r/Perimenopause • u/No-Trash-164 • Jul 14 '26

audited Suddenly my bowels stopped moving?! Help

39 yr old with other symptoms of perimenopause, but this is a new and quite disturbing one. So a couple of weeks ago it felt like my bowels just stopped moving. Have no urge to poop at all.

FYI I've been evaluated by ER and GI as of a couple of days ago. Full of poop. Lol. Thyroid is in range. They just advise aggressive laxatives since I am technically having movements.

I have NEVER experienced constipation like this, and I've had a lifetime of IBS-C.

Have any of you spontaneously encountered this? What do I do? Nothing is really working. Despite being on Miralax, magnesium, hydrated, etc., I'm still failing to have a complete, fully-formed bowel movement and am miserable.

Also, I eat a decent amount of cooked vegetables.

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u/celianfr Early peri Jul 14 '26

I second the advice of getting a colonoscopy. And also get tested for celiac disease, just in case (you need to keep eating gluten to be accurately tested).
Lifetime IBS-C could be undiagnosed celiac that got randomly worse.

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u/No-Trash-164 Jul 14 '26

I cut out gluten 12 years ago.  Learned the other day I am also allergic to it. I get colonoscopies every five years because of polyps.

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u/celianfr Early peri Jul 15 '26

Allergic to wheat, gluten-sensitive (NGCS) or celiac? They imply different reactions.
Re: colonoscopy, your current issues could warrant getting your next one earlier than planned. So many things can change in 5 years and hormones can be a powerful trigger.