Peri-Menopause

[noodlecat]

Originally Posted by Tootsjwu

Thank you so much for sharing! How much Vitex did you use? I’m on a ridiculously high amount and it’s only making a difference now. Do you feel it balances hormones permanently or only while taking it?

When I first started I was taking 400 mg Vitex in the morning. I felt very good on that.
I stopped for a while, and when I started again 400 mg was too much. I think I did 80 mg.
Then stopped for a while, then did 40 mg for a couple years right up and into menopause. After that it became too stimulatory.

Vitex works by stimulating the pituitary gland in the brain, which then send out the endocrine signals for the adrenals to produce more progesterone. The other hormones (estrogen, testosterone, cortisol) are made from the progesterone. I found that it worked only while taking it.

[Tootsjwu]

Originally Posted by noodlecat

When I first started I was taking 400 mg Vitex in the morning. I felt very good on that.
I stopped for a while, and when I started again 400 mg was too much. I think I did 80 mg.
Then stopped for a while, then did 40 mg for a couple years right up and into menopause. After that it became too stimulatory.

Vitex works by stimulating the pituitary gland in the brain, which then send out the endocrine signals for the adrenals to produce more progesterone. The other hormones (estrogen, testosterone, cortisol) are made from the progesterone. I found that it worked only while taking it.

I appreciate you clarifying. For those couple of years, you took it continuously with no breaks? My progesterone must have tanked cause I’m taking 4000mg of Vitex to get any relief. I’m going to keep it at this dose and continue for 6 months, in hopes it will correct the imbalance somewhat. Maybe a hormonal blood test in 3 months. Vitex was my first choice cause a gynecologist gave me birth control pills at such a high dose to stop bleeding (didnt even work and made me worse) and it must have shut off my ovulation. Hope vitex will bring ovulation back and raise my progesterone.

[noodlecat]

Originally Posted by Tootsjwu

I appreciate you clarifying. For those couple of years, you took it continuously with no breaks? My progesterone must have tanked cause I’m taking 4000mg of Vitex to get any relief. I’m going to keep it at this dose and continue for 6 months, in hopes it will correct the imbalance somewhat. Maybe a hormonal blood test in 3 months. Vitex was my first choice cause a gynecologist gave me birth control pills at such a high dose to stop bleeding (didnt even work and made me worse) and it must have shut off my ovulation. Hope vitex will bring ovulation back and raise my progesterone.

I can't say definitively how long I took it continuously — maybe a year or two at a time. I dose by how I feel and my symptoms, and I use my inner senses and intuition.

I would suggest you take it for a while and then stop and re-evaluate. As I recall, after being on Vitex for a while it would take up to a week or so for my body to revert back to baseline. See if you feel better on it or off it. Play with the dosage. I imagine you already have as you arrived at 4000 mg as one that gives you relief.