Vitex Timing

[Peppermint]

Sorry if this has been covered in a prior vitex post, but I didn't find any info on this.

I started taking vitex 2 months ago. We hadn't actually started ttc at the time so I thought I'd take it the whole cycle (on advise from naturopath, who advised to continue take till 3 months pregnant), however during the first month my ovulation was delayed, so after reading on here I stopped and decided to take it for the first 12 days of my cycle only. That seems to have worked and after stopping on day 12 I then ovulated about day 15 which I was happy about.

The thing I have noticed though is my LP is shorter now and I was wondering, will this improve the longer I take vitex, or is it possible that I could take vitex for 12 days, stop for ovulation and then start again once I've confirmed ovulatio (since it approves progesterone levels) and take until AF or +HPT? I thought that sounded like a good option to me but I'm no expert with this stuff! Thanks for your help.

This is only my second month on vitex and we are starting to ttc next month.

[LacePrincess]

Give it some time. Vitex takes at least 3 cycles to show its true effect on your cycle, and in your case I wouldn't count that first continuous cycle even. As you saw it can delay O.

It shouldn't shorten your LP, if anything it should lengthen it as its best used for estrogen dominance and rebalancing progesterone by acting on the LH hormone. We advise to take it CD1-14 or until +OPK only as it can delay O, as you experienced. Don't take it in the luteal phase when TTC.

I'm going into my third month on Vitex (AF-CD14) and both months so far I've O'ed on CD15 and last month my LP was a decent 11 days with a nice high range of LP temps and no spotting. So I'm pleased with that, I feel like it definitely strengthened my progesterone phase.

[atomic sagebrush]

Do not take vitex when a baby may be on board. It's not safe and stopping it at BFP may cause miscarriage.

I do think your LP will improve the longer you're on the vitex. Prog. is not like a light switch, it doesn't suddenly start getting made because you start vitex after ovulation...your body makes it when it needs it when the corpus luteum is formed, and so just taking vitex for those first 12 days will hopefully convince your body to make more prog.

[Peppermint]

Thanks for your replies LacePrincess and AS, I'll continue as I am with the vitex for the first half of the cycle.

[Deux Bleus]

I took vitex a few months ago for several months. I started AF-O & then the plan was to take it the whole way through. I ended up getting off it as we delayed our TTC attempt.

While I was on V, my LP was still short but I started spotting for a week prior to AF. I have very short cycles as it is so this was a major inconvenience.
It was def the V as once I got off, the spotting stopped.

Saying that, I will take it again this attempt with fingers crossed it agrees with me this time.