Women with ADHD three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder
But a recent study conducted by me and my colleagues has shown that women with ADHD are at higher risk for mental health struggles associated with the menstrual cycle. We found that having ADHD makes women around three times more likely to experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), is a serious condition that affects about 3% of women worldwide. The condition can seriously interfere with a person's everyday life, causing symptoms such as mood swings, irritability, depressed mood and anxiety.
These symptoms occur in the days before menstruation, and resolve after the period starts. For some, PMDD may lead to severe outcomes, such as being at an increased risk of attempting suicide.
Read more:
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
We conducted an online survey of 715 women aged 18 to 34 in the UK. We asked them whether they experienced different symptoms of ADHD or PMDD, whether they'd received an ADHD diagnosis from a doctor and how symptoms interfered with their lives.
We found that about 31% of women with a clinical ADHD diagnosis also had PMDD, as did around 41% of women who scored high for ADHD symptoms (whether they had been formally diagnosed with ADHD or not). In comparison, only about 9% of women without ADHD met the criteria for PMDD. We also found that women who had ADHD and a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety had an even greater risk of PMDD.
The research showed that the most common PMDD symptoms women experienced were irritability, feeling overwhelmed and depression. But women with ADHD may also be more likely to experience insomnia when they have PMDD.
Our study isn't the first to show a link between the two conditions, but it is the first to identify a similar PMDD risk among women with ADHD symptoms, not just among those who were in treatment. We're also the first to show that people who have ADHD plus depression or anxiety are at an even greater risk of PMDD.
Other research suggests that women with ADHD may also be at higher risk for mental health problems during other times of hormonal change. For instance, one study found women with ADHD experienced higher rates of depression and anxiety after starting combined oral hormonal contraceptives. Another study found that women with ADHD were more likely to experience depression after giving birth than those without the condition.
More research is now needed to understand why women with ADHD appear to be more vulnerable to PMDD, and whether this affects what treatments work best.
It should be noted that our study assesses 'provisional PMDD diagnosis'. An official diagnosis requires two months of symptom tracking across the menstrual cycle. But we asked women to remember how they felt across their menstrual cycle rather than tracking how they feel in real-time.
This means we could be over- or under-estimating PMDD prevalence as we're relying on participants to recall their symptoms.
Future research should assess PMDD symptoms among women in real-time as they experience their menstrual cycles to more accurately assess symptoms without having to rely on people's memory. Additionally, it may be difficult to distinguish PMDD from other disorders that may worsen during the premenstrual period, such as depression or anxiety. Tracking symptoms across the menstrual cycle in real-time would help to disentangle this.
PMDD can have profoundly negative effects on women's lives. Some women even report it can make them feel 'physically unable to see the joy in things'. Although symptoms can be managed with prescription treatments, this can only happen if the condition is diagnosed by a doctor.
Our new research shows us that women with ADHD are an at-risk group for PMDD, especially if they also have depression or anxiety. This suggests doctors should consider screening for PMDD among women with ADHD to reduce distress and adverse outcomes associated with the condition.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jessica Agnew-Blais receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council and GambleAware for her research.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
9 hours ago
- Politico
Food dye and ADHD: FDA commissioner says listen to parents
Food dye and ADHD: FDA commissioner says listen to parents | The Conversation lead image
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Spike in ADHD medication reports
Authorities are investigating a spike in incidents involving one of Australia's most widely used ADHD medications. Adverse event reports linked to medication Vyvanse have spiked massively this year, and the manufacturer says no changes in the chemical production have been made. 'The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is currently investigating a potential safety signal associated with Vyvanse, including independent testing of the medicine through the TGA Laboratories,' a spokesperson told NewsWire. 'The investigation is the result of a recent increase in adverse event notifications relating to concerns about the quality, safety, and reduced effectiveness of the drug.' 'There are no compliance signals currently under investigation for the facilities used in the manufacture of this product.' A 'signal' is detection of a pattern which requires further investigation. While not formally a pattern in the TGA's eyes, reports of adverse events such as anxiety, ineffectiveness and insomnia have increased massively this year. There have also been 88 reports of issues with the medicines label, which was flagged by the TGA earlier this year for minor typos; however, one of the typos added an extra 'S' to the word capsule; 'Each capsules contains 60mg lisdexamfetamine dimesilate'. The TGA maintains the Database of Adverse Event Notifications, where people report issues with medications. There have been 320 adverse events linked to Vyvanse in the first half of this year, compared to nine reports in the second half of 2024. Inclusion in the database does not confirm the incident is caused by the medication. Reports of ineffective Vyvanse have hit 150 so far this year, along with 88 reports of anxiety, and 73 reports that the therapeutic response has decreased. Prescriptions of Vyvanse have been steadily increasing for the past few years. More than 958,000 scripts were written by public system health workers in 2022, rising to 1.4 million in 2023, and then 1.8m last year, government data shows. In a statement, supplier Takeda Pharmaceuticals Australia said a change of manufacturing facility in 2024 did not alter the chemical composition of the medicine. 'There have been no changes to the formulation,' a Takeda spokesperson told the ABC. Vyvanse was produced with strict quality controls, in line with Australia's Therapeutics Goods Act, the spokesperson said. The labelling typo did not affect the quality of the medication, they said.
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Time Business News
Mindfulness Exercises to Manage Wellbutrin-Related Anxiety
Wellbutrin (bupropion) is a commonly prescribed antidepressant that helps many individuals manage depression, anxiety, and attention disorders. While it can be highly effective, some users report increased anxiety, restlessness, or agitation, especially during the initial stages of treatment. Fortunately, mindfulness exercises can serve as a powerful, side-effect-free tool to manage this medication-related wellbutrin anxiety. Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can help you stay centered, reduce anxious thoughts, and improve your overall mental well-being. When comparing two commonly prescribed ADHD medications, it's essential to evaluate their effects, duration, and potential side effects. While both serve a similar purpose, they differ in how they're released and how long they last in the body. Vyvanse vs adderall is a frequent comparison among patients and healthcare providers. Vyvanse, a prodrug, offers a smoother onset and longer duration, reducing the risk of abuse. Adderall, on the other hand, provides quicker effects but may lead to a more noticeable crash. Choosing the right option depends on individual needs, lifestyle, and how each medication interacts with your body. Before diving into specific mindfulness techniques, it's important to understand how Wellbutrin might contribute to anxiety. Wellbutrin works by altering the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. These changes can boost mood and energy but may also increase nervousness, particularly in the early weeks of treatment. This heightened state can lead to symptoms like racing thoughts, irritability, insomnia, or physical tension. Mindfulness helps address these symptoms by encouraging present-moment awareness and reducing the power of negative thought loops. One of the simplest yet most effective mindfulness techniques is deep breathing. Anxiety often causes shallow, rapid breaths, which can further escalate feelings of panic. Deep breathing calms the nervous system and brings attention back to the body. A popular method is the 4-7-8 technique: inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. Practicing this several times a day, especially when feeling anxious, can slow your heart rate and help you regain control over your thoughts. Anxiety often pulls you out of your body and into your mind. Body scan meditation is a grounding practice that helps shift your focus from anxious thinking to physical awareness. To perform a body scan, lie down or sit comfortably and close your eyes. Starting at your toes, slowly bring attention to each part of your body, moving upward. Notice any areas of tension without trying to change them. This nonjudgmental awareness teaches your brain to observe without reacting and fosters a sense of physical and emotional stability. If you struggle to sit still when anxious, mindful walking may be more effective than seated meditation. This involves paying close attention to the sensations of walking—how your feet feel against the ground, the rhythm of your steps, the sounds around you, and your breath. By focusing on these elements, you ground yourself in the present moment. Walking in nature can enhance this practice by adding calming visual and auditory stimuli. Just 10 minutes of mindful walking a day can significantly reduce anxious energy brought on by Wellbutrin. For those new to mindfulness, guided meditations can provide structure and reassurance. Apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer offer free and paid content designed specifically to reduce anxiety. These guided sessions often focus on breathwork, body awareness, or visualizations, and are typically 5 to 20 minutes long. Listening to a calming voice guiding you through meditation can reduce the pressure to 'do it right' and help you feel supported as you practice staying present. When anxiety spikes, thoughts can feel overwhelming and out of control. A powerful mindfulness strategy is thought labeling. This means gently identifying and naming your thoughts without judgment. For example, if you notice your mind saying, 'I can't handle this,' label it as 'worrying' or 'catastrophizing.' This practice doesn't aim to stop the thought but to create a little space between you and the thought. Over time, this reduces the emotional grip those thoughts hold and allows you to respond more calmly. Mindfulness isn't just about reducing negative experiences—it also involves cultivating positive ones. Practicing gratitude can reduce anxiety by shifting your focus from fear or worry to appreciation. Each day, write down three things you're grateful for, no matter how small. This trains your mind to seek out the good, balancing out the heightened alertness Wellbutrin may induce. This daily practice only takes a few minutes but can significantly impact your emotional state over time. Tension in the body often accompanies anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) involves tensing and then relaxing muscle groups throughout your body. This physical mindfulness exercise helps release built-up tension and brings awareness to areas you may unconsciously clench during stress. Start at your feet and work your way up, spending a few seconds tensing and then fully relaxing each group. PMR not only calms your body but also increases your ability to recognize early signs of anxiety. Consistency is key when using mindfulness to manage anxiety. The benefits of mindfulness grow over time, and regular practice builds mental resilience. Set aside a few minutes each day for your chosen exercises, even when you feel okay. Think of it as mental hygiene—just like brushing your teeth, daily mindfulness helps maintain emotional health. Over time, you'll notice greater awareness, reduced reactivity, and more control over your anxiety, even if Wellbutrin's side effects linger. While mindfulness is a helpful tool, it's not a substitute for medical care. If Wellbutrin-related anxiety becomes intense or persistent, speak with your doctor. They may adjust your dose or recommend additional support like therapy or lifestyle changes. Mindfulness works best when paired with a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. Incorporating mindfulness exercises into your daily routine can provide meaningful relief from the anxiety associated with Wellbutrin. Whether through breathing, movement, or meditation, these techniques help quiet the mind, calm the body, and empower you to navigate side effects with greater ease. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
