Results of trying chasteberry for 1 month

~X~ · 08-10-2003, 02:15 PM

I am a volunteer guinea pig for you all! hehehe

I am trying some different remedies and am documenting them to the site so that others can benefit.

I used chasteberry (vitex) every day by drinking chasteberry tea (that I brewed for a long time) every day for one month and have had some interesting results. I started taking it on the first day of my period, btw.

Here's what happened:

RESULT NUMBER 1

I noticed a dramatic DECREASE in acne, in a big, big way.....on my FACE. Before the chasteberry, I was getting some regular nasty spots around my mouth and chin area that were really embarassing.

IMMEDIATELY starting the chasteberry these vanished and have healed up superfast! In fact, my skin looks more beautiful than it has in a long time. My face is more glowing and my skin is super soft. I have not had a zit on my face for an entire month!!!!! There are still a few blackheads on my nose but they are somewhat improved. I could be imagining bit but I even think I look a little younger!

RESULT NUMBER 2

HOWEVER (big "but").....I have had MORE acne just under the jawline and neck area. Not a LOT more, but more. Unfortunately, these have also been the really big nodule nasty kind, large, red, painful. Just a couple of them, not frequent, but they are slow to heal so they give more zit "mileage" (oh joy) I also got one on the back of my neck just in my hairline, and one on my shoulder. They're big and ugly. I am using products on them and keeping them down to a dullroar but they are really pretty naughty blighters.

It's a tough tradeoff. If they could all be hidden under my hairline or clothes, it would be worth the trade to not have any acne showing on face and neck. But since one was on neck and one was on jawline, I'm not sure what to do.

RESULT NUMBER 3

I did notice my libido picked UP slightly, in that I felt a much stronger response to say, seeing an attractive man. I did not have a particularly higher or lower libido before, I think, just normal as far as I know. And strangely, I felt more ATTRACTION to men than usual but somehow it did not seem as sexual?! I don't know if this makes sense. I know it sounds weird, but I wanted t share it.

RESULT NUMBER 4

Sexually, orgasms have been fewer and less intense. I have not stopped being able able to have them but they are just kind of fizzly. I used to have very intense mutiple orgasms so this is a little scary. PCOS sucks but I figured one of the few things I had going for me with these hormones is a good sex life, hehehehe.

I realize this is a very personal topic to share and I feel a little shy but I want people to know it's been quite noticeable, these differences, in case anyone else tries the chasteberry, be forewarned.

RESULT NUMBER 5

Menstruation came about two days earlier than expected. (Usually is 29-31 days for me).....showed up on the 28th day on the dot.
I have no idea how this might have affected ovulation since I'm not trying to get pregant and wasn't paying attention to that.

RESULT NUMBER 6

Hard to tell about hair and weight, will get back to you all on that. Yes, I am going to keep going on the chasteberry for a month and report back to you all.

This month, though I will only take chasteberry about two days out of three. I plan on two days on, one day off. This is an experiment to slightly reduce the dosage, because of COURSE I would love to keep the beautiful clear face but would like to lose the painful red bumps on my neck and get back my orgasm function.

We'll see what happens.

Hope this helps someone,
X

Noxy · 08-14-2003, 06:31 AM

thanks for your message! It helped me. I have just started taking agnus castus, I didn't know which to buy, the drops or capsules so I got both thinking one of them is bound to work!! My skin is quite bad and the doc gave me antibiotics to clear it up but the spots continued after I'd finished them. Finally about 3 months later its started clearing up and I think (and hope) its due to the agnus which i've been taking for a month now, although I still have quite bad scarring.

Am also a week overdue with my period but this is normal as I can sometimes go about 50 - 60 days without a period. I'm not too bothered about regular periods - I JUST WANT CLEAR SKIN DAMMIT!

Anywaaaay. What dosages are you taking? I would be interested to find out. I read some where Anyglot is a more concentrated version of agnus. Might try that.

nwlywed · 08-18-2003, 04:33 PM

hi - i also noticed my acne clear up while on vitex (chasteberry). i bought mine at GNC and was taking 2000mg a day. it also helped w/endo pain. unfortunately, i can't take it anymore b/c i was taking it to TTC but it didn't work so i'm on bcp for one month to try to regulate AF (has made acne worse) and then i go on clomid and on to IVF. once we have our 2 babies, i will probably go back on it.
vitex is supposed to stabilize hormones and it worked for a couple of months but then my cycle took on a life of it's own.
you can't take vitex and clomid together b/c they negate each other.

~X~ · 08-18-2003, 08:38 PM

Hmmmmmmm

Well, ladies, I am really fascinated and want to know more about vitex/chasteberry experiences.

I don't know the dosage I'm taking because I'm drinking chasteberry tea. For slightly over a month I drank a cup of chasteberry tea a day, letting it steep/brew for a LONG time (sweetened it with stevia and sometimes iced it for iced tea).

My skin has NEVER looked this good except when I was on Accutane. I'm smiling and feeling grateful every day.

I think I'd like to try taking a form OTHER than the tea because it's not always convenient to make and drink a cup of tea....it takes more time than taking a capsule or tincture.

I'm really interested in all the vitex info I can get my hands because I want to know if it's okay to keep taking it eveyday indefinitely! I'm now starting my second month with it and I'm finding my skin still looks just as fabulous even though I skip drinking the tea approximately one day out of three.

In particular, I want to make sure there's no downside. I sure haven't found one yet! But it's hard to believe it could be this easy and this wonderful, you know! Wow!

X

CanadaCandy · 09-04-2003, 01:17 AM

I'd love to know where you got it, and f there is anywhere online you know of that I could get it from.

Also, I would love to know how its going still..

Noxy · 09-04-2003, 06:14 AM

Saw Palmetto is the best! I have been taking it for a month and my acne has completely gone, that and 30mg of zinc citrate 3 times a day.

However i had to stop taking it cause i just found out i'm 8 weeks preganant!

woohoo!

Eponine · 09-04-2003, 03:02 PM

I found this article about Vitex, that I think explains how it works really well.

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Vitex_RedMoonHerbs.htm

~X~ · 09-04-2003, 07:14 PM

I've found it in many places! I can't remember the exact price but I know it was less than $5 for a box, and the box contains 24 tea bags, I think. I actually started using the tea because I wasn't sure if it was going to work out for me and I didn't want to spend $15 on a bottle of capsules or a tincture (plus I already drink a lot of tea).

Any natural foods, vitamin store, or health food store that carries a selection of herbal teas usually carries it.

If a store near you isn't carrying it, then I'm sure it's available from stores and outlets that sell those types of products online.

X

~X~ · 09-04-2003, 07:39 PM

Okay, here's an update.

RESULT NUMBER 1

In almost two months, I have experienced NO BREAKOUTS on my face. NONE. I've been noticing my face is MORE oily though....quite a bit. It's odd, but I'd take oil over zits any day.

I'm paying attention to the blackouts (not too bad) that were on my nose from before I started the Vitex to see if they are getting better or worse or whatever since I last posted, but so far haven't noticed a lot of change whatsoever, either way on those. I'll keep you up to date. Same thing on overall skin texture. Results pending.....

RESULT NUMBER 2

This result continues the same as in the last posting. I have just one or two really nasty big red cysts under my jawline, at most, at a time....but it seems like they're big and huge and awful and just won't heal. So I'm pretty distressed about this. I used to get these once in a WHILE before, but I have had one, at least, at any given time....chronically since I started the vitex. I would still rather have this than have spots on my FACE. And with my long hair, they're not always noticeable to everyone but I'm pretty frustrated with them. I'm still hanging in there because the effect on my face is so dramatic and fabulous. I'm kinda of interested to see if my skin and hormones "balance out" after month 3 of this, or what? Of course if I get past month 3 and this continues the same or worse, I may look into an even lower dosage or something....or I suppose, quit taking it. We'll see. Right now Result Number 1 is still so good that Number 2 is worth it......

RESULT NUMBER 3

Call me nuts, but I'm still noticing this.

RESULT NUMBER 4

I have noticed this as well, continuing. IT's not like I'm handicapped or anything. I am able to perform and climax sexually. It's just a little dimmer, fuzzier, less intense. I am missing my former intense climaxes but since I'm still functional sexually, I've decided to hang in there and have patience with this. I mean if my whole hormonal system is being regulated and adapted, I would expect some changes.....and if I had to trade some sexual intensity in order to become more healthy and beautiful (without PCOS), I think I would make that trade. But it better work! LOL If it doesn't, I may quit and go back to having wilder fun in the sack. =)

RESULT NUMBER 5

I do not know if I have ovulated. I felt pain on one occasion that seemed semi-ovulatory but also different from usual, so ......the jury's out.

Cycle at 28 days even.

RESULT NUMBER 6

Yay! Definite IMPROVEMENTS to excess hair growth problem. For example, that fuzzy shadow over my upper lip is lighter and slower-growing and softer. I used to get a couple of wiry hairs under my chin that I had to monitor all the time (plucking near-daily) and now I keep looking for hairs there, but there's nothing there!

NEW ! RESULT NUMBER 7

Here are some things which may or may not be related:

I have been slightly MORE moody than I usually am, but overall, I've been more ENERGETIC than usual. For what it's worth.

My weight has remained stable but it seems to me like I'm eating a lot, always craving food. This could be unrelated to the Vitex, I don't know....but I just thought I'd mention. It could be a positive, if I'm actually eating MORE (seems like I'm eating constantly! lol) because my weight has NOT changed with all that eating. Of course, I could just have gotten lucky with that so far, and it could be a bad thing for me or others if Vitex is causing the appetite to skyrocket or something, you know?

Anyway, like I said.....it might just be a coincidence. More time will tell.

During the second month, I drank the Chasteberry-Vitex tea approximately every OTHER day, but I was not scientific about it. There were some times when I missed two days in a row and other times where I drank it two days in a row. I DO let the tea steep for a long time (leaving the tea bag in the tea while it's in the refrigerator pitcher as iced tea......) so I think I am getting more "mileage" than if you just dunked the tea bag for a couple minutes or something.

I plan on taking it about every other day until the end of the third month and then re-evaluate what I want to do in the future.

Hope this helping, ladies!

X, your loyal guinea pig