The risk of developing ADHD was 3 times higher among children whose mothers used the pain-relief drug acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy. The association was stronger among daughters, with the daughters of acetaminophen-exposed mothers showing a 6.16 times higher likelihood of ADHD.

[u/mvea]

https://newsroom.uw.edu/news-releases/child-adhd-risk-linked-to-mothers-use-of-acetaminophen

[u/Ginkachuuuuu]

Everyone I know with autism or ADHD also have autoimmune issues, which tend to come with chronic pain.

As a woman with ADHD I'd also say I'm more sensitive to pain. Even a very minor headache can completely derail my focus.

I feel like there was a very similar study about Tylenol and autism too a few years ago. I could be wrong because it's been a long time but I vaguely remember it being explained as having a fever while pregnant was thought to be the actual problem, which of course also causes people to take Tylenol.

[u/Venvut → u/Ginkachuuuuu]

Weird, I feel the opposite. I'm also a woman with ADHD and seem to have a pretty high pain tolerance. I bump into things and scrape myself up 24/7 since I'm always moving around without paying attention to things. I don't get headaches and am healthy as a horse otherwise. I am VERY much the hyper in ADHD.

[u/mattcraiganon → u/Venvut]

Which is precisely why we don't really care about anecdote in science. There's nothing weird about this, you don't have to fit the pattern.

[u/Ginkachuuuuu → u/Venvut]

Oh I'm constantly covered in mystery bruises and scrapes!

[u/OwThatHertz → u/Ginkachuuuuu]

I’ve got pretty severe ADHD (among a few other comorbidities) but I don’t have autoimmune issues or chronic pain that is not associated with an injury. My daughter, by contrast, inherited my severe ADHD (and also has autism), and suffers from frequent headaches.

Perhaps there is a gender link? Perhaps it’s autism, specifically? This is purely anecdotal conjecture, of course, but it’s interesting.