Re: vitex/chasteberry
From: anonymous (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue May 24 10:39:55 2005
This herbal remedy is used mainly to control PMS symptoms and increase
lactation for those trying to breastfeed. I didn't find anything about
stopping cysts from occuring. Does your friend know what type of cysts
form? Does she have PCOS perhaps? This herbal preparation acts on the
hypothalamus and pituitary glands which means it will have some heavy
duty actions upon the various hormones in our bodies. Perhaps she's
taking too much or taking it incorrectly.
The #1 caution with ALL herbal or "natural" remedies is CHECK YOUR
SOURCE! Not all herbal products are created equally and not all
"natural" products are natural. Many add fillers or additional
ingredients that could cause interactions with your other medications or
result in an allergic reaction. Because the herbal product industry is
not fully regulated yet I suggest sticking with nationally known brands
such as Webber Naturals or whatever your local stores carry the full
line of. Ordering things like this through the mail or over the
Internet is not recommended for safety reasons. (This does not include
ordering via Internet from your local store's website as is offered now
by some of the large national chain stores)
Suggested reading:
http://www.obgyn.net/displayarticle.asp?page=/pcos/articles/dunne_vitex
http://www.supplementwatch.com/supatoz/supplement.asp?supplementId=322
http://www.supplementwatch.com/supatoz/supplement.asp?supplementId=323
Hope this helps!
At Mon, 23 May 2005, anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
>
>if there is anyone with some more advice it would be great
>
>At Sun, 22 May 2005, mel wrote:
>>
>>http://www.nutrasanus.com/vitex.html its called vitex but is also known
>>as chasteberry and it was supposed to stop the cyst from occuring and it
>>has but has also cause many bad side affects in personallity, she is a
>>dear frined of mine and i am real worried, she broke up with her b/f of
>>5 years, who i know she loved with all her heart, all she ever did was
>>talk about him, and now she is in a new relationship just weeks later,
>>and practically living with some new guy she barely knows, and she knows
>>its not right, but its like she has no sense of good judgement, i mean
>>she stopped the meds for about a week and came to me crying saying she
>>had made so many mistakes and didnt know what she was doing, and
>>regretted what she did with her b/f, but then she was having lots of
>>pains and started taking the meds again, and now she is doing the same
>>things, and doesnt even seem to remeber the way she felt the week she
>>was off the meds....im not sure what to do or how i can help, she
>>refuses to go see a doctor, she thinks she is fine, but as an outsider
>>looking in...she def. is not acting like herself
>>
>>At Fri, 20 May 2005, anonymous wrote:
>>>
>>>Are you sure you have the name of the drug correct? I checked at
>>>http://www.rxlist.com and cannot find a listing for Vitex but did find
>>>Videx. It's an HIV drug with some really serious potentially fatal
>>>side-effects.
>>>
>>>Vidaza which also comes up in a search for Vitex is an antineoplastic
>>>(cancer) drug.
>>>
>>>Try getting the name of the drug again and look it up on rxlist.com or
>>>come back here with it and see if anyone can answer your questions. If
>>>you are not in the US or Canada then please also include the name of
>>>your country.
>>>
>>>Basically though, if the drug she is taking is a hormone-based drug then
>>>yes, mood swings, personality changes and irritability are quite common
>>>side-effects and will have varying degrees of severity. Some women
>>>suffer horribly from just birth control pills and so stronger hormones
>>>can seriously make them appear to be 'heading off the deep-end'. The
>>>worst part, at least it was for me, was the feeling of disassociation I
>>>had. It was almost as though I was watching all of it from a little
>>>window inside myself. The sane, balanced, stable, rational unmedicated
>>>bit of my real self that was left was horrified by the irrational,
>>>emotional pendulum of a crazy woman I was watching fly from tears to
>>>blind rage in a blink. It scared the helloutta me and those were
>>>supposedly the lowest dose available.
>>>
>>>Many other drugs do list a variety of side-effects which can include
>>>mood and personality alterations. It is not a sign of addiction.
>>>Addiction is when you need the substance for no other reason than you
>>>are craving it. Again, if the drug is a hormone replacement therapy
>>>drug then yes, going off of it could cause menopausal-type symptoms to
>>>return if that is the reason for taking it in the first place.
>>>
>>>At Fri, 20 May 2005, mel wrote:
>>>>
>>>>hi has anyone heard of getting addicted to vitex??? i know someone who
>>>>has been taking it since christmas time and have had some serious side
>>>>effets from it, her mood and personallity are not the same or anything,
>>>>hwoever she stopped taking it a few weeks ago, because she ran out. It
>>>>was then that she broke down crying saying she felt like her old self
>>>>again and had made a lot of mistakes the last few months, she began
>>>>getting hotflashes and not feeling wel, so she assumed it was the
>>>>affects of not having the vitex, now she is back on the vitex and her
>>>>mood has switched back to the way it was before and she seems to forget
>>>>the week or so she was off of it. I dont know if this is possibly
>>>>become like a drug addiction or what to do, she refuses to go see her
>>>>doctor, and i am getting really scared for her.....any help on this
>>>>would be appreciated thanks
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