Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause cause many people to experience bloating as a symptom. You can usually reduce menopause-related bloating with dietary and lifestyle adjustments or medications.

Menopause is notable for symptoms like hot flashes and reproductive changes. But the hormonal changes that accompany menopause are responsible for a wide array of symptoms, including gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like bloating.

Bloating causes you to feel extreme fullness, tightness, or swelling in your abdomen and other parts of your body. It may cause discomfort.

Read on to learn how to manage menopause-related bloating and when it may be a sign that you need to see a doctor.

Menopause is defined as the lack of a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months. This happens because your ovaries stop producing estrogen and progesterone. The years-long transition to this period is known as perimenopause.

During perimenopause, your hormones are changing rapidly. Estrogen is more than just a sex hormone. Among its many roles, it helps to regulate water balance in your body. The rapid fluctuation of estrogen during perimenopause causes your body to retain water, which can lead to bloating.

Hormonal changes in perimenopause may also affect the gut microbiome, according to a 2022 research review. This can cause changes in how food moves through your intestines, which can also contribute to bloating. However, more research is needed.

Bloating may occur more frequently in perimenopause than during menopause or postmenopause.

You may also experience bloating during menopause because of built-up gas in your GI system. This can be related to:

  • diet
  • exercise
  • stress
  • smoking
  • swallowed air
  • another health condition

It’s likely that bloating after menopause is related to one of these factors rather than hormones. That’s because after you go through menopause, your hormones don’t fluctuate as much as they did during perimenopause and menopause.

You can reduce bloating by making various lifestyle adjustments. These changes in behavior may also help you prevent bloating from occurring.

  • Change your diet: Avoid foods that cause bloating, such as fatty foods, vegetables known to cause extra gas, and dairy products. Also, skip overly processed foods, which have high levels of sugar and salt. Some experts recommend a low FODMAP diet for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms like bloating.
  • Exercise more frequently: Try to work out several times a week, and keep your activity varied, from cardiovascular exercises to strength-building ones.
  • Skip chewing gum and carbonated beverages: These can fill your stomach with air, leaving you with a bloated abdomen.
  • Avoid smoking and alcohol: Smoking can irritate the lining of your stomach, and alcohol often can affect your water balance, both of which can cause bloating.
  • Drink plenty of water: You may experience bloating if you don’t stay hydrated enough.

There are other ways to prevent and treat bloating that involve over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications:

  • Antibloating medication: These are available over the counter. A pharmacist or your doctor may be able to recommend one to try.
  • Water-reduction pills: Also known as diuretics, these are only available by a prescription from your doctor. They can help your body avoid holding on to too much water.
  • Hormonal birth control pills: Birth control pills may help you with bloating and other premenstrual syndrome symptoms if you’re still having periods because they can stabilize your hormones. You’ll have to discuss what works for your body with a doctor.
  • Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT): Some women choose to use MHT while going through menopause to help regulate estrogen and progesterone levels. You should discuss this therapy option with a doctor because of concerns about side effects.

During perimenopause and menopause, you may be unsure whether you’re experiencing bloating or weight gain. Hormonal changes during this time may cause your body to gain weight more quickly than usual, particularly in your stomach area.

This isn’t just a sign of menopause. You may also be gaining weight due to aging, lifestyle behaviors, or family history.

Bloating should occur for just a short period. Your stomach will protrude and change throughout the day with bloating. Your abdomen won’t fluctuate in size throughout the day if you’re experiencing weight gain.

Bloating during the hormone fluctuations of menopause is a typical symptom. However, prolonged or painful bloating requires immediate review by a doctor.

Feeling bloated for weeks at a time may be a sign of ovarian cancer or another health condition, such as:

You’ll likely experience bloating at some point during perimenopause and menopause. It may result from fluctuating hormones during this period of your life.

Bloating tends to be less common after menopause, when the ovaries stop making estrogen and progesterone and your body maintains more steady hormone levels.