Trying to Get Pregnant

Vitex Questions

Hello All!

I am new to this forum and I have been looking through countless posts for weeks. Everyone around me seems to be having babies, and even though I am very excited for them, I myself am getting anxious! I'm sure a lot of you understand. I guess I feel pressure from everyone around me and mostly from myself but that is another story =p

I am mostly trying to get information on Vitex. I have done research on Vitex and I have ordered a few bottles to try out. I am optimistic at this point! My husband and I have not been trying for too long, but my periods have always been a little wacky and I figure this can't hurt. 

I was wondering if anyone in recent time have had any experiences with this vitamin? All of the posts that I have been seeing are from a few years ago. Any information that you all have would be wonderful. I am excited to get some real time experiences! 

Re: Vitex Questions

  • Most of the ladies here, including myself, don't have a high opinion of vitex.
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  • I appreciate your reply! Is there a reason why? I am trying to get as much information as possible because I feel like a lot of the information out there is out dated! 
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  • I just stopped taking vitex this cycle. I got off birth control and decided to take vitex because I heard it can "help balance out your hormones and help your fertility return quicker". Well in first 3 months after BC I had 27 day cycles with O on CD 15. Sounds nice. My first full month on vitex I geared up to O, didn't, stopped taking the vitex, and O'ed 10 days later on CD 25. Now on day 31 of the cycle. I dont have a long history to go off of, but I'm not taking it again as it seemed to eff things up. 
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  • That being said, it seems like if it makes things worse for you it doesn't take long to get it out of your system, so if you try it and it's bad, worst case scenario you just wasted a cycle or two which isn't too bad.
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  • I don't have any experience with it, yet. I plan on starting it with my next cycle. I gear up to O but I don't quite make it.  I have PCOS. I've been searching the internet for posts too and most of them do seem older. I feel like in my situation it's worth a shot! Hope it helps us both!
  • I have several friends who took it and had great success quickly. I know at least one of them took it under the advice and care of her midwife. That being said, they recommended that I take it and I have decided against it. There isn't a lot of good information on it and I have read theories that it may be more likely to cause miscarriage if you stop taking it when you get pregnant (which you are supposed to) because of sudden drops in progesterone. There is not hard core evidence of this, but I decided that for my situation vitex wouldn't really help anyway. I think I would consider taking it (with talking to my doctor first) if I had a short luteal phase or really wacky cycles. But my cycles are pretty normal and I am afraid it might just mess it up.
    href="http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/33e2da" rel="nofollow">Chart


  • I took Vitex, here is my cautionary tale:

    I started taking Vitex a few months after I came off BCP because I had irregular cycles and everything I read said that it would help. My pcp at that time said it was fine to try. I thought that the Vitex was working because my first cycle on it, my cycle was 35 days instead of 39 days.  However, my next cycle was 94 days.

    I scheduled my annual exam with my ob/gyn around day 60 and we discussed my long cycles.  She said that I should stop taking Vitex immediately.  She said that it took a while for the Vitex to get into your system, so that 35 day cycle was really just my body continuing to regulate after BCP and the 94 day cycle was at least partially due to the Vitex.  So, just when I was starting to regulate, I fucked myself.  Yay me!

    I also have PCOS, so I can't blame the Vitex entirely for my long cycles, but if you have an underlying issue like I did, the Vitex can definitely make it worse.  I stopped the Vitex immediately, but it still took 7 months of no vitex and taking metformin for my PCOS before my cycles regulated.  I can't say for sure that I wouldn't have had those problems without the vitex, but I can say for sure that my cycles were nowhere near that crazy before the vitex.
    imageimage
    Me: 33     DH: 38
    TTC since August 2011
    DX:  PCOS and subseptate uterus
    August 2013:  Clomid + Trigger + IUI TI = BFN
    September 2013:  Clomid + Trigger + TI = BFN
    October 2013:  Clomid + Trigger + IUI canceled
    November 2013:  NTNP
    April 2013:  Femara + Trigger + IUI = ???
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  • I started taking Vitex this cycle with the "hey, it can't hurt" attitude because my cycles have been long and unpredictable since coming off BCP.  I'm kind of nervous about that decision after reading your experience, @mmb248.  Plus I'm on CD 42 with no sign of O, so it really hasn't helped.  I think y'all have convinced me to lay off the "miracle herbs."
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    DD ~ A ~ b. 11/2007
    TFAS since 9/2012

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    My Ovulation Chart
  • Stay away from Vitex!!! Just because it's all "natural" does not make it ok! My SIL took it for 5 months against her doctor and me telling her she's an idiot. She has now not had a period for almost a year, months after stopping it. She also has PCOS and it quadrupled her symptoms to the extreme. If you're having trouble TTC (assuming you're over the year mark of TTC if under 35) go to a doctor who will then refer you to an RE.
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  • Thanks for this post and the replies.  I purchased vitex but hadn't started taking it, and now I won't.  Going to get my $$ back...

    Oscar born October 2011

    Miscarriage at 8 weeks (August 2013)

    DD due September 1, 2014

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  • I heard alot of horror stories with Vitex and alot of good. I think it depends on your situation. I heard its better for people who have problems with AF.
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