Re: Menopause and ADHD: Worsen with age?

[Anonymous]

Friends had joked for years that I was ADD but I had never been diagnosed. I did okay in school, and was on the presidents list in college. The only subject that I never did well in was math and I was diagnosed with an LD in math in college. I went on to teach for 6 years and then had my own business for two and a half years. I got married at 37 and the next summer my life fell apart.

I started suffering from random health issues, I became extremely anxious and withdrawn because the negative thoughts I was having were constantly tearing me apart. I have never had the greatest self-esteem but I had always been able to reassure myself with positive thoughts and remember my successes. Most of my health symptoms pointed to my thyroid but my doctor dismissed them based on my negative self-image and anxiety and she put me on an antidepressant. Soon after, I started falling asleep at red lights and while driving. It was then that I found out that I had become extremely sensitive to medications.

I did go to a psychiatrist as the doctor ordered. But luckily this doctor did listen to me and didn’t think I was depressed. She did however, diagnose me with ADD. She also believed that there was something medically wrong. Something was destroying the coping skills I had unknowingly developed that had kept my ADD under the radar all these years. A few months later, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and a soon after that with perimenopause. Three years into my marriage…and we find out we can’t have children.

My doctor had dismissed my “ailments” as all in my head for over a year! I haven’t been back to her since. Sorry to vent! But it is frustrating and depressing. I was told by my OBGYN that perimenopause, especially early onset, can cause symptoms to be more severe. I have also had sinusitis since August and had to stop taking Singular because I was too sensitive to it as well, they put me on the children’s Nasonex too. Pretty much, I take half the dosage on all meds now…and I can’t take Savella for my fibro at all. My fatigue and “brain fog” are ridiculous and I also have insomnia from the anxiety)! I have started taking melatonin and that has helped a great deal. I am hoping that I can find more answers from this website…I am new to all of this as well!

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