Guest guest Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Barbara Lucks wrote: > > Dear List Sisters-- > > I am again looking for ladies who are using essential oil vitex for > menopausal balancing, or are considering using this essential oil. > > Lowana Veal, Janina Sorensen and myself are rewriting The Vitex Anthology > for submission to a British nursing journal. This journal is linked to > Med-Line, and would make the information very accessible to a lot of people. > We would very much like to include the experiences of more women who have > used the oil. As the initial project involved use of the oil for at least > three months, we are very much interested in the experience of other women > who have used the oil for at least three months. However, if there is anyone > who wants to start using the oil now, you would have two months of use on > which to report if you would like to add more data. I will need to have all > information in my hands by February 15, 2001 to meet an early March > deadline. We will present the data resulting from less than three months use > as just that-- " less than three months use " > > Those of you who have followed the Vitex Anthology may know that we > currently have 23 detailed reports from women using both the leaf oil and > the berry oil. The participants of the initial project used the oil in any > way they chose, and reported their experience with nine common menopausal > symptoms on a standardized reporting form. A compilation of this data was > presented at the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy Conference this past > November. Several people expressed serious interest in continuing the > research and development on this essential oil. > > Those of you who are using the oil internally may be interested to know that > the initial results indicate that it often works just as well by inhalation > or use in skin creams. If you have concerns about regular ingestion of > essential oils (I am very conservative in my own use in this manner), you > may want to see if you can get the results you want by inhalation or dermal > application. > > If you are interested in participating, please post me privately and I will > send you the standard information form. I can also refer you to sources for > both leaf and berry oils. > > Feel free to forward this post to anyone whom you feel may be interested. > > Thanks in advance-- > Barbara ---------------------------- Barbara Lucks wrote: > > Here is some information that you may find useful. > > I have popped back onto this list as a friend from another list indicated > there was a vitex thread where I might be helpful. If was relieved to see > that nothing has changed on the list, with the usual beer-bottles flying > through the air. I am happy to discuss some of the Vitex Anthology for a > day or two, and then I'll be off again--work is crazy and the kids are > coming home for the holidays. I am happy to answer questions as best I can, > but the MOMENT the discussion turns to personal assaults, I'll stop wasting > my time. I will include any nasty personal posts to me as " group discussion > material " to be forwarded to the list before I log off. > > In nutshell, essential oils vitex agnus castus (from a variety of plant > parts) are showing strong andecdotal evidence of supporting progesterone > balance from menarche to menopause--and beyond. Based on a small sampling > of case studies (23, here is my conclusion: > > " CONCLUSION > > Clearly this data has to be viewed in light of the small number of > participants (23), as well as the totally subjective nature of both use and > measurement of success. My own personal conclusion is that e.o. Vitex agnus > castus of both berry and leaf extraction are exhibiting the same balancing > action that the literature attributes to the dried berries. However, it may > be possible that for a substantial number of women, the leaf oil may be both > broader and more refined in therapeutic action. If this is indeed the case, > the usable parts of the plant may not be confined only to the berries. I > would think that this would make cultivation and distillation of the plant > more economically feasible and would likely result in an oil that is > affordable to the average woman. The versatility of application (“hot flash > inhalers” and the use of the essential oil in creams) is an attractive > feature of the oil. " (Stuff in quotes is copyrighted--please ask before you > reproduce it) > > I am purposely omitting the statistical data, because I don't want it > snipped off into little pieces and sent all over without the supporting > text. E.O. Vitex is still an experimental oil, though I have no reason to > assume that prudent use is likely to cause any harm. I would define prudent > use in self-care as inhalation or use in body creams at a 1%-2% dilution. > If one is under the supervision of a medical professional who is in accord > with interal use of the oils, ingestion would be an option. These strike me > as particularly powerful and tricky oils. They can act as a tuning-fork, or > they can act as a sledge hammer. Less is more. > > I would strongly suggest medical supervision if you are going to use the oil > internally. However, the data gathered in The Vitex Anthology supports a > pronounced effect simply by inhalation or dermal application, so why take it > farther than you need to? Various studies have shown that e.o. vitex > balanced progesterone levels by direct action on the pituitary. The " active > ingredient " has not been identified (thank goodness!). Seems to me that > inhalation is the fastest was to the pituitary and avoids the liver for the > most part. Even though internal use was suggested to me by my supplier when > I first used the oil (and I personally felt no ill effects in 18 month of > medically supervised internal use), I can get what I need by inhalation or > dermal application. You may need more than I do--every one is different. I > would not rule out internal use, but I would exercise caution and restraint. > > In the Vitex Anthology, the women reported on a variety of menopausal > symptoms in what I would broadly call " head stuff " and " body stuff " . Both > the berry oil and the leaf oil were nicely effective in managing " body > stuff " --hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness. The leaf oil appeared > to be more effective at " head stuff " --mood swings, memory loss. Keep in > mind this was a very small group, and more research on both oils is needed. > I have just received a wee sample of an oil that is a codistillation of > leaves and berries, and, based on my sense of smell, this is a THIRD oil. I > don't have any anecdodal data on this oil--it may well be a totally new oil. > > I am not able to address the use of e.o. vitex for anything other than > menopausal balancing. Maybe others on this list have more information. > > USE OF VITEX MAY VOID YOUR BIRTH CONTROL PILLS! Yikes! You don't want that > to happen, so heads up. > > USE OF VITEX MAY INDUCE POST-MENOPAUSAL BLEEDING! Maybe not what you had in > mind if you are totally DONE. However, if you are now in the " irregular > period " phase--or have very heavy periods--the oil is showing great promise > in evening this phase out. > > USE OF VITEX WILL LIKELY REQUIRE RECALIBRATION OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT > THERAPY. You need to work with your doc on this one. It is usually the > progesterone side of the equation that you will need to address. > > DON'T USE VITEX IF YOU ARE PREGNANT. > > I am posting a separate message soliciting further information from women > who are using the oil and may be willing the share their experience. I am > currently rewriting The Vitex Anthology in collaboration with two other > authors for submission to a nursing journal. > > I am aware of at least four suppliers offering at least three distinct > essential oils vitex agnus castus. Post me personally if you need these > sources. If you are a supplier who sells vitex, please post me so I may > include you in the referral list. > > Many thanks, > Barbara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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