Agnus Castus or Dong Quai for PMS?

Question

I have pretty severe PMS (anxiety, appetite change, fatigue, horrible cramps). I read about Agnus Castus (aka Chasteberry) and it sounds pretty promising. I heard a lot about Dong Quai too. Anyone personally use one of these herbs/supplements or any other ones that may help with PMS? Please give me details of your experience and where's a good site to buy them.

Answer 1

Agnus Castus, or vitex, is a great herb for balancing hormones and is gentle enough for most people to tolerate. Dang Gui can be a bit strong used as a single herb for some people. It is great for moving blood in the lower jiao and for building blood, but is usually used in combination with other herbs in Chinese medicine. There can be many underlying conditions that lead to PMS or PMDD that these two herbs do not adequately address such as Liver Qi Stagnation.

Answer 2

I've used Dong Quai, it's supposed to be a source of natural estrogen and I'm not sure if it will help with pms. The only things that have helped me are progesterone cream with breast tenderness, oil of evening primrose for mood swings, and I am currently using a wild yam balancing cream to help me get pregnant. If you are still interested in giving dong quai a try I get mine from a company called sunrider. I'm sure they have a website if you look it up. I hope that helps, and good luck!