Did Starting Adderall Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?

Did Starting Adderall Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?

I just started taking adderall XR last week week and I saw a post on r/adderall from a woman asking whether or not Adderall affects hormones, some of the issues she described also describes some things ive been experiencing this week but I didn’t realize it might’ve been connected.

(Currently take 20mg a day as needed, need is based on whether or not have a class/assignment/exam that day; last week i took 20mg two out 7 days, this week is finals so I have more to get through, i take 20mg in the morning and then 10mg usually around midday)

-acne on chest -night sweats even though its been cold -my armpits have been smelling really bad despite showering and using deodorant -started a heavy/cramp filled period even tho i had one around two weeks ago

I just turned 21 so I’ve been meaning to schedule a pap smear anyways but now I might make a more in depth appointment just in case its not related. So don’t worry this post won’t be my only means of investigation. (unless i keep forgetting to schedule an appt...)

I did my research and found out that there isn’t much research on the link between menstruation and Adderall in this way. However I did see that recent studies have shown that theres a correlation between adhd and hormones, specifically that Adderall can be more effective during the follicular phase (from when you first start bleeding until ovulation). From these conclusions, theres conjecture that since Adderall and other stimulants increase the release of dopamine, and dopamine can stimulate the release of menstruation related hormones, theoretically, Adderall could affect menstruation length.

Since there has yet to be formal research into how it can affect menstruation cycles, I’d love to hear if any of you have any personal observations, and if you did notice a difference, was it a repeated issue?