Female help with Vitex?

[tootsieroll]

Ok it is time to put an end to my crazy bleeding I've had since 2018, when a naturopath tried to detox my liver with glutathione (I speculate it may have caused massive re-circulation of estrogen or it raised my prolactin). Long story short, profuse non-stop bleeding till now and I no longer have what resembles a menstrual period since it is continual. After that initial event in 2018, a gynecologist gave me high dose birth control pills for a month (6 pills a day) to try and stop it but what I didn't know was I was most likely very estrogen dominant to begin with. At one point he also gave me Prometrium that I took for a week. These pills only served to make me more estrogen dominant. I thought I was going to die not just from bleeding but from the hot flashes and mental anguish the BCP/Prometrium caused. It probably shut down my own ability to make progesterone/estrogen/testosterone, all while raising prolactin. I went through SSRI/Benzo withdrawal back in 2012 and wasn't recovered by 2018, so I suspect my dopamine was probaby all over the place. I also cold turkeyed birth control pills in 2010 but my periods always arrived in a timely manner up until the SSRI/benzo withdrawals, although they were on the heavy side.

My prolactin is currently in the higher part of the range. I looked back at old blood tests and I was always in the higher range. I'm presently taking DIM and Calcium D-glucarate, didn't stop my bleeding but it has lessened the flow. Im tracking ovulation and today I see the faintest second line on LH strips but I'm still bleeding. I have a feeling the DIM is helping some and my body is trying to have a LH surge. I've been tracking for over 14 days and if this was a normal cycle, ovulation would have happened by now. I am looking to initiate Vitex tomorrow at 800mg but I'm not sure how long to run it for. I've read to take it until a period arrives or if there's no ovulation to take it 25 days on and 5 days off. But with my continuous bleeding do you think it's possible for me to take Vitex continuously for two months without a break since I don't know whether my bleeding is an actual period? I assume Vitex will stop my bleeding at some point with an uptick in progesterone but if another bleed shows up, I won't know if it's a real menstrual period or if it's just one of these monstrous estrogen breakthrough bleeds. I'm not sure how to conduct this so I make sure that progesterone stays elevated and prolactin lowers to more comfortable levels. I'm afraid if I take a break even for a couple days, the progesterone won't be robust enough. Unless I would be doing more harm by staying on continuously. Any insight would be great!

PS. I have been using acupuncture on myself since 2018 to temporarily stop my bleeding for a week or more to regain hemoglobins. Instructed by acupuncturist. It's the only reason I'm still alive at this moment. I stopped going because i could no longer afford it and she couldn't leave me to die so she graciously taught me some points.

 

[L'engle]

That sounds really like a dangerous situation you are in. Is there no help from mainstream medicine given the severity?

I've tried vitex. It give me a headache so I don't take it often.

I've found zinc to be helpful with estrogen dominance but my problems in that are very minor compared to yours.

It really sounds like you need more help from the medical establishment. I hope something is possible.

 

[tootsieroll]

That sounds really like a dangerous situation you are in. Is there no help from mainstream medicine given the severity?

I've tried vitex. It give me a headache so I don't take it often.

I've found zinc to be helpful with estrogen dominance but my problems in that are very minor compared to yours.

It really sounds like you need more help from the medical establishment. I hope something is possible.

It has been quite the tormenting journey to say the least. I started Vitex today so I have my fingers crossed. I noticed it slowed my bleeding from the onset but I usually have a rebound effect from supplements, so I still need to give it a week. Sorry it gave you headaches, this is my first day so headaches can still be a possibility for me. I think I will have to load up on the B vitamins and zinc, magnesium. I just wish my digestion and liver was better.

I have been to about 4 doctors regarding this and an acupuncturist. Only the acupuncturist was able to help me stop it temporarily. I think the high dose birth control pills caused my ovaries to stop working completely and this is why I had to find my own way and do my own research. I'm 6 years late into this because I spent more time trying to control my bleeding and loss of sleep from it then putting energy into research. Now I feel like it is do or die, so I am learning as much as I can while also trying to make it in for blood tests and image scanning. I've asked for certain blood tests recently and my GP straight up told me he had no idea what these tests even were. I don't put alot of faith into them helping me fully but I'll take what they can give me. Which is the willingness to test what I ask for.

 

[L'engle]

@tootsieroll That sounds really awful.

 

[tootsieroll]

@L'engle it has been a living nightmare. What was truly awful was wearing sanitary napkins 24/7 and the itch/boils that came with it. I couldn't even itch it or movement would cause me to leak. Vitex is doing something positive. DIM somehow made me more estrogenic suddenly. It may have raised my good estrogen thus making estrogen higher. I think my dopamine levels also tanked from the SSRI/BENZO withdrawals, so Vitex should help.