Surgical Menopause & ADHD Assessment

[London1979]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently looking in to the options I have for an ADHD assessment. I'm 42 and in year 2 of surgical menopause.

I've suspected for many years that I may have ADHD; some members of my family have been diagnosed and a lot of things seem very familiar.

I recently moved to North Wales and am not eligible for the the Right to Chose scheme in England, so I will have to go via my GP (which is a very very long wait) or go private (which is expensive and a long, but not so long, wait!).

Since menopause hit, my symptoms have gone out of control to the point where it's seriously interfering with my life and work; I often feel like my brain is being split in to a million pieces. I find it hard to focus and just end up doing a million other things, which in turn causes so much stress and anxiety because I haven't done what I'm meant to.

I'm not entirely sure which path to take for an assessment; any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks, Claire

[notanotter]

I’m not familiar with the medical system in your country, but you might try pursuing treatment from the medical angle: for side effects from your surgical menopause. These side effects from the sudden plummet in estrogen need to be managed. You might be able to at least get some level of hormone therapy, which might help, and your medical doctor might be able to refer you for other testing.

[IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

Same here. I don’t know anything about your medical system there, but I agree with the previous post. The angle of a side effect of your surgical menopause maybe good. On a sympathetic note, thought I am not in menopause, I breastfed my son for 2 years and it lead to my diagnosis. Breastfeeding puts you in a mimicked state of menopause and my life fell apart! Once I was finally diagnosed I started medication and stopped breastfeeding! Things got substantially better! Then I started birth control for the first time a few months later, and things got even better!! So I hear you. The hormones can seriously effect ADHD! I hope you can figure it out. I would definitely speak to a psychiatrist about the ADHD and maybe ask for a referral to an endocrinologist.

I hope this helps or at least makes you feel not alone. There are MANY women here in menopause and it often leads to their diagnosis.

[dede2012 in reply to IgnoranceWasNotBliss]

i believe too that hormonal changes play a big part in adhd, when i had my surgical menopause, the obgyn could not tell me when my real menopause will hit me, so it can be immediately or in a year or in a couple of years, there is a big connection between adhd in women, menopause and estrogen levels, you can google it and there is a lot to read about it, there is not enough research done on this issue since us women are not "affected" as much as men with adhd, yeah right, so me too was diagnosed with adhd after 50 and i believe the hormonal changes contributed to it and still do

[Tranquilwaters in reply to dede2012]

Oh my goodness, dede2012! When you have your ovaries removed, you will not then go on to have a natural menopause later! Who on earth told you this? 😳💜

[dede2012 in reply to Tranquilwaters]

my ob/gyn, and all the symptoms that followed my total hysterectomy were a complete disaster, mental breakdown and then adhd

[Loutysonsmith]

Hi there,

How are you doing now?

I am in Liverpool not far from you and had a horrific experience of surgical menopause and the aftermath - I am also diagnosed with ADHD.

I'm 56 and have lost most things in my life, including my mind at times, but am still here. Re Right to Choose.... is it still the case that this is not available in Wales? Are you aware that the cost of paying Psychiatry-UK for assessment is less than £400? Would it be possible for you to find that amount somehow? Also, you can request for your local Community Commissiong Group to support your assessment financially in England, does that option exist in Wales?

The impact of surgical menopause is devastating on women with ADHD, I can attest to that. Finding information is difficult and finding clinicians who are knowledgeable is also hard.... but let me know how you are please 😊