PMDD or ADHD plus PMS? How did your psychiatrist untangle it?

PMDD is a DSM-listed premenstrual dysphoric condition focused on mood. It is not the same as ADHD. PMS is discussed on NHS pages as a broader premenstrual picture. FasTreat also offers private online ADHD assessment and ongoing care, depending on your needs and clinical assessment. Related reading: https://www.fastreat.com/en/adhd-faq https://www.fastreat.com/en/blogs/adhd-in-women-signs References: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pre-menstrual-syndrome/ https://www.caddra.ca/wp-content/uploads/Practice-Summary-based-on-ADHD-and-Hormones-in-Women-with-Sara-Binder.pdf https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/chapter/recommendations https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/

For me the psychiatrist kept both ideas on the table instead of replacing one with the other. That was a relief and also annoying because I wanted a winner. I keep a mood column and a lost-keys column on my phone. I would not tell anyone their premenstrual week is really only one of those. This is only my chart, not a sorting hat for anyone else.

I thought it was just PMS until a psychiatrist asked about attention in the other three weeks of the month. I still do not have a tidy story. PMDD got discussed, ADHD got discussed, and I left with more homework than a single label. I did not start cycling my stimulant because of that visit. This is only how my assessment felt.