How many mg of vitex should i take for fertility

Women who have been on hormonal birth control will find Vitex useful whilst they transition off it. The second half of the menstrual cycle is called the luteal phase. It is at this time when progesterone production is stimulated. Short luteal phases in women can be caused when women are not ovulating, or when their progesterone levels are very low.

By increasing the luteinizing hormone, ovulation is promoted, and progesterone levels are improved as a result. Due to the properties that enable the herb to boost progesterone levels, it can be very helpful in preventing miscarriages. Vitex or chasteberry increases luteinizing hormone and inhibits the release of follicle stimulating hormone, which thus boosts the levels of progesterone production and improves the chances of getting pregnant and maintaining the pregnancy.

Though the prolactin hormone stimulates milk production and promotes breast growth during pregnancy, high levels of it are linked to fertility issues. High levels of prolactin can also lead to hyperprolactinemia in women, which can lead to problems in conceiving.

Vitex can decrease the levels of prolactin being produced in the body, and increase your chances of pregnancy. Vitex also helps normalize menorrhagia heavy menstrual flow and amenorrhea absent menses , and decreases polymenorrhea very frequent periods. As it is capable of reducing inflammation of the uterus or the ovaries, it works well for women who are prone to painful fibroids and cysts.

Herbal remedies take their own time to show results, but when you do start seeing them, they are long-lasting. Also, these herbs have fewer side effects. Vitex works in such a manner. Here is how to take Vitex for fertility and to regulate the menstrual cycle:. In order to give the herb some time to optimize the hormonal levels, it is best to begin taking it three months before you would like to conceive. The time can be utilized to slowly change your diet, if needed, and develop healthy eating habits.

A balanced diet along with this herb can help you conceive and maintain your pregnancy. You will need to take the herb for at least six months to regulate your menstrual cycle.

Women with a history of depression taking Vitex for menstrual irregularity may experience an exacerbation of depressive symptoms.

Even though it has been shown to have no interference with oral contraceptives birth control , due to limited research, Vitex should not be used in conjunction with prescription medications that contain hormones in case it may interfere with their activity.

Some women do experience a shift in their cycle when they first begin using Vitex. The length of the menstrual cycle may shorten or lengthen temporarily before it finally stabilizes.

This is just the body balancing itself out and is completely normal. No studies on humans have been done yet supporting this, only traditional use. There have been reproductive toxicology studies with female rats where they were given up to 80 times the concentrations used clinically in humans, showing no difference in offspring compared with the rats given none.

German research shows Vitex can be taken safely through the end of the third month of pregnancy and may help prevent miscarriage. Vitex is still considered safe to take after the third month, but it is thought that it may stimulate lactation too early, so for this reason it is suggested to not continue after the third month of pregnancy.

If you are deciding to use Vitex during pregnancy, we suggest you consult with an herbalist or midwife for guidance and supervision. Vitex is a fantastic herb for fertility, helping with a range of issues such as PMS, low progesterone, lack of ovulation, irregular menstrual cycles, lack of a menstrual cycle, acne, and so much more. Vitex offers many benefits but requires patience and consistency of use.

I find that it works best when used all month long and taken as one dose in the morning on an empty stomach. Since founding Natural Fertility Info. Hethir has dedicated her life to empowering women with to take control of their health with natural therapies.

Nov Nov 9. Nov 8. Nov 3. Nov 2. Oct Sep I have been trying for a child for 3 years and have no success. I never get periods naturally therefore I take Norethisterone Progesterone pills. Could you please suggest if it is okay to take progesterone pills along with vitex? I was taking Yasmin for 4 month to regulate my period. I already come off the pill last month. But i dont have period till today, almost 40 days since my last period i plan to try Vitex.

When can i start to take Vitex? Should i wait till i got my period or can take anytime. Hi Sumathy, you can start the vitex anytime now. I am 25 yrs old now and my last period was in December of and before that it was in July of I am starting to wonder if the irregularity of my period is due to my weight gain or do I have a hormone imbalance. I recently just bought a bottle of Vitex natures way mg. I was wondering will this help with my situation because I did not like the birth control I prefer a more natural way…and another question I have is can I take vitex also with echinacea?

DJVW: I cannot give you health advice over the internet or advise about your condition without knowing your health history. Vitex in the recommended dosage, mg can help regulate periods, but it is unlikely to be the magic bullet without addressing the entire endocrine system. Hi there! I have an oestrogen deficiency as well as progesterone double whammy.

Would Vitex be okay for me? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am wondering if the vitex will increase the growth as prolactin or the milk stimulating hormone is what I believe can be associated with Chasteberry. From what I have read on the hormones and prolactin, I think it sounds like Vitex will be something that may balance the pituitary?

I am hoping it can as this would be a great thing. Any thoughts? It would be ideal to work with someone who could advise you for your particular needs. I am a yr old AA woman that had been diagnosed with five uterine fibroids. I have one large fibroid the size of a grapefruit while the others are rather smaller. My physician appears more keen to having a surgical procedure, cryoabaltion, or sit-and-wait methods over holistic methods.

So, I scoured the web and discovered the benefits of Vitex for women who suffer from fibroids. I purchased mg Vitex capsules and will be taking 3 in the morning to see how my body responds to the herb. I read the previous posts and very few have discussed uterine fibroids. Wobenzyme is another.

It was recently suggested that I try Vitex — I am 55 and menopausal. Cycles have stopped, and have been doing pretty well. My acupuncturist had me using progesterone cream to help with some of the symptoms i was having — mostly just hot flashes. She then put me on a supplement called Progestomend. I noticed that I began to gain some weight — and I was feeling just not myself.

I felt I was getting too much progesterone I opted to stop the Progestomend, and within 2 weeks began to feel better. I was talking to the owner of our local healthfood store about my issues, and she suggested taking Vitex, to help balance things out. My only concern is I am afraid that I will be yet again increasing my progesterone levels. I was told years ago that I am insulin resistant. I know what I need to do for the blood work, but just want to make sure that Vitex will help actually balance my hormones.

Sorry for the long post! Hi Dottie, honestly I have never recommended vitex for a menopausal woman. That said, no one herb or supplement is a magic bullet. You correctly stated that the entire endocrine system thyroid, hormones, even blood sugar levels must be supported together, and you may need hormone testing to see exactly what would work for your body.

Vitex often needs to be combined with other herbs. Best to work with a practitioner who can help you. I have been taking vitex for about 2 weeks and i know it takes a few months to show full effects.

I had a minor surgery last year nothing to do with any reproductive organs and have had a lot of problems with periods since. Between going from 80 days with nothing to spotting for 2 months. I am wondering if vitex will work for me as i am going to start ttc in a few months time. Thanks in advance. Hi, i have been taking vitex for 9 days now, im currently 14 weeks late and waiting to see a gynecologist, it is possible that i have pcos i had some bloods done a few weeks ago and but my results show that they are quite normal, how long could it be until i see results of taking vitex.

My periods have been regular and normal 28 day cycle. We started TTC 3 months ago. I was wondering if I can take Vitex the whole cycle. Hi, do you think Vitex is effective in regulating hormones for fertility after 45? Margaret, it is unlikely vitex is causing weight gain. My cycles are regular days. This cycle has been almost perfect no pms or cramping, just sore nipples which are starting to subside. I started taking vitex 2 wks ago 2 days before ovulation and now on day 28 of my cycle with no signs of flow in sight.

Is this a good and Is it a good idea to take this with endometriosis and should I continue taking vitex for the full 3 months and then take a break? Just hoping it helps with endometriosis and fertility. I just want to ask can I take vitex with birth control pills? I am oestrogen dominant. Any birth control progesterone pills I have taken in the past eg micro pill or marena coil, have completely balanced my moods, but unfortunately came with their own set of side effects resulting in me coming off them.

I seem to spend my life googling trying to find a solution to my pms, trying nutrition, lifestyle etc, but never really found anything that works. I bought this tincture vitex agnus castus and took mg daily.

Low and behold, my PMS symptoms are significantly reduced! No bloating i would look like I am 6 months pregnant migraines practically gone. I was so happy to finally find a solution to my godforsaken pms. But very soon after I had to stop taking them as I was getting really bad stomach issues, Flatulence embarrassing! So my question to you is; is there anything I can do to help with my stomach problems? Hi Julie, your stomach issues may not be due to vitex. Also tested low for progesterone last month post ovulation.

Also have a big cystic acne bump coming in on my chin. Should I stop taking it, or should I try to continue through the whole cycle? Can these be used together? Kori, as mentioned in the article, it can take 3 months for vitex to begin working.

And yes, you can use it with progessence. So how long should I wait to ovulate before I stop taking it? I want to ovulate. Maybe I would be better off only using the Progessence Plus? Also, thank you so much for your quick response.

Now that it was been over 15 months since our youngest son was born, I am ready for my life to be back on track. However, my hormones are not wanting to level out. Before birthing our 2 boys, my cycle was on clock work and I only had one horribly emotional day. Now the outrageous emotional roller coaster starts on the day of ovulation.

I am assuming that there is an imbalance in my estrogen and progesterone levels. How would you recommend taking the vitex? Hi Mary thanks so much for the article. I wanted to know if u could help.. FSH, LH, and female hormone levels, low or not there.. I take bcp to get a period. I wanted to know what I could take instead of bcp and any other suggestions…. Hope to hear from you soon and honestly thank you for your responses. Hi Leigh, yes HA can be primarily caused by stress, which could be emotional, diet-related, lifestyle, blood sugar typically all of these.

You would need saliva testing to assess cortisol and female hormones for starters, then a protocol to rebalance hormones along with diet changes, stress management, etc. HA can be caused by nutrient deficiencies also. I decided to start taking Vitex because my cycles are never the same amount of days, and I experience ligh spotting usually a week before my period even starts. I have been taking mg of Vitex on an empty stomach first thing in the morning for four days now, and I started spotting more heavily than usual this morning after a cycle of 21 days.

I am 34 years old who have blood preasure and my FSH was My LH was AMH is 0. I feel the symptoms of the period a week ago but there is no period. Please what advices can you give me. I have taken Vitex in the past to help regulate my cycles.

It really helped. I took 3 months off to take a break. I have had some of my old issues show back up with sore breasts around ovulation and last along with a longer cycle. Vitex balanced all of it out. Here is my question. Do I need to wait until my period starts to take it, or can I start taking it in the middle of my cycle? Hi Mary, I am late 40s regular periods but last two years it is only 23 day cycle.

So have been taking vitex for about a month. I totally have missed a period and am up to day 33 and no signs of period. Although I feel great no cramps, pmt or anything I am wondering if it will return as ttc. Thoughts on wether to stop taking vitex or keep on it for a while Thanks Rachael. Typically you need to take vitex for a few months before it really starts working, and you need to continue taking it for several months.

I had my hormones tested, even did an ultrasound, and they said everything was in the range of normal, nothing awry, but still my periods now come either days or weeks late; this month, I had a period and then another three weeks later. Will Vitex help me? Krista, yes, vitex can help regulate your cycle by normalizing progesterone.

It does take a while to work possibly several cycles. I have scoured the internet for a similar experience to mine. My usual 5 day period now comes anytime it wants to with very heavy bleeding but no longer than every 27 days apart and sometimes I only get a few days in between.

No cramping or pms, nothing. Am I taking too much.? Have you heard of vitex completely stopping a period. I am not pregnant.

I have been taking vitex for two months. I never missed a period prior to starting the vitex. Will vitex do any harm? Thank you for sharing your time. Hlo, there is some evidence that vitex will help shrink fibroids, but likely when used as part of a protocol that addresses the underlying cause estrogen dominance or other hormone imbalance.

I would also suggest looking into the use of proteolytic enzymes. Hi, I am experiencing irregular periods the past months.. Is it ok to take vitex together with glutathione?

I am taking gluta to help my liver in flushing out toxins.. Bea, yes you can take vitex with other nutrients or herbs. Hello please I have irregular period and high prolactin I just started taking vitex last month and I always notice light cramps my cycle is usually 32 but now 30 after taking vitex just for a month still on it but my breast still bring water whenever I press it what can I add to the vitex thanks na.

Hi, Pls can i use Vitex bring back my mensuration and reduce high prolactin. I had stopped mensurating over a year now and also eager to be pregnant at 45yrs. How do you take Vitex for fertility properly? I have people telling me start take them day 5 of my cycle until the new cycle starts then i have people telling me to start the first day of ovulation to my next cycle. Hi Misty, I explain how to use vitex for fertility in the post.

Hello ladies, I have a hormonal imbalance and taking insulin. Allergic to Soy and just had a hysterectomy, but still have my ovaries. Have been analysing how to increase progesterone without the horrific side affects. My body gained 20 pounds very quickly and I have multiple symptoms of progesterone deficiency. So glad to have come across this herb and crossing my fingers that I will start to bounce back.

My surgery was on August 8 of Thank you for your time and consideration. Hi Tracy, I would make sure to get a full thyroid panel. Hi, I went off the pill a few months ago. Got my WD bleed right away and no period since. I started vitex the capsules you recommend above and havent gotten my period, but have noticed a huge change in my CM.

It was watery for a couple days, then for one day it was egg-white and now back to watery. It seems to be getting lighter but was so heavy to the point I was using pantie liners never had that before! Is this normal? I started taking Vitex November 9th and started my spotting on November 22, My partner and I had intercourse prior to me knowing that it was going to spot and i immediately thought i started my period but since then it has been spotting only, i do have PCOS and havent had my cycle in about 3months.

So my question is, is the spotting a result of the medicine working and if i continue to take vitex will it be a real full period? My best advice, especially with PCOS, is to work with a practitioner to help you balance your hormones. I have high prolactin levels which has caused me to have infertility and I read that Vitex helps.

Is that true? Hi there, Quick question I have been ttc for over a year now following a missed misscarige last December. I have been to a fertility clinic and am being told I have higher fsh levels and low AMH. My fsh is only at 13 not sure what my AMH levels are just that they are low. My question is will taking Vitex work for me to conceive a child.

I have pretty regular periods ranging from 25 to 29 days. I went to see a naturopath who recommended I Take vitex to help me conceive. And if I do get pregnant how do I wean off of it? Thanks so much. Hi Bethany, vitex alone is not a magic pill. It may help regulate FSH, but that effect could differ from person to person. It can certainly help. Hi am 22 have not seen my period for one year now have taken combination 3 for two months but still the period did not come…Am spotting two days ago I started taking levofem can I take the vitex along side the levofem.

Hi, I am currently 38 weeks pregnant. I am wanting to start taking vitex and Maca root after the baby is born to help aid in hormonal re-balance. I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism from a previous pregnancy. How soon can I start taking these? Does it affect milk production or any other factors that the baby may need? Hi Mary Vance. I have been taking Vitex for about 2 years I was doing a break every 4 months. The packaging said I should take mg capsule morning and evening.

But some companies only recommend taking mg in the morning. But 2 months ago it stopped working. I have done blood tests and the result is hyperprolactinemia ng — this is during my 1-month break. I do not have pituitary tumor. What would be the best dose? I had two normal cycles and I started Vitex this current cycle. The very following day, I had severe cramping and spotting which turned to the heaviest bleeding I have ever experienced in my life, including the biggest clots I have ever passed..

I have never had mid-cycle bleeding before. I have never had such pain around ovulation. With that said, yes, correlation does not equal causation and it may just be that I started Vitex at the same time the symptoms started and something else is causing the heavy mid-cycle bleed. However, after doing a lot of digging around, it appears that Vitex is extremely powerful and should be used with caution. It is potent and can work wonders for some people, but I believe they need more understanding on how exactly it affects our bodies and a sound body of literature supporting its use.

Just a thought? Shannan, there are quite a few clinical trials on the efficacy of vitex in treating menstrual disorders, PMS, etc; however, herbs are very strong and affect everyone differently. Hi, can you take Vitex mg and supplement with Progesterone cream post ovulation for short luteal phase? Mira, yes you can take progesterone and vitex together but please make sure and monitor your hormone levels via testing.

Hi Mary. Since the procedure my periods begin with 3 days of spotting, followed by 4 days of light bleeding, the finally my period which last 5 more days for a total of 12 days of bleeding. My husband and I are trying to conceive, which we did 3 years ago but ended up being ectopic. Do you think Vitex can be a solution to this irregular bleeding? I also want to add other symptoms of low libedo and vaginal dryness at sometimes and heavy bleeding for the first 3 days of my cycle.

You should also do a full thyroid panel. Hi… thanks for great article. I am Vitex is recommended either alone or in combination with other herbs, such as dandelion root , prickly ash , and motherwort , by some doctors to treat the symptoms of endometriosis. Although vitex affects hormones that in turn affect the severity of endometriosis, and it may be effective for premenstrual syndrome , no research has tested the effect of vitex supplementation on women with endometriosis.

Similarly, no other botanical medicines have been scientifically researched for treating this disease. Among women taking vitex , menorrhagia has reportedly improved after taking the herb for several months. With its emphasis on long-term balancing of a woman's hormonal system, vitex is not a fast-acting herb. For frequent or heavy periods, vitex can be used continuously for six to nine months. Forty drops of the concentrated liquid herbal extract of vitex can be added to a glass of water and drunk in the morning.

Vitex is also available in powdered form in tablets and capsules. Thirty-five to forty milligrams may be taken in the morning. Numerous herbs, known as galactagogues, are used in traditional herbal medicine systems around the world to promote production of breast milk. These are known as galactagogues. Vitex is one of the best recognized herbs in Europe for promoting lactation. An older German clinical trial found that 15 drops of a vitex tincture three times per day could increase the amount of milk produced by mothers with or without pregnancy complications, as compared with mothers given vitamin B1 or nothing.

However, vitex should not be taken during pregnancy. Hippocrates, Dioscorides, and Theophrastus mention the use of vitex for a wide variety of conditions, including hemorrhage following childbirth and assisting with the "passing of afterbirth. In addition, vitex was believed to suppress libido and inspire chastity, which explains one of its common names, chaste tree.

Vitex contains several different constituents, including flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, and terpenoids. The whole fruit extract, rather than one of its individual constituents, appears to be necessary for the medicinal activity of vitex. The benefits of vitex stem from its actions upon the pituitary gland—specifically on the production of a hormone called luteinizing hormone LH. This indirectly increases progesterone production and helps regulate the menstrual cycle.

Vitex also keeps prolactin secretion in check. A controlled clinical trial found that women taking 20 mg per day of a concentrated vitex extract for three menstrual cycles had a significant reduction in symptoms of PMS, including irritability, mood swings, headache, and breast tenderness.

A review of other trials and case reports suggests there is at least preliminary support that vitex should be considered for women with irregular periods, infertility, and mildly elevated prolactin levels. Caution: Agnus castus should not be taken during pregnancy. The German Commission E monograph recommends a daily intake—30—40 mg of the dried herb—in capsules or in liquid preparations. With its emphasis on long-term balancing of a woman's hormonal system, vitex is not a fast-acting herb and is unlikely to give immediate relief to the discomfort associated with PMS.

For premenstrual syndrome , frequent or heavy periods, vitex can be used continuously for four to six months. Infertile women with amenorrhea lack of menstruation can remain on vitex for 12 to 18 months, unless pregnancy occurs during treatment.

Side effects may include minor stomach upset and a mild skin rash with itching. Vitex is not recommended for use during pregnancy and should not be used concurrently with hormone therapy e. Agnus castus extracts inhibit prolactin secretion of rat pituitary cells. Horm Metab Res ; The use of Vitex agnus castus for hyperprolactinemia. Quart Rev Nat Med ;Spring Schellenberg R. Treatment for the premenstrual syndrome with agnus castus fruit extract: prospective, randomized, placebo controlled study.

BMJ ; Treatment of premenstrual tension syndrome with Vitex agnus-castus.