menopause and constipation/gas/bloating
By Andrea Donsky | Fact Checked | Sources
Last reviewed and updated: September 24, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Constipation is common in the menopause years: 54% of nearly 600 women aged 44 to 73 in a study presented to The Menopause Society in October 2025 reported it.
- When stool moves slowly it sits in your gut longer and ferments, which is why constipation so often brings gas and bloating with it.
- In a 23-year study of women going through menopause, tension and the stress hormone cortisol tracked with how bad constipation got, while reproductive hormone levels did not.
- Fiber, water and movement are the foundation: aim for about 25 grams of fiber a day up to age 50 and 21 grams after, and add it a few grams at a time.
- See a doctor for blood in your stool, weight loss you cannot explain, a change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks, or constipation that is new and not settling.
You used to be regular. Now you are lucky to go every other day, it takes effort when you do, and the whole time your belly feels tight and full of gas. Constipation, gas and bloating tend to travel together in perimenopause, and once you see how they are connected, it gets much easier to fix.
Morphus Research
Digestive problems are among the 103+ symptoms women reported in our research. In our 2023 survey of 3,082 women, 51% reported digestive problems and 37% reported more gas. See our research.
This page is about constipation and the gas and bloating that come with it. If your main problem is bloating without constipation, start with menopause and bloating. If it is mostly gas, see menopause and flatulence.
What counts as constipation?
Doctors usually mean fewer than three bowel movements a week, stools that are hard, dry or lumpy, straining, or a feeling that you have not fully emptied. You do not need all of these. Having one or two of them most weeks is enough to call it constipation.
Why does menopause make you constipated?
The honest answer is that the research is less tidy than most articles make it sound.
- Stress may matter more than hormones. The Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study followed 291 women for up to 23 years. Tension and the stress hormone cortisol tracked with how bad constipation got. Estrogen and other reproductive hormone levels did not (Callan and colleagues, Menopause, 2018). That does not mean hormones play no part, but it does mean stress is not a side issue.
- Progesterone slows the gut. It relaxes smooth muscle, which is part of why many women are more constipated in the second half of their cycle. In perimenopause those swings get bigger and less predictable.
- Life changes. Less movement, less water, more coffee and alcohol, and poorer sleep all slow things down.
- Medications and supplements. Iron, calcium, some antidepressants, some blood pressure medications and opioid pain relievers are common culprits. Ask your pharmacist if something new started around the time your constipation did.
- Pelvic floor changes. Sometimes the problem is not that stool moves slowly, it is that it is hard to get out. If you strain a lot, or feel like you need to press on your belly or vaginal wall to go, ask about pelvic floor physiotherapy.
Why does constipation cause gas and bloating?
When stool moves slowly, it sits in your large intestine for longer. The bacteria living there keep fermenting what is left of your food, and fermentation produces gas. That gas gets trapped behind the slow-moving stool, which is why your belly can feel tight and look bigger by the end of the day. Get things moving and the gas and bloating usually ease too.
Our Top Pick
What helps constipation in menopause?
Add fiber, slowly
The adequate intake is 25 grams a day for women up to 50 and 21 grams from 51 (National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes, 2005). Most women eat well under that. Go up by a few grams every few days, not all at once, or you will trade constipation for gas. Here are some easy places to find it.
| Food | Serving | Fiber, about |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberries | 1 cup | 8 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1/2 cup | 8 g |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 1/2 cup | 6 g |
| Pear, with skin | 1 medium | 5.5 g |
| Avocado | 1/2 | 5 g |
| Prunes | 5 prunes | 3 g |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1/2 cup | 2.5 g |
| Ground flaxseed | 1 tablespoon | 2 g |
Values are approximate, from USDA FoodData Central. If you want a simple daily fiber on top of food, Fiberus is 6.5 grams of a single soluble fiber that supports regularity and digestive comfort.*
Drink more water as you add fiber
Fiber works by holding water in your stool. Without enough fluid it can make things worse, not better.
Try prunes
In a randomized trial, people with chronic constipation who ate about 50 grams of prunes twice a day, roughly 10 to 12 prunes in total, had more bowel movements and better stool consistency than those who took psyllium fiber (Attaluri and colleagues, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2011).
Move every day
Walking gets your gut moving and helps trapped gas pass. In people with bloating, light activity cleared gas faster than sitting still (Villoria and colleagues, American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2006).
Use your morning coffee
If you already drink caffeinated coffee, it can help. In one study it stimulated the colon about 60% more than water and 23% more than decaf (Rao and colleagues, European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 1998). If coffee sets off your hot flashes, skip this one.
Give your belly a massage
Start above your right hip bone, circle up to your right ribs, across under your ribs to the left, and down toward your left hip. In a randomized trial, abdominal massage eased constipation symptoms and increased bowel movements (Lämås and colleagues, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2009).
Put your feet up
A small footstool under your feet on the toilet puts your body closer to a squat, which straightens the path stool has to take. It is cheap and worth a try.
Know your magnesium
Magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide pull water into the bowel and are used as laxatives. Magnesium glycinate is gentler on the stomach and is not a laxative. Check with your doctor first if you have kidney problems.
Probiotics: maybe
Some women find fermented foods like kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut help. The research on probiotic supplements for constipation is mixed, and it depends a lot on the strain, so give any one product a few weeks and stop if nothing changes.
Do not ignore stress
Given how closely stress tracked with constipation in midlife women, anything that brings it down, like a daily walk, breathing exercises, or better sleep, is part of the fix.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if you have blood in your stool or black stools, weight loss you cannot explain, severe or ongoing belly pain, or a change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks. Also see one if constipation is new for you and nothing is helping.
Bloating that is new, there most days, and comes with feeling full quickly, pelvic pain, or needing to pee urgently should be checked soon. That combination is the ovarian cancer symptom index (Goff and colleagues, Cancer, 2007). Our bloating guide explains it in more detail.
Related perimenopause and menopause symptoms
- Menopause and bloating
- Menopause and flatulence (gas)
- Menopause and hard bloated stomach
- Menopause and irritable bowel syndrome
Frequently Asked Questions
Can perimenopause cause constipation?
It can. Many women notice they go less often or have harder stools in perimenopause. Hormone swings, moving less, drinking less water, new medications and stress can all play a part, and one long-running study found stress and cortisol tracked with constipation more closely than hormone levels did.
Why am I constipated and bloated at the same time?
Because one feeds the other. When stool moves slowly it stays in your gut longer, gut bacteria keep fermenting it, and fermentation makes gas. That trapped gas and the backed-up stool are what make your belly feel tight and look bigger.
What helps menopause constipation the fastest?
Water, a walk and a warm drink in the morning are the quickest things to try. Caffeinated coffee stimulates the colon in some people, and prunes did better than psyllium fiber for stool frequency in a 2011 trial. Over time, adding fiber slowly and moving every day make the biggest difference.
Does magnesium help with constipation?
Some forms do. Magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide pull water into the bowel and are used as laxatives. Magnesium glycinate is gentler on the stomach and is not a laxative. Check with your doctor before using magnesium for constipation, especially if you have kidney problems or take other medications.
When is constipation a reason to see a doctor?
See a doctor if you notice blood in your stool, black stools, weight loss you cannot explain, severe or ongoing belly pain, or a change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks. Also see one if constipation is new for you and nothing you try is helping.
Morphus shares educational information, not medical advice. Speak with your doctor about what's right for you.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
