This is the first time I have registered with a site to post on adhd. I felt compelled to do so here because I have the same problem as what is being discussed in this thread. It seems that my med (concerta) is completely inaffective during the first few days of my menstral cycle. It is very difficult to focus and to accomplish tasks.
There is defiantly something occuring hormonally. I would love to see this researched by medical professionals.

Thanks all! I found this forum while googling my hypothesis about why I might be back down to *zero* in terms of focus today (first full day of period, was OK even most of yesterday I think). Very curious what the mechanisms are, whether we might find ways of anticipating the cycle and nipping it in the bud.

At least, in the meantime, it saves me some sanity to have a thought other than "for no reason it's as if my med does nothing today". It allows me not to despair that I'll be stuck in this pit for the forseeable future. LOL.

-Persona

thank you so much for proving that I am not crazy or alone. All of you have pretty much described how I have felt today- it's like I didn't take anything. I struggled through work and school and that had not been the case. I was only recently diagnosed and given the Adderoll and right away my focus and everything improved. I've been on antidepressants and anxiety drugs for years and now wonder if all I needed was to be acknowledged as an adult ADHD sufferer. But since I only started my prescription about 2 weeks ago when I emailed my doctor that I was completely out of whack and wondered if I should take more he says we'll talk about it next visit. I'll tell you I'm probably in for a week of tough days since he doesn't want to help me until then.

I'm just so grateful to not be alone because I felt almost unhinged today and kept making foolish mistakes at work. I'm telling you, it was embarrassing how out of it I was.

So printing out all your comments to prove to him I'm not alone and that maybe if he lived through what we are going through he'd understand!

Thanks so much!

FINALLY i have realised that I am not completely losing the plot. I am half way through being assessed for adult adhd (my 7 yr old is already diagnosed)
Every time I start my period I feel like a coiled spring or a jack in the box ready to explode.
I am not yet on any medication and finding it really hard to cope every time I have a period. At least I am not the only one x

Glad to see I'm not alone. I've noticed that my adderall starts to lose efficiency around a week before and is pretty much 100% ineffective by day 1 of my menstrual cycle. Starts to vamp back up again after the first day. Not to mention, my appetite is insane during that week! Adderall somewhat dulls my appetite but the week before my period, it's like all I can think about is food.

I take 50 mg XR per day (yes I realize it's an unusually large dose but it was ineffective at 20 and at around 30-40, I got all of these strange symptoms so my psychiatrist and I agreed on 50 as the best dose) but I'm wondering if I should start increasing my dosage around the time of my period from here on out. Or even the dosage of my IR pills that I take during the evening. Usually I take 30 mg IR. Would this be a bad idea? I'm just starting to get a little desperate here :-/