Could Vitex being making my lining too thin?

[Emmy2012]

I have always had shorter lighter periods but this last one was so odd. tmi....but lots of brown goop...and only lasted maybe a day and a half! I was reading online and read that low estrogen can cause thin lining and brown like periods....could this be happening? I am afraid to stop the vitex since I know it really sways girl but I so need to get pregnant this cycle. I do not normally take breaks from my vitex...I know some do...and some don't. Could that be hurting me? I am in CD 5 now should I stop the vitex, take only 1 pill a day? right now my dose is 2 pills which is 500mg.

[Sassy]

Not sure about the dosages, but another thought may be whether you are taking blood thinners? Baby Asprin, cranberry? These can often make your lining thinner too.

[XXdreaming]

Have you tested since the brown goop? That sounds a lot like implantation bleeding, but vitex is supposed to fix that, its supposed to be a hormonal balancing so that you have a good lining a normal cycle and good lp, so I don't know that's weird though

[zanacal]

I don't know either Tiffany - but I agree, have you taken a pregnancy test since the strange period?

[Emmy2012]

Yes I took a test just to be sure and it was BFN. I did have some regular blood with my period too but I had never had the brown goop before and like I said, I have had short periods but usually around 3 days, this was closer to 1-2 days. Very strange. I think I will for sure take a break from the vitex after O this time. I don't know. I do take baby aspirin, maybe I should stop that, but I heard it helps with implantation. maybe I will stop that now and start taking again after I O? What do you guys think?

[zanacal]

I think I'd take the Vitex AF-O this cycle - I don't know heaps about it but it's odd that it can act as a contraceptive if taken constantly long-term and that you have this weird period. You could cut back the aspirin too if it worries you, maybe to every other day, and then pick it up again in the 2ww? I only took it 3 times a week then changed that to every day starting the day of our attempt.

GL Tiffany x

[LolaInLove]

Hey girl, sorry about your weird cycle! I take baby aspirin, but just in the 2ww, as advised by my doctor. Maybe the Vitex is "cleaning" you out? The brown is supposed to be "old" blood, right?

[Emmy2012]

I stopped the baby aspirin today, maybe that was messing me up and I will start bck again in the TWW. I think I will leave the vitex alone and maybe take a break from that in the TWW. Thanks ladies! Only you guys can understand the craziness, I am so glad I have you guys to come to!

[zanacal]

We certainly understand the craziness!! I think you're not meant to stop the aspirin cold turkey though, so probably best to cut back slowly.

[swish]

Emmy,i'm so sorry I missed your post, I have exactly this brown gloopy stuff! I had it following my last period for about 6 days and then following this one for about 3 days. I have not taken vitex this cycle at all and have only just started taking aspirin after about 3 weeks of not taking it, so maybe it's the diet????

[Emmy2012]

I thought we onlyy had to ween off of baby aspirin if pregnant...is that wrong? I defiantely do not want to do anything to hurt my chances of getting pregnant!

[zanacal]

I *think* Atomic gave that advice to swish when she was asking about her weird period. Swish?

[atomic sagebrush]

I have always had shorter lighter periods but this last one was so odd. tmi....but lots of brown goop...and only lasted maybe a day and a half! I was reading online and read that low estrogen can cause thin lining and brown like periods....could this be happening? I am afraid to stop the vitex since I know it really sways girl but I so need to get pregnant this cycle. I do not normally take breaks from my vitex...I know some do...and some don't. Could that be hurting me? I am in CD 5 now should I stop the vitex, take only 1 pill a day? right now my dose is 2 pills which is 500mg.

I personally think the vitex works best when taken 2 W on and 2 W off (I know we ahve talked about this before and you would prefer not to do it that way and that's fine) because it can suppress ovulation when taken nonstop. Are you 100% sure you even ovulated? To me, it sounds like a non-ovulatory cycle with breakthrough bleeding (though it does look like you did O according to your chart, I would be curious to know if you had a pos OPK.). I don't think it means anything about the quality of your lining if it was breakthrough bleeding, because that can be very light, only part of the lining comes off.

[atomic sagebrush]

Not sure about the dosages, but another thought may be whether you are taking blood thinners? Baby Asprin, cranberry? These can often make your lining thinner too.

My understanding is that baby aspirin is good for the lining. It is sometimes prescribed to women on Clomid to help with their lining.

http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/what-is-baby-aspirin-and-how-is-it-related-to-fertility.html

[atomic sagebrush]

I stopped the baby aspirin today, maybe that was messing me up and I will start bck again in the TWW. I think I will leave the vitex alone and maybe take a break from that in the TWW. Thanks ladies! Only you guys can understand the craziness, I am so glad I have you guys to come to!

I do not think you need to stop the baby aspirin because firstly it does not thin the lining, it's either beneficial or neutral. Secondly, I believe (strongly) that it is the taking the vitex every day rather than AF-O that is causing this issue. I've seen it happen to several people, even though I understand that there are herbalists dispensing different advice, that fisrthand experience to my mind counteracts what the herbalists are saying.

There was a study a couple of months ago that indicated that quitting baby aspirin cold turkey was not a good idea and could cause your blood to be more likely to clot, contributing to serious health issues (this study was done in people with existing serious heart disease and not healthy young swayers, so take it with a grain of salt.). It's best for now to cut back on baby aspirin slowly over the course of time, rather than stopping it cold turkey just to be on the safe side - I don't believe it will harm anyone to stop and start aspirin, but my thinking is that you should err on the side of caution.

PS - cranberry has the exact same side effects aspirin does, so for anyone thinking cran is a safer alternative, they're actually equal in that respect.

[atomic sagebrush]

I thought we onlyy had to ween off of baby aspirin if pregnant...is that wrong? I defiantely do not want to do anything to hurt my chances of getting pregnant!

You should always wean off baby aspirin whether pg or not (unless told something different by your doctor, like Lola was) because your body may begin to produce more clotting factor to make up for the presence of the aspirin, then if you quit it suddenly, your blood will begin to clot too easily. Weaning off over time is best.