Ep. 005: Women’s Hormones & ADHD with Dr. Dara Abraham

The Wavy Brain

This week, Lindsay and Lauren talk with Dr. Dara Abraham, a board-certified psychiatrist with particular expertise in Adult ADHD. Dr. Dara has dedicated her professional life to providing compassionate care for adult patients struggling with an ADHD diagnosis later in life. She explains the interplay between female hormones and ADHD symptoms and the way our mood, focus, and medication efficacy can be impacted by our hormones.

**We strive to make our podcast gender inclusive. In this episode with Dr. Dara, we talk about hormones through the lens of traditional, cisgender, or birth-assigned gender roles. We realize that this topic of hormones and ADHD may be very different for those in the transgender community, particularly those undergoing hormone replacement therapy. It is never our intention to alienate anyone in any way, including members of the transgender community. There has been very little medical research done so far on transgender individuals with ADHD who are on Hormone Replacement Therapy. If you'd like to share your experience in this area, please reach out to us at [e-mail]; we would love to connect with you and learn more.

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Dr. Dara explains that hormonal shifts directly impact ADHD, including medication efficacy, and yet many providers are not aware of this.
• Estrogen, progesterone, and norepinephrine increase or decrease serotonin and cognitive impairment during different parts of the luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle.
• Tracking your ADHD symptoms alongside your menstrual cycle with apps like Clue or Flo for at least 3 months can provide valuable information about your symptoms and mental health.
• Some women benefit from increasing their ADHD medications on days 14-17 of their menstrual cycle.
• Dr. Dara’s passion for her work is inspired by her story of a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis and the toll this undiagnosed condition took on her.
• Hormonal shifts that occur during pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause can have a significant impact on ADHD symptoms, sleep, and well-being. It can be particularly difficult for undiagnosed postpartum women.
• We can also make lifestyle and behavioral changes to better align with the different phases of our menstrual cycle to support our energy levels, moods, etc.

Resources: Contact Dr. Dara: Dr. Dara Psychiatry

What is PMDD?, on Hopkins Medicine

A helpful diagram from the Clue App to track periods, ovulation & PMS, on HelloClue

Further reading on ADHD & Hormones: ADHD and Hormones: ADD Symptoms in Teen Girls, Women, on Additude

Hormonal Fluctuations Affect Women's ADHD Symptoms—Part One, on CHADD

Hormones and Women's ADHD Symptoms—Part Two, on CHADD

Changing Estrogen Levels Affect Women's ADHD Symptoms—Part Three, on CHADD

Frenzied, Frazzled, and Overwhelmed: The Interaction of Hormones and ADHD in Women in Midlife, on CHADD

Best Resources for ADHD in Women and Girls, on Additude

PMDD, Autism, and ADHD: The Hushed Comorbidity, on Additude

The Hormonal Link Between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and ADHD , on Dr. Dara Psychiatry

Reach out with questions, comments, or show suggestions! [e-mail]