The Forums › Forums › Ask The Community › ADHD; Female, hormonal, and pooped! › Re: ADHD; Female, hormonal, and pooped!
I started the “fun” of peri-menopause a few years ago, at age 37, after never having had any children. Suddenly, I found that PMS was an issue for me. Then I found out, just this past spring, that (surprise!) I have ADHD.
Since then, I’ve learned that hormone fluctuations, even the monthly ones that cause PMS, have a huge impact on the symptoms of any mental condition. And the fluctuations during peri-menopause and menopause are dramatic.
The Centre for Menstrual Cycle & Ovulation Research (CeMCOR) at UBC has heaps of information on women’s reproductive health, including hormone fluctuations and therapies. You should be able to find some answers there. http://www.cemcor.ubc.ca/
Also, you may be experiencing symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression that kicks in when the days get shorter and the sunlight less intense. Do you have any history of feeling gloomy and tired in fall and winter? If you do, then maybe a full-spectrum lightbox would help. My psych says that exposure to it has been proven effective in reducing the symptoms of both SAD and ADHD. These lightboxes are around $200 each, but they aren’t all created equal, so if you decide to go with one, do your homework first.
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