I was giving a talk last week to a group that was exclusively female (well, apart from the ‘sound man’). In addition to talking about some general nutritional principles designed to enhance health and energy, I thought I’d talk about some things that tend affect women more than men. Naturally, it occurred to me to talk about pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Typical symptoms include fluid retention, breast tenderness and swelling and mood change including irritability and/or low mood. I don’t mean to be glib, but while PMS is often said to affect women only I’m not so sure: many men will have had bad experiences of the quite severe mood issues that can affect some women.
Fortunately, I find in practice that the symptoms of PMS can be considerably improved or even eliminated within 2-3 menstrual cycles through supplementation with the herb Agnus castus. This herb has a long history of use in natural medicine, and has (for what it’s worth) a fair bit of science behind it. For example, a study published in April found that, compared to placebo, Agnus castus improved 16 of 17 PMS symptoms [1].
In practice, I find this herb hugely effective. Very rarely, in my experience, does it fail to bring significant relief. Of course some (or even all) of the benefits may be down to the placebo response. But as I’ve stated before about such things, I don’t care (and neither, generally speaking, do my patients).
My mention of Agnus castus in the presentation last week prompted a lot of scribbling, which made me thing there were many women in the audience who felt they could perhaps do with some. Out of curiosity, I asked women who were using or had used Agnus castus to raise their hands. There were no takers. Some may have been shy about declaring this in public. So, I asked who in the room had even heard of this herb. Again, no takers.
OK, so the women I was talking to were in the banking industry and I suppose should not be expected to be aware of herbal medicines. However, there were about 120 women in the room, and they came from all over Europe, so for no-one to have heard of this herb came as a bit of shock. PMS is a common problem, and for some women can be very debilitating for a few days up to a week or more before their period. Agnus castus offers a cheap, safe and usually effective solution to this issue. Generally, I think more women should know which is why I’m writing about it now.
The last time I wrote about Agnus castus was three years ago. Here’s a link to that piece, which also includes and even older article about the herb and how to use it.
References:
1. Ma L, et al. Evaluating therapeutic effect in symptoms of moderate-to-severe premenstrual syndrome with Vitex agnus castus (BNO 1095) in Chinese women. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2010;50(2):189-93.
Thank you Dr. Briffa
Do you think the doctor should check the prolactin levels first or the symptoms are enough? Would a progesterone cream applied during the luteal phase not be effective?
Hi Dr Briffa,
Agnus Castus is also great for regulating periods that may have gotten a little off-track but should not be used if you are trying to conceive – I found that when I used it, I had mid-monthly bleeding and a pharmacist told me not to use it when I was trying to conceive my daughter, due to the risk to the pregnancy. It certainly helped with getting my periods into a regular groove and I had no problem conceiving at the age of 39.
Is there any suggestion that Agnus castus may also relieve some of the symptoms of menopause?
I have used Agnus Castus to great effect and know of other women who have too – its good to be reminded of this excellent herb!
I wish I could send this to my wife withoug getting an earful for suggesting she suffers from PMS. Perhaps I’ll sign her up for your newsletter if you agree to re-run this in a few weeks?
A word of warning – this herb is very powerful and its effects are not always beneficial. I am a 46-year-old woman with no known health problems. I have been taking Agnus Castus for just over six months after hearing so much about its wonderful female hormone balancing properties. Until I began taking it my periods were always as regular as clockwork, but I have always suffered from PMS (tearfulness, irritability, water retention) for a few days premenstrually, and in the past two years had been getting migraines every month which lasted two or three days. A couple of friends (admittedly with different menstrual problems) had suggested that I try Agnus Castus because of its miraculous balancing effects. I started taking it in tablet form, later switching to the tincture (40 drops per day). Within three weeks I had missed a period (for the first time in my adult life, other than when I was pregnant) and since then my menstrual cycle has been completely unpredictable. Sometimes my period lasts for ten days, sometimes only five, and I never know when it is going to start (or finish). I have put on a great deal of weight, especially around the waist (very unusual for me), despite following a low-carbohydrate diet with zero sugar/refined carbs. I have no energy (I can hardly climb a flight of stairs sometimes) and frequently fall sleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I have also become very anxious and depressed, although there is no obvious reason for this. And my migraines are no better, possibly worse.
I have had blood tests (for thyroid, FSH and a number of other things) and a pelvic scan and the results were all negative. As the symptoms came on within three weeks of my starting the Agnus Castus I believe that it is responsible for them, and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on various forums and websites which shows I am not the only woman who has not been helped by this remedy. (A tip: search for it under its other names, Vitex and Chaste Tree, as well as Agnus Castus.) A couple of herbalists to whom I have just spoken confirm that they have had a minority of patients for whom it has caused such problems.
I am absolutely not disputing that it is an extremely effective and useful herb for the majority of women, just that it should be treated with caution, and never self-prescribed.
I have read that it increases progesterone and wonder if I (and others for whom it makes things worse rather than better) already produce enough progesterone or am sensitive to even small increases in this hormone. Just a thought.
I have stopped taking Agnus Castus and just hope everything returns to normal soon.
An update on my post of 12 November – since I stopped taking Agnus Castus, my periods have returned to normal. The weight I gained around my middle has rapidly disappeared (despite the usual Christmas overeating) and I have much better energy levels. I no longer feel anxious and depressed, and my migraines are much less severe. In short, I feel I am myself again. I am sure that for me (though not, of course, for the many women for whom Agnus Castus has been a blessing), this herb was far from beneficial, and I would advise strongly against self-prescribing.