Originally Posted by Goldilocks (Post 260498)

YES!!! I just figured out that connection! It took me 2 years to figure it out. The only reason I finally did is because I'm taking my 2nd psychology class in college. I'm 40, diagnosed in 2004. I've done so well. Straight A's, responsible, I can follow through, make appointments on time & can manage my emotions much better. But every 23 days I take extra medication because I'm feeling so out of whack. I have classes to attend, work, homework & was under pressure. I began to think that maybe I was abusing the meds because I was 1 week short every month because I needed the extra help. Finally last week I was so distraught over it that I went into my doctor's office crying & said I was quitting the meds because I was too irresponsible to take it & maybe I was just a drug addict after all! Thank God he knew better. My boyfriend pointed it out to me a long time ago but I just sluffed it off, like what does he know? My sister mentioned it again about 6 months ago, again I ignored it. My psychology teacher pointed it out & with my new knowledge of the brain & neurotransmitters all of the sudden it clicked! I was so relieved to find out what the problem was. My doctor is making accommodations for me in my daily schedule until we can pin point which hormone/neurotransmitter is the culprit, if we can. When I start my period for the next 3 months I will go to get my blood drawn for hormone level checks to see if we can discover the problem. Yes, Adderall XR is ineffective 2 days before and during my period. Absolutely! Thank God I'm not the only one! Thank you so much for posting that. You confirmed it for me.

Originally Posted by purple pal (Post 39749)

Has anyone found a correlation between their ADD/ADHD symptoms and where you are in your cycle? For me, it seems like the medication doesn't work as well right before my period starts. Thoughts? Experiences? Insight?

purple pal

Originally Posted by theadhdwarrior (Post 511223)

I think this is one of the most overlooked factors in medication treatments for ADHD and related disorders. We often think of drug-drug, drug-food, or drug-environment interactions, but often neglect to consider important drug-hormonal interactions. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot of research on these effects, at least at the moment.

Estrogen and progesterone fluctuations seem to have a big impact on medications, especially amphetamine or amphetamine-like stimulants.

In general, higher estrogen levels seem to increase the effects of amphetamines, while high progesterone levels seem to counteract this effect and decrease the effects of these stimulants.

During the follicular phase (pre-ovulation), a higher estrogen to progesterone ratio often results in more pronounced effects of stimulants such as amphetamines (a more pronounced effect or "high" can typically be seen during this stage), while during the luteal (post-ovulation) phase of the menstrual cycle, where progesterone levels are typically higher, these "euphoric" feelings associated with amphetamine-based ADHD treatments typically subside.

This could indicate that for women with ADHD who are taking stimulant meds (especially of the Adderall, Dexedrine and Vyvanse varieties of amphetamine-based treatments) may benefit from slightly higher doses of drugs during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (when progesterone is higher relative to estrogen), while requiring slightly lower levels of medication to get the same effects during the relatively high estrogen boosts of the follicular phase.