Agnus Castus - anyone got any info?

Just wondering about Agnus Castus - I heard it was good for fertility. Has anyone got any info on this?

Ill see if i can dig up some for you, It does help with fertility probs.
I tried it but it didnt do anything for me, but then it seems ive not got any issues to try and fix lol

Thanks AG! How are you feeling?

The common name of this herb is Agnus Castus. It is not a cactus (it is sometimes mispronounced "Agnus Cactus"), but a member of the Verbena family.

The name 'Agnus Castus' derives from the Greek for 'chaste'. According to Pliny, writing in the first century, Greek women wishing to preserve their chastity placed leaves of this plant on their beds and slept on them. Pliny's contemporary, Dioscorides, claimed that Agnus Castus preserved chastity because it smells so bad that, when strewn on the bed, it was enough to deter amorous advances from men!

Agnus Castus was certainly used widely by the ancient herbalists. Dioscorides even concurs with its current uses; "it both brings down the milk and expels the menstrua".

Although not a native plant of the UK, records indicate that it was in use here by 1500. It is then mentioned in Gerard's herbal in the seventeenth century. Until recent years, though, you would have difficulty finding much written in UK herb books about Agnus Castus. It is in the rest of Europe that the herb has had the most use over the past century.

Only in the last ten years has it become popular again in the UK - and, now, in America.

USES OF AGNUS CASTUS
The herb is mainly known as a remedy used by women. I will concentrate on its effects for PMT and menopause - its main uses today.

The effect it has on female hormones is largely a balancing effect. This 'normalising' influence makes it useful in a wide range of situations. And it can be helpful for a large proportion of the time - some studies indicate improvements in symptoms for 90% of sufferers from PMT.

PMT - Agnus Castus can improve;

Headache
Breast tenderness
Fatigue
Bloating
Anxiety and other similar psychological symptoms
Irregular cycle
Short or long cycle
MENOPAUSE - Agnus Castus can improve;

Night sweats
Hot flushes (flashes)
Fatigue
Although Agnus Castus is recommended by several sources for increasing breast milk - as referred to by Dioscorides - I have come across little evidence for this.

Thanks AG! How are you feeling?

Much better now, the swelling has gone down alot so im free to move about alot more, so happy its gone down :D

poppy i've also heard about it and want to try it. i am not going to get any for this month as i am trying chinese medicine this month (don't want to od on 'remedies') however if no bfp this month then i will probably get some for next month. if you get any can you let me know what brand you got :o)

i think it just generally helps women with their 'girlie stuff' it regulates your cycle, hormones etc etc i'm hoping it will lower my prolactin

good luck and it hope it works for you :o)

Not sure if I am going to get it yet - like you, I don't want to OD on supplements. Thought I would read up a bit more on it. I remember reading a post by someone (I think Wobbles) who said that there was some talk of agnus castus being good for getting the baby to implant properly. May 'google' some more!

I'd never heard of that! I have to admit I like to keep everything I intake to a minimum - meaning my food little and often to rid the nausea and my metformin which is a tablet for gestational diabetes.

Poppy I actually bought it!! I bought Agnus Castus and Raspberry Tea Leaf capsules on eBay and intended to take it alongside the evening primrose oil.....but I got a BFP and can't take it now.

So I actually have a bottle here along with a bottle of raspberry leaf capsules- unopened!!

Mojo - that's why I bought it because I have researched it is a godsend natural remedy to balance the hormones and I wanted to lower my prolactin as well.

Pffff! If I wasn't so far away I'd send them to you Poppy!

thanks scotchbonnet, i'll check out ebay. what brand did you get and was it the drops (liquid)?

I have just bought some on ebay also....(the Vitex that is) - so here's hoping

eheh the tea i bought has this in it..

Does anyone know if you can take this alongside Clomid?

No you can't take it with Clomid, I think this is due to the Agnus Castus being the herbal form of Clomid so you shouldnt take them together.

OK, thanks :)

poppy i've also heard about it and want to try it. i am not going to get any for this month as i am trying chinese medicine this month (don't want to od on 'remedies') however if no bfp this month then i will probably get some for next month. if you get any can you let me know what brand you got :o)

i think it just generally helps women with their 'girlie stuff' it regulates your cycle, hormones etc etc i'm hoping it will lower my prolactin

good luck and it hope it works for you :o)


sorry to butt in. i've been toldi have high pro lactin. just wondered if you know why? i had thought mine was due to brest feeding but i stopped 9 months ago? do you know much about it?