Having a bad reaction to a herb (agnus castus) help!

[HJKL09]

Posting for traffic as I'm pretty desperate!

I've been taking agnus castus for around a week now to help with PMS and I'm having a bad reaction to it. This funny turn coincided with me taking the last pill this morning and coming on my period.

I'm very nauseous, feeling spaced out and jittery. Stupidly anxious (which I most definitely am not usually) and severe fatigue.

I last took one this morning.

How can I get it out of my system?! Will anything help.

agnus castus is usually used for a bit of nudging of the cycles of hormones back into synch - its not a herb to use longterm, usually 3 months max. However a herbalist would go through all the symptoms you have and work out exactly whats going on with your cycle, because with 3 different main hormones cycling it can be a whole range of things happening, and vitex may not be the most suitable herb to be using and in many cases could make things much worse

My advice is be careful with agnus castus. I took it for ages for PMS and it was great. My first child was stillborn in June and I took it to help get my cycle back on track. My GP was incredible unsupportive and didn't want to speak to me so I felt alone and I was very low and thought it would help. On it I was extremely low, even feeling suicidal at times. I've come off it and I am feeling much better - still have highs and lows but nothing like what I did have. I think it's one of those things that if it works for you it's great but can have bad ramifications too. Depending on what PMS symptoms you have, you might find there are other things which might work better.

@Hannahusky

My advice is be careful with agnus castus. I took it for ages for PMS and it was great. My first child was stillborn in June and I took it to help get my cycle back on track. My GP was incredible unsupportive and didn't want to speak to me so I felt alone and I was very low and thought it would help. On it I was extremely low, even feeling suicidal at times. I've come off it and I am feeling much better - still have highs and lows but nothing like what I did have. I think it's one of those things that if it works for you it's great but can have bad ramifications too. Depending on what PMS symptoms you have, you might find there are other things which might work better.

Hi Hannah,

I'm so sorry for your loss

Your GP's lack of care has surprised and saddened me. I would expect much better from them given the circumstances.

I can totally understand why you would feel pushed to self medicate in those circumstances. Have you managed to speak to somebody else / another GP?

I wish I asked for advice before I started taking it as if I'd have known any of this was possible I'd have swerved it completely.

My main PMS symptoms are irritability and feeling like I have the flu every month, suffice to say the A.C has only served to amplify those things. Usually by the time mg period arrives my PMS tapers off but it's still in full swing now 3 days post start.

Did you say you were on the pill OP? I'm not sure if I picked that up right. If so don't take St John's Wort, it increases the liver enzymes which break down the hormones in your pill stopping the pill from working. If you have taken any you need to either avoid sex or use condoms for the time you're taking it and for 28 days after you stop.
If you're not on the pill, just ignore me

@IDontLikeZombies

Did you say you were on the pill OP? I'm not sure if I picked that up right. If so don't take St John's Wort, it increases the liver enzymes which break down the hormones in your pill stopping the pill from working. If you have taken any you need to either avoid sex or use condoms for the time you're taking it and for 28 days after you stop. If you're not on the pill, just ignore me

Not on the pill no

When I said pill I was referring to the agnus castus supplement, bad wording on my part.

Well I thought I was feeling better but I'm feeling even worse today than yesterday.

Really nauseous and drained, depressed etc. I'm wedged to the sofa unable to do much at all.

Christ how long is this going to go on for, it's like PMDD x 2.

Yes AC made me crazzzyyyyy! The same way certain contraceptives have done over the years.
I bloated up and was absolutely awful in terms of anxiety, anger etcStopped taking and was fine within 2 days.
I have starflower alongside EP high dose and it does the trick

Oh just saw your above post - no chance you’re pregnant? I was actually taking AC for fertility not PMT stuff. It didn’t make me pregnant but might do for some women?

I'm definitely not pregnant (I'm on my period at the minute)

I last took agnus castus on the morning of the 26th, so two days ago now.

I can only conclude that it has well and truly messed up my hormones.

I can't go on like this for another two days

Wasn't taking it for fertility no, it was to help my PMS/PMDD.

It has made everything 10 x worse.

My bleeding is slowing down but this drugged / depressed / poorly feeling isn't going away.

Aww bless you, it really will pass, know it sounds silly but lots of water abs whatever else makes you feel better. Be kind to yourself and it will pass. It was at the point of period that I nearly exploded with it so was the day I stopped the AC was also first day of period. I felt so like how you’re describing, like the world was ending. It will pass. Stay strong

Also maybe see if a zoom Dr can give you a short term benzo prescription just for a couple of days to basically super chill you while this passes

@TheFuckingDogs

Aww bless you, it really will pass, know it sounds silly but lots of water abs whatever else makes you feel better. Be kind to yourself and it will pass. It was at the point of period that I nearly exploded with it so was the day I stopped the AC was also first day of period. I felt so like how you’re describing, like the world was ending. It will pass. Stay strong

Thank you so much, I needed to hear this (and the others who have echoed pretty much the same thing)

I've never felt so desperate. What a bloody experience eh.

@TheFuckingDogs

Also maybe see if a zoom Dr can give you a short term benzo prescription just for a couple of days to basically super chill you while this passes

This could be a really good idea, it didn't occur to me as an option.

I'll see what I can do. Fingers crossed.

🤞🤞

Hi, OP, I have PMDD and progesterone is like poison to me. If AC increases your progesterone, I'm not surprised it made you feel so rough.

See if you can get a referral to the gynaecology service at your local hospital. I can't take the pill because I get migraine with aura so my prescription was an antidepressant plus pumps of estrogen gel each day and then (unfortunately... you can't take estrogen without progesterone) progesterone pessaries 12 days per month. Although it's not perfect, it's definitely evened things out a lot. I'm pregnant right now so PMDD free

I also really wanted a hysterectomy but I was told they do it very rarely because going through early menopause affects your health in so many challenging ways.

@loretta81

Hi, OP, I have PMDD and progesterone is like poison to me. If AC increases your progesterone, I'm not surprised it made you feel so rough.

See if you can get a referral to the gynaecology service at your local hospital. I can't take the pill because I get migraine with aura so my prescription was an antidepressant plus pumps of estrogen gel each day and then (unfortunately... you can't take estrogen without progesterone) progesterone pessaries 12 days per month. Although it's not perfect, it's definitely evened things out a lot. I'm pregnant right now so PMDD free

I also really wanted a hysterectomy but I was told they do it very rarely because going through early menopause affects your health in so many challenging ways.

Hi Loretta,

I'm sorry you deal with PMDD too. It's the pits isn't it.

I'm not completely sure what hormone I'm so sensitive to or why I'm so sensitive to fluctuations. Your opening post has got me to thinking it may well be the progesterone, I do feel like I'm being poisoned on a monthly basis as bonkers as that might sound to people who don't deal with it.

I would be nervous about taking hormonal contraception as any fluctuation whatsoever seems to steam roller me.

I agree I need a referral to a gynacologist. I've tried to call my GP today but they're not offering face to face appointments and I've missed the window for a same day call back. I'll keep trying before the weekend.

I use Agnus Castus but in a liquid form rather than a regular tablet. I only use it when I feel really jittery- a few drops in some water throughout the day and I’m better.

I can totally understand that. It is the standard treatment for PMDD - an SSRI to help with mood plus estrogen to stop your cycles and just enough extra progesterone to stop your womb lining building up too much.

www.pms.org.uk/app/uploads/2018/06/guidelinesfinal60210.pdf

Thank you for the link Loretta. It looks like I need to accept that in order to improve anything - fluctuating hormones are an inevitable part of the process.

I will take any improvement over this though.

How lovely it would be to be a man

The agnus castus appears to have cut my period in half as it my bleeding has completely stopped now after just 3 days (I usually bleed for 7) but i still have raging PMD and feel poorly. It's shocking that hormones can make you feel physically ill.

For a time I was convinced that I was getting literal flu every month (or random viral infections) such is the extent I'm debilitated by it.

Poor you. I wonder if people with PMDD are more sensitive to hormonal upset in general, I seem to be. Hope it improves really soon.