--- title: "Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems? | Sutter Health" description: "I'm a senior citizen in good health. I stopped taking estrogen two months ago. Within 10 days I started having soft, gray colored stools and gas. A recent colonoscopy test was normal. I don't eat dairy products. Could stopping estrogen be the cause?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417" --- 1. Home / 2. Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems? # Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems? * * * Medically reviewed by - Caroline Schreiber, M.D. ## Question I'm a senior citizen in good health. I stopped taking estrogen two months ago. Within 10 days I started having soft, gray colored stools and gas. A recent colonoscopy test was normal. I don't eat dairy products. Could stopping estrogen be the cause? ## Answer Estrogen, or the withdrawal of estrogen, is not known to change stool or bowel habits as described. That said, I think of estrogen as all-powerful. Anything is possible. One way to know would be to go back on estrogen and see if the problem resolves. Assuming you don't want to do that, or it isn't safe to do so, you can continue to try dietary eliminations and probiotics, which may help to restore the natural bacteria that are supposed to populate the colon and help with healthy digestion. My hunch is that the bowel issue is not related to the hormones. It is probably a coincidence. See your doctor about any labs or imaging you might need to look for digestive problems. If nothing is found, healthy eating and probiotics may get you back on track. ## Explore related topics Digestive healthWomen's healthMenopauseBloating ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Best Treatment for Menopausal Depression What is the more appropriate way to treat menopausal depression, hormone replacement or SSRIs? - Health Q&A ### Birth Control During Menopause I am 51 years old. 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View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems?"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417","name":"Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems?","description":"Estrogen, or the withdrawal of estrogen, is not known to change stool or bowel habits as described.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#question","name":"Can Estrogen Withdrawl Cause Digestive Problems?","text":"I'm a senior citizen in good health. I stopped taking estrogen two months ago. Within 10 days I started having soft, gray colored stools and gas. A recent colonoscopy test was normal. I don't eat dairy products. Could stopping estrogen be the cause?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#answer","text":"Estrogen, or the withdrawal of estrogen, is not known to change stool or bowel habits as described. That said, I think of estrogen as all-powerful. Anything is possible. One way to know would be to go back on estrogen and see if the problem resolves. Assuming you don't want to do that, or it isn't safe to do so, you can continue to try dietary eliminations and probiotics, which may help to restore the natural bacteria that are supposed to populate the colon and help with healthy digestion. My hunch is that the bowel issue is not related to the hormones. It is probably a coincidence. See your doctor about any labs or imaging you might need to look for digestive problems. If nothing is found, healthy eating and probiotics may get you back on track.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/can-estrogen-withdrawl-cause-digestive-problems-1051061417#expert","name":"Caroline Schreiber","honorificSuffix":"M.D."} ```