"My ADHD has gotten worse since I stopped taking Prempro for menopause. What's going on?"
by
Patricia Quinn, M.D.
Estrogen, one of the components of Prempro, promotes the release of serotonin and dopamine. When estrogen levels fall during menopause, symptoms of depression (lowered serotonin) and ADHD (lowered dopamine) sometimes increase. The estrogen in Prempro may have masked a gradual worsening of your ADHD symptoms. Ask your physician about taking a stimulant to treat your ADHD. You may also want to discuss taking estrogen alone for most of the month if you do not have any known contraindications.