Danielle Elliott

My questions about ADHD and perimenopause fit into a bigger category, ADHD and hormones. And I'm not even slightly the only person asking about them. Women have posted all sorts of stories and questions about ADHD and hormones on Reddit. Allow me to read you one of those posts.

Hey y'all, I just got back from a session with my psychiatrist, and she shared with me something that's kind of blown my mind. Apparently, that's in all caps, girl hormones throw all sorts of wrenches into ADHD and ADHD medication. After that conversation with her psychiatrist, the woman started tracking her symptoms alongside her menstrual cycles. She noticed, It's like clockwork.

Hey y'all, I just got back from a session with my psychiatrist, and she shared with me something that's kind of blown my mind. Apparently, that's in all caps, girl hormones throw all sorts of wrenches into ADHD and ADHD medication. After that conversation with her psychiatrist, the woman started tracking her symptoms alongside her menstrual cycles. She noticed, It's like clockwork.

The post is from four years ago. Back then, it was filed under the hashtag Tips and Techniques. Today, there's an entire category on Reddit called ADHD and hormone-related issues.

The post is from four years ago. Back then, it was filed under the hashtag Tips and Techniques. Today, there's an entire category on Reddit called ADHD and hormone-related issues.

Women write about having increased cognitive difficulties, irritability, depression, rejection sensitivity, and other symptoms, usually during the second half of their menstrual cycles, during postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause. One woman said her ADHD eased when she became pregnant and then became unmanageable when she stopped breastfeeding.

Women write about having increased cognitive difficulties, irritability, depression, rejection sensitivity, and other symptoms, usually during the second half of their menstrual cycles, during postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause. One woman said her ADHD eased when she became pregnant and then became unmanageable when she stopped breastfeeding.

Another said she thought she had her ADHD handled until she hit perimenopause. She wrote, In yet another post, a woman said she is fairly certain she has ADHD, but her doctor can't diagnose her. Her symptoms came on during menopause, and according to the DSM, symptoms must start by the time a person turns 12. Her doctor is following that guideline.

Another said she thought she had her ADHD handled until she hit perimenopause. She wrote, In yet another post, a woman said she is fairly certain she has ADHD, but her doctor can't diagnose her. Her symptoms came on during menopause, and according to the DSM, symptoms must start by the time a person turns 12. Her doctor is following that guideline.

Reading this brought me back to my earlier question. Is it possible to develop ADHD later in life? The women writing these posts are frustrated. The author of the first one captured the feeling well. She wrote, so at least I know why these issues are happening and that's kind of a relief. I'm not broken. I'm not not trying hard enough. I'm not a mutant. Why doctors didn't tell me this before now?

Reading this brought me back to my earlier question. Is it possible to develop ADHD later in life? The women writing these posts are frustrated. The author of the first one captured the feeling well. She wrote, so at least I know why these issues are happening and that's kind of a relief. I'm not broken. I'm not not trying hard enough. I'm not a mutant. Why doctors didn't tell me this before now?

No effing clue. The questions and frustrations are not exactly new. Sari Solden told me women have been asking them for decades. But the rise in diagnosis means many more women are asking about hormones and ADHD. Most of them want to know how to adjust treatment to account for these hormonal swings. Doctors and scientists don't have solid answers. At least, not yet.

No effing clue. The questions and frustrations are not exactly new. Sari Solden told me women have been asking them for decades. But the rise in diagnosis means many more women are asking about hormones and ADHD. Most of them want to know how to adjust treatment to account for these hormonal swings. Doctors and scientists don't have solid answers. At least, not yet.

On this final episode, I'm going to let you hear from a few researchers. We're going to talk a lot about hormones and why we don't yet understand, scientifically, how those hormones affect women with ADHD. or whether it's possible to develop ADHD after the age of 12.

On this final episode, I'm going to let you hear from a few researchers. We're going to talk a lot about hormones and why we don't yet understand, scientifically, how those hormones affect women with ADHD. or whether it's possible to develop ADHD after the age of 12.

We're going to hear what treatment might look like in the future, if, and that's a big if, if scientists and the agencies that fund scientific research choose to prioritize the needs of adult women with ADHD. This is Climbing the Walls, a podcast where I try to figure out why so many women are being diagnosed with ADHD. I'm Danielle Elliott. Let's go back in time just a little bit.

We're going to hear what treatment might look like in the future, if, and that's a big if, if scientists and the agencies that fund scientific research choose to prioritize the needs of adult women with ADHD. This is Climbing the Walls, a podcast where I try to figure out why so many women are being diagnosed with ADHD. I'm Danielle Elliott. Let's go back in time just a little bit.

For most of medical history, clinical research operated under the false assumption that if you study men, the findings will pertain to women. In 1986, the NIH issued a new policy encouraging scientists to include women in research studies. Things started to change in 1991, when a woman named Bernadine Healy became the first female NIH director.

For most of medical history, clinical research operated under the false assumption that if you study men, the findings will pertain to women. In 1986, the NIH issued a new policy encouraging scientists to include women in research studies. Things started to change in 1991, when a woman named Bernadine Healy became the first female NIH director.

Two weeks into her tenure, Dr. Healy launched the Women's Health Initiative. Over the next 15 years, the initiative enrolled more than 150,000 postmenopausal women in clinical trials. The initiative is the reason we know about long-term risks associated with hormone replacement therapies, especially when used by postmenopausal women.