Can Vitex cause itchy rash??

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May 24th, 2012, 04:07 AM
ThroughWithBlue

Can Vitex cause itchy rash??

I took Vitex a few months ago for about 10 days 2x day and didn't notice this. I've been taking it 2x day for 2 days now, this being my third day and yesterday night a rash started on my rear end of all places, now its on my upper thigh, calf, elbow and arms and now my back is starting to itch. Has this happened to anyone else? I haven't started doing anything new or any new products or clothes. It has to be Vitex. Ahh!! I know I should probably stop taking it, but I want my hormones to level out so maybe I can ovulate on my own. Advice? I didn't know if herbal supps can cause rashes.

ETA I searched on google and found some site wehre some girl got rashes also, but she didn't know if it was the Vitex or not and someone mentioned black cohosh does the same thing, anybody know? Vitex caused me to have my first period in over a year so I know it works. My hormones are all very low so I need something.
May 24th, 2012, 06:24 AM
nuthinbutpink

I would go see a doctor with anything spreading like that.
May 24th, 2012, 06:32 AM
Butterfly Spirit

None of your kids are sick with cold like symptoms or have 5th disease do they.. or slapped cheek syndrome?
If so it could be the Parvo B19 virus.

My first son got parvo/5th disease when he was just a baby.. and I got it after him.
May 24th, 2012, 06:46 AM
ThroughWithBlue

No, nobody is sick. This happened literally 1 1/2 days after starting Vitex. It's really weird. I think I may try stopping it for a day or two and see if it helps. I've had one reaction from some medicine once before and it was just like this. It's so weird! Maybe it's a coincidence!
May 24th, 2012, 07:23 AM
Butterfly Spirit

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThroughWithBlue

No, nobody is sick. This happened literally 1 1/2 days after starting Vitex. It's really weird. I think I may try stopping it for a day or two and see if it helps. I've had one reaction from some medicine once before and it was just like this. It's so weird! Maybe it's a coincidence!

I hope you find the answer hon, I'm sorry :(
When I started Vitex I got a horrible headache for one day and then it subsided. :)
I think it's a powerful fertility herb that starts doing things right away!

Oh I also wanted to throw in there that I've heard it can cause Acne.
May 24th, 2012, 08:58 AM
BeadinMom

If you want to know if its an allergic reaction, take Benadryl & see if it goes away.
Did you change laundry detergent or body wash, lotion - anything like that recently?
Hope you find relief soon!
I'm sure Atomic will have some other ideas for you if it does turn out to be the Vitex.
May 24th, 2012, 09:43 AM
atomic sagebrush

Yes, please stop taking it immediately. It's possible to be allergic to anything and also possible to develop an allergy even to something you've been exposed to many times before.

It's not that vitex causes rashes (some herbal supps like St. John's Wort DO cause rashes) it's that you personally are allergic to either the vitex or some component in the pills and are having an allergic reaction to it. The more you take it, the worse the reaction will get and you run the risk of sending yourself into anaphylactic shock if you continue.
May 24th, 2012, 09:45 AM
atomic sagebrush

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeadinMom

If you want to know if its an allergic reaction, take Benadryl & see if it goes away.
Did you change laundry detergent or body wash, lotion - anything like that recently?
Hope you find relief soon!
I'm sure Atomic will have some other ideas for you if it does turn out to be the Vitex.

The problem is, with rash-type allergic reactions, Benadryl doesn't always make it go away. Sometimes it can take weeks to clear up and you may need a short course of steroids. So you can't just rely on Benadryl to test the allergy theory.

It does sound to me like an allergic reaction, best to stop. If you're sensi to one medication, you're more likely to be sensi to others.
May 24th, 2012, 06:47 PM
ThroughWithBlue

Thanks everyone. No, I haven't used anything new. I stopped taking it last night and this morning the little splotches are still there where I kept itching it yesterday, I couldn't help it itched so badly. but it's not spreading anymore! It's so strange as this didn't happen last time.
May 24th, 2012, 06:54 PM
ThroughWithBlue

Is tehre another option to Vitex that works just as good? Or should I just try to retake in a few weeks to a month from now? The only thing I can think of is maybe on Monday something on my yoga mat irritated me that's really the only thing I've done I've been at home the rest of the week. I got there late and didn't wipe it down before the class. That or vitex who knows!!
May 24th, 2012, 06:58 PM
BeadinMom

So sorry that happened. Atomic is right, it can happen at any time, even if you've taken it previously without issues. My son is allerigic to peanuts, treenuts, rabbits, dogs - we now carry an epipen everywhere. My mom is allergic to NSAIDS. She went into anaphylaxis in front of me, it was horrifying - by the time we got to the ER, the only sound that would come out of her mouth was a whistle, because her throat was so swollen shut.
She had taken an Aleve after having taken one without any problem the night before.
Good luck with the rash....hope it goes away soon!
May 24th, 2012, 07:13 PM
ThroughWithBlue

oh my gosh beadinmom that is scary! I have really sensitive skin, I can't use scented anything but I'm usually not sensitive to medications. Just to one expectorant medication that isn't even produced anymore.
May 25th, 2012, 12:05 AM
fresas

That sounds like an allergic reaction. You may have to try some other things, but I'm not aware of a vitex substitute. You can try taking an antihistamine and use a topical corticosteroid to see how your body responds. If you aren't 100% sure it is the Vitex, look to your detergent, what you are eating, what you are drinking , lotion, soap, anything new in the air, etc to see if any of those could be causing a reaction, too.
May 25th, 2012, 10:14 AM
atomic sagebrush

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThroughWithBlue

Thanks everyone. No, I haven't used anything new. I stopped taking it last night and this morning the little splotches are still there where I kept itching it yesterday, I couldn't help it itched so badly. but it's not spreading anymore! It's so strange as this didn't happen last time.

It can take weeks for an allergic rash to clear up, so please don't take it as evidence that it's not the vitex - it can still be the vitex!!!
May 25th, 2012, 01:26 PM
BeadinMom

That's very true, Atomic & exactly what our allergist has told us. In fact, she's the one who suggested to us to use Benadryl to see if the rash disappears (to see if its allergy) if it does, then she says we need to continue it around the clock for the next few days b/c one dose is usually not enough to remedy the situation, but is enough to know whether its allergy vs. viral.
Unfortunately for us, because he is allergic to so many things, even when we find out its allergy, a lot of the time we never find out exactly what the allergin is.

TWB, at least you know its the Vitex...that's a good start. Hope it all straightens out soon!
May 25th, 2012, 06:08 PM
atomic sagebrush

It's just that both my DS and I have had severe allergic reactions that repeated doses of Benadryl didn't touch, so I just don't want anyone to rely on the Benadryl test - it can def. work, but not always. :)
June 6th, 2012, 08:46 PM
hebbs512

Me too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThroughWithBlue

I took Vitex a few months ago for about 10 days 2x day and didn't notice this. I've been taking it 2x day for 2 days now, this being my third day and yesterday night a rash started on my rear end of all places, now its on my upper thigh, calf, elbow and arms and now my back is starting to itch. Has this happened to anyone else? I haven't started doing anything new or any new products or clothes. It has to be Vitex. Ahh!! I know I should probably stop taking it, but I want my hormones to level out so maybe I can ovulate on my own. Advice? I didn't know if herbal supps can cause rashes.

ETA I searched on google and found some site wehre some girl got rashes also, but she didn't know if it was the Vitex or not and someone mentioned black cohosh does the same thing, anybody know? Vitex caused me to have my first period in over a year so I know it works. My hormones are all very low so I need something.

I just started taking vitex for my PCOS about a week ago and I have had an itchy rash that's been getting worse. Is your's almost like mosquito bites, but kind of clustered in some spots? Mine is on my hips and thighs, around my brests and underarms, and spreading to my stomach/legs. I currently take 400mg 3X aday and am thinking maybe if I reduce the dose it'll help. Did you figure anything else out, or anything that helped the rash? (I really don't want to stop taking the vitex) Any help would be great, thanks.
June 6th, 2012, 09:22 PM
atomic sagebrush

Quote:

Originally Posted by hebbs512

I just started taking vitex for my PCOS about a week ago and I have had an itchy rash that's been getting worse. Is your's almost like mosquito bites, but kind of clustered in some spots? Mine is on my hips and thighs, around my brests and underarms, and spreading to my stomach/legs. I currently take 400mg 3X aday and am thinking maybe if I reduce the dose it'll help. Did you figure anything else out, or anything that helped the rash? (I really don't want to stop taking the vitex) Any help would be great, thanks.

Stop taking it now. I understand that you don't want to but allergies only get worse, you only get more and more sensitive to it, and you can go into anaphylactic shock and DIE.