ADHD and PMDD and How Your Brain and Cycle Collide

Amy Sergeant
Oct 5
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

Living with ADHD already means navigating a brain that runs on its own rhythm, quick starts, sudden stops, bursts of focus followed by exhaustion.

For many, the days before a period don’t just bring mood swings or cramps; they bring a tidal wave. Ordinary ADHD challenges, losing focus mid-task, forgetting what you walked into a room for, feeling emotions at full volume, become amplified. It’s not “just PMS.” It’s the nervous system colliding with hormonal change, and the impact can feel earth-shaking.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, research shows a higher prevalence of PMDD among people with ADHD.

The Hidden Rollercoaster

Imagine setting up routines to keep ADHD manageable: morning checklists, reminders on your phone, meal prepping so you don’t forget to eat. Then, luteal phase arrives. Suddenly, the checklist feels pointless, the reminders irritating, and the meal prep untouched. Shame creeps in: “Why can’t I keep it together?”

This is where the rollercoaster effect hits hardest. ADHD and PMDD aren’t separate tracks, they tangle together. Low dopamine from ADHD meets shifting serotonin from PMDD. The brain’s chemistry is literally changing, and the nervous system struggles to keep up.

It’s why many describe this time as being “hijacked” by their own mind and body. One week you’re functional, the next you’re dragging yourself through mud. And if sleep gets disrupted too? The spiral deepens, something we explored in our post on PMDD and insomnia.

Breaking the Silence

Too often, people carry this quietly. Doctors may treat ADHD but overlook menstrual cycles. Gynaecologists may ask about PMS or PMDD but miss the ADHD overlay. The result is feeling unseen in both directions.

That’s why community matters. Spaces like our Support Group exist so you don’t have to piece this puzzle together alone. Hearing “me too” from others with PMDD can be as healing as any prescription.

Learning to Work With Your Cycle

Managing both isn’t about fixing yourself, it’s about learning to move with your rhythms. For some, that looks like tracking symptoms with tools like the PMDD Tracker and noticing patterns. For others, it’s organising your task cyclically to support your cycle .

In our Somatic Course, we teach how to ground and regulate your nervous system, through breath, understanding emotions and sensations and education of body trauma, tools that meet the body where it is, rather than fighting against it.

And because ADHD brains thrive with personalised strategies, some find 1-1 Coaching invaluable. It’s not about “one more plan to fail at” but about designing rhythms that fit your brain and your cycle, so you don’t feel like you’re constantly betraying yourself.

When to Seek Help

There’s a difference between struggling and suffering in silence. If PMDD + ADHD leave you unable to work, connect, or function, or if dark thoughts creep in, it’s time to reach out for professional support. Bring your symptom notes, your cycle tracker, even your PMDD Test results. They’re evidence that what you’re experiencing is real, not imagined.

Closing Reflection

ADHD and PMDD together can feel like an unpredictable storm. But storms follow patterns. And with awareness, tools, and support, it is possible to navigate them.

Start by reading more on how ADHD and PMDD are linked, can begin to make you feel more empowered. Then, know you’re not walking this alone, whether that’s through peer connection in our Support Group, educating yourself through our Somatic Course, or tailored guidance through 1-1 Coaching.

Your cycle doesn’t have to be a battle. It can become a rhythm you learn to dance with, even if the steps look different each month.

References

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2023). Management of Premenstrual Disorders: Clinical Practice Guideline No. 7. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 142(6), 1517–1548.
Brar TK et al. (2020). Prevalence of PMDD in Women with ADHD. Journal of Affective Disorders.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
Hantsoo, L., & Epperson, C. N. (2015). Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Epidemiology and treatment. Current Psychiatry Reports, 17(11), 87.
ADDitude Magazine. ADHD & PMDD reader experiences.