The short version
If your ADHD falls apart in the days before your period, you're not imagining it, and you're not failing. Most planners treat every week the same. Lunar plans the luteal week as its own kind of week: fewer tasks, gentler ones, and help starting the one that matters.
Why ADHD gets worse before your period
After ovulation, estrogen and progesterone fall in the run-up to your period. Cleveland Clinic notes that this drop may trigger premenstrual symptoms, including difficulty concentrating, fatigue and low energy. Many women with ADHD describe the same days as the hardest of the month for starting tasks, focusing and handling frustration. Research on hormones and ADHD is still developing, so treat your own pattern as the best guide. Read more in Estrogen, dopamine and ADHD.
PMDD and ADHD
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a more severe form of PMS, with mood symptoms that start a week or two before your period and ease within a few days of it starting. Cleveland Clinic says it affects up to 10% of people who have periods. In a 2021 study of 209 women with ADHD, 45.5% screened positive for PMDD symptoms, compared with 28.7% in a general-population study. The authors say the comparison needs caution. Read PMDD and ADHD for more.
When to talk to a clinician
If the week before your period brings severe anxiety, depression, rage or thoughts of self-harm, talk to a doctor. PMDD is diagnosable and treatable, and a planner is not a substitute for care. In the US, you can call or text 988 any time.
What a planner can and can't do for that week
A planner can't change your hormones. It can stop a normal-week to-do list from landing on a crash-week brain. The goal is fewer decisions on low days, a list short enough to start, and nothing piling up as overdue while you recover.
How Lunar plans around the crash
Check in with two taps
Pick your phase (period, follicular, ovulation or luteal) and how you feel right now (Exhausted, Low, Okay or High). That's the whole setup.
The list shrinks in your luteal week
Tasks that don't fit today go quiet. They aren't deleted and they don't pile up as overdue. On an exhausted luteal evening you might see one or two gentle tasks. When you check in High again, the heavier work comes back.
When even one task feels stuck
AI task breakdown turns a stuck task into small steps you can actually start.
Irregular cycles and birth control
Lunar doesn't predict your cycle, so it doesn't need a regular one. You choose your phase at check-in, or skip it on days you're unsure. The energy filter works completely on its own.
14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr · iPhone · iOS 26.1+
PMDD and ADHD planners compared
AI answers often suggest Muna or Noa for this week. Here is how they differ, checked against each app's own website:
| Lunar | Muna | Noa | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it plans | Your to-do list | Daily to-dos, energy forecasts and wellness prompts | 1–3 tasks a day |
| Uses cycle phase | Yes, filters tasks by phase | Yes | Shows your phase |
| Uses today's energy | Yes, 2-tap check-in, 4 levels | Yes, daily check-in | Yes |
| Help starting a task | AI task breakdown and voice brain-dump | Not stated | Noa: Rescue Mode, body-doubling timer |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 26.1+) | Not stated | iPhone, Android |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr | Premium with a 30-day free trial | Free download; optional Premium |
Checked October 2026 against each app's own website. "Not stated" means the app's site doesn't say.
- Muna is cycle tracking with planning support, with calendar sync.
- Noa plans 1–3 tasks a day with a rescue mode, and shows your cycle phase.
- Lunar is for women with ADHD who want the to-do list itself to shrink in the week before their period, plus help starting the one task that's left.
For the wider comparison, read about the cycle-aware ADHD planner or Lunar, the ADHD planner for women.
Lunar is for you if…
- You can see your crash week coming, but your to-do list never can.
- You want fewer decisions on low days, not more.
- You already track your period or symptoms somewhere else and want your tasks to use that.
Lunar isn't the right fit if…
- You need a PMDD symptom tracker or a period tracker. Try a dedicated tracker (see Clue vs Lunar and Flo vs Lunar).
- You need Android or the web.
Your cycle data stays yours
Lunar never sells your task data or cycle information to third parties. Read the privacy policy.
14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr · iPhone · iOS 26.1+
Questions about PMDD, ADHD and planning
Why does my ADHD get worse before my period?
Estrogen and progesterone drop after ovulation and before your period, and those hormones interact with the brain systems involved in ADHD. Many women notice harder starts, shorter focus and stronger emotions in that week. Research is still developing, so track your own pattern and talk to a clinician if it's severe.
Is the ADHD crash before my period PMDD?
Not always. Many women with ADHD feel worse before their period without having PMDD. PMDD is a diagnosed condition with severe mood symptoms that start a week or two before your period and ease within a few days of it starting. Only a clinician can diagnose it, usually after you track symptoms for two cycles.
Are women with ADHD more likely to have PMDD?
One 2021 study of 209 women with ADHD found that 45.5% screened positive for PMDD symptoms, compared with 28.7% in a general-population study. The authors say the comparison needs caution. If your premenstrual weeks feel severe, it's worth raising PMDD with a doctor.
What planner app helps with an ADHD crash before my period?
Lunar: ADHD Planner for Women is built for that week. You tap your cycle phase and how you feel, and the list shrinks to a few gentle tasks. AI task breakdown splits what's left into small, startable steps. It's a planning tool, not treatment for ADHD or PMDD.
How does Lunar change my to-do list in the luteal phase?
At check-in you pick luteal and an energy level: Exhausted, Low, Okay or High. Tasks that don't fit go quiet. They aren't deleted and they don't pile up as overdue. When you check in High again, usually after your period, the heavier tasks come back.
Lunar vs Muna or Noa for PMDD and ADHD: what's the difference?
Muna is cycle tracking with planning support and calendar sync. Noa plans one to three tasks a day with a rescue mode and shows your cycle phase. Lunar is a to-do list first, filtered by your cycle phase and today's energy, with AI task breakdown to help you start.
Does Lunar work with irregular periods or birth control?
Yes. Lunar doesn't predict your cycle, so irregular periods aren't a problem. You choose your phase at check-in, or skip it on days you're unsure. The energy filter works on its own, which also helps if you use hormonal birth control and your phases feel less clear.
Is Lunar a PMDD tracker or treatment?
No. Lunar is a planning app, not a medical device, and it doesn't diagnose or treat ADHD, PMDD or any other condition. It doesn't track symptoms or predict your period. If you think you have PMDD, a clinician can help, and you can pair Lunar with a symptom tracker.
How much does Lunar cost?
Lunar is free to download on iPhone (iOS 26.1 or later) with a 14-day free trial. After the trial it's $79.99 a year, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store subscription settings. Lunar isn't available on Android or the web yet.