by risingspring » Fri Aug 06, 2010
i just wanted to chime in with some thoughts on vitex, as i have experimented with this herb quite a bit, and also read a lot about it.
in what form are you taking vitex, capsule, tincture? and how much are you taking? this can affect the outcome of taking vitex. furthermore, like dalene already said, vitex can have different effects on different people. like any medicine, even though herbs are usually gentler and safer than pharmaceuticals, not all herbs are good for everyone. if you have been taking vitex for several months and have only seen problems, like extended bleeding, bloating, still no ovulation, i would think this might not be the herb for you. yes, vitex can take a long time to fully take effect. but most women see or feel changes in the first two months.
personally, vitex made me completely annovulatory. i usually ovulated on my own just fine, i took it in hopes of balancing my estrogen to progesterone ratio, and increasing the length of my luteal phase. but it instead INCREASED my prolactin level, and made me not ovulate.
in general, vitex can indeed decrease prolactin for women who have elevated prolactin. but depending on dosage and a number of other factors, vitex can sometimes have the opposite effect.
so, i wanted to share this with you, because it is not always easy to find accurate, experience-based information about this herb on the internet. i am certainly not telling you that you need to stop taking it. but if it has been several months and there are no positive changes, it would be wise to consider that this herb might not be it for you. furthermore, if you have PCOS, there may be other herbs that would be more beneficial for you. have you had your hormones level checked recently?
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