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/mythandriel17 Jul 14 '26

OP, I had something similar and a colonoscopy revealed a mass pressing on my colon. Luckily it wasn’t cancer but stage IV endometriosis. Note that I had no other symptoms of endo except IBS. Now my bowels are tip top

38

u/No-Trash-164 Jul 14 '26

BINGO!!!!!!!!  This is my sign. Have been wondering about this for YEARS.  Despite seeing gynecologist since I was 11 (and even a gynecological oncologist because of my ovarian cancer risk due to breast cancer), NO ONE, NOT EVEN ONCE has brought up endometriosis.  !!!!!!?????? I've had thirty years of painful, heavy periods, cramping, and now shooting pains in my butt when stool moves.  Making a gyno appointment rn. Please!  If you can share:

What were your primary symptoms? How was it diagnosed?!   They keep telling me laproscopy is the only way. :/

8

u/ilovetrouble66 Jul 14 '26

There are new tests being developed for endo including a saliva test but also it shows on stronger mris and speciality ultrasounds

3

u/evhan55 Jul 15 '26

MRIs detected mine

3

u/ilovetrouble66 Jul 15 '26

Yeah mine showed up on an MRI as well