How to come of vitex...

[XXPlease]

I just got BFP but I had been taking vitex through the cycle and I'm not exactly sure how to come off of it.

[XXPlease]

My bottle of vitex says to stop if you become pregnant but should I come off it slowly or just not take anymore?

[sbowman]

I copied this from the Vitex FAQ:

it may be best to slowly wean yourself off of Vitex if you get a BFP while you're taking it, either by reducing the number of pills you take per day over the course of two or three weeks (allowing the corpus luteum enough time to begin churning out a lot of progesterone to sustain the pregnancy), or using progesterone cream to replace the effects of the vitex. WARNING - if you begin progesterone cream, you MUST use it every day as directed without fail for the entire first trimester. DO NOT skip a day under any circumstances or you run a very high risk of miscarrying.

(And this next paragraph)

If you were taking vitex nonstop and are now worried about the fate of your baby while you're weaning yourself off vitex, it is believed that during the first few weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is feeding mostly off its egg sac at that point and not so much from the nutrients in your body (the placenta has not fully developed yet). It is ~probably~ safe to wean yourself off the vitex slowly. My son was exposed to vitex for two weeks when I was pg with him (see below) and thankfully he seems to be developing normally.

Hope that helps

[sbowman]

Just want to add that it also says in one of the answers that stopping suddenly could be risky and may cause miscarriage.

[atomic sagebrush]

I really do not recommend doing what you did there but it's done now. Please ladies, Vitex AF-O only when you are actively TTC.

Please gradually come off the vitex, take it every other day for a few days and then every 2-3 days and then when you're taking it once a week. I don't want you to wait around a long time gradually tapering it off either, I want you off it within 3 weeks max and that third week should be the one where you only take it once. So like a half a week every other day, then drop to every 2-3 days and then 4 days pretty quickly thereafter.

[XXPlease]

We weren't actually actively ttcing I was taking it through my cycle because I get horrible cramps with my period and when I take vitex I don't get any I was taking two pills a day that's what the bottle recommended I dropped it down to one pill yesterday should I take one pill again for another day or two and then start the gap or not take one for 2-3 days from now I wouldn't have continued taking it had I know I was going to get pregnant I honestly was shocked when my test came up positive!!!

[XXPlease]

Thank You for that information Atomic I don't want you to think I was intentionally risking my pregnancy by taking the vitex because I would never purposely do anything that would risk or harm my baby I truly didn't believe I would become pregnant!!

[atomic sagebrush]

Ok good to know. I didn't mean to chastize you, just have to make sure that it doesn't happen if it can be avoided.

Yes take one pill today and tomorrow, then switch to every other, then 2, then 3. At the same time your body will be making more and more prog. and that will make up for anything that the vitex is bringing to the table.

Try not to worry, with my 4th son I accidentally took it for two weeks, and he seems relatively normal (he's 3 1/2)

[XXPlease]

My kids are totally strange and I never took vitex with them LOL