly everything works fine lol. My only problem as of rite now is abit of gas (my hubby is so proud lol) and bloating but my pharm. says I'm low in progesterone according to the tests but when we upped my progesterone I got severe migrains so I don't know if there is a way to be 'totally' fixed lol. But I'll take my new found 'gas' problem over migrains any day. I would mabe mention it to your doc and they will know if you need an adjustment or if it is still part of your recovery.____________________Me too, I have never suffered from constipation until after my hyster. I am also on a Vivelle Dot.I had quite the opposite problem and may have been due to the endo over my lower bowel that we did not know about unit my surgery.I had terrible diarrhea during my periods and during one of my last ones, even lost control of my bowels in the car when I was hit with one of those horrendous menstrual cramps. Dont miss those one bit.Thanks for the post.__________________________About the magnesium component as a possible factor in alleviating constipation, I shared this with my DH. He said, "Well Dear . . . "Milk of Magnesia . . .?" Oh, duh. Of course. ______________________I was on Vivelle Dot and became extremely constipated. I have low thyroid and take Synthroid. I asked Dr. if estrogen can interfere with Synthroid and he didn't know. I told him along with extreme constipation, I was experiencing lots of other low thyroid symptoms. Dr. took me off dot and wants me to try Premarin. I have been without ERT since Nov. 1. It took a week and a half to return to normal. After some research of my own, I found that estrogen can interfere with Synthroid. Now I'm afraid to try other estrogens.I hope you get relief._________________________________________I absolutely believe HRT can cause constipation, but no dr. or anyone else I know had any knowledge about it. After my TAH in June I started taking estradiol in pill form, in various dosages to try to get the night sweats and sleep disturbance under control. And my intestinal tract basically stopped moving, and everything turned to concrete. Thought it was just an after effect of the surgery. But, when it continued for months w/ no relief no matter how many prunes, bran, whole grains, etc. I ate, I was getting desperate. I even switched to a plant-based HRT that has more estriol than estradiol, but it didn't help w/ constipation. Then I remembered how I used to know when I was about to start my period by the way my bowels loosened up. In my online research I'd read that a woman's progesterone level goes up just before her period, so I decided to try progesterone cream. Wow, what a miracle! No more constipation, everything moves along quite nicely just as long as I remember to rub in a dab of that cream twice a day. None of the bad side effects for the month that I've been using it (like tender breasts), but I don't use any more of the cream than it takes to keep things moving.________________________________So darlin, we are not alone! It has worked out well for me, as I was D, and am no more!!! But I can see that if you were C previously, this would make it very difficult indeed.I'm sorry you are having to deal with this!~Karen


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## administrator (Aug 20, 2004)

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## 20708 (Mar 28, 2005)

Karen,Thanks for all your work, seems I'm onto something... not something good for me, but something nonetheless.I'll give my gyn another go at this when I see him in two weeks, maybe try a different estrogen, but I'm certainly not hopeful. And I'm not putting the patch back on, that's for sure.I just really can't see myself using something, in this case, estrogen, if it's going to screw up what for now is working, the Zelnorm. I guess it's just all about choices and priorities.


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## lkemerson (Feb 7, 2002)

Thanks for the clarification on the TOS.I had it backward!!! LOL Sorry for that. Anita,Go over to the other site, and post again in the Hormone Jungle Forum, and I bet you get a lot of guidance and first hand experience stories from the gals there that may help guide you on what may be best to ask you doc about. Explain what you are going through, what you are taking, and that site is so gargantuan, I am sure there will be someone you get a EUREKA moment from!I am so sorry you have to deal with this. Hoping you find relief and help.~Karen


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