Help with Vitex/agnus castus - spotting

[Hann12]

Hi firstly I apologise as I'm not LTTC but I asked on the TTC page and someone recommended asking here as you might have more expertise to advise. Basically I stopped BF 3 cycles ago and immediately had my cycles back at 29 days long however according to OPKs I'm not ovulating until CD20/21 giving me a 7/8 day LP. This also happened after I stopped BF my first child although LP then was 10 days.
So I read that agnus castus can help with regulating and balancing hormones and could be beneficial. I took 2x 1000mg CD's 3-7 then I reduced it to 1000mg since then. I'm now CD 18 and I've been getting spotting since evening of CD 15. Sorry TMI but its only mixed in with CM so its not bleeding but it is every time I get CM. Not sure if that means I won't ovulate this month, delayed ovulation, or will still ovulate as normal. Guess time will tell. I read that spotting with taking it can be a dosage too high. Has anyone experienced this? Next month should I continue with one a day, reduce the dosage and only take one tablet every 2nd day or just not take it at all? Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Wish4another1]

Hann12
I can only tell you my experience with Vitex. I have heard lots of good things about it - and lots of times when it doinked up someone's cycle...

personally I think you are taking too much - I took 800mg up to O, then backed off to 400mg... and I will tell you that it shortened my cycles (i have short cycles anyway - 24 days) so I didn't need it shortened!!! my cycles dropped to 20-21 days when taking the 800... I have noticed that if I back off to just the 400 my entire cycle... it seems to be my normal 24 day cycle.
This cycle I am going to take it after O with B6 to try and keep away my pre-AF spotting...

I have heard it can delay ovulation!! I hope that is not the case for you! I hope you can get it figured out!!!
Good luck!!

 

[Hann12]

Thank you for your reply! I guess it was too much, I just did what the instructions said, 1-2 tablets a day but clearly too much! I think I'll stop taking it now and see if I still ovulate this month. Very annoying. I assumed it would help but clearly not in my case
I hope the spotting stops soon too!

 

[patienceiav]

Heya!

I'm afraid I don't have any experience with pure vitex as I drank fertilitea instead, for me it helped regulate my ov (except when I have a chemical cycle things always get screwed up again) just wanted to say I've never spotted on it, I hope you figure out how to fix it, maybe as hann said reducing the dose? Gl