Dong quai and vitex - any experience?

[ChesapeakeBorn]

Hello everyone. Any experience here?

My acupuncturist has recommend that I begin taking dong quai (aka Angelica sinensis) and vitex (aka chasteberry). I have done a fair bit of research regarding these herbs, but I have not found information regarding when to take them during your cycle and how to wean off of them if you get a BFP. What have you done?

Many thanks for your input and best wishes!

[nimblemama]

My dd was a vitex baby! I was having trouble conceiving and I started taking vitex. My cycles were very long and I had terrible PMS, but the vitex regulated me very quickly. I think I took 400-800 mg a day all throughout my cycle. Within two months I conceived. Once I found out I was pg, I weaned from one vitex capsule to no vitex within a week and all was fine.

[nathansmum]

I used vitex about 6mths ago. I started taking them to get a regular cycle for NFP. Within 2mths of taking it my cycle regulated to 28days. I actually wasn't very consistent with taking them, but started when I bought them, about a week before my cycle was due. The first month it arrived as usual but the next month I had stretched out to a longer cycle (previously 3wks cycle). I just stopped taking them and things have remained stable since.

[Brisen]

I had a series of m/c last year, due (I believe) to low progesterone. I started taking vitex as soon as the package arrived -- 3 caps/day (not sure of the size, just regular capsule size I guess, like allergy med or probiotic caps). I had miscarried 2 weeks before that. Got & stayed pg before having another period. Kept on them full strength until the end of the first trimester, and then weaned off fairly quickly (decreased by 1 capsule per week, I guess, but I wasn't too consistent. Because of my understanding of how vitex works, I wasn't worried about a big progesterone drop like I might have been taking a progesterone supplement).

I wasn't having problems with ovulating, though. I've heard from women who were that taking vitex before they ovulate in their cycle that it delayed or suppressed ovulation, so they would take it from after ovulation until menstruation, if I recall correctly.