What Constipation Says About Your Hormones
By Leah Barack, Gut Health Expert & Functional Nutritionist
Are you tired of feeling bloated, backed up, and just off? You might be surprised to learn that your constipation could be more than just a digestive issue — it might be your hormones trying to tell you something.
In this blog, we’re diving into the connection between constipation and hormones, why your gut and hormones are deeply linked, and what your poop (or lack thereof) could be revealing about your health.
Can Constipation Be Caused by Hormones?
Yes — absolutely. While constipation is often chalked up to diet or stress, your hormones play a much bigger role than most people realize.
Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, thyroid hormones, and cortisol all influence gut motility, digestion, and how often you go. When these hormones are out of balance, your digestion can slow to a crawl — leaving you bloated, uncomfortable, and constipated.
5 Hormone Imbalances That Can Lead to Constipation
1. Low Thyroid Function (Hypothyroidism)
Your thyroid acts like your body’s thermostat — and when it slows down, everything else does too, including your digestion.
Signs to watch for: fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, feeling cold, and yes — constipation.
2. High or Low Cortisol (Your Stress Hormone)
Chronic stress can mess with your gut motility. Too much cortisol can slow down your digestive system, while too little (often seen in burnout or adrenal dysfunction) can also cause irregularity.
Red flags: feeling wired but tired, afternoon crashes, waking up at 3am, anxiety, or poor stress resilience.
3. Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen helps regulate your gut, but too much of it — especially when not balanced by progesterone — can cause sluggish digestion.
Symptoms include: PMS, heavy or painful periods, breast tenderness, bloating, mood swings.
4. High Progesterone (Luteal Phase Sluggishness)
Progesterone has a relaxing effect on the smooth muscles of your digestive tract. While it's necessary for a healthy cycle, higher levels in the second half of your cycle (the luteal phase) can slow gut motility, leading to constipation for some women.
Watch for: bloating or constipation before your period, feeling more tired or sluggish, and food sensitivities flaring during this time.
5. Insulin Resistance or Blood Sugar Imbalance
Your blood sugar and hormones are deeply intertwined. Poor blood sugar control can trigger inflammation, cortisol spikes, and digestive changes — including constipation.
Clues include: sugar cravings, energy crashes, acne, or irregular cycles.
Why Your Gut and Hormones Are So Connected
Your gut isn’t just where you digest food — it’s also where hormones are metabolized, activated, and eliminated. If you’re not pooping regularly, you’re not clearing out excess hormones efficiently.
This can create a vicious cycle: constipation → hormone imbalance → worse constipation.
How Constipation Can Worsen Hormone Imbalances
Here’s the part most people miss: constipation isn’t just a symptom of hormone imbalance — it can actually contribute to it too.
Your body detoxifies and eliminates excess hormones (especially estrogen) through your liver and gut. Once your liver packages up those used hormones, it sends them to your intestines to be excreted through your poop.
If you're not going regularly, those hormones can get reabsorbed into your bloodstream — making hormone imbalances worse.
This is known as estrogen recirculation, and it can lead to:
Estrogen dominance symptoms (PMS, painful periods, mood swings)
Breakouts and skin issues
Increased bloating and inflammation
Sluggish liver detox over time
It’s like trying to take the trash out... but leaving the bag sitting in the hallway.
How to Know If Hormonal Constipation Is Affecting You
If you’ve tried the usual constipation remedies — fiber, water, magnesium — and nothing sticks, it may be time to take a deeper look at your hormones.
Ask yourself:
Do I feel worse right before my period?
Do I experience other signs of hormone imbalance (fatigue, mood swings, irregular cycles)?
Have I been under a lot of stress?
Am I eating enough and nourishing my body?
What to Do Next: Start Supporting Your Hormones and Gut
You don’t have to live in a constant cycle of bloat and discomfort. Healing constipation from the root means supporting both your gut and your hormones.
Here’s how to start:
Balance your blood sugar with protein-rich meals and whole foods.
Support liver detox with leafy greens, beets, and cruciferous veggies.
Manage stress with breathwork, walks in nature, and quality sleep.
Try a magnesium supplement that supports motility.
Track your cycle to notice patterns between hormones and digestion.
Ready to Get to the Root of Your Constipation?
If you're struggling with bloating, constipation, and hormone chaos, you're not alone — and you're not broken.
As a functional nutritionist specializing in gut health and hormone balance, I help women like you get regular and feel like themselves again.
👉 Book a free 15-minute Gut & Hormone Fit Call to explore whether working together is the next right step for you.
Let’s figure out what your body’s trying to tell you — and finally get things moving.
TL;DR: What Constipation Says About Your Hormones
Hormonal imbalances — including thyroid issues, cortisol fluctuations, estrogen dominance, and high progesterone — can all slow digestion and cause constipation. Not pooping daily doesn’t just reflect hormonal imbalance — it can actually worsen it. To truly balance your hormones, you’ve got to support your gut first.