Dr. Karen Pike on Coping with Digestive Changes in Menopause

Are you experiencing an upset stomach more frequently than ever? Do you feel like you have enough food only after taking a few bites? Does your stomach feel uneasy whenever it’s mealtime? And lastly, are you in menopause? Well, if your answer to all these questions is a big “yes,” then chances are that you are going through digestive changes in menopause. And you are not alone.

Having an uncomfortable stomach is a common issue in women going through their menopause. This phase is a natural part of aging when you don’t get your periods for a year or more, and your ovaries can’t reproduce anymore. Generally, this happens when females are 45 years or older.

Before that, you go through a phase of hormonal changes that lasts for one year or more with no periods. That is known as perimenopause.
But there are many women who experience irregular periods, and sometimes they don’t get their periods for a year.

In that case, how will you know that your menopause has started? What are the symptoms of indigestion? How are indigestion and menopause related? Is there any connection between menopause and constipation?

To answer your questions about digestive changes in menopause, let’s get to this exclusive interview with Dr. Karen Pike.

Interview with Dr. Karen Pike

Dr. Pike is a senior physician administrator and the Director of the Emergency Department at her hospital in northern California. Attending Georgetown University for medical school, she’s the primary medical consultant for shows like Grey’s Anatomy.

Can you please tell our readers about the common symptoms of menopause?

Well, all women are different, and they are affected by menopause differently. Having said that, there are some common symptoms of menopause that most women face.

• Mood swings
• Muscle and joint pains
• Night sweats
• Low sex drive
• Hot flushes

What gut changes do women experience in menopause?

Your body goes through a lot of changes once you hit perimenopause. Your entire digestive process starts slowing down. Your digestive enzymes and stomach acid are reduced. And that’s a big change, as these are the gastric juices that help in breaking down the food you eat and kill unwanted bacteria.

Bile is another important digestive fluid that helps you digest your food fast. But with menopause, it also reduces, and you have issues digesting fats.

The worst thing about menopause, what I find, is that what once used to be your comfort food now becomes one of those foods you can’t tolerate. Your body finds it hard to process refined sugars, gluten, dairy, and meat.

You can become vitamin-deficient, given the fact that your gut no longer remains the same amount of effective in breaking down all the food that you eat. It can’t absorb all the important nutrients that it once used to.

Estrogen helps you with easier digestion by boosting mucus secretion. Also, it regulates the movements of your gut muscle and protects your gut from acid. But with menopause, your hormone levels don’t take much time to fluctuate and decline. As a result, you experience issues in digestion.

Are gut health, stress, and menopause related?

Yes, they are. Did you know that around 58% of women in the USA provide unpaid care to their kids and parents? I’m mentioning the numbers because these women, when they turn 40 or 50 and are going through menopause, can experience a lot of stress. As you may already know, stress can lead to indigestion and affect your gut health.

Is there any connection between constipation and menopause?

Many of my patients in their 40s and 50s come to me with constipation issues. Now, menopause has a lot to do with this.

During your perimenopause phase, what happens is that your progesterone and estrogen levels fluctuate a lot before tapering off completely. This affects your digestive system, leading to constipation and even diarrhea.

Can you suggest any way we can prevent indigestion?

Indigestion is a common issue at menopause. But I can share some tips to keep your gut happy:

• Chew your food well, preferably 30 times. No, I’m not asking you to literally count all your bites. But remember, the more you chew, the more they become easy to digest.
• According to a study, yoga can help you a lot in reducing the symptoms of menopause.
• Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
• Cut back on the booze, as it keeps your food to remain in your system for a longer period of time, giving rise to indigestion symptoms.
• Now, don’t scream at me, but yes, you have to reduce the number of coffee intake. It has a tendency to irritate your stomach.
• If you like eating spicy food, I have bad news for you. To prevent indigestion in menopause, you have to stay away from chili peppers and jalapenos, as they can contribute to stomach pain.
• I know we all face stress – thanks to our lifestyle. But I would ask you to stay away from situations that might cause stress.
• Eat at regular intervals, as this will keep your stomach happy.
• Choose low-fat food options, as food with high levels of fat can slow down your digestion process.

Final Thoughts after the Interview with Dr. Karen Pike

Dr. Karen Pike has been working for the betterment of women’s health, especially for the ones who are going through the difficult phase of menopause, for a long time. She is doing her best to provide older women with the right knowledge about menopause and what health issues it can cause.

Digestive issues and menopause go hand in hand. With rapidly fluctuating hormones during your menopause phase, experiencing indigestion and irritation are common things. And do not forget stress affects your digestive tract.

If you see that your symptoms are getting worse even after trying everything, it would be best to make an appointment with your doctor. They can check your symptoms and tell you what you need to do next. This interview is intended for informational purposes only.