| Hi Olivia,
How was your weekend? I hope IBS did not impact it too much!
This week, I wanted to talk to you about the relationship between hormones and IBS that we are seeing in clinic.
There are also some exciting updates in The IBS Dietitian clinic, so scroll down to the bottom to find out about this!
Let's talk hormones then - and no I am not one of those random influencers on social media who is about to promise you that we can balance out your hormones and resolve all your health issues sadly.
But I am here to deliver some insights into a few key issues we keep seeing.
1. Thyroid Hormones
Around 12% of people are thought to have thyroid issues. Symptoms can cause loose stools or constipation, amongst other health issues.
Thyroid function tests are part of routine testing in IBS so please check with your doctor that this has been looked at.
You can read more about IBS and hypothyroidism here.
2. Female Hormones.
The main female hormones are progesterone and oestrogen. Both can impact gut function normally but when you have a condition causing hormone disruption then this is where you start to get unusual symptoms and may be misdiagnosed with IBS.
Some common scenarios we see in clinic are around hypothalamic amenorrhoea. This is when you lose your period due to the body being under too much 'stress' - mental stress / lack of calorie intake / over exercising / lack of sleep. And some women will experience symptoms before they lose their periods which is where hormone testing can be useful.
Some useful blood tests for identifying this are:
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oestradiol
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LH
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FSH
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prolactin
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TSH
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free T4
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AMH
Another area which can impact females in menopause. We have written some summaries on the research in these areas which you can read here: menopause bloating, menopause and IBS.
3. Male Hormones.
In male clients, we would quite commonly ask their doctor to test for testosterone level. This is not a routine medical test in IBS which is quite interesting considering up to 40% are thought to have low levels and we know it can cause a range of digestive issues.
4. Cortisol and Adrenaline.
Cortisol and adrenaline can both cause digestive issues. Mostly due to stress and anxiety.
A few things that can help with this are daily movement, sleep hygiene and a Mediterranean diet.
But another thing you may want to consider is avoiding caffeine which can heighten the impact of stress and anxiety. Especially in the morning when cortisol levels are naturally higher.
I hope that gives you some insight into how complicated IBS can get at times. There are multiple pathways at work and we really need to consider all of them.
As always, please hit reply if you have questions!
Best Wishes
Kirsten Jackson - The IBS Dietitian
P.S If you would like support on your IBS journey then please do book in for a free enquiry call here. |
