Chaste tree berry and missing period

[ConversationCoat]

Hi all. I started on a supplement containing chaste tree berry (plus other ingredients) about 5 weeks ago, on advice from GP.
I had been experiencing peri/menopausal symptoms for some time but was taking OCP for endometriosis and we thought that this was masking what was actually happening with my hormones.

I had a blood test 6 weeks after ceasing OCP but this was inconclusive because I may have been ovulating (for the last time?) when I had the test.

Anyway, GP felt that clinically it all added up to hormonal changes and suggested I try chaste tree berry. I'm 41 so not necessarily wanting to start anything heavy in the way of HRT just yet if I don't need to.

So the reason for my post: Since stopping OCP on New Year's Eve I have had one withdrawal bleed, one further light period that showed up three days late and two episodes of very slight spotting, several days apart.

It's now about 5 weeks after starting chaste tree berry and I'm wondering if my missing periods are because of it. It's not listed as a side effect as far as I can tell. The supplement stopped my other symptoms seemingly in their tracks (dryness, headaches and hot flushes/night sweats). It hasn't helped the brain fog and I'm looking into other options for that.

Has anyone else had chaste tree berry and found that their periods vanished? Or any other side effects?

Sorry for the long post but it's like I went from having some symptoms to flat out in menopause in the space of four months!

. I'm 41 so not necessarily wanting to start anything heavy in the way of HRT just yet if I don't need to.

You might like to read up about early and premature menopause. Far from not wanting to start 'anything heavy' the medical advice from all specialists is that early menopause has to be treated with HRT.

Obviously if you do not have major symptoms you might not feel the need, but HRT is supposed to be used up to age 51 in women whose periods stop or become very infrequent in their early 40s. This is for prevention of bone loss and heart disease.

FWIW your GP is a little behind the times and somewhat careless!
You need proper FSH tests over 2 months, then supplementation with estrogen if you have premature ovarian failure.

Chastetreeberry is not the answer. Your GP ought to know this. Ask to see another dr or a referral to a meno specialist?

Hi Jingling. Thanks for the response, although I feel slightly told off . I have done some reading. I am also a health professional myself (though not a doctor) so am able to access and evaluate evidence for and against treatment options with a degree of confidence. My question here about the effect of chaste tree berry was to see if anyone else had had a similar experience.

In fairness to the GP, my consult with her was prior to periods disappearing and we discussed my (not her) reluctance to go on HRT at that stage so I feel like she was listening to me and respecting my wishes. I have spent many years constantly taking either hormonally-based medications or various types of painkillers in an effort to alleviate the symptoms of endometriosis so have been trying alternatives to see if they might hold off some of the annoying symptoms I am having.

Also it may or may not be relevant that I am not in the UK.

It may be that I will need to progress to synthetic hormonal treatments and if that happens, so be it. I have no objection if it turns out to be the right treatment for me. I'm just weary of being a "patient" and dealing with menstrual issues.

So my question about people's experiences with chaste tree berry still stands if anyone has tried it.

Not sure why you feel 'told off'? You said your GP had prescribed the supplement, not you had asked for it.

My advice is based on medical advice in the UK.

Here, agnus castus (name used rather than chasteberry) is a supplement for PMS mainly but there is no real evidence it works.

nccih.nih.gov/health/chasteberry

If your periods have stopped, your GP ought to do FSH tests, two, to test your hormone levels. A single test is inaccurate.

If at 41 your periods have stopped, a herb is not going to restore estrogen and wasting years trying herbs etc would put your bones at risk. This is not 'telling you off' it's factual medical stats.

The medical advice is HRT. Modern HRT is not synthetic.

It may be that I will need to progress to synthetic hormonal treatments

99% of HRT used now is body-identical- estradiol and micronised progesterone are the gold standard and are available (here on the NHS.) They are identical to what you'd normally have.

Coat I don’t think that tree berries play any role, it is a coincidence. I agree with Bells that you need hrt until at least 51 for avoiding future health problems. I am 43 and 2 years on hrt.