Vitex, also known as chasteberry, is an herb used in alternative medicine to treat a number of female reproductive disorders. Vitex has different effects at different doses. While some studies note an improvement in the depression sometimes associated with premenstrual syndrome, other practitioners claim that vitex can worsen depression. Depression can have serious consequences, but do not attempt to treat it with vitex without your medical practitioner's supervision.
Actions
Vitex appears to affect hormone levels, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and prolactin. Vitex also might have effects similar to dopamine, a neurotransmitter that affects emotional responses. At low doses, vitex decreases estrogen and increases progesterone and prolactin levels, Beatrix Roehmheld-Hamm, M.D., reports in the September 2005 "American Family Physician." This effect might be related to inhibition of follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH, and stimulation of luteinizing hormone, also called LH. Elevated progesterone levels can increase depression, according to Finnish herbalist Henriette Kress. At high doses, this herb decreases prolactin levels and has no effect on FSH and LH.
Positive Studies
A German study reported in the April 2000 issue of the "Journal of Women's Health and Gender-Based Medicine" looked at the effects of vitex on 1,634 women suffering from premenstrual syndrome symptoms, including depression. After three cycles of treatment, 93 percent reported a decrease or cessation of symptoms; however, this study was not specifically designed to address depression as a symptom.
Negative Reports
An Australian study reported in the January-February 2009 issue of "Menopause" found no improvement in menopausal symptoms, including depression, when taking vitex along with St. John's wort, another herb often used to treat depression. Kress also reports that several of her patients taking vitex have developed symptoms of depression.
Considerations
Because vitex has different effects at different doses, take it only under the guidance and supervision of your doctor. Vitex has a number of hormonal actions and might make depression worse or help with symptoms. Although vitex is sold as an over-the-counter supplement, its hormonal effects could affect hormone-dependent tumors such as breast or uterine cancer. Vitex also could interfere with hormone medications like birth-control pills, and its dopamine-like actions could interfere with medications given to treat Parkinson's disease.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Chasteberry; Beatrix Roehmheld-Hamm, M.D.; September 2005
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Chasteberry; March 2011
- Henriette's Herbal Page; Vitex Not for PMS; Henreitte Kress
- "Journal of Women's Health and Gender-Based Medicine"; Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome with a Phytopharmaceutical Formulation Containing Vitex Agnus Castus; E. Loch, et al.; April 2000
- "Menopause"; Hypericum Perforatum with Vitex Agnus-Castus in Menopausal Symptoms: A Randomized, Controlled Trial;M. vanDie, et al.; January-February 2009
