vitex stopping period?

a baby4me · 08-05-2002, 08:56 PM

has any one have vitex and wild yams root stop a normal perod and make your breasts sore i am not pg but i am almost a week late so i am taking progestrone to start a period . please any advise would help.

giberange · 08-05-2002, 11:42 PM

can you please tell me how you are going to use the progesterone cream to bring on AF. i am on CD35 and i would like to bring it on as well, but am not sure how. should i take it for 2 weeks and then stop, or is there a different way? i would love to know.

a baby4me · 08-05-2002, 11:44 PM

actually mine is not a cream mine is prescription medroxyprogestrone 1 a day for 5 days to bring my period back....

giberange · 08-05-2002, 11:51 PM

i see. i have the cream and was curious about using it to start af. thanks anyways and good luck with getting af!!!

Sheri · 08-06-2002, 01:17 PM

Ange, when I have used it to bring on af I just take it until I bleed, which for me has always been under 2 weeks.

As for the original question, it depends on why you are using vitex and wild yam. If you have normal periods then these are probably not necessary for you to use. If you don't have normal periods then you have to be patient with using them. They can take a few months sometimes to bring on the first cycle (mine took 2 months both times I have used them, some others have reported less time and others have reported more time) I have heard about the breast tenderness and this is due to changes taking place with the hormones. I feel a little confused about your post.

Sheri

a baby4me · 08-06-2002, 02:28 PM

my periods were only normal on clomid and hcg i went off of that due the cost and then it was normal for one month after that then i started the nautral stuff and now i am cd 35 today and no period however before the clomid and hcg i would go 6 months without a period. so i did not want to fall in to that pattern again but i was afarid it has messed me up . also i read where it lowers your prolactin which i have hyperprolactemia anyways and raised your progestron which is why they are thinking that i am not keep a pregnancy. do this make more sense?
kim

Ajani · 08-06-2002, 03:01 PM

My cycle was sort of irregular, so I started vitex... about a year later my cycle had stopped. I stopped taking it and slowly, my body is getting back to "normal." I don't think vitex is for everyone.

Sheri · 08-06-2002, 05:42 PM

I agree that vitex may not be for everyone but in this case it sounds more likely that you are falling back into old patterns which would happen without the vitex. The vitex takes time to do its work so if you are patient then most likely it will help to normalize your cycle. You will likely have a few messed up, long cycles but each one should get better than the previous. I have had some times when vitex did not work for me but it was usually when I was playing around with taking other stuff or at one time when I changed brands and inadvertently raised my dosage from 120mg per day to 1200mg per day! Teaches me for not paying attention. You ultimately have to do what feels right for you.

Ajani, if your cycles were irregular prior to vitex then what do you account for them becoming normal now? Are you taking something else? Is it possible that you were taking too high a dose (I have spoken with other women who had problems with some of the high dosages listed on the bottle recommendations) How long have you been off the vitex?

Sheri

Ajani · 08-06-2002, 06:17 PM

LOL, they aren't normal, but "normal." That is to say, I AF arrived on her own last month and behaved the way she used to. My cycle has never been normal, but after taking the vitex, it stopped altogether. I don't recall how much my dose was right now. It's been since at least the beginning of the year since I stopped taking it, and it has taken this long to get back to near where I was before I started on it. I only ever took one brand, and didn't add anything to it during the time I was on it (no cohosh, or other herbs).

a baby4me · 08-07-2002, 12:11 AM

so then what is a good dose to take cause i am taking what is recommened on the bottle which i believe is 1000 a day! and the wild mexican yams root is1000 a day too? i am open to suggestions i am 5 ft 8 inches and 268 lbs. pcos and IR i am looking for any help i can get .. if it is too high of dose i am taking would that cause the breast tenderness and the period being late?

Sheri · 08-07-2002, 03:10 AM

The dose you are taking is fine. Some women start with around 500mg per day (that is what I take) Others start with around 1000mg per day and then after a couple months, once the vitex has accumulated they drop down to 1 capsule per day (500mg per day)
There are some mixed feelings about Wild Yam postponing ovulation in some women. I have not had this experience personally but if you are concerned about it then you could stop using that until you O. You should probably replace it with something else for your liver though, like dandelion or burdock roots.
There are some other herbs which can be helpful in working with vitex. Here are some good books to look into (check out the info on ovarian cysts, irregular cycles, infertility and specific info on the herbs)...
Herbal healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal Remedies for Women by Amanda McQuade Crawford
The complete women's herbal by Anne McIntyre
Infertility Solutions by Shana Albo
Treating Infertility Naturally by Karen Bradstreet (might not be the right title but that author)
Just give the vitex some time. You are doing alright.

Sheri

a baby4me · 08-07-2002, 09:09 AM

the reason for the mexican wild yams root is for multipul miscarriages and i was told by the naturopath that this is very good for aiding in keeping a pregnancy. anythoughts?

talah'smommy · 08-07-2002, 12:05 PM

I am on cd59 and I am starting to think that vitex might be the culprit as I have been taking it throughout the whole cycle and this is my longest cycle since my dd was born so I think I will stop ...any thoughts
~Leena

Sheri · 08-07-2002, 01:13 PM

I can't convince you to keep taking vitex if you feel strongly that this is the culprit, but personally I see PCOS as the culprit for long cycles. My first cycle on it was 70 days long but I have spoken to others who waited for 3 months. The thing about PCOS is that our ovaries are covered with cysts and in order to ovulate and regulate our cycles our body has to remove the cysts. Often cysts are filled with excess hormones or toxins which need to be filtered by the liver, which is why liver herbs are recommended and why sometimes there are cleansing side effects to using herbs. The cysts did not get there fast and they can not be cleaned away fast. Some women have more problem with cysts than others and it will take their bodies longer to clean the cysts out. Also some women have better diet and exercise lifestyles which aids in speeding up that cleansing. I know there are probably some people who vitex does not work for but I personally believe it works for the majority. I have spoken to such a huge number of women who are amazed at what vitex has done for them. The key is finding the patience first off, finding the faith and making sure a reasonable dosage is being taken (under 1500mg per day) I also think it is very beneficial to read some books on the subject. There are others than what I have listed but those are a good start. When you learn more about vitex and also what works in conjunction with it you can heal yourself more effectively. For example I take
Vitex for hormone balancing
Dong Quai reproductive tonic
Wild Yam for liver support
Kelp for thyroid support
Siberian Ginseng for adrenal support
My reading suggests that vitex should only be used alone for menopause but for other hormonal situations should be used in conjunction with other herbs for optimal healing. There are other herbs than what I take but that is just what I felt was right for me. There are also some good herbal combo blends specifically for women and even if you choose not to buy them you can use their ingredients as a guide to what may be helpful for you. So Leena, after all that it really is ultimately up to you. If it doesn't feel right then stop, if you think it is impatience then persevere. Good luck. If you have not read my personal experience it is at this link...
http://www.thelaboroflove.com/forums...threadid=16635
There is a link there to some good info on vitex as well.

Ababy4me: I personally have not read about Wild Yam delaying ovulation but that info has been circulated to me and I felt like I should pass it on to you. So I am not sure whether it is accurate or not. I personally use Wild Yam and have throughout my cycle as well as the cycle I conceived my daughter. Because Wild Yam is not a cumulative herb I think it would have the same effect on m/c risk if you use it only post o though, so if there is concern about it delaying o then take it only post o. How did your naturopath recommend using it. Probably best to follow their advice but I am curious of what they suggested.

On a side note, I did not O the first few cycles on vitex so that is another thing to not be overly concerned about. Once it starts having good effects though you will be glad you stuck it out.

Sheri

Ajani · 08-07-2002, 03:14 PM

Don't get me wrong... I am a huge supporter of natural remedies. HUGE! I am also a firm believer in homeopathy. But vitex isn't for me. I'm in the minority. That's fine by me. I do take liver tonic herbs (a blend of artichoke, dandelion, milk thistle and tumeric), and I take my vitamins, and evening primrose oil too.