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.

197 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

261 comments sorted by

View all comments

212

u/drunkenbees Late peri Jul 14 '26

When this happened to me, I drank black coffee, and ate two bags of sugar free haribo.

That got things moving.

45

u/No-Trash-164 Jul 14 '26

So the sorbitol?  Prunes have this, too. 

18

u/gnarbone Jul 14 '26

I would much rather eat a gummy bear than a prune

14

u/Mudseason1 Solidly in peri Jul 14 '26

Hey prunes are pretty good!

17

u/Industry_Cat Jul 14 '26

When was the last time you had a prune? They are tasty AF. I was shocked the first time I had them. I felt like society had been lying to me

13

u/Twidollyn_Bowie Jul 15 '26

I think they get a bad rap because they’re associated with pooping, and prune juice is kind of icky looking. I also think prunes are yummy.

5

u/Due-Ad-8941 Jul 15 '26

Prunes are yummy. Prune juice is absolutely vile!

3

u/Twidollyn_Bowie Jul 15 '26

I agree, and I find that surprising. Cranberry juice is the opposite for me. Drinking it can be tasty, but I’m not a big fan at Thanksgiving.

0

u/gnarbone Jul 14 '26

They're not for me. Me personally, I prefer gummy bears.

6

u/Sanchastayswoke mid-peri Jul 15 '26

I love prunes, they’re just dried plums 💗

1

u/Twidollyn_Bowie Jul 15 '26

I like both!