menopause and flatulence (gas)
By Andrea Donsky | Fact Checked | Sources
Last reviewed and updated: September 24, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Passing gas is normal: healthy adults average about 10 times a day, and up to 20 times a day is still considered within the normal range.
- In Morphus's 2023 survey of 3,082 women, 37% listed more gas as one of their perimenopause or menopause symptoms.
- Most gas comes from two places: air you swallow, and bacteria in your gut fermenting carbohydrates you do not fully absorb.
- Slower digestion and constipation in midlife give that fermentation more time, which is one reason gas can pick up in perimenopause.
- Eating more slowly, cutting gum, straws and fizzy drinks, checking sugar-free sweeteners and dairy, and adding fiber gradually are the changes most worth trying first.
Let's just say it. You are farting more than you used to, it seems to happen at the worst possible moments, and nobody warned you this was part of the deal. It is more common than anyone admits, it is almost always harmless, and there is a lot you can do about it.
Morphus Research
More gas is one of the 103+ symptoms women reported in our research. In our 2023 survey of 3,082 women, 37% reported more gas and 51% reported digestive problems. See our research.
This page is about gas itself. If your stomach feels tight and full rather than gassy, see menopause and bloating. If you are also constipated, start with menopause and constipation, gas and bloating.
Is it normal to pass more gas during menopause?
Passing gas is a normal part of digestion. In a study that had healthy adults keep count for a week, people passed gas about 10 times a day on average, and up to 20 times a day was still within the normal range (Furne and Levitt, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 1996). Age and sex made no real difference. What changed the number was what people ate.
So if you have gone from barely noticing to noticing all the time, something has changed, and it is usually something you can work with.
Why do I have so much gas in perimenopause?
- Swallowed air. Eating quickly, talking while you eat, gum, straws, fizzy drinks and hard candies all put air into your gut, and it has to come out somewhere.
- Fermentation. Some carbohydrates are not fully absorbed in your small intestine. When they reach your large intestine, bacteria ferment them and make gas. That is normal, and it is also where most extra gas comes from.
- Slower digestion. Progesterone relaxes the muscles of your gut, and when things move more slowly, bacteria have longer to ferment. Constipation makes this worse.
- New intolerances. Lactose intolerance can appear or get worse in midlife.
- Stress. Stress changes how your gut moves, and in a long-term study of women through the menopause transition, tension and cortisol tracked with gut symptoms more closely than reproductive hormone levels did (Callan and colleagues, Menopause, 2018).
- Medications. Some antibiotics, NSAIDs like ibuprofen, statins and some laxatives can increase gas.
Why does my gas smell worse than it used to?
Most of the gas you pass has no smell at all. The odor comes from tiny amounts of sulfur gases, mostly hydrogen sulfide (Suarez and colleagues, Gut, 1998). Gut bacteria make these from sulfur in foods like eggs, meat, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and onions. More protein, more cruciferous vegetables, constipation or a new supplement can all change the smell.
Which foods cause the most gas?
These are the most common triggers, based on Monash University's FODMAP research. You do not have to cut them all. Try one swap at a time for a week or two and see what changes.
| Food | Why it makes gas | Try instead |
|---|---|---|
| Beans, lentils, chickpeas | Contain sugars (galacto-oligosaccharides) that ferment in the large intestine | Canned and well rinsed, in smaller portions |
| Onions and garlic | Contain fructans, which ferment easily | Chives, green onion tops, garlic-infused oil |
| Apples, pears, watermelon, stone fruit | High in fructose or sugar alcohols | Berries, oranges, kiwi, grapes |
| Sugar-free gum, mints and bars | Sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol are poorly absorbed | Regular versions in small amounts, or plain water |
| Milk, soft cheese, ice cream | Lactose, if your body no longer breaks it down well | Lactose-free milk, hard cheeses, yogurt |
| Fizzy drinks and beer | You swallow the carbon dioxide | Still water, herbal tea |
If gas is really affecting your life, a short, structured low-FODMAP trial with a registered dietitian can pin down your personal triggers. It is meant to be temporary, not a forever diet.
What helps with gas?
- Eat slower and chew well. Less air goes in, and well-chewed food is easier to digest.
- Walk after meals. In people with bloating, light activity helped clear gas from the gut faster than sitting still (Villoria and colleagues, American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2006).
- Add fiber gradually. Fiber is good for you, but jumping from low to high overnight is a classic cause of gas. Add a few grams at a time over a few weeks.
- Deal with constipation. If you are backed up, gas has nowhere to go. Fixing constipation often fixes a lot of the gas too.
- Try peppermint or fennel. Peppermint tea is a gentle option, and chewing fennel seeds after meals is a long-standing traditional remedy. Enteric-coated peppermint oil has the most research behind it, mostly in irritable bowel syndrome (Ingrosso and colleagues, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2022). Skip peppermint if you get heartburn.
- Over-the-counter help. Lactase drops or tablets help if dairy is your trigger. Alpha-galactosidase enzyme products are made for bean-type gas. Ask your pharmacist what fits.
When should you see a doctor?
Gas on its own is rarely a sign of anything serious. See a doctor if it comes with weight loss you cannot explain, blood in your stool, ongoing diarrhea or constipation, belly pain that wakes you up, or a change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks. Your doctor may check for things like lactose intolerance, celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
Related perimenopause and menopause symptoms
- Menopause and bloating
- Menopause and constipation, gas and bloating
- Menopause and hard bloated stomach
- Menopause and burping
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I fart so much in perimenopause?
Usually a combination of things. Digestion can slow down in midlife, which gives gut bacteria more time to ferment food and make gas. Constipation, swallowed air, new food intolerances like lactose, sugar-free sweeteners and stress can all add to it.
How many times a day is normal to pass gas?
In a study of healthy adults, people passed gas about 10 times a day on average, and up to 20 times a day was still within the normal range. Beans and other foods that ferment in the gut can push the number up a lot.
Why does my gas smell so bad lately?
Most gas has no smell. The odor comes from small amounts of sulfur gases, mainly hydrogen sulfide, which gut bacteria make from sulfur in foods like eggs, meat, broccoli, cabbage and onions. A change in diet, constipation or a new supplement can change the smell.
What foods cause the most gas?
Beans and lentils, onions and garlic, wheat, apples, pears and stone fruit, milk if you are lactose intolerant, and sugar-free products made with sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol are the most common. Fizzy drinks add gas directly.
When should I see a doctor about gas?
See a doctor if gas comes with weight loss you cannot explain, blood in your stool, ongoing diarrhea or constipation, belly pain that wakes you up, or a big change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks.
Morphus shares educational information, not medical advice. Speak with your doctor about what's right for you.
