Chasteberry is an herbal remedy used to treat various hormonal issues in women, including PMS, polycystic ovary syndrome and symptoms of menopause. Chasteberry appears to act like progesterone in the body, helping to balance the hormones. Widely considered safe for most women, individuals who are pregnant or nursing should exercise caution with the herb.
Side Effects
Chasteberry is generally well tolerated in women who are not pregnant. Some individuals may experience side effects from the herb, such as irregular menstrual bleeding, headaches, itching, nausea and gastrointestinal problems. You should not take chasteberry with oral contraceptives, dopamine drugs or antipsychotic medications.
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. High levels of prolactin can cause irregular periods, loss of periods and cyclical breast tenderness. Prolactin is very important during pregnancy. Prolactin levels rise through pregnancy. After birth, prolactin is responsible for milk production.
Pregnancy Considerations
Chasteberry appears to treat many female symptoms by halting the production of prolactin. For this reason, the general advice is that pregnant women who wish to breastfeed should avoid taking chasteberry during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period.
Alternative Advice
According to "Mother Food for Breastfeeding Mothers" author Hilary Jacobson, some herbalists recommend chasteberry during the last two weeks of pregnancy and for the 10 days after birth. The belief is that this will strengthen contractions and increase the milk supply. However, so little is known about how the herb works as of 2011, Jacobson states that chasteberry should only be taken as a last resort, when other methods of building the mother's milk supply in previous pregnancies were not effective.
References
- Wright State University: Popular Natural Remedies, Part XVI
- Creighton University Medical Center; Chasteberry; Lisa Rice, M.D.
- NYU Langone Medical Center; Chasteberry; April 2011
- "Mother Food for Breastfeeding Mothers"; Hilary Jacobson; 2004
