This scoping review covered 20 studies on menstrual health and ADHD symptoms, published from 2014 to 2025. All participants were assigned female at birth, and their ages ranged from 13 to 49. Most studies had fewer than 200 people. Some studied people with a formal ADHD diagnosis, and others studied ADHD symptoms without one.
People with PMDD showed more inattention than people without it. This tended to rise from before ovulation to late in the cycle. Painful periods, heavy bleeding and irregular periods were linked to stronger ADHD symptoms. Symptoms also shifted across the cycle, though results did not all agree. Three case reports in teenagers linked methylphenidate (Concerta) to irregular periods that settled after the drug was stopped or the dose changed.
Two small studies from one Dutch group tried cycle-tailored care. In one, nine women with ADHD had their stimulant dose raised before their periods. All of them reported less inattention, irritability and energy dips.
Half of the studies were rated very good for quality, but 4 were rated unsatisfactory. Only 5 explained how they chose their sample size. The authors state that the studies did not show which comes first or why. They call the cycle-tailored approaches preliminary and say randomized controlled trials are needed. They suggest the link between ADHD symptoms and painful periods in adult women may be worth considering in care and research.
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The numbers Stats and what the terms mean
The statistics behind the plain-language claims above.
- Lin, 2024: share of the group with PMDD who also had an ADHD diagnosis, 27.6%.
- Lockinger, 2023: among adult women with a self-reported ADHD diagnosis, how often painful periods occurred alongside ADHD, a 95% comorbidity rate.
- Yuan, 2024: in school-aged girls, how irregular periods related to ADHD symptoms lasting over one year, a threefold increase in likelihood.
- Kennedy, 2026: quality rating of the nine-woman stimulant dose case series (de Jong, 2023), 3/10.
- Kennedy, 2026: quality ratings of the three methylphenidate case reports, 1/10, 2/10 and 2/10. What the terms mean:
- Comorbidity rate The share of people who have two conditions at the same time; here, ADHD and painful periods.
- Self-report A measure where people answer questions about themselves; here, women said they had an ADHD diagnosis.
- Quality rating A score the review authors gave each study for how well it was done, out of 10 stars on a form adapted from the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.
Source: Kennedy G, Baran-Goldwax M, Lippé S. Menstrual health and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms: A scoping review. Women's Health (2026). doi:10.1177/17455057261460285