Relationship of low hormones to ADHD symptoms?

[Anonymous]

I recently was told I have very low testosterone levels. This may have been going on for 10 plus years. The symptoms are wide ranging and are said to involve almost every aspect of a mans well being and such, even down to attention and ability to follow through in a way.

I’d like to hear if anyone has this problem or is in HRT for it. Since my marriage has been affected by almost every aspect of the reported symptoms – I’m looking for evidence in this area?

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[Anonymous]

Has this board gone pretty idle — or am I just in the wrong thread!? Anybody out there????

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[Philabuster]

I am on HRT since 4/2008–(37 y/o male). I felt better about a month after taking it. The biggest indicator for me was I was loosing my leg hair on my calves. I went to the doc and was like WTF? I thought I had thyroid problems. Nope. Low testosterone. Leg hair grew back. Sex drive also came back.

It did not seem to have any effect on my ADD issues though. I started taking Ritalin about a month ago and that helps a lot.

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[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply. Since relationships erode from just ADHD — I know in my case that the desire and drive have been a long way from OK. After about 1 week on HRT — I am feeling way way better. Less anxiety and the drive is coming back. I am able to exercise at a normal (for me) level and without exessive pain or stiffness… I am pretty happy about it so far. I go in tomorrow for a checkup and I assume a 2nd T test. Thanks for chiming in Phila! I never had a lot of body hair, but maybe now I can shave my teams logo on my back …. ROFL — just kidding… thanks again!

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[Anonymous]

I have now been on HRT for about 5 weeks and well — yipppeeeee! I have a return of libido, so much so that I am both laughing and somewhat shocked. In a good way though. Aches and pains overall are much better, I am able to excersize regularly and feel improvement instead of just being beat up more. Where I used to take days to recover from any sort of work out however intense or not, now it only takes a day or two. My ADHD still drives me to overdue, but I am pacing that. Oh – and self confidence and a huge lessening of anxiety and depression. Wow. I am pissed at my Doctor because I asked about testing years ago and always got ignored. All my symptoms were right off the classic low-T survey. I understand how health professionals miss this, as it masks itself so much as other common ailments. HRT also has risks for some. I’ve always lived my life believing that a shorter time with more success is better than dragging on and on with helplessness, depression and fear. I have a couple of the risk factors they mention, but I’d rather be a happy, calm and desirable (and desire my DW) than go on a few years more in the pits of despair I felt I was in. My mother always said she didn’t want to dwindle away as an invalid or unable to take care of basic personal needs… and personal needs can be as basic as libido, self confidence and serenity. So — they can take away my T-meds when they can pull them from my cold dead hands… I like that macho statement —- hoo-rah… (easy boy)…. I’ll stop now — if anyone is listening, please return to taking good care of yourself now.

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[Saffron]

“So — they can take away my T-meds when they can pull them from my cold dead hands.”

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*Grinning* Dude, I feel you! And yes, it really is all about quality of life in the end, isn’t it? It’s uplifting and validating to read about the answers you’ve found and the life-changing improvement you’re experiencing. (We just exchanged posts on a related thread.) I know about the syndrome you had simply from the reading I did while trying to find answers for my anhedonia.

It was when I experienced the shock of spontaneous galactorrhea that I realized something had been driving my prolactin up (and when prolactin is elevated, dopamine goes down). I *do* have a past thyroid problem (Hashimoto’s)—but my TSH has continued to test within normal range. What did show up was extremely low iron stores (ferritin), which is also known to have an inverse relationship with prolactin.

Now I take an effective dosage of iron, have tapered down to just a few sprinkled grains of the SSRI (soon to be none at all), and I use the Wellbutrin with my Concerta.

And I too can hear the band playing again.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Women’s monthly roller-coaster ride of hormones often causes ADHD symptoms to worsen towards the end of the cycle. I know that I need to take a higher dose of Concerta during my PMS week.

That roller-coaster ride gets even wilder during peri-menopause (where I am now) and menopause. I know that my symptoms (only diagnosed last year) do seem more severe than they were before. Or that may be partly because I’m more aware of them since the diagnosis.

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[Anonymous]

I saw a talk show once where the guest Doctor (a women even 😯 ) said that PMS for men happens every 15 minutes because that was the cycle of the body for injecting testosterone into the blood… 😆 OMG!!! 🙄 I never really believed it was on par with you gals, or my DW! My wife has hypO-thyroid and also takes a pill to up the level of that, and low iron; but no ADD. From years (decades) of my untreated ADHD and hypOgonadism (that word creeps me out) our relationship is very damaged and she is moving to an apartment on Tuesday. I’ll post more in a marriage thread when I can stop shaking. I really appreciate the replies above and hope you see my ‘thank you’ soon. I’ve been lurking for too long!

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[Saffron]

Oh no, that doesn’t sound good at all. I’m really sorry to hear about the breakdown in your relationship. Don’t worry about replying to this, as you have enough going on.

You didn’t ask for advice, so please disregard if this isn’t helpful or relevant. But for what it’s worth, I can tell you (read: guarantee you; read: have also been there) that a woman who has been dealing with hypothyroidism (the effects of which often linger long after treatment is stabilized) *and* with chronic iron deficiency is experiencing an overwhelming need to minimize the demands placed on her energies and emotions.

It’s likely that, beyond the specific issues you two are having, she finds you cumulatively exhausting and viscerally needs a break. There’s a self-preservation aspect; her endocrine axis truly needs a rest from stress and demands. Do note that, when she’s had that rest, she’ll need to feel taken care of by her partner if she’s going to try again and stick with it.

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[Anonymous]

@Saffron — I always ask for advice, I get so much help from hearing about others experience. I really, really don’t want to be so unique that no one else can relate to me, or I to them. Thank you so much.

Your post talking about your hypothyroidsim helps me more than I can say. What she has said about why the move is occurring is spot on. She has said over and over this is temporary. That during this time she still wants a lot of interaction with me but she just needs a sabatical. I hope she will get the help she needs. We both need to have a lessening of or a need to feel released from those demands. I feel so much pressure to do the right thing, and patience is not a quality I’ve ever had. (Think ADHD has anything to do with this?)

We had a good heart to heart yesterday. I still don’t like the seperation for macho reasons (can’t protect you if your away), for my own selfish reasons that are many but not right, and deeper reasons far in the past. Many times this hard “space” in my prior relationships resulted in the termination of that and I can’t bear the thought now.

Anyway – I don’t know if you like country music but the lyrics from a Carrie Underwood song “Lessons Learned” is awesome. When it comes to the current state of our relationship this song pegs me like a dart in the bullseye. The many problems my untreated ADHD and hormone problem enabled are now in the past, things I said I wish I could retract, can never be — feeling remorse over my deeds is deep, but I need to move out of it and on to the solutions. I need to find a way to “Get Over it” (another song – Eagles), and she has said that this move may be the thing that will help her get over it too. That’s what it’s got to boil down to, is we get over it and live for today and plan for the future.

Last night we talked about a summer vacation event, which she has said is still an us/we event. That did a lot to calm me down — and other assurances that WE talked about. I pray this event in our lives will enrich us and help us both get over it and learn some lessons…

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[Anonymous]

A lot has happened since my last post. Much that shows me that I can’t blame everything I do on my ADHD, but it does control my actions. When those actions are un-moderated by the opportunity to think while NOT under stress. Sheesh.

The hormone roller coaster is smoothed out as I continue my HRT. I hope all men who have and are affected by thier ADHD at least have the good sense to take the Hormone Questionaire and honestly answer the questions to discover if maybe they too have a T-problem in addition to the ADHD problem. Symptoms are so compounded in this area. The T test is really inexpensive (as testing goes), and any doctor that denies you this test should be, well — let me just say FIND ANOTHER DOC!

I have had a tough 3 weeks since I last posted. But this thread is still relavent to me and my ADHD. I am fighting using some tools to manage my ADHD. Such as index cards to organize tasks and major projects. I’ve had it sitting there and just avoid it. Do I avoid these things because I am too comfortable in my innattention??? OMG.

This forum and others like it, are also a fantastic tool for me. I seem to be able to have several cognizant thouths and string together a few when writing. If I speak out loud, I can’t even put a sentance together at times, which frustrates those around me to be sure. I keep using these forums so I can come back later and read them and go — OH, that’s where I was or what I was thinking. Works for me!

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[Anonymous]

“That roller-coaster ride gets even wilder during peri-menopause (where I am now) and menopause. I know that my symptoms (only diagnosed last year) do seem more severe than they were before.”Larynxa

Larynxa, I too have started the peri-menopause process, and my symptoms that I had somewhat under control have come back with a vengence. It has been very un nerving and scary to see the drastic toll that it is taking on my thinking.

MT9er, I know that hormones control most things in our bodies, and seeing how it is affecting my symptoms, I would say it is definately affecting yours as well.

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[Anonymous]

I went to a CHADD meeting recently and one of the workshops was on women and ADHD. They said that lower estrogen causes ADHD symptoms to worsen both during monthly cycles, peri-menopause and menopause. Great! More brain fog to look forward to!

MT9er: Do you take meds for your ADHD? I’m not saying you should or shouldn’t… and I might have missed it. My computer screen is small and I have a hard time reading longer posts.

I feel so bad for you and your wife. I really hope that something can work out for the better.

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[Anonymous]

@PrettyInPink, at the risk of being scolded again by some people, Maca worked wonders for me and several people I know in eliminating perimenopausal and menopause symptoms. I prefer Whole World Botanicals myself; it’s available from different manufacturers. it’s a root which Peruvians consume as food; I take it in capsules. Peace out.

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[Anonymous]

I started menopause two years ago (or peri for a year and then meno, whatever the lingo is) and I didn’t know why I was experiencing the issues that I now take to be worsening ADHD, which was never diagnosed.

My friend is a cardiac rehab nurse and she says dopamine levels go down after menopause, so I figure that’s what was going on. Whatever coping techniques I had instinctively developed over my whole life just weren’t working anymore.

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[Author]

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