Challenges of Executive Dysfunction in ADHD and the Influence of Menstrual Cycle on ADHD Medication Effectiveness

Episode 188 with Jes Hagan.

“The first study on women and ADHD was done in 1979, but there wasn’t a study on the menstrual cycle and ADHD until 2017.”

Jes is a nutritional therapist and board-certified integrative menstrual health educator and coach. She is the founder of Her Mood Mentor, a virtual premenstrual clinic. Her own experience of living with misdiagnosed and undiagnosed Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and ADHD has fueled her determination to help others reclaim their lives from hormonal mood symptoms. 

PMDD is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that can come with significant emotional and physical symptoms that typically occur during the luteal phase. Anywhere from 3-8% of menstruating adults have PMDD, while roughly 46% of women with ADHD also experience PMDD.

Jes and I talk about her personal diagnosis journey, starting with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder at the age of 17. She shares about her later diagnoses of PMDD and ADHD, and how medical research has been slowly connecting the dots when it comes to how our hormones and menstrual cycles affect our ADHD.

We also get all fired up over the lack of education on a lot of these topics that relate to women with ADHD, as well as the challenges we face navigating the medical system with ADHD.

Finally, Jes discusses some of the amazing holistic treatment options available for anyone who struggles with hormonal mood symptoms.

TRIGGER WARNING: Throughout the episode, Jes mentions her experiences with suicidal thoughts during PMDD, so if that subject is a difficult one for you, you might want to sit this episode out. 

Website: hermoodmentor.com

Instagram: @hermoodmentor

Additional links:

Save 10% off any of the following courses with code KATY:

• Symptom Mapper
• Supplement Directory
• Meet Your Menstrual Cycle
• PMDD Rehab

FREE Premenstrual Supplement Directory

A father's perspective on PMDD (Youtube video with Jes’ dad)

Additional references:

Prevalence of hormone-related mood disorder symptoms in women with ADHD (2021)

Prevalence of Premenstrual Syndrome in Autism: A Prospective Observer-rated Study (2008)

Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage (2023)

Sex differences in childhood psychopathology: A review. (1979)

Annual Research Review: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in girls and women: underrepresentation, longitudinal processes, and key directions (2022)

Reproductive steroids and ADHD symptoms across the menstrual cycle (2018)

- - - - - 

Episode edited by E Podcast Productions

Find the transcript of this episode at www.womenandadhd.com/transcripts

- - - - -

Small group coaching with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/groupcoaching

- - - - -

Work 1-on-1 with Katy: www.womenandadhd.com/coaching

- - - - -

Order the “Hey, it’s ADHD!” course: www.womenandadhd.com/adhdcourse

- - - - -

Did you love this episode? Click here to pledge a one-time donation to the podcast!

- - - - -

If you are a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and you’d like to apply to be a guest on this podcast, visit womenandadhd.com/podcastguest.

Instagram: @womenandadhdpodcast

Tiktok: @womenandadhdpodcast

Twitter: @womenandadhd

Facebook: @womenandadhd