the AD/HD-Menstrual Cycle

[Slowpoke]

hello ladies...
I just wanted to post what I have finally noticed about my mood, energy level and how it is related to my ADD...


I started the pill, but never really took it consistently... until I got a tip from people on this forum about how to make sure I at least took it everyday, and I have not missed a dose yet! Whoo hoo! (It's only been 2 weeks, but for us ADDers, THAT IS HUGE!)

My general symptoms:
-extreme fatigue
-stress/irritabilty (read: b**chiness)
-increased ADD symptoms
-craving sweets, and carbs
-low motivation
-apathy

OK, so I thought it was a few days before the start of my period that I got these... but after being on the pill, I think I get the irritability a week before.

I think the fatigue will set in somewhere in the next few days, and the cravings have already started... for junk food. The apathy (some depression) was yesterday (it's a week before my period).

So the cool thing is, I guess, that since I'm on the pill, I can "map out" my symptoms, almost to the day.

My Dr. also mentioned that taking an increased dose of my pmedication for anxiety/depression (Paxil, taken more for the anxiety) a few days before the part in the cycle where I experience the decline in motivation and fatigue can help...

I have not started this, since I am just getting back into a regular routine for taking the BCP... but I will keep posting if people are interested.

Anyone else have their cycle pegged down?
I'm interested in knowing how others cope - if you take more AD/HD meds or whatever.
Thanks
~M

[tudorose]

I cheat. I take this pill called Monofeme 28 (In Australia so I don't know what it's called where you are). What I do is this - I take the active pills only (3 weeks worth). When I get to the 4th week (period week) I throw them in the bin and start straight onto the next cycle. You can go 3 months without a cycle so effectively I get 9 weeks on the active pills and one week on the inactive pills unless I have something planned and I can go for two cycles instead.

When I take the 3 cycles in a row I get grumpy in the 9th week and really really really grumpy for the first 3 days of the inactive pills before I get my period. Then for the rest of that week and the next week I'm really tired.

[Vero]

Hi There,
I also have a very rough time one week before my period. My poor boyfriend has to walk on eggshells. I am on Yasmin and I comsistanly take it first thing in the morning - well I get it within the same hour everyday. I have to keep them next to my alarm otherwise I lose the pack. I am going to talk to my OB/GYN and see if there is a better script I should be on that won't make me turn into Mrs. Hyde for a week prior to my period. This might be something you can try too.

[ADDfor2]

I can completely empathize with anyone that goes through mood swings and discomfort before thier period. One of the causes of it is the decrease in Estrogen. It decreases as we get nearer to the end of our cycle. I get migraines as well as very moody, bloatedand unable to sleep.

I think having ADD makes my PMS harder to deal with because it involves the emotions and in my experience with ADD emotions is a weak area for me. I work very hard to keep them under control and to think before I act. PMS seems to exaserbate the problem. What I do is make darn sure I mark on the calendar when I will be feeling bad, I try to watch eating certain foods and keep hydrated. I take my headache medication at the very first sign of a headache too because I get really nasty when I've got a headache.

I find that trying to stay away from stressful situations at that time helps. Somtimes we can't avoid stress but even just taking a breather and relaxing for a little while can help.

Another thing I do is to sometimes let my H deal with some situations at that time knowing I may not say or do the right thing myself due to all the emotions I have at that time of the month. Sometimes it's nice when there is someone you can kabitz(complain) to a little bit too that understands how your feeling. As long as you don't do it too much and drive them crazy. Prayer or meditation are also good things.

Another thing I do is write, which actually I haven't done in a quite a while. That seems to relieve some of the stress too and helps to get out some of the crazy up and down emotions I feel sometimes. I keep some of the things I write sometimes and go back and laugh my butt off at what I wrote. It's better any day to write it on paper and throw it away then to take it out on a person.

Over the years I've done many things to try and get past that crazy time of the month. I come up with new things all the time and am always open for new suggestions. Hope something I said may help. Sorry I'm such a chatterbox.
Have a great day/night! Dee

[BnB]

hi chatterbox,....LOL, i too talk a lot at times. I have bad periods as well,....i donthave a huge change in mood swings. Or not so i notice,....but others tell me i do. I do get migraine thou and bloating,....very sore feeet, and hungry, i eat more in 3 days then i do in a month. LOL, anyways,....just wanted to say i can relate.

[leppardess]

The week before my period & the week of are always bad for me & it seems to be getting worse as I get older (I'm 41) I also have anxiety disorder & depression so those 2 weeks are hellish for me & anyone near me

I try my best to not let my mood swings & depression get the better of me but there are times when I just can't hold it in & my poor husband gets the worst of it

The worst part is that stressful situations usually tend to happen near those times too

[Energizer_Bunny]

I am so with you guys. I have been home from work 2 days now. I could write a novel on this with no idea on where to begin. My pills have gotten changed again for about the 3rd time. This month was rough. Wednesday was such a bad day and it drained me I ended up sleeping for what seemed like 24 hours because of all the mental stress at work. And actually it is not really stress, it just seems like stress because of the timing.

I have ended up in trouble with the law before my ADHD, Tourettes, and OCD diagnosis. I finally realized there was a pattern of my behavior one week before I started and that was when I always ended up getting into trouble. But it was still a number of years later before I was diagnosed.

I was thankful though that I was able to figure out the pattern and found healthy ways to handle it. And as a side note, I did no hard time for gettig into trouble, so I am not a criminal.

[BnB]

What you said about age is true too,...never thought about it but the older i get theworse it gets.

I thought Id share this with you all. My daughter started getting really grouchy at times by the time she was 11. It hit me one day she would soon hit puberty. I started trsacking her moody days,....sure enough they fell on the same days every month for about 1 yr before she started her cycle. I can always tell when my daughter will start her cycle (she is now 16) by the fact that her whole attitude changes for the worse. :bowl: LOL.And sure enough im right,....the funny thiong is she has started to notice this too,...and will saycome to me after an episode and say im sorry,....its not my fault,....im going to start soon,....LOL. I only have to tolerate this a couple more yrs,....i pity her husband, i hope he is understanding.

[ADDled]

Jees ... I'm glad I'm not a girl.
What's it like being a girl anyway ?

[ej35401]

Okay.. I've been taking Yasmin (after taking Orth-Tri for 7 years) for 18 months now and it smoothed out my PMS symtoms.. I can't say I have anything to complain about. PMS was much worse when I was 18-20..

[MRB]

Does anyone work out regularly? Does that help at all? Or is the difference negligible?

[Jellybean]

I for the most part have easier periods than most. The only things that I can pin down are... I get the eaties, and I can't sleep well from about the night before and into my 2 night.
I never really seem to get more moody before, but I get a bit cranky afterwards. I call it AMS.Probably cause I am terribly sleep deprived and drained physically. My cramping is rarely very painfull, Just uncomfortable in the first few hours.

I think I am much better off when I had lots of exercise.
This winter I have been not getting much exercise and had a couple bad ones with mini labor pains that were dibilitating and huge clots.
I have been athletic most of my life.

When I was all muscle I would not get my periods till the 4oth or so day later. I wasn't skinny, but my hubby said he thought I had a too high percentage of muscle, as I was also apparently infertile.

I have more fat now and am very regular.

[MRB]

I HATE PMS. I started another growly thread on here about that.

If I'm working out regularly, I'm better. But we all know what a challenge that is, so it's generally two weeks (I have looooooooooooong PMS periods too) of sleeping through the alarm, collapsing around dinner time from fatigue, bloat, zits, you name it.

At least I don't collapse on the floor and scream and cry and contemplate suicide like I used to. BOOOOOOO on the person who said it gets worse as you get older. I refuse to let that happen. It can't GET any worse than it is now.

[velvetcactus]

What does PMS really stand for? Punish My Spouse! Ha ha ha!
I find that my medication is null and void the week leading up to what would have been my period. (I am menopausal) Darn those hormones keep working! I can remember the difference in my experiences pre and post going on the pill. I remember asking myself when deciding if it was time to get off for good, "So do I go crazy again or not?" I am starting to wonder if PPMD is simply PMS and ADHD combined...

[Piupau]

velvetcactus:"What does PMS really stand for? Punish My Spouse!" *LOL* That was really funny!

I don't eat pills, I forgot to eat them when I tried and then I just finally gave it up. I know I get twice as hyper as I am when I get my PMS. I have a very short fuse and explode for nothing, I get absolutely nothing done because I do everything at the same time but I don't finish it. Poor, poor husband.... :/ Luckily he's starting to learn what happens once every month, we've just lived togeather for 6 years One GOOD thing though... I start cleaning everything at home. Clean door knobs, windows, floors, cupboards... everything.... but I don't finish them :/