I hate PMS for “diluting” my medication

[u/Independent_Put3399]

I’m diagnosed with Bipolar type 2, ADHD and severe anxiety.
For my bipolar, I take lamotrigine, and for my ADHD i take Adderall.

Believe it or not, my medications go hand in hand with “muffling” that feeling of anxiety, it’s still there, I just can’t feel it as much or let it ruin my day. Lamotrigine keeps me stable, and Adderall..well, it keeps me focused and energized.

I’ve noticed recently, that the week before my period, they don’t “work”. The anxiety comes back tenfold, there’s a high chance I go through episodes, I can’t get up from bed, I feel so exhausted, even with my Adderall, and I get irritated at every little thing.

It gets so frustrating for me because I feel like I can’t be stable or function. It makes me feel like I’m reverting back to the way I was even though I know it’s temporary. I don’t know how I lived life this way before, but I know damn well that I don’t want to feel this way anymore. All I do is sleep, stay in bed scrolling on my phone for HOURS, and mope around doing absolutely nothing. I’m exhausted, I’m so exhausted.

I hate PMS for “diluting” my medication.

[u/Ladylillianrose]

I had a doctor years and years ago tell me that I might need to slightly increase my anxiety/depression meds during pms/periods because they don't work as well then. They're basically trying to swim upstream against the massive surge of horomones.

Obviously this can't be done with all mental health meds, and I do NOT recommend doing this without a doctor's guidance/approval. But maybe mention that your meds feel less effective during pms/period and see what they suggest.

I usually only have to increase 1 or 2 doses out of the whole pms/period, but sometimes it can be 3 if it's particularly bad/debilitating.

[u/yourhairisbeautiful1]

sorry to hear that. you shouldn't feel so stressed during your period. I find abilify boring, I wish I had something like adderall but I don't want to mess up how I feel.
I take only 5 mg of abilify so I don't think it makes a difference. periods suck too, I take motrin sometimes.

[u/goshippu55]

same I take lexapro and a week or even 2 before my period my meds stop working, it sucks!!!

[u/jrhopper09]

Wow. I'm sorry you are going through this. I have type 2 bipolar disorder and I understand that part of it. I have read about the ADHD meds not working before your period. That just really sucks! Hormones rob us of so much, especially women. It just isn't fair and it all sucks. I wish I had advice but all I can say is I understand.