help me please! vitex and dong quai question

sarahdmiller · 01-28-2004, 01:36 PM

posting in a couple places also on fertility friend...hello. first off tia for even reading this and for responding if ya do ok, let me try to ask/explain this as clear as possible...background-i have been diagnosed with pcos since i was 19. i am very overweight and have a lot of the symptoms, i do not get w/out provera. i have never ovulated in my life that i know of. we have been ttc for 3 years now. 2 & 1/2 of those years were just not trying to not conceive. i do not have my health insurance until march 1st but even when i do get it nothing with infertility is covered! so i am looking for alternative methods.

ok i need advice. i am thinking of taking vitex and dong quai. i have heard these are good for pcos. does anyone know if they work? and how much do you take of each? and when in the cycle? etc...i am sorry i am just so confused about what to do. any advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you again.
-sarah-

rayandme · 01-28-2004, 02:52 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your struggles. I know what PCOS can do to the quality of life. I am not an expert by any means on PCOS. I am still struggling to juggle all of the information, but I just have 2 pieces of information that are all over the boards and also researched and studied:

I would say that if you are overweight it is essential to lose the weight using a proper moderate to low carb and high protein diet. (carbs should be in the form of whole grains and things high in fiber) ...eliminating things that cause insulin spikes is key because a lot of research has linked insulin resistance to PCOS. The only chance to truly be rid of the symptoms is to lose the weight. As you are losing you'll notice the symptoms will get better. Check the weight loss board and read the success stories, the majority of the women are completely clear of ALL symptoms after losing the weight.

If you'd like to take an herb to help balance your hormones I suggest getting your hormonal levels tested first by a doctor. Some herbs can increase LH levels or estrogen levels when yours may already be high, and you don't need certain herbs that diminish testosterone levels if yours are already low.

I hope this helps, and I wish you the best. God bless.

rayandme · 01-28-2004, 07:31 PM

Sorry I just wanted to add one more thing --

Make sure your weight loss program is one that will help you lose weight with your PCOS. I lost 40 lbs years ago with a high carb/low protein diet, but never got my period even once, and the weight came back on plus some. The weight loss boards are a GREAT place to see what works for people with PCOS. Conventional, quick diets are not something recommended for cysters. You may find they either give you no weight reduction, or you lose a quick 20 and then it piles back on. One thing that motivated me to lose weight was when I read the science behind what goes on with my body when I eat something high carb/high sugar, and also the struggle my body goes through to try to ovulate every month. It was enough to make me want to cry. Why would I want to put my body through that?

Sorry for such a long post

I wish you much happiness.

God Bless.

tlmc95 · 01-29-2004, 08:37 PM

I'm taking 1000mg each for almost 3 weeks. I'd like to here some success stories also!

sarahdmiller · 01-30-2004, 01:50 PM

hey rayandme thanks so much for your advice...i have been doing a lot of thinking and im just not sure what im gonna do yet. thank you for taking your time though to tell me some good info. and tlmc95 good luck!
-sarah-

AmandaMarie · 01-31-2004, 02:28 PM

May be just a coincidence for me but I started Dong Quai last month (actually called Female Balance which also has False Unicorn Root as well) and I O'd on time this month!! It also helped a lot with the PMS symptoms, we'll see how I do next month!! But there again I usually have a couple cycles on time then skip a couple months. Good Luck though!