370 PMS, Pregnancy, Perimenopause: How Estrogen Hijacks the ADHD Brain
I Have ADHD Podcast
Kristen Carder
4.8 • 3.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 January 2026
⏱️ 72 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This is one of the most downloaded episodes of the I Have ADHD Podcast—and for good reason.
In this powerful conversation, Kristen sits down with Dr. Patricia Quinn, a leading expert on ADHD in women and girls, to unpack the missing link so many of us were never taught about: estrogen and the ADHD brain.
If you’ve ever felt like your ADHD symptoms fluctuate wildly throughout the month, worsened during pregnancy or postpartum, or suddenly became unmanageable in your late 30s or 40s—this episode explains why. Dr. Quinn breaks down how hormonal changes directly impact neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, and what that means for focus, mood, emotional regulation, and medication effectiveness.
Even though this episode was recorded a few years ago, the information is timeless—and still deeply validating for women navigating ADHD across different life stages.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This episode is sponsored by Marley Spoon. Every January, I tell myself, okay, this is the year |
| 0:04.6 | that I'm going to get better at meals. And every January, my ADHD brain is like, cool plan. Let's order takeout. Let's door dash. Again, let's do it. Because meal planning has always, always, always been my downfall. I do want to eat well. I want to feed my family well. But in between work and kids and decision fatigue and just being tired and overwhelmed, it's just too much. It's just too much, and that's why Marley Spoon has genuinely been a game changer for me. |
| 0:23.5 | What I love about Marley Spoon is how ridiculously easy they make everything. They send you chef-designed recipes, perfectly portioned ingredients, and you choose what works for your life that week. Some nights I cook, other nights I need dinner like yesterday, soon, fast. And Marley Spoon's prepared meals, in that case, are lifesavers, delicious, ready in minutes, and zero mental effort. And if I do have a little energy, they're 20-minute meals and tray-baked dinners are my favorite hack. You literally throw everything on one tray. They even include the tray, y'all, and boom, dinner is done. One of my recent favorites that I made this week was their everything nachos, like they're loaded, loaded nachos. |
| 0:54.4 | Oh my goodness. |
| 0:54.8 | One of those meals, I look at it and I'm like, I made this. |
| 0:57.4 | I made this. And the best part, I'm cooking at home more. I'm stressing less about food and eating out and all the money wasted when I dooredash. And I'm eating better than I have in a long time. It feels like hitting reset without trying to become a whole new person, which is amazing. |
| 1:11.6 | This new year, which is amazing. |
| 1:11.6 | This new year, fast track your way to eating well with Marley Spoon. |
| 1:15.0 | Head to MarleySpoon.com slash offer slash I have ADHD for up to 25 free meals. |
| 1:20.8 | That's Marley Spoon.com slash offer slash I have ADHD for up to 25 free meals. |
| 1:26.7 | Marley Spoon, meals reimagined for real life. |
| 1:35.3 | Welcome to the I have ADHD podcast, where it's all about education, encouragement, |
| 1:41.3 | and coaching for adults with ADHD. I'm your host, Kristen Carter, and I have ADHD. |
| 1:48.0 | Let's chat about the frustrations, humor, and challenges of adulting, relationships, |
| 1:53.0 | working, and achieving with this neurodevelopmental disorder. |
| 1:56.9 | I'll help you understand your unique brain, unlock your potential, and move from point A to point B. |
| 2:07.7 | Get cozy. It's great to be here with you today. This episode is a re-release, and I do need you to |
| 2:13.7 | trust me on this one because this episode is one of the most downloaded episodes that I've |
| 2:19.0 | ever put out. I'm not just saying that as a fun fact. I'm saying it because it tells you |
| 2:24.6 | something. This topic does hit a nerve. It answers questions that people have been carrying around |
| 2:29.4 | for years and for a lot of women. It puts language to something that they've experienced |
| 2:33.9 | their whole lives, but no one has ever experienced. years. And for a lot of women, it puts language to something that they've experienced their |
... |
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