I started taking 800mg a day of chaste tree berry/vitex. I have been taking it religiously with the hope that it will straighten me out the herbal way, maybe even help us ttc. But, I went home for Thanksgiving and my best friend's birth of her baby girl...my af started right before I was to come home (which sucked cuz I was away from my dh for 2 weeks ) and it is still flowing stronger than ever!!! That was almost a month ago. I am going crazy. I have always had heavy periods, and the first month on vitex, my perios was pretty much controllable with a panty liner. Now this 2nd month, I have been going through about 6-8 super tampons a day!!! I hate to do this, but it is not going away, so I am turning back to bcp's. I am going to start Yasmin today. I hate that I have for once in my life dedicated myself to taking something consistently (the chaste tree), but I can't handle this bleeding anymore. My patience has been worn down. I will try again, maybe within the next year, but for now, I need to have a controlled cycle. I know that the chaste tree takes at least 3 months to get in your system and make a difference, but I can't keep bleeding like this. I am anemic, and tired....and going crazy. Thanks girls for all the support!! Jessica
Jessica - vitex does make your af heavier initially. It is the sign of a strong O - you have more progesterone than normal, so your uterine walls develop thicker, so you bleed more. Having said that it isn't normal to bleed more than 5 days, so I agree you have to get the bleeding stopped. Take whatever you need to stop the bleeding this month, but next month I'd see how you go without the BCP?? BCP worsen insulin resistance and are only going to make your PCOS worse, even though they are initially masking the effects. You may have also taken too much vitex for your needs. 800mg is an incredibly high doseage. Vitex really should be regulated for your own particular needs and it's better to start with lower doses and up it if need to, rather than ODing on it. I wouldn't write it off, but I'd stop the bleeding, wait a month (this month while on BCP), then try again next month with 1/2 doseage. If your cycle doesn't stop after a week make sure you get it stopped - don't let it go a month again. On your bottle of vitex, does it also have a standardised amount on it, as opposed to total mg from the berries?? Without knowing a standadised value it's very difficult to know just how strong the particular vitex you took was. It's recommended you usually take 40mg of standardized vitex.
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DD (7) - conceived via IVF (FET) after 2 years of infertility treatment
DS (3) - conceived after 2 years of natural therapies
Scientific Name: Chaste Tree
Other Names: Chasteberry, Cloister Pepper, Monk's Berry, Monk's Pepper, Vitex, Vitex agnus-castus
Should I take it?
Large shrubs rather than true trees, chaste trees were originally found along sunny waterways of southern Europe and western Asia. During the 1800s, they were introduced to the southern United States as an ornamental plant by European settlers. During summer months, chaste trees have blue or lavender flowers, which are sometimes used to make perfume with a citrus-like aroma. The fruits are small—about the size of a black peppercorn—and they have a pepper-like taste and smell. In the past, chaste tree berries have been used as a spice to substitute for ground black pepper. After the leaves fall in the autumn, the berries are collected, dried, and ground for use in medicine.
The progestins in chaste tree berries have long been recognized as useful to treat conditions involving female reproduction. In early Greek and Roman medicine, they were used to stop hemorrhaging after childbirth. Later, members of early religious orders believed that taking chaste tree berries could help them keep their vows of chastity. As early as the 16th century, chaste tree was accepted as part of medicine. Beginning in the 1930’s, German researchers have conducted laboratory and human studies that seem to document the potential usefulness of chaste tree berries in relieving menstrual and menopausal complaints.
Dosage and Administration
Chaste tree berries are available in a number of different dosage forms including fresh and dried berries, capsules containing powdered chaste tree berries, and liquid preparations such as extracts and tinctures. Extracts are concentrated liquid preparations usually made by soaking chopped or mashed plant parts in a liquid such as alcohol, and then straining out the solid parts. Tinctures are less concentrated than extracts, but they are prepared in similar ways.
The German Commission E suggests a daily dose of 30 mg to 40 mg of dried chaste tree berries, but recommended doses vary widely according to the condition being treated and the product being used. In Europe, many chaste tree berry products are standardized to contain 6% of a component called agnoside. Standardization by the manufacturer should assure the same amount of active ingredient in every batch of the commercial preparation. Standardization of herbal products is not required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so not every product sold in the United States will contain the same amounts of active ingredients.
If a chaste tree berry product is used, the directions on its package should be followed. Some manufacturers recommend taking chaste tree berries in the morning before eating, but no study evidence supports this administration schedule. Continual dosing of chaste tree berries may be needed for up to 3 months before an improvement in symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or menopause is experienced. Treatment of acne may require as much as 6 months before results are seen.
Summary
Because they contain the female hormones, progestins, chaste tree berries are used to relieve hormone-related conditions such as premenstrual syndrome, menopausal symptoms, and hormone-dependent acne.
Risks
Women who have cancers of the breasts or reproductive system, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids; and men who have prostate cancer should not take chaste tree berries. Because chaste tree berries may have an effect on dopamine levels, individuals who have Parkinson's disease or mental illnesses should not take them.
Side Effects
Chaste tree berries have been reported to cause fast heartbeat, headaches, nausea, rashes, or unusual menstrual bleeding.
Interactions
Because they can act like female hormones in the body, chaste tree berries could interfere with HRT or oral contraceptives. They can also interfere with drugs that affect dopamine levels.
Last Revised August 6, 2004
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DD (7) - conceived via IVF (FET) after 2 years of infertility treatment
DS (3) - conceived after 2 years of natural therapies
vitex & bleeding like crazy!!! 
) and it is still flowing stronger than ever!!! That was almost a month ago. I am going crazy. I have always had heavy periods, and the first month on vitex, my perios was pretty much controllable with a panty liner. Now this 2nd month, I have been going through about 6-8 super tampons a day!!! I hate to do this, but it is not going away, so I am turning back to bcp's. I am going to start Yasmin today. I hate that I have for once in my life dedicated myself to taking something consistently (the chaste tree), but I can't handle this bleeding anymore. My patience has been worn down. I will try again, maybe within the next year, but for now, I need to have a controlled cycle. I know that the chaste tree takes at least 3 months to get in your system and make a difference, but I can't keep bleeding like this. I am anemic, and tired....and going crazy. Thanks girls for all the support!! Jessica
