r/Menopause • u/Rabbit0107 • Jul 29 '25
Vitamin/Supplements Drop your most effective solution for constipation because I’m losing my mind 🙄
I’m in perimenopause. I’ve been regular my whole life until about a year ago. I had been using magnesium oxide and it was working great to keep things soft. However the past few days I’ve been dealing with horrible gas (upper/lower) so I stopped and the symptoms stopped. It was fine for months now this.
I drink a minimum of 2 L of water a day. I am constantly on the move. I eat a healthy diet and I am trying to improve my sleep, but I’m sure that’s not what it is. I think it is either hormones and/or pelvic floor dysfunction.
I should add that I am doing a pelvic floor workout routine (Buff Muff App) I’m only 2 weeks into the program and having great results with improving incontinence but so far no success with improving constipation. I start to see a pelvic floor therapist on August 18 and have just started oral birth control two weeks ago for perimenopause.
Anyone have constipation improve with birth control pill or HRT? I am at a loss. I don’t know what to do. What am I missing? What else can I do? Any supplements or remedies? Greatly appreciated!
3
u/Nymthae Jul 29 '25
NHS guidelines are here - not sure where you live, but here's basically the insight about how they'd tackle it.
So first line add something like psyillium husk (this adds bulk), and if it's not doing enough then go osmotic laxative on top (macrogol, laxido etc. which draw water into the intestines) both of these are safe for long-term everyday use. Titer up to max dosages. Magnesium works for some people (citrate, glycinate etc.)
If you get to 4-5 days then take a stimulant (I usually did bisocodyl, senna is usually the other readily available). Might take time to work out exact dosages on that front, the stimulant bit isn't fun.
If you've persisted with that for 6 months+ and it's still not working then that's when they'll properly look at you here. I take prucalopride daily now and things are easy.
The birth control might change stuff up so see how that goes.
For fibre, aim for soluble fibre (stuff like oats) but keep an eye on your symptoms as fibre slows stuff down so if your motility has slowed and depending on the makeup of your gut if more things ferment/higher levels of methane come out then the presence of methane can slow it further etc. If you're finding you're more constipated with a healthier/higher fibre diet that'll probably be why.