It depends. Patients with low thyroid levels (T3) generally complain of problems with constipation. Since thyroid has to do with metabolism, a sluggish thyroid can cause a sluggish metabolism, which includes your ability to eliminate.

Most people look to the colon as the problem when they are constipated. Some resort to laxatives, enemas, and even colonic therapy. If the problem were solely restricted to the colon, the problem would be gone. But in many it persists. More often we look to the thyroid. Many times we see a patients’ constipation vanish when the thyroid levels are brought up to optimal levels. Increased metabolism means increased peristalsis of the entire intestinal tract.

Many people are not aware that the gallbladder/liver complex plays an important role in constipation. Bile is released from the gallbladder in response to the ingestion of any fatty or greasy foods. If there is insufficient bile, or if the gallbladder has been surgically removed, constipation will almost always result. Why? Because bile acts as the lubricant to the entire digestive tract. No lubrication means no movement. Low thyroid levels prevent proper bile release.

Now what about bloating? If the bloating is mainly just prior to the onset of your menstrual period, the cause is usually hormonal. Usually just bringing your progesterone levels up to the optimal range takes care of the premenstrual bloating. If you tend to bloat after meals, it is probably that you lack sufficient digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, thus preventing the complete digestion of your foods.

In either case, both are preventable. Bloating is a warning sign that something is not quite right. To self-medicate continuously with laxatives can be dangerous and addictive, and is not addressing the real cause of the problem.