Vitex is very safe if you use it following the directions. I am not sure about tincture doses but usually capsules will instruct you. no more than 2 capsules per day, takes continuous use to be effective. It's actually a very safe supplement and great for regulating periods. It can help SOME women conceive but not all women, depends on the type of problem. It has been shown to help women with luteal phase defect. The reason it is contraindicated in pregnancy is because possibly it can cause uterine contractions. but so can garlic and ginger which are commonly used. The odds of a small dose of vitex causing uterine contractions seem to me to be ridiculously slim. Still, I would not take it while pregnant. I cannot express how near impossible I think it is that vitex would cause a miscarriage. Unfortunately miscarriage is EXTREMELY common, probably more common that documented if you consider all the women who may miscarry around the time they expect their period and not notice anything more than a very heavy period. In addition, if one already has a luteal phase defect or other problem, it may be that the egg is not developing properly so even if pregnancy is achieved, the egg is not genetically up to par. There still is no consensus on whether or not progesterone in pregnancy helps. Consider that it does not help for everyone. Some people understandably believe low progesterone (and I mean low prosterone, not "low but falling in the normal range")is a sign of a problem and the problem isnt the progesterone itself. I could be wrong but I believe that progesterone helping women whose progesterone is borderline normal...maybe it really didnt help at all. I dont know if its ever helped women with very low progesterone or falling progesterone. If youve miscarried or have had low progesterone before most doctors will prescribe it to be on the safe side. Unfortunately you can never know if youre going to carry a healthy baby to term or near term unless you do. Sometimes I think overtreating women drives them nuts. Ive been there.

Brown eyed girl, birth control pills should regulate your period, cant imagine why it wouldnt. Unless youre skipping pills. also, you should really try to take pills at the same time each day. Antibiotics shouldnt affect them. Some antibiotics may cause the effectiveness of birth control pills as contraceptive to be diminished but that hasnt been firmly established. if the birth control pills arent working for you, you definitely need to see an ob.gyn. good luck

supakat, the best way to get your child omega 3 and 6 is through foods like salmon, tuna, sardines, shrimp. Two portions a week is sufficient dosing. that said, I dont think supplements are a bad idea but dont buy into the hokum about special supplements. it is hokum. almost all supplements have to go through inspection so that the fish oils are free of detectable pollutants but if you want to be on the safe safe side, you buy a fish oil supplement that is from WILD fish. You can buy salmon oil supplements at vitalchoice.com but theyre kind of big. Ive seen icelandic cod liver oil for children in a very small oil filled gel capsule that actually tastes lie strawberry if bitten into, would probably be much better for a child. Plus the vitamins A and D would probably do them good too.
you can see something like that here
http://www.omega-dha-epa.com/productchild.html

ABC, Most women have a menstrual cycle from 28-35 days. Anything longer than that can cause fertility problems but it does not mean you cannot get pregnant. just means you likely ovulate less and will have a harder time figuring out when you ovulate. Anything shorter than 28 days is indicative of a luteal phase defect which causes different problems. an ideal cycle length is 30-31 days but a very large number of women dont have that. It is absolutely ridiculous to assume you will ovulate the same time each month EVEN IF YOU HAVE A NORMAL PERIOD. It is true that most ovulation will happen 12-14 days before you expect your period but it doesnt have to be that way. The only real constant is the time between ovulation and your next period and say your period is shifted forward because of stress or some other reason, you will then ovulate later. The only way to know when you ovulate is to test. Its a very simple pee test. Its expensive to do it ongoing but if you have an FSA/HSA through your insurance plan, you can at least make the cost tax deductible. Most ovulation tests are accurate but if you have a condition like PCOS, it may not be so. If you wanted to be supernuts you could use an ovulation test and a basal thermometer. this would pretty much completely confirm ovulation (short of having your doctor do it through more invasive tests). You can totally avoid ovulation tests just by having sex every other day. This will ensure a fresh sperm supply no matter when you ovulate. If you have a period, in all likelihood youve ovulated. it is possible to have breakthrough bleeding similar to period with anovulation but it isnt common. if your periods are very irregular, you should see a doctor. But again, most women are ovulating at least some of the time and having sex every other day means you will maximize your chances of conceiving good as anyone else or anyone who takes tests. If you have PCOS you should seek treatment because doctors can help. You also shouldnt neglect the role of nutrition, a reasonably healthy body weight and also your male partner! He should be taking a multivitamin too.

I started taking vitex at the start of my period for very painful periods I heard that it helps with cramps as well as trying to get pregnant but I already have been ovulating every month so no problem there well about five days before I was suppose to start my fertile time I'm pretty sure I ovulated I had the right type of cm and the usual ovulation pain that I get but this time I had some pinkish brownish discharge with my cm it was only there when I wiped and it wasn't really discharge it was more like tinged cm and was only there like twice....and this time around my breast got really tender which has never happened before they were tender for like two maybe three days and it felt like my ovaies were working overtime....is it possible to ovulate early on vitex and to have the tinged pinkish brown cm? does anyone also know if sore breast can be associated with ovulation? thanks to anyone who might know or has had this happen to them.

Brown eyed girl - Vitex interacts with the pill. You shouldn't take them together. If you're only taking the pill for cycle regulation, you might try ditching it and just using the Vitex.

Hi I came across this thread it was very interesting to read..my problem isnt caused by BCP I have never been on BCP I was on the depo shot in 2001 but I only did one cycle of it and I stopped due to severe headaches... it made me stop getting my period here we are 2006 an I still dont get my period regularly I get it like every 7 months so frustrating especilly that I am TTC. I bought vitex-fruit, dong quai and flase unicorn root does anyone have any advice on what I should do..Please Help

If you are trying to conceive, I also suggest evening primrose oil. That helps make cervical fluid more conception-friendly. Doesn't matter, of course, if you aren't ovulating, but it's considered helpful when TTC. Vitex is good, but I'm less familiar with the others you mention. Have you also been tracking your temps to look for signs of ovulation during those months you do get a period? They even make a little computer/thermometer combo that tracks all that for you and helps predict your fertile days (whether to seize them or avoid them!). They are pricey, but may be a worthwhile investment to help you figure out your body. Read about it here .

I dont really understand how to chart the temps.I just need something that is gonna help me get my period back... I concieved in 2001 but my daughter only lived 2 hours due to a heart problem. Now I am ready and nothing it is so agravating I know you all know that, I am 23 years old I know I still have time on my side the doctor cant find anything wrong so maybe this will help. can I use a regular thermometer or do I need a basal one?? Thank you

You need a basal thermometer, as it keeps track in tens (for example, 97.01, instead of just 97) So you can see the climb. When I ovulated it was very obvious. I bought my thermometer from the drug store. I keep track of it in excel, and make my own chart. You can do it online at fertilityfriend.com i think. YOu could also visit the website tcoyf.com (For taking charge of your fertility, the book by Toni Weschler) and it shows a lot of different types of examples, women who became pregant, who were anovulatory, etc. Charting itself won't get your period back persay, but it will help you know when you're ovulating.

people keep asking questions about Pill withdrawal, so...

bumpity bump!

Im wondering if vitex is ok to take if you are pregnant?? cuz im not sure yet if im pregnant or just haveing pill withdrawl problems....ive only been off a month but im haveing pregnacy signs and my period is late, but i had a negative hpt so im not sure whats going on but if its cuz of the lack of pill then i want to get ovulating asap...so vitex sounds like a good idea but IF i am pregnant i dont want to hurt the baby either!

According to this site (and others I found), you shouldn't take Vitex if you are pregnant:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/vitex.html

I couldn't find any explanation as to why you shouldn't, and I suggest that the topic simply has not been studied. Therefore, if I were you, I'd stay on the safe side and not take it again until you know for certain that you're not pregnant.

This is what I found and Ive already posted it elsewhere but I wanted you girls to read it, specifically the ones who feel their depression worsened on vitex:

Most cases of premenstrual syndrome are conventionally attributed to an elevated estrogen:progesterone ratio,, and are frequently treated with progesterone, or with vitex, which may elevate progesterone secretion by the corpus luteum (Milewicz et al).

An exception is “PMS-D” in which depression is the predominant complaint. This form is attributed to deficient estrogen, and may be induced or aggravated by progesterone, progestin, or anti-estrogen administration (Arpels; Crammer).

Although some contemporary herbalists state that Vitex agnus-castus has an amphoteric effect on ovarian hormones, raising or lowering hormone levels depending on what is required, scientific evidence support only its action to decrease prolactin levels and elevate progesterone secretion from the corpus luteum, presumably through an effect in the higher regulatory centers. The widely observed efficacy of vitex in the treatment of most forms of PMS, in female infertility, and in menopause may be due to this progesterone-increasing effect. In the relatively rare PMS-D, when due to estrogen deficiency, further elevation of progesterone may exacerbate the depression, as in the cases above, with potentially lethal effects. It is our opinion that premenstrual depression as the dominant PMS symptom should be considered a contraindication for the persistent use of Vitex agnus-castus.

Hi Deniz,

That's really good to know. Thanks for posting! Can you post the link to that info so that the rest of us can check it out?

Thanks again,
Frogs

Im so sorry FroggieBet Im no good at computers at all so I dont know how to paste the link correctly but here it is....

http://medherb.com/Materia_Medica/Vitex_and_suicidal_depression.htm

By the way there is a wealth of information out there regarding vitex & depression, it seems to be a very well known fact. Just google vitex depression and you got a vast array of sites concluding that vitex worsens pre existing depression terribly.

Unfortunately Ive stopped my vitex as it was making me feel so depressed. I have noticed though, the depression started on the day that would have been my last active pill date if I had stayed on BCP. Dont know if this is relevant. Its now my first month off YASMIN! I am feeling less restless and aggitated, more in tune with my self and I feel as though I can deal with situations more calmly rather than trying to shoot someone or burst out into floods of tears.

Good luck to all!!

hmmm but then there are people who take it and say it improves it alot. I suppose people have to try it, over all it has good reviews. St johns wort has bad ones as well (it made me faint, but now i take it before bed) and other people have said it made them more emotionally numb, so just try it i suppose. im hoping it will work for me, im desperate!

Hi
Just wanted to ask if anyone knows how long do you have to take vitex for before you get back to normal? i tried it for about 3 months and got fed up and stopped taking it, just wondered if i should have carried on?
Now trying Dong quai. Has anyone heard of it?
Thanks

JueCat, i've heard you're supposed to take it for at least 2-3 cycles or 3 months before you start to see any effect.

Im on Depo Provera, but will be stopping and going back to condoms at the end of August, due to depression etc. Is it ok to start Vitex now, or should I weait until the last day of the Depo ?