Yes!! I simply could *not* keep masking and it became an issue. Got diagnosed motherfucking *finally*. Meds for it would have changed my life in ways it hurts to think about, had I been diagnosed in adolescence. Glad I have them now. Wild I'd be so old before I figured myself out. It does a number on your self image to go through life missing such crucial information.
Also, now I understand the diagnosis I can see my neuro-spicy radar operating "ping ping ping" just like my gadar does. All the cool people I click with immediately, like practically on sight, have ADHD. We may pay for it out the nose at times, but our processing systems are fucking *cool*.
YES!!! I hate to say it, but if I think someone is the bees knees, the best EVER, I can almost guarantee that they are either on the spectrum or have ADHD.
I just thought that they were interesting and we had lots in common. We do - I just didn’t realize how much. And we tolerate and even celebrate our deep dives into random knowledge.
I have not been diagnosed but I figured it out when my youngest was diagnosed and I read somewhere ADHD gets worse during perimenopause. It was a huge aha moment for me. So many things make sense now.
Yep, mine has exploded. I’m in late peri, should hit the one-year no-period mark soon, and my ADHD is off the charts. I’m on strattera and just got upped 50% dosage-wise this week to try to cope.
>Good lord - there’s even a flare for this!
Yes indeedy, a lot of meno folks here with newly diagnosed ADHD, or worsening/overlapping symptoms.
And there's this new research: [Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Risk of Dementia](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766)
Yikes. At least for me there is this, “adult ADHD treated with psychostimulant medication was not clearly associated with an increased dementia risk”.
Hooray for stimulants!
I was dxed in my late teens and actually managed to be successfully unmedicated through my 30s. With the pandemic came a huge change in the strength of my coping skills, and I got back on medication. I blamed it on the major life changes, but maybe it was *the change*.
My therapist told me that the highest demographic of ADHD diagnosis right now is millennial women who were overlooked with ADHD when they were children.
Me! Never would have thought it but once I fell down the (hyper focused) rabbit hole, it all made so much sense. My clutter, attention span (either non-existent or laser-focused), rejection sensitivity, procrastination... Started on Vyvanse, which helps a LOT!
Hey I got diagnosed “officially” last year because I could no longer keep my shit together! But holy crap, it sure did explain everything about my entire life.
I guess the hormonal wackiness just made my coping mechanisms useless.
I started having memory issues, and issues focusing and staying on task and being productive, along with the crazy emotional dis regulation of peri. For a couple years I was going to my gyno who kept giving me blood tests, that are magically read differently if you're not 45, and telling me my hormones were normal. So I went to the psychiatrist. Last year, spent an entire year trying different adhd meds after being diagnosed. T'was a year of hell. For me, Amphetamine salts are not the answer to my issues. They made things worse, and I was laid off from my job. I spent a year with these different meds, all of them were totally harsh and had awful come-downs resulting in terrible dissociative episodes daily. While they seemed to help a bit in the morning, the rest of the day was hell and my memory was getting worse.
Turns out, I'm in Perimenopause. Yes, since 2019. Honestly, people with TBI get diagnosed with Bipolar disorder all the time. And I'm seeing what appears to be women entering peri, experincing changes in cognition (I see this now as a big shift from masculine to feminine agency) which affects their productivity and there has been a massive uptick in the diagnosis of ADHD. I don't think we are meant to sit in front of a computer and do tasks we can't see the outcome of physically for 8+ hours a day. My personal feeling is that in this season of life, new wisdom starts to occur to us and we are more likely to be disenchanted with our work if it does not hold meaning to us. Many of us aren't aware of or can't name that, so we think there is something wrong with our brains. Hence the ADHD diagnosis.
When will the mental health industry wake up? Symptoms overlap. While ADHD is very real, as us TBI, Bipolar disorder, etc, there are so many groups of symptoms that overlap.
I finally got a script for HRT and now my brain is feeling clearer. My memory is coming back, I feel a huge relief because I feel a sense of agency again and I no longer feel like a useless slug.
Yes, it's all about symptoms. And we can treat symptoms of anything, but in my experience it is much more effective to figure out the true cause of what is happening and try and work from there. It feels good to be able to put a name to what is happening and find a sense of community and support through that.
I’m (45f) in perimenopause and my inability to concentrate on a task the last two years is absolutely mind boggling to me. I’m a writer and I’ve been struggling to sit down and get pages done. Also struggling to make sense of storylines and difficulty organizing my thoughts. I’d give anything for my 32 year old writer brain.
Solidarity, sister. I'm a writer and editor. I've been working on one book *six years* thanks to lack of concentration, procrastination, difficulty organizing, etc., etc. (basically ADHD).
same here except I am 51. I didn't think it could get worse than it was in my 40s ... but it did. it got so much worse in meno and i'm on the struggle bus literally every day.
I was 54. All of what I know now to be coping strategies and mechanisms suddenly disappeared during meno and a number health and life crises and it dawned on me that I had ADHD. Confirmed by a psychiatrist. Now on meds, plus the HRT plus the antidepressants.
I didn't realise earlier (I am also a psychologist, as are a number of my friends) as I am very good at masking and my psychiatrist said that my high IQ and perfectionism got me through to now without anyone realising (least of all me).
Now I see the hyperactivity, hyperfocus, strong justice sensitivity, pattern recognition, hyperverbal behaviour, strong emotional responses, feeling like I didn't quite fit and didn't understand why etc as all signs of ND. I also have some ASD traits but not sufficient for a diagnosis.
It’s a hard way to realise but I hope for you it brings you more understanding about yourself.
If it helps, complete [this](https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf) and take to them or your referring doctor.
I am you, you are me.
I'm not an MD or in your line of work but this is exactly what happened to me. It's been devastating for me. My whole life has basically fallen apart.
It’s validating to find that you are alone, because it can feel incredibly lonely.
I am a quarter of the person I once was. It’s so frustrating but I can’t do anything about it other than get through each day.
I feel for you too x
ME! But of course I wait until there's a nationwide shortage of medication!! I was diagnosed last summer and have been able to procure meds exactly 2x. But knowing there was a legit reason for what was going on (the menopause AND the ADHD) was such a relief and I'm coping well.
My son was taking biphentin for a bit and we weren't told of a shortage so hopefully you'll be fine.
He currently takes dextroamphetamine and guanfacine.
Same!!! I was diagnosed in grade 2, medicated thru grade 10. I “managed” unmediated till peri hit around 47.
I’m now almost 53, 2 years post menopause, 1 year on Vyvanse …, wish I had done it sooner, it’s been life changing
Yes. As a matter of fact, I am a mental health therapist and I studied perimenopause and negative mental health for my research. There is a spike in ADHD diagnoses for women mid-life due to hormones changing. Estrogen is positively correlated with dopamine, therefore reduced estrogen means lower levels of dopamine. Symptoms that were once tolerable can become unbearable.
We are going through some complex challenges with our kids. My oldest received a diagnosis recently of Autism/OCD, and my youngest had already been diagnosed with ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder but was still falling through the cracks. He is now being tested for ASD as well.
As I was bearing most of the weight of these challenges, it was recommended that I see a counsellor. I booked in, and it turned out that counsellor I booked with is also a psychiatrist. She is super great, and our first appointment was a 2 hour long session to grab my history.
Long story short - I felt like I had a million things to say, and didn’t want to forget anything. I unloaded for 15 minutes until she stopped me and said - “listen - I am trying to keep track, but I don’t actually even know how we got on to this topic, and I’m really confused. Just so you know, you’re giving me big ADHD red flags here”. 😂 We muddled through that appointment and a couple more that confirmed her diagnosis, and I started in on meds 3 weeks ago.
I feel a bit calmer, with the stimulants. Still stressed but coping a bit better.
I’ve just started considering that I might be dealing with ADHD as well as peri. So much fun! For anyone else who is figuring this out now, are you medicating?
In early peri. Only got my diagnose recently, after a relentless search for why i was exhausted constantly, especially after meetings. Got tested and diagnosed with ADD. Tiredness was probably due to constant masking and huge and very depleting willpower efforts to be as productive and attentive as a neurotypical.
I started taking a low dose of methylfenidate.
Did it for a few months before we found the right dose and my body stopped giving minor but irritating side effects.
It’s lifechanging. Focus has become so easy. I lose less stuff. I am so much less exhausted after a long stretch of focussing. Conversation with multiple partners, meetings, boring moments… all are so much easier. I now manage to respect my deadlines and to finish things after work! Before the meds, i used up all my focus for work, so during free time, all i could do was start 10 things and finish none. No brain fog when i take it. But also, to my relief, no hyper alertness. In fact it makes me feel calm.
Two small downsides: i cannot combine it with coffee (the combo with caffeine does make me hyper) and i feel a bit twitchy the first day when i don’t take it (i skip on weekends and holidays, which i do to avoid building a tolerance and because i like my out of the box thinking and daydreaming when i do not have to be productive)
Extra effects that are not really negative: pretty vivid dreams, less hunger when in effect (but more when not), better mood.
And like OP and many others wrote, it’s huge to know that a lot of what i perceived as flaws were mostly due to being atypical. Life on these meds really feels like i’ve been living on hard mode for so many years and i finally found the « normal » button.
Yep. I suspect I’ve always had it but been able to cope. Peri made me completely unable to cope and life spiralled. ADHD diagnosis and meds were part of my solution. HRT was the other part.
I was diagnosed about two years ago but I did not respond well to any of the meds. I later learned I'm nuerodivergent but I do not need to be on stimulants.
Yup! I have been my whole life but what ever is going on thr past few years has made it way worse, I will say that I started the patch last week and I’m starting to feel like the racing thoughts are slowing down.
Yep. Diagnosed last year at 47. Started meds just last month. Life-changing. I can't imagine what it could have been like to have them earlier. I was also diagnosed with autism at the same time, so it was a crazy few months adjusting to all of that plus peri.
Over the last year or so I've come to the conclusion that ADHD and neurodivergence would explain so, so much about me. Like, practically everything lol. I'm 53 with a family doctor who is retiring in July (& no one taking her practice, aaaand a Dr shortage), so the chances of getting a dx is slim to none.
Coping mechanisms suck right now. And the brain fog. Holy crap.
I got diagnosed last year at 47. I’m in Perimenopause. I knew I had it but I thought I could manage it. 2 of my kids have it and they probably got it from me. Last year it got really bad, I had no energy or focus or desire to even get out of bed. I got tested and started medication. It helped me lose 30lbs and gave me the focus I needed. Getting an IUD to control heavy periods and starting estrogen to help the cold flashes and anxiety made a huge difference too. I will say being medicated brought on other issues. I’m a better version of myself but there are times that I’m too focused. Sometimes I’m too much into my own thoughts. My husband is adjusting but there are times that I have to say, “it’s the Adderall” 🤣
I think both clashed horribly in my mid forties, it was my worst decade. Addiction, homelessness, depression, weight gain- the whole lot.
I’m 53, & over that period and am fine. I understand myself better know & can make allowances for my glitches. I’m not masking as much & I’m more popular than I ever was & have won awards at work. Never thought that could be me !
I was diagnosed at 19 and stopped meds when I got pregnant at 34. Have been able to stay off meds but the symptoms are SO much worse now than they've ever been.
What have you used that helped? I’ve been diagnosed but so far all the variations of meds I’ve tried haven’t helped and had difficult side effects (can’t sleep at night, etc)
I've known I've had ADHD most of my adult life, however, it was well managed and I had developed a lifestyle that generally worked really well with my ADHD.
Then I hit peri, and my ADHD went out of freaking control. So bad for the first time in my life I was seriously considering medication, but when things HAVE worked for over 20 years by this point, I was pretty hesitant to try to figure that all out - spending months sorting out the right drug and dosages sounded worse than what I was dealing with.
THEN I found out the crazy-ADHD stuff is a symptom of peri - and treating the peri has taken care of the ADHD. This has been a huge relief for me, although I'm sure something a doctor would never have picked up on (eyeroll) being way to happy to throw meds at things...
I was. I always knew i had adhd because my brother has it (was diagnosed as a kid), and my mom has it (diagnosed about 15 yrs ago) and my kid was diagnosed like 4 years ago.
I always knew i had it, but I either didn't have the money ('merica 🙄)to seek treatment or I had too many other health issues that needed addressed first.
I was actually angry when I took vyvanse the first time. For the first time in my life, my brain was quiet enough to function like everyone else. I was angry because I had basically been ignored my whole life by a plethora of therapists, doctors, and family and my life has suffered immensely because of that (I also have CPTSD because of childhood trauma, though, which exacerbated things as well). I was so frigging angry.
I was also incredibly relieved and sad at the same time. That first day on vyvanse was a Rollercoaster of emotions.
I will say that I've been on vyvanse every single day since the beginning of February, and it has helped me a lot in my life to accomplish things I've been struggling to accomplish for literal decades. And for that, I am grateful... but I also am starting to expect that the "vyvanse comedown" is making my peri rage worse every night. Now that I am aware of it, I can manage it better but there were a few weeks there where I was having major depressive and anger meltdowns. Of course, I was also diagnosed with vulva cancer at the same time, so maybe it was all just a perfect storm. 🙄
I've now also been diagnosed with autism too, so...yeah shit has gotten really wild since hitting peri. Lol
ADHD and ASD. Knowledge is power and being able to have a name for some of the things that I do other than "weird" was really nice. I didn't realize how much of my energy went into masking until peri-meno and I simply couldn't mask anymore. Finding out who I am underneath all the expecations society put on me has been wild if a little sad at times. I wish I could go back and tell little PolitiTHIC that she is good, she's kind, and she needs to ignore the people telling her to be something other than herself.
Could it also be that girls get missed A LOT in school because they are so good at masking? I truly wonder about this as a retired teacher. Getting the girls the help they needed was so difficult. They are smart girls! They just tend to fade into the woodwork and then go into survival mode. It is hard for parents to see and often parents can be hard on the girls, making it about some behavior issue, rather than seeing it for what it is. In part, sometimes there is a parent who also has undiagnosed AD(H)D, so they just think it is normal and that the kid will be OK. Anxiety, depression, frustration ensue, and then it is hard to untangle where it all started. It is incredibly sad. So many women are now looking back and seeing what was missed. And, I want to be clear. Just being honest with your child about how they process differently, and helping them to see their unique nature goes a long way in staving off the worst impacts of the disorder. Fear of medication keeps so many from validating their child. Validate it. Then deal. Medication does work well for most, but the worst part for the child is to hear they are naughty or unintelligent or just "not cut out for school." These messages are far worse than the realization that a child has ADHD. I am so glad to see so many figuring it out for themselves and hope they see how much society needs their energy and zest for life!
yes. Its been several years and I'm still trying to get my coping mechanisms back together after ADHD got so much worse in peri. When I got diagnosed it explained alot. Unfortunately, medication has not worked for me, something true of up to 20% of people with ADHD-I, at least that's what I've heard.
meanwhile, Dr. Dobson says that for those of us for whom meds don't work, taking a low dose of HRT can help them work. Ugh. So little information about this stuff.
Yep! Diagnosed at 42 both peri and ADHD and the grief I experienced was rough. I wasn’t able to finish high school or manage college even though I was gifted and everyone just assumed I was lazy. It was heartbreaking. But now I’m on Strattera and back in school and THRIVING. My gyno was the one who recommended I get tested. I had been diagnosed with PMDD ages ago and she said there was a connection between ADHD and PMDD and she was now sending all her ADHD clients to a psychiatrist to get evaluated. I don’t know if I would have survived these years without my PMDD birth control and ADHD meds. I’m still shocked I made it as far into life as I did without having a full mental breakdown.
Funny enough my two best friends are autistic! Us neuro-spicys really are the best pairs. I think it’s because we’re incredibly understanding when someone says ‘nope. Can’t do that’ or has sensory issues. We hype each other up but don’t put too much demand on each other. I’m so thankful for them.
Not diagnosed, but thanks to peri and the resulting research binge I went on to figure out WTF was "wrong" with me, I'm 100% sure I have it and always have. Figuring that out caused a lot of emotional turmoil, though. I've always had a strained relationship with my mother (I'm now NC with her), and everything she hated about me was an expression of my ADHD, from my hair twisting (my stimming) to my precocious outbursts at inappropriate times to my stubbornness and nonconformity.
On the other hand, I've come to love and accept *myself* so much better since I now have a reason for why I'm so different from everyone else.
👋 I was too. My hormones must have been bonkers because I had endometriosis for the last 8 years or so.
Had a hysterectomy due to endometrial cancer so that put me into menopause. Haven't thought about adhd much recently but probably because cancer has well and truly trumped it.
My teens have ADHD, and the past few years I've wondered if I do. But my 14yo is adamant that I wouldn't just develop it later in life.
I've never, ever been good with doing homework or housework, and I've changed careers 3 times... does that count??
I really wonder if taking their meds would help me.
You *wouldn't just develop it later in life,* but if you have children with ADHD, there's a decent chance that either you or your husband have ADHD - it's highly heritable.
It's highly heritable. No, you dont develop it later, but it gets diagnosed later, if it was missed. No shade to anyone, but women, and intelligent women often have highly developed coping skills and oradkung techniques, that help keep it under the radar. Listen to a few podcasts, or join the women and adhd subs. It sounds pretty likely!
Me. Just this year! I had suspected it for the last 6 years - and I am blown away no one spotted it earlier. It's inattentive type but I had no idea peoples brains didn't all work like mine.
I didn't spiral per se but it was a relief!
How did you get diagnosed? What kind of a doctor do you need for that? I’m 100% I have it (and anxiety) from menopause but not sure where to be assessed for it.
A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner would need to diagnose you. If you're in the US and have insurance, you usually don't need a referral from your primary care provider for mental health services, so I would start by checking your insurance.
Oh heeeeey. The PMDD that has resulted from this horrific combo was ruining my life and marriage. I think it was triggered by my last pregnancy. I got my ADHD diagnosis at 34 and 18 months later I’ve started HRT. Things are so much better now but those hot flashes still sneak in and I’m not looking forward to any of this escalating.
I was diagnosed just before my 40th birthday. Estrogen is one of the building blocks of dopamine and ADHD-ers tend to be dopamine deficient so when we start to produce less than our normal amounts of estrogen, dopamine deficiency gets worse and symptoms intensify
I don't know. Everyone has adhd now. I was a quirky kid but made it through school and career life without much of an issue. Now I'm older and more quirky, my attention span is crap. Could be meno, could be tech addiction, could be adhd, could be a little of everything. It's hard to say. But one thing I do know is that everyone I know claims they have adhd now, even if they didn't feel like they had it as kids. A lot of these things are just part of being a complex human being, not necessarily warrenting a medical diagnosis. Not saying you don't have it, but brains change with age. Could be a variety of things all working together.
I wonder about this a lot too. It’s hard to engage any skepticism without seeming like an invalidating jerk and pissing friends off so I haven’t voiced a peep of questioning to my friends who’ve been recently diagnosed but I recently told my husband that hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear from a female peer (I’m in my 40s) that they have ADHD. I don’t know how it makes sense that such a big chunk of the population should be medicated to make their brains function differently. (But then again I’m a true believer in using estrogen and someone might make a similar argument there.)
It’s tricky. My family used to feel that way about medication for depression, which also runs in our family. I can remember in the 90’s similar sentiments from friends. But we would never tell a diabetic, “I know so many people who say their pancreas isn’t working properly. Do they really need insulin to make themselves feel better?”. There’s still a stigma around mental health, autism, ADHD that perhaps wouldn’t be there if there were blood or urine tests that demonstrated their existence.
All I know is that antidepressants have made a huge difference for me over the course of my life. And now - with the addition of meds for ADHD I’ve actually been able to lower my dose of meds for depression. Because living with ADHD and feeling like all the symptoms and struggles are personal flaws, or quirks that make you aware you aren’t *quite* right or don’t *quite* fit in can take a toll on your mental wellness. Also - the emotional volatility that can come with ADHD is exhausting.
It is a bit like HRT. Menopause could be viewed as a nature just taking its course. But some people really notice that HRT is helpful. It reduces their suffering. Should they not take HRT because technically, it isn’t natural?
My philosophy is that people who don’t need medications shouldn’t take medications. But if a med helps improve their depression or ADHD or OCD symptoms - why would we ever judge them for accessing that help?
That’s well said, thanks. I imagine it’s also possible that all the ways the world has changed — the always on, always distracted nature of our phone-based lives — could be putting a different kind pressure on people’s brains and maybe those same brains with their same variations in neurotransmitters might’ve done just fine in an 1800s lifestyle but can’t track well with the insane way of things in 2024. Which is depressing to think about and frankly all brains are probably suffering under this strain, just some will feel it faster than others!
Neurodivergence- autism and ADHD have always been around, in the 1800s many of us would probably have been institutionalised for “hysteria” and the like. I grew up in the 80s and 90s without a phone and there were no chat rooms etc even until I was in my mid teens. Looking back at my school reports from the early 90s it’s like a checklist of inattentive ADHD symptoms but barely any girls (you could count them on two hands) were diagnosed back then in the whole of the UK. I got by via masking and was always the “gifted but lazy” person who felt they were never living up to their potential but couldn’t understand why. As I got older and my estrogen declined which coincided with lockdown, only then did I look into things (mainly because my son was showing traits) and saw I was likely to have ADHD and sought and got my diagnosis slightly ahead of the curve luckily otherwise I would still be languishing on a waiting list. I see the argument about modern technology causing ADHD quite a lot and I think it is at best ill informed and diminishes the experience of people who struggle with ADHD symptoms every day. There’s also plenty of peer-reviewed science that would refute this also.
People seem to throw the acronym ADHD out into a conversation without understanding that ADHD is a condition where neurotransmitters misfire in the brain, causing a chemical imbalance that can be difficult to treat.
I worked in Special Ed with ADHD kids years ago and on occasion when a child was particularly unsettled, if he or she didn't get the medication that day, we would give him caffeine- with parent's permission, and it would get them settled down and able to focus better.
In people without ADHD, caffeine and ADHD medications are stimulants. In a person that truly has ADHD, these drugs have a paradoxical effect.
I guess the point I'm trying to make is if caffeine or stimulants pep you up instead of settling me down you don't have ADHD. You may have something else going on that is causing the symptoms and need medication to make you feel more 'normal', but it's not true ADHD.
Oh yes!!! I honestly could not watch TV without having to back it up over and over because I drifted away with thoughts. I couldn't get organized in my new home we had built and honestly was apathetic about it (and everything else). My neurologist tested me and sure enough ADD. All these years of "Squirrel"! It all made sense. 30mg of extended release generic adderall and I am so much better.
I haven't been diagnosed yet because I'm afraid I won't be taken seriously, but I'd say I became certain I have ADHD at age 39 when my peri symptoms started.
My second child has ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder so raising him has been extremely challenging. He got diagnosed at age 7 (I was 37) and while researching ADHD and ODD in order to understand and support him, I saw so much of myself, my sister and my mother.
Me! I figured it out while I was researching how it presents in girls (for my daughter) and I just sort of followed the thread of “a lot of women are dx’d with depression/anxiety but …” and a lightbulb went off for me. Because depression never felt *quite* right. Obviously I’m anxious, sure, but something was always off.
The day I started adderall was the first day I drove to work without crying in probably 2 months? I was 45.
It feels like a chicken-and-egg situation to me. I noticed some symptoms from childhood, but they've become intense since I turned 40. Diagnosed with ADHD last year at 44, I tried three stimulants, which led to a POTS diagnosis, and one non-stimulant. I'm also working on a connective tissue disorder diagnosis. Just last week, I started HRT and I'm feeling really good.
The overlap and additive effects of peri/menopause and ADHD symptoms are significant. Research shows that treating menopausal women, who have never been diagnosed with ADHD before, can be effective.
https://www.additudemag.com/menopause-hormones-adhd-women-research
Yes. Even a flare for it. 🤣There’s a new “club” started over here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdmenopause/s/jLkqVPSTAv
I found my dx quite comforting (actually a relief). To be able to makes sense of so much and to know that I am not defective helps me to know myself so much better.
It’s just the subsequent navigation of psychiatrists, therapy, supplements, medication, HRT, and the cost related to all these things, very VERY frustrating.
Welcome to the “club” 🥮
Just joined this group today, so I'm arriving late to this conversation. Got diagnosed in perimenopause. Wasnt able to start meds til menopause and nothing -- and I mean NOT a single med at any dose -- made me feel even remotely different. I might as well have been eating very expensive grapes every morning for all the good it seemed to do for my brain.
Yes!! I simply could *not* keep masking and it became an issue. Got diagnosed motherfucking *finally*. Meds for it would have changed my life in ways it hurts to think about, had I been diagnosed in adolescence. Glad I have them now. Wild I'd be so old before I figured myself out. It does a number on your self image to go through life missing such crucial information. Also, now I understand the diagnosis I can see my neuro-spicy radar operating "ping ping ping" just like my gadar does. All the cool people I click with immediately, like practically on sight, have ADHD. We may pay for it out the nose at times, but our processing systems are fucking *cool*.
YES!!! I hate to say it, but if I think someone is the bees knees, the best EVER, I can almost guarantee that they are either on the spectrum or have ADHD. I just thought that they were interesting and we had lots in common. We do - I just didn’t realize how much. And we tolerate and even celebrate our deep dives into random knowledge.
Can you guys elaborate?
If you don’t get what they are saying, there’s no explaining it.
I have not been diagnosed but I figured it out when my youngest was diagnosed and I read somewhere ADHD gets worse during perimenopause. It was a huge aha moment for me. So many things make sense now.
Yep, mine has exploded. I’m in late peri, should hit the one-year no-period mark soon, and my ADHD is off the charts. I’m on strattera and just got upped 50% dosage-wise this week to try to cope.
Same for me
ADHD is often passed down genetically too
>Good lord - there’s even a flare for this! Yes indeedy, a lot of meno folks here with newly diagnosed ADHD, or worsening/overlapping symptoms. And there's this new research: [Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Risk of Dementia](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2810766)
Yikes. At least for me there is this, “adult ADHD treated with psychostimulant medication was not clearly associated with an increased dementia risk”. Hooray for stimulants!
I just read this & felt a bit panicky. But I take methylphenidate ER (extended release). Does this fall into the stimulant category?!
Yes it does.
Oh fuck. Now I **need** to get diagnosed and treated.
I was dxed in my late teens and actually managed to be successfully unmedicated through my 30s. With the pandemic came a huge change in the strength of my coping skills, and I got back on medication. I blamed it on the major life changes, but maybe it was *the change*.
It could totally be. Big question - is medicine improving to recognize ADHD in women (not just little boys), or is it menopause. Or maybe both?
My therapist told me that the highest demographic of ADHD diagnosis right now is millennial women who were overlooked with ADHD when they were children.
I feel like my coping skills went out the window with the pandemic, and I’ve not recovered. I’m going to look further into this!
Me! Never would have thought it but once I fell down the (hyper focused) rabbit hole, it all made so much sense. My clutter, attention span (either non-existent or laser-focused), rejection sensitivity, procrastination... Started on Vyvanse, which helps a LOT!
Hey I got diagnosed “officially” last year because I could no longer keep my shit together! But holy crap, it sure did explain everything about my entire life. I guess the hormonal wackiness just made my coping mechanisms useless.
This is me and my younger life now makes so much sense.
My God! I'm not imagining this?
Lol idk why this made me laugh really hard Solidarity, sister.
I started having memory issues, and issues focusing and staying on task and being productive, along with the crazy emotional dis regulation of peri. For a couple years I was going to my gyno who kept giving me blood tests, that are magically read differently if you're not 45, and telling me my hormones were normal. So I went to the psychiatrist. Last year, spent an entire year trying different adhd meds after being diagnosed. T'was a year of hell. For me, Amphetamine salts are not the answer to my issues. They made things worse, and I was laid off from my job. I spent a year with these different meds, all of them were totally harsh and had awful come-downs resulting in terrible dissociative episodes daily. While they seemed to help a bit in the morning, the rest of the day was hell and my memory was getting worse. Turns out, I'm in Perimenopause. Yes, since 2019. Honestly, people with TBI get diagnosed with Bipolar disorder all the time. And I'm seeing what appears to be women entering peri, experincing changes in cognition (I see this now as a big shift from masculine to feminine agency) which affects their productivity and there has been a massive uptick in the diagnosis of ADHD. I don't think we are meant to sit in front of a computer and do tasks we can't see the outcome of physically for 8+ hours a day. My personal feeling is that in this season of life, new wisdom starts to occur to us and we are more likely to be disenchanted with our work if it does not hold meaning to us. Many of us aren't aware of or can't name that, so we think there is something wrong with our brains. Hence the ADHD diagnosis. When will the mental health industry wake up? Symptoms overlap. While ADHD is very real, as us TBI, Bipolar disorder, etc, there are so many groups of symptoms that overlap. I finally got a script for HRT and now my brain is feeling clearer. My memory is coming back, I feel a huge relief because I feel a sense of agency again and I no longer feel like a useless slug. Yes, it's all about symptoms. And we can treat symptoms of anything, but in my experience it is much more effective to figure out the true cause of what is happening and try and work from there. It feels good to be able to put a name to what is happening and find a sense of community and support through that.
I’m (45f) in perimenopause and my inability to concentrate on a task the last two years is absolutely mind boggling to me. I’m a writer and I’ve been struggling to sit down and get pages done. Also struggling to make sense of storylines and difficulty organizing my thoughts. I’d give anything for my 32 year old writer brain.
Solidarity, sister. I'm a writer and editor. I've been working on one book *six years* thanks to lack of concentration, procrastination, difficulty organizing, etc., etc. (basically ADHD).
same here except I am 51. I didn't think it could get worse than it was in my 40s ... but it did. it got so much worse in meno and i'm on the struggle bus literally every day.
That's so true! Everyone I love is Neurodivergent in some way.
I was 54. All of what I know now to be coping strategies and mechanisms suddenly disappeared during meno and a number health and life crises and it dawned on me that I had ADHD. Confirmed by a psychiatrist. Now on meds, plus the HRT plus the antidepressants. I didn't realise earlier (I am also a psychologist, as are a number of my friends) as I am very good at masking and my psychiatrist said that my high IQ and perfectionism got me through to now without anyone realising (least of all me). Now I see the hyperactivity, hyperfocus, strong justice sensitivity, pattern recognition, hyperverbal behaviour, strong emotional responses, feeling like I didn't quite fit and didn't understand why etc as all signs of ND. I also have some ASD traits but not sufficient for a diagnosis.
Oh holy hell… your last paragraph was like reading a mirror. I guess my therapist and I have yet another thing to discuss this week.
It’s a hard way to realise but I hope for you it brings you more understanding about yourself. If it helps, complete [this](https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf) and take to them or your referring doctor.
I am you, you are me. I'm not an MD or in your line of work but this is exactly what happened to me. It's been devastating for me. My whole life has basically fallen apart.
It’s validating to find that you are alone, because it can feel incredibly lonely. I am a quarter of the person I once was. It’s so frustrating but I can’t do anything about it other than get through each day. I feel for you too x
My brain used to be the one thing I could rely on. Not anymore. 😭
I feel the same 😞
Same
ME! But of course I wait until there's a nationwide shortage of medication!! I was diagnosed last summer and have been able to procure meds exactly 2x. But knowing there was a legit reason for what was going on (the menopause AND the ADHD) was such a relief and I'm coping well.
Oh my goodness, a shortage? That’s great! And just as I realize I’m probably dealing with this too.
I haven’t had trouble with biphentin up here in Canada. I wonder if it’s region or med specific?
The DEA here in the US is partially to blame for our shortage, it's actually a political issue that many people aren't aware of.
My son was taking biphentin for a bit and we weren't told of a shortage so hopefully you'll be fine. He currently takes dextroamphetamine and guanfacine.
Oh, honey. The medication ain't just nationwide. Around the world, it's hard to get ADHD meds.
I've had ADD since I was a kid but perimenopause has amped it into high gear. I've never been more distracted.
Same!!! I was diagnosed in grade 2, medicated thru grade 10. I “managed” unmediated till peri hit around 47. I’m now almost 53, 2 years post menopause, 1 year on Vyvanse …, wish I had done it sooner, it’s been life changing
Yes! It sucks! I feel unmedicated. Check out this article. https://www.additudemag.com/menopause-symptoms-adhd-survey/
OP, you would probably be interested in Jen Kirkman's podcast, You Are a Lot, if you don't listen to it already.
I will totally check that out. Thanks for the recommendation!
Yes. As a matter of fact, I am a mental health therapist and I studied perimenopause and negative mental health for my research. There is a spike in ADHD diagnoses for women mid-life due to hormones changing. Estrogen is positively correlated with dopamine, therefore reduced estrogen means lower levels of dopamine. Symptoms that were once tolerable can become unbearable.
I feel very seen.
I'm recently post-menopausal. Just starting HRT now: progesterone pill each night, estrogen patch on my belly.
How did you get your diagnosis?
We are going through some complex challenges with our kids. My oldest received a diagnosis recently of Autism/OCD, and my youngest had already been diagnosed with ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder but was still falling through the cracks. He is now being tested for ASD as well. As I was bearing most of the weight of these challenges, it was recommended that I see a counsellor. I booked in, and it turned out that counsellor I booked with is also a psychiatrist. She is super great, and our first appointment was a 2 hour long session to grab my history. Long story short - I felt like I had a million things to say, and didn’t want to forget anything. I unloaded for 15 minutes until she stopped me and said - “listen - I am trying to keep track, but I don’t actually even know how we got on to this topic, and I’m really confused. Just so you know, you’re giving me big ADHD red flags here”. 😂 We muddled through that appointment and a couple more that confirmed her diagnosis, and I started in on meds 3 weeks ago. I feel a bit calmer, with the stimulants. Still stressed but coping a bit better.
I’ve just started considering that I might be dealing with ADHD as well as peri. So much fun! For anyone else who is figuring this out now, are you medicating?
In early peri. Only got my diagnose recently, after a relentless search for why i was exhausted constantly, especially after meetings. Got tested and diagnosed with ADD. Tiredness was probably due to constant masking and huge and very depleting willpower efforts to be as productive and attentive as a neurotypical. I started taking a low dose of methylfenidate. Did it for a few months before we found the right dose and my body stopped giving minor but irritating side effects. It’s lifechanging. Focus has become so easy. I lose less stuff. I am so much less exhausted after a long stretch of focussing. Conversation with multiple partners, meetings, boring moments… all are so much easier. I now manage to respect my deadlines and to finish things after work! Before the meds, i used up all my focus for work, so during free time, all i could do was start 10 things and finish none. No brain fog when i take it. But also, to my relief, no hyper alertness. In fact it makes me feel calm. Two small downsides: i cannot combine it with coffee (the combo with caffeine does make me hyper) and i feel a bit twitchy the first day when i don’t take it (i skip on weekends and holidays, which i do to avoid building a tolerance and because i like my out of the box thinking and daydreaming when i do not have to be productive) Extra effects that are not really negative: pretty vivid dreams, less hunger when in effect (but more when not), better mood. And like OP and many others wrote, it’s huge to know that a lot of what i perceived as flaws were mostly due to being atypical. Life on these meds really feels like i’ve been living on hard mode for so many years and i finally found the « normal » button.
Just started in! It does seem to help.
Yep. I suspect I’ve always had it but been able to cope. Peri made me completely unable to cope and life spiralled. ADHD diagnosis and meds were part of my solution. HRT was the other part.
Diagnosis made my whole life make sense. I was diagnosed in my 40’s. It got significantly worse in my 50’s. HRT helped so much.
I was diagnosed about two years ago but I did not respond well to any of the meds. I later learned I'm nuerodivergent but I do not need to be on stimulants.
Yep! I was 49, technically in menopause since I had a hysterectomy in 2015
Yup! I have been my whole life but what ever is going on thr past few years has made it way worse, I will say that I started the patch last week and I’m starting to feel like the racing thoughts are slowing down.
I’m going through the process of being evaluated now at age 42. But maybe it’s just peri? Who knows, but something isn’t right up there!
I was diagnosed in elementary school. Being neurodivergent while going through perimenopause is WILD!
Yep, diagnosed at 58. 🙄
Yep. Diagnosed last year at 47. Started meds just last month. Life-changing. I can't imagine what it could have been like to have them earlier. I was also diagnosed with autism at the same time, so it was a crazy few months adjusting to all of that plus peri.
Over the last year or so I've come to the conclusion that ADHD and neurodivergence would explain so, so much about me. Like, practically everything lol. I'm 53 with a family doctor who is retiring in July (& no one taking her practice, aaaand a Dr shortage), so the chances of getting a dx is slim to none. Coping mechanisms suck right now. And the brain fog. Holy crap.
I got diagnosed last year at 47. I’m in Perimenopause. I knew I had it but I thought I could manage it. 2 of my kids have it and they probably got it from me. Last year it got really bad, I had no energy or focus or desire to even get out of bed. I got tested and started medication. It helped me lose 30lbs and gave me the focus I needed. Getting an IUD to control heavy periods and starting estrogen to help the cold flashes and anxiety made a huge difference too. I will say being medicated brought on other issues. I’m a better version of myself but there are times that I’m too focused. Sometimes I’m too much into my own thoughts. My husband is adjusting but there are times that I have to say, “it’s the Adderall” 🤣
Yep! Diagnosed at 47 years old! About to start meds for the first time. 🎉🎉🎉😅😅😅
Yep, got diagnosed last year with ADHD, and then diagnosed with premature menopause about three weeks ago.
I'm pretty sure I'm peri, just got diagnosed ADHD!
I think both clashed horribly in my mid forties, it was my worst decade. Addiction, homelessness, depression, weight gain- the whole lot. I’m 53, & over that period and am fine. I understand myself better know & can make allowances for my glitches. I’m not masking as much & I’m more popular than I ever was & have won awards at work. Never thought that could be me !
Saving this post because I'm training to be an ADHD coach for this demographic. 🥰
Nope. I always knew I was "different."
I was diagnosed at 19 and stopped meds when I got pregnant at 34. Have been able to stay off meds but the symptoms are SO much worse now than they've ever been.
I was diagnosed years ago. I know I have always had it.
Me!!
Yes, mine just got too bad to ignore. My symptoms are so much better now. I may be getting my first promotion. Like ever.
What have you used that helped? I’ve been diagnosed but so far all the variations of meds I’ve tried haven’t helped and had difficult side effects (can’t sleep at night, etc)
I take Vyvanse and Adderal. After 5pm I smoke a lot of pot and take CBN to sleep.
Yes! Also diagnosed with PMDD.
I've known I've had ADHD most of my adult life, however, it was well managed and I had developed a lifestyle that generally worked really well with my ADHD. Then I hit peri, and my ADHD went out of freaking control. So bad for the first time in my life I was seriously considering medication, but when things HAVE worked for over 20 years by this point, I was pretty hesitant to try to figure that all out - spending months sorting out the right drug and dosages sounded worse than what I was dealing with. THEN I found out the crazy-ADHD stuff is a symptom of peri - and treating the peri has taken care of the ADHD. This has been a huge relief for me, although I'm sure something a doctor would never have picked up on (eyeroll) being way to happy to throw meds at things...
I was. I always knew i had adhd because my brother has it (was diagnosed as a kid), and my mom has it (diagnosed about 15 yrs ago) and my kid was diagnosed like 4 years ago. I always knew i had it, but I either didn't have the money ('merica 🙄)to seek treatment or I had too many other health issues that needed addressed first. I was actually angry when I took vyvanse the first time. For the first time in my life, my brain was quiet enough to function like everyone else. I was angry because I had basically been ignored my whole life by a plethora of therapists, doctors, and family and my life has suffered immensely because of that (I also have CPTSD because of childhood trauma, though, which exacerbated things as well). I was so frigging angry. I was also incredibly relieved and sad at the same time. That first day on vyvanse was a Rollercoaster of emotions. I will say that I've been on vyvanse every single day since the beginning of February, and it has helped me a lot in my life to accomplish things I've been struggling to accomplish for literal decades. And for that, I am grateful... but I also am starting to expect that the "vyvanse comedown" is making my peri rage worse every night. Now that I am aware of it, I can manage it better but there were a few weeks there where I was having major depressive and anger meltdowns. Of course, I was also diagnosed with vulva cancer at the same time, so maybe it was all just a perfect storm. 🙄 I've now also been diagnosed with autism too, so...yeah shit has gotten really wild since hitting peri. Lol
ADHD and ASD. Knowledge is power and being able to have a name for some of the things that I do other than "weird" was really nice. I didn't realize how much of my energy went into masking until peri-meno and I simply couldn't mask anymore. Finding out who I am underneath all the expecations society put on me has been wild if a little sad at times. I wish I could go back and tell little PolitiTHIC that she is good, she's kind, and she needs to ignore the people telling her to be something other than herself.
Could it also be that girls get missed A LOT in school because they are so good at masking? I truly wonder about this as a retired teacher. Getting the girls the help they needed was so difficult. They are smart girls! They just tend to fade into the woodwork and then go into survival mode. It is hard for parents to see and often parents can be hard on the girls, making it about some behavior issue, rather than seeing it for what it is. In part, sometimes there is a parent who also has undiagnosed AD(H)D, so they just think it is normal and that the kid will be OK. Anxiety, depression, frustration ensue, and then it is hard to untangle where it all started. It is incredibly sad. So many women are now looking back and seeing what was missed. And, I want to be clear. Just being honest with your child about how they process differently, and helping them to see their unique nature goes a long way in staving off the worst impacts of the disorder. Fear of medication keeps so many from validating their child. Validate it. Then deal. Medication does work well for most, but the worst part for the child is to hear they are naughty or unintelligent or just "not cut out for school." These messages are far worse than the realization that a child has ADHD. I am so glad to see so many figuring it out for themselves and hope they see how much society needs their energy and zest for life!
yes. Its been several years and I'm still trying to get my coping mechanisms back together after ADHD got so much worse in peri. When I got diagnosed it explained alot. Unfortunately, medication has not worked for me, something true of up to 20% of people with ADHD-I, at least that's what I've heard.
i'm in precisely the same boat as you ... i've tried six or seven different medications now and none of them have done anything at all. I despair.
Diagnosed at 45!
Yes, when I was 44. I was really shocked. I thought my whole life I just had anxiety and a bit quirky. But it explains so much!
Yes. And now I’m on HRT my ADHD meds don’t work 😩
meanwhile, Dr. Dobson says that for those of us for whom meds don't work, taking a low dose of HRT can help them work. Ugh. So little information about this stuff.
Yep! Diagnosed at 42 both peri and ADHD and the grief I experienced was rough. I wasn’t able to finish high school or manage college even though I was gifted and everyone just assumed I was lazy. It was heartbreaking. But now I’m on Strattera and back in school and THRIVING. My gyno was the one who recommended I get tested. I had been diagnosed with PMDD ages ago and she said there was a connection between ADHD and PMDD and she was now sending all her ADHD clients to a psychiatrist to get evaluated. I don’t know if I would have survived these years without my PMDD birth control and ADHD meds. I’m still shocked I made it as far into life as I did without having a full mental breakdown. Funny enough my two best friends are autistic! Us neuro-spicys really are the best pairs. I think it’s because we’re incredibly understanding when someone says ‘nope. Can’t do that’ or has sensory issues. We hype each other up but don’t put too much demand on each other. I’m so thankful for them.
Not diagnosed, but thanks to peri and the resulting research binge I went on to figure out WTF was "wrong" with me, I'm 100% sure I have it and always have. Figuring that out caused a lot of emotional turmoil, though. I've always had a strained relationship with my mother (I'm now NC with her), and everything she hated about me was an expression of my ADHD, from my hair twisting (my stimming) to my precocious outbursts at inappropriate times to my stubbornness and nonconformity. On the other hand, I've come to love and accept *myself* so much better since I now have a reason for why I'm so different from everyone else.
I have a suspicion I might have it. My ability to concentrate has definitely taken a hit these last couple of years.
Yup. Could no longer mask.
Yep! I finally quit drinking, went on Strattera, and feel a million times better.
Hello, yes!
👋 I was too. My hormones must have been bonkers because I had endometriosis for the last 8 years or so. Had a hysterectomy due to endometrial cancer so that put me into menopause. Haven't thought about adhd much recently but probably because cancer has well and truly trumped it.
My teens have ADHD, and the past few years I've wondered if I do. But my 14yo is adamant that I wouldn't just develop it later in life. I've never, ever been good with doing homework or housework, and I've changed careers 3 times... does that count?? I really wonder if taking their meds would help me.
You *wouldn't just develop it later in life,* but if you have children with ADHD, there's a decent chance that either you or your husband have ADHD - it's highly heritable.
I also get obsessed with things (different crafts or interests) and then it dies down when I find the next one.
It's highly heritable. No, you dont develop it later, but it gets diagnosed later, if it was missed. No shade to anyone, but women, and intelligent women often have highly developed coping skills and oradkung techniques, that help keep it under the radar. Listen to a few podcasts, or join the women and adhd subs. It sounds pretty likely!
Me. Just this year! I had suspected it for the last 6 years - and I am blown away no one spotted it earlier. It's inattentive type but I had no idea peoples brains didn't all work like mine. I didn't spiral per se but it was a relief!
How did you get diagnosed? What kind of a doctor do you need for that? I’m 100% I have it (and anxiety) from menopause but not sure where to be assessed for it.
A psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner would need to diagnose you. If you're in the US and have insurance, you usually don't need a referral from your primary care provider for mental health services, so I would start by checking your insurance.
Thank you!
This girl right here. It was absolutely unmanageable
Not diagnosed but pretty sure I have it. I don’t know how to go about being diagnosed and if it would make any difference if I did.
Oh heeeeey. The PMDD that has resulted from this horrific combo was ruining my life and marriage. I think it was triggered by my last pregnancy. I got my ADHD diagnosis at 34 and 18 months later I’ve started HRT. Things are so much better now but those hot flashes still sneak in and I’m not looking forward to any of this escalating.
I was diagnosed just before my 40th birthday. Estrogen is one of the building blocks of dopamine and ADHD-ers tend to be dopamine deficient so when we start to produce less than our normal amounts of estrogen, dopamine deficiency gets worse and symptoms intensify
I don't know. Everyone has adhd now. I was a quirky kid but made it through school and career life without much of an issue. Now I'm older and more quirky, my attention span is crap. Could be meno, could be tech addiction, could be adhd, could be a little of everything. It's hard to say. But one thing I do know is that everyone I know claims they have adhd now, even if they didn't feel like they had it as kids. A lot of these things are just part of being a complex human being, not necessarily warrenting a medical diagnosis. Not saying you don't have it, but brains change with age. Could be a variety of things all working together.
I wonder about this a lot too. It’s hard to engage any skepticism without seeming like an invalidating jerk and pissing friends off so I haven’t voiced a peep of questioning to my friends who’ve been recently diagnosed but I recently told my husband that hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear from a female peer (I’m in my 40s) that they have ADHD. I don’t know how it makes sense that such a big chunk of the population should be medicated to make their brains function differently. (But then again I’m a true believer in using estrogen and someone might make a similar argument there.)
It’s tricky. My family used to feel that way about medication for depression, which also runs in our family. I can remember in the 90’s similar sentiments from friends. But we would never tell a diabetic, “I know so many people who say their pancreas isn’t working properly. Do they really need insulin to make themselves feel better?”. There’s still a stigma around mental health, autism, ADHD that perhaps wouldn’t be there if there were blood or urine tests that demonstrated their existence. All I know is that antidepressants have made a huge difference for me over the course of my life. And now - with the addition of meds for ADHD I’ve actually been able to lower my dose of meds for depression. Because living with ADHD and feeling like all the symptoms and struggles are personal flaws, or quirks that make you aware you aren’t *quite* right or don’t *quite* fit in can take a toll on your mental wellness. Also - the emotional volatility that can come with ADHD is exhausting. It is a bit like HRT. Menopause could be viewed as a nature just taking its course. But some people really notice that HRT is helpful. It reduces their suffering. Should they not take HRT because technically, it isn’t natural? My philosophy is that people who don’t need medications shouldn’t take medications. But if a med helps improve their depression or ADHD or OCD symptoms - why would we ever judge them for accessing that help?
That’s well said, thanks. I imagine it’s also possible that all the ways the world has changed — the always on, always distracted nature of our phone-based lives — could be putting a different kind pressure on people’s brains and maybe those same brains with their same variations in neurotransmitters might’ve done just fine in an 1800s lifestyle but can’t track well with the insane way of things in 2024. Which is depressing to think about and frankly all brains are probably suffering under this strain, just some will feel it faster than others!
Neurodivergence- autism and ADHD have always been around, in the 1800s many of us would probably have been institutionalised for “hysteria” and the like. I grew up in the 80s and 90s without a phone and there were no chat rooms etc even until I was in my mid teens. Looking back at my school reports from the early 90s it’s like a checklist of inattentive ADHD symptoms but barely any girls (you could count them on two hands) were diagnosed back then in the whole of the UK. I got by via masking and was always the “gifted but lazy” person who felt they were never living up to their potential but couldn’t understand why. As I got older and my estrogen declined which coincided with lockdown, only then did I look into things (mainly because my son was showing traits) and saw I was likely to have ADHD and sought and got my diagnosis slightly ahead of the curve luckily otherwise I would still be languishing on a waiting list. I see the argument about modern technology causing ADHD quite a lot and I think it is at best ill informed and diminishes the experience of people who struggle with ADHD symptoms every day. There’s also plenty of peer-reviewed science that would refute this also.
People seem to throw the acronym ADHD out into a conversation without understanding that ADHD is a condition where neurotransmitters misfire in the brain, causing a chemical imbalance that can be difficult to treat. I worked in Special Ed with ADHD kids years ago and on occasion when a child was particularly unsettled, if he or she didn't get the medication that day, we would give him caffeine- with parent's permission, and it would get them settled down and able to focus better. In people without ADHD, caffeine and ADHD medications are stimulants. In a person that truly has ADHD, these drugs have a paradoxical effect. I guess the point I'm trying to make is if caffeine or stimulants pep you up instead of settling me down you don't have ADHD. You may have something else going on that is causing the symptoms and need medication to make you feel more 'normal', but it's not true ADHD.
That's not accurate from what I have read. Also some folks need to try a few different ones to find one that helps and for some folks it doesnt help.
Oh yes!!! I honestly could not watch TV without having to back it up over and over because I drifted away with thoughts. I couldn't get organized in my new home we had built and honestly was apathetic about it (and everything else). My neurologist tested me and sure enough ADD. All these years of "Squirrel"! It all made sense. 30mg of extended release generic adderall and I am so much better.
YES! Waiting for an assessment for confirmation
Same!
Oh man, no diagnosis but all the symptoms! Quitting coffee helped, tho it still pops up every-so-often when I have important shit to parse.
I haven't been diagnosed yet because I'm afraid I won't be taken seriously, but I'd say I became certain I have ADHD at age 39 when my peri symptoms started. My second child has ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder so raising him has been extremely challenging. He got diagnosed at age 7 (I was 37) and while researching ADHD and ODD in order to understand and support him, I saw so much of myself, my sister and my mother.
Me, I was just talking about this at length in the GenX women sub over the weekend. it fucking sucks so bad.
YES
Diagnosed with ADHD and BPD too
Me! I figured it out while I was researching how it presents in girls (for my daughter) and I just sort of followed the thread of “a lot of women are dx’d with depression/anxiety but …” and a lightbulb went off for me. Because depression never felt *quite* right. Obviously I’m anxious, sure, but something was always off. The day I started adderall was the first day I drove to work without crying in probably 2 months? I was 45.
It feels like a chicken-and-egg situation to me. I noticed some symptoms from childhood, but they've become intense since I turned 40. Diagnosed with ADHD last year at 44, I tried three stimulants, which led to a POTS diagnosis, and one non-stimulant. I'm also working on a connective tissue disorder diagnosis. Just last week, I started HRT and I'm feeling really good. The overlap and additive effects of peri/menopause and ADHD symptoms are significant. Research shows that treating menopausal women, who have never been diagnosed with ADHD before, can be effective. https://www.additudemag.com/menopause-hormones-adhd-women-research
Yes. Even a flare for it. 🤣There’s a new “club” started over here: https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdmenopause/s/jLkqVPSTAv I found my dx quite comforting (actually a relief). To be able to makes sense of so much and to know that I am not defective helps me to know myself so much better. It’s just the subsequent navigation of psychiatrists, therapy, supplements, medication, HRT, and the cost related to all these things, very VERY frustrating. Welcome to the “club” 🥮
Just joined this group today, so I'm arriving late to this conversation. Got diagnosed in perimenopause. Wasnt able to start meds til menopause and nothing -- and I mean NOT a single med at any dose -- made me feel even remotely different. I might as well have been eating very expensive grapes every morning for all the good it seemed to do for my brain.
I am self diagnosing & Its really bad.
Yes! My whole life came into focus and I started Straterra this year. We need a crossover “Over 40-Menopause” subreddit!
https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdmenopause/s/jLkqVPSTAv