How Menopause Can Affect Women with ADHD

As we head through life, we age, responsibilities increase, stress levels fluctuate, and, particularly for women, hormones ebb and flow. It can be especially hard for women with ADHD, as hormones can sometimes dictate the state of play, particularly later in life, when we head toward perimenopause and menopause, hormones can often exacerbate your ADHD symptoms.

Not only do women have to navigate the symptoms of ADHD, but they also must work their way through the hormonal changes that perimenopause and menopause bring with them. Let’s take a look at how menopause can affect a woman's ADHD symptoms and ways to make coping a little easier.

Why Menopause Exacerbates ADHD Symptoms.

Menopause marks the hormonal changes that come along with the cessation of menstruation and is primarily triggered by the decrease in oestrogen levels. Oestrogen is known to influence neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine, noradrenaline (also known as norepinephrine), and serotonin, which play a crucial role in regulating mood, attention, and impulse control. 

Oestrogen plays a vital role in the cognition of the brain, particularly the parts that relate to memory and word retrieval. Some women with ADHD  find their cognitive function affected so drastically that they think they may be developing earlier dementia.

How Can Menopause Affect ADHD Symptoms?

During menopause, ADHD medication that once helped with cognitive function may not work as effectively as it once did, meaning that ADHD symptoms such as inattention, organisation, memory, and emotional regulation can be more severe. This may also lead to low mood or increased anxiety during or after the transition of menopause. 

It is advisable to discuss these new challenges with your doctor or medical provider and establish when the new symptoms first appeared, to rule out any other reason for your current challenges. It may be time to increase your medication dosage, change to a different type of medication, look at hormone replacement therapy or discuss psychological therapies. 

In The Workplace

You may feel increasingly overwhelmed when faced with multiple projects at work due to oestrogen deficits and find remembering tasks or even having conversations around tasks increasingly difficult due to memory and organisational issues. Talk to your boss or line manager about how you’re feeling and the struggles you’re facing. Discuss what could make your situation easier, such as increasing remote working away from distractions, working with a buddy or mentor to help keep you on track, shorter work days or longer lunch breaks to help you get outside and walk if possible.

At Home

Around the comfort of your loved ones may be where the real effects of ADHD and menopause show up. The frustration of responsibilities such as cooking dinner, cleaning, and tidying, often after more than just yourself, getting children ready and out for school on time, organising activities, appointments, paying bills etc. The decrease in cognitive function exacerbated by menopause can make home life extremely difficult. Speak to your partner and children and explain what’s going on for you right now. Create a wall chart planner where everybody has assigned tasks and appointments are kept track of. Explain openly and honestly how much cleaning and tidying affects you and rally everyone together to keep house maintenance low. If you live on your own, then making use of phone lists and reminders can help, alongside writing physical to-do lists and appointments on calendars. Physically writing important notes and typing them into your phone can help to solidify the information. Tidying or cleaning one room or one section of a room at a time to keep overwhelm at bay. 

Socially

The effects of ADHD and menopause on your memory can make social situations feel scary and awkward. Trying to remember names and important information to maintain conversation can be mentally draining, so it’s important to go easy on yourself. Explain to friends what is happening to you right now and decline an invitation if needed. Saying no and prioritising your mental and physical well-being does not make you a bad person. 

Menopause, ADHD, and Sleep Problems.

ADHD affects sleep and so does menopause so the unfortunate outcome for women when they hit a certain age is that sleep disturbances are almost always a given but that’s not to say there aren’t ways to navigate through sleep problems when they arise. Oestrogen plays a big part in regulating sleep patterns, so when levels drop around perimenopause and menopause, it adds another layer between the complex interplay of the two conditions.

How Can Menopause and ADHD Affect Sleep?

Hormonal fluctuations during menopause can lead to insomnia or disrupted sleep. For women with ADHD, who often struggle with sleep issues, this can further impact their daytime functioning and exacerbate ADHD symptoms. Poor sleep quality also affects cognitive performance and attention, intensifying the challenges faced by women with ADHD during menopause. It can lead to increased forgetfulness, decreased productivity, and heightened impulsivity.

How to Tackle Sleep Disruptions.

Try to maintain good sleep hygiene whenever possible. Prioritising sleep and practising a consistent bedtime routine can help to tackle the double whammy of sleep disturbance from ADHD and menopause. Try to reduce screen time at least an hour before bed, indulge in a relaxing routine and keep a consistent bedtime can all help to get your brain and body ready for sleep.

How to Manage Symptoms of Menopause and ADHD.

It can be an incredibly stressful time for a woman, managing changing hormone levels whilst also tackling worsening ADHD symptoms, however, there are ways to cope and manage symptoms.

• Medication Management – work closely with your doctor or healthcare provider if you take ADHD medication as it may now be less effective than it once had been and a change in the type or dose may be necessary.

• Hormone Replacement Therapy or HRT – HRT helps to stabilise hormone fluctuations and alleviate some menopause-related symptoms. A discussion with your doctor or healthcare provider could be beneficial to consider how the medication could interact with your ADHD symptoms and treatment.

• Lifestyle Choices – getting regular exercise, eating a healthy, balanced diet and practising mindfulness and meditation to help keep stress levels to a minimum can positively impact both the symptoms and experiences of ADHD and menopause.

• Support and Self-Care - Seek support from friends, family, or support groups to share experiences and strategies for managing these dual challenges. Self-care activities can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being. 

You Know it’s Menopause, but Could it Also be ADHD?

If you’re in the stage of perimenopause or menopause and have thought that there may be more underlying your condition, such as ADHD but have not received an ADHD assessment and diagnosis, then speaking to an ADHD clinic could help you in receiving the attention you need.

Navigating menopause is an extremely tough phase of life, as is navigating the possibility of ADHD but put these two together and it can really feel that life becomes so much harder, however, with the right support and understanding from an experienced ADHD clinic, you can move through menopause with a handle on your symptoms from both conditions. 

Beyond Clinics: Private ADHD Clinic in Manchester.

Beyond was founded by a team of people who have ADHD, in response to the challenge of achieving an ADHD assessment and diagnosis from both the NHS and within the private sector. Empowered by our personal experiences, we are committed to providing an accessible and genuinely supportive experience.

We are a private ADHD clinic in Manchester and our clinical team have extensive expertise in ADHD assessment and diagnosis. Start your journey today and speak to one of our friendly and helpful team.