Hi Friend,
For decades, medicine has treated the brain and the body as if they were in different zip codes.
If you struggled with focus, you were sent to a Psychiatrist. If you had widespread pain and fatigue, you saw a Rheumatologist. But for those of us living in the "Neuro-Somatic Loop," we know the truth: The two are the same fire, just burning in different rooms.
Today, I want to show you the hidden bridge between your ADHD and your Fibromyalgia. It’s a bridge built out of a single, misunderstood neurotransmitter: Dopamine.
I have a few 1-1 consults left this year and this is a link that is very common and it needs to be taken seriously to ensure good outcomes. Book Here
1. The Dopamine Gateway: Your Brain’s "Filter"
Most people think Dopamine is just about "pleasure." It isn't. In the clinical world, Dopamine is the Gatekeeper of Information.
In an ADHD brain, your "Dopaminergic Tone" is low. This means your brain’s filter is thin. You are bombarded with sensory input—sounds, lights, thoughts, and emotions—that a "neurotypical" brain would simply ignore.
This constant bombardment is exhausting. But here is the secret: Your nerves use the same filter.
2. Why Low Dopamine equals High Pain
Dopamine is one of our most potent natural painkillers. It regulates our Pain Threshold.
When your dopamine levels are low (as they are in ADHD), your brain’s "volume knob" for physical sensation is turned all the way up. This is called Hyperalgesia.
A light touch feels like a bruise.
A cold breeze feels like a needle.
A stressful thought feels like a physical punch to the gut.
This is the foundation of Fibromyalgia. It isn't that your muscles are "damaged"; it's that your brain has lost the dopaminergic filter required to damp down the "noise" of your body.
3. The "Adrenaline Tax": Running on the wrong fuel
Because the ADHD brain lacks the dopamine needed to get through a normal day, it often defaults to its "Emergency Fuel": Adrenaline (Norepinephrine).
You wait until the last minute to finish a task. You thrive on "crisis mode." You drink 4 cups of coffee just to feel "normal."
You are running your car on rocket fuel, and your nervous system is paying the price.
This chronic flood of adrenaline is a massive "drop" in your MCAS Bucket. Adrenaline is a direct trigger for mast cell degranulation. Every time you use stress to "power through" your ADHD, you are inadvertently setting off the "landmines" of inflammation that drive your Fibromyalgia flares.
4. The Loop: Brain-on-Fire, Body-on-Fire
When your brain is "noisy" (ADHD), your nervous system stays in a state of high alert. This chronic state of alarm keeps your body in Central Sensitization.
You aren't just "unfocused," and you aren't just "in pain." You are in a Neuro-Somatic Loop where your brain’s dopamine deficiency is lowering your pain threshold, and your body’s inflammatory response is making your ADHD brain fog 10x worse.
The Mend Perspective:
You cannot "think" your way out of ADHD if your body is in a pain flare. And you cannot "rest" your way out of Fibromyalgia if your ADHD brain is keeping you in a state of 24/7 adrenaline-seeking.
In Part 2, we’re going to dive into the "Autonomic Alarm"—the mechanism that keeps you "Wired but Tired"—and how we begin to stabilise the system.
I have made a free quiz to assess if your nervous system is fatigued which will be a huge reason for your symptoms. FREE QUIZ
Stay steady,
Dr Ahmed
Founder, Mend clinics, book here
