Constipation & Bloating
Can hormone levels cause constipation and/or bloating? It depends.
Patients with low thyroid levels (T3) generally complain about constipation problems. Since thyroid has to do with
metabolism, a sluggish thyroid can cause a sluggish metabolism, which includes your ability to eliminate.
Many times we see a patient's constipation vanish when thyroid levels are increased to optimal levels. Increased metabolism means increased
peristalsis of the entire intestinal tract.
And what about bloating? If the bloating typically occurs prior to the onset of your menstrual period, the cause is usually hormonal. Increasing
your progesterone levels to the optimal range usually eliminates premenstrual bloating. If you tend to bloat
after meals, you may lack sufficient digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, thus preventing the complete digestion of your foods.
The good news is that, in both cases, the symptoms are preventable with the proper hormonal treatment and dietary modifications.
