Hormones, or lack thereof, and digestive issues

ChemicalWorld

Might be a little TMI in this thread ! And apologies if there's already a thread for this, the search seems to bring up mostly chemo related issues.

Just wondering if any of the ER+ women have had an increase in digestive or bowel issues while taking Lupron or Zoladex? (or for that matter, after an ooph, but not related to surgery trauma).

I know that hormones and fluctuations during periods and what not, can mess with the GI tract (I personally always saw a change around period time, back in the day-nothing I ever had to take meds for or anything). I have read that women with IBS note changes during menopause. It seems very under-studied, however. And not that I would know, but I'm sure pregnancy hormones mess with this stuff too.

I never had any issues prior to diagnosis aside from flu's or whatever, could eat whatever I liked, lots of veg's and fatty or spicy foods etc. During chemo I dealt with the constipation that brought, no diarrhea at any point that I can recall. Had no issues with Tamoxifen in that regard, and even when I started Metformin, I had the usual adjustment / initial issues, or issues if I had a heavy carb meal etc, usually something I could tie it to. I know the GI tract and immune system takes a beating during chemo and all that as well and I do find that my ability to eat "questionable" things is diminished.

I did have an upset stomach the one time that I was put on a progesterone supplement post-chemo (which later turned out to have been a no-no given that I was PR+ but that's another story).

BUT, it seems like the biggest change I've seen is since I started Lupron. Like clockwork, with few exceptions, I have a bout of diarrhea about two days after I have my shot, then I'm usually ok. Towards the end of the month, close to due time for next shot, I feel out of whack too. And intermittently, and not tied to any specific food or anything else, out of the blue, diarrhea. Nothing else strange going on, no pain/blood, no unexplained weight loss etc that would cause me concern, but even occasionally, even if it is once a month, it is really bothersome both from the obvious, but it affects whether I'll go anywhere those first few days, and I have increasing anxiety about being caught off guard (which doesn't help).

Does the lack of estrogen in the body have anything to do with this? My bloodwork before I started the Lupron showed that I was still producing lots of estrogen / was premenopausal. My periods had stopped though, after chemo I had just one on my own in a couple of years.

Has anyone else talked to their MO or gyno about these kinds of symptoms?