Guest guest Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 Hello: Sorry it took me so long to get this written. I have been working on a monster honey-do list (I recently moved) and my STAT Immune oil blend. The use of Vitex essential oil has intrigued my curiosity for the past 5 years. Plants being the original source of drugs, my first exposure to essential oils was in pharmacy school by the Pharmacognosy (fancy name for the study of plant source of drugs) professor. I love chemistry and when I see an oil, I see all those neat structures and how their chemistry can relate to ours. Being a pharmacist for 10 years I was able to observe the effect of pregnant mare's urine on women. Interesting that when problems began to crop up (sorry....I love puns) it was decided that another hormone should be added to 'prevent these unwanted effects.' Premarin and progesterone (Prempro) soon became the rally call of the drug salesman. It was interesting and sad to observe that women who tooks these drugs still 'sufferred' from the ailments they were supposed to 'prevent,' ie., hip fractures (stronger bones), heart disease and cancer. Becoming fed up with pill rolling (and the fleecing of patients by drug companies), I attended Palmer College of Chiropractic to get to the root of dis-ease, where I learned that prevention of our 'illnesses' is the answer. Oils seem to be a perfect fit for this profession regardless to what some say. Five years ago my sister in law, contracted breast cancer. The tumor was pinkie sized and as the MD did not tell her to stop taking her estrogen/progesterone, pinkie grew to a golf ball and radical masectomy. I had been working with my other sister in law using the more naturaul ways, black cohosh, vitex extract etc.the Wise woman approach to transition this part of life. When I read about Vitex EO in Kurt Schnaubelt's book, I wondered if this may be a real help. I found some on line (sorry Butch it wasn't you and I did pay DEARLY for 5 ml) and started experimenting with it. It smelled 'nasty', (not my description) so I blended it with Rose and Neroli. About this time my mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer, a side effect of 25 years of hormone replacement. I had three women close to me that were having hot flashes, not sleeping, having headaches, etc, so things were not too fun. I started trying to determine a safe way for vitex to be used. One of my patients, a psychologist, voluntered to take it by mouth, which I wasn't too keen about. She ended up apply it to her thyroid area, an interesting case study. I found that the best way to use vitex was diluted in jojoba (10%) and placed on the soles of the feet (I know that sounds Young Livingish) and then inhale what was on the hands for a minute. Perhaps the inhalation was all that was needed. To stop hot flashes, just inhaling the bottle seemed to make them come to a screeching halt. I noticed that women who had been on hormone replacement therapy for a long period of time, needed other oils to be added to help. Adding Sandalwood and Vetivert to the vitex seemed to help the most. (I believe the sedative actions of these oils contributed to the effect). I missed Barabara Lucks first round of vitex study and hopped right on board for the second. I had plenty of volunteers. I had also been using vitex with one of my daughters who had (has) PMS and cramps. Using it daily from day 14 to menses ended the dreaded PMS and severe cramping. When cramps did appear, usually smelling the oil stopped them. I also found that rubbing a drop (3%) on the abdomen helped for cramps and this soon became the route of administration, instead of the feet. A mixture of clary sage and vitex really helped cramping of the masssage therapist that was working with me at the time. I do have a few cases, 21, where vitex did nothing at all. The biggest complaint is (was) the smell. I have found that a mixture (berries and leaves) seem to work the best for most women. I currently have ten patients that are using Vitex. 112 patients have used it over the past 3 years. Before using it, I recommend that the patient get salivary hormone levels. It is realitively inexpensive, Great Smoky Mt labs being the one I suggest. There are also less expensive kits on the net. This I felt was important after reading Barabara Lucks update. It seems that severe depression can result in using vitex when one has too low of estrogen levels. With all the xenoestrogens in our environment, lack of estrogen is surprising to me but it does occur. I have an information sheet with the possible side effects and warnings (see below). I think preexisting depression has a role here. I don't recommend it for folks on antidepressants. You would be surprised how many women are put on Zoloft for 'this trying time in their lives.' I try to let the person make an informed decision. Most decide NOT to do the saliva testing. Those with insurance went to their gyno for the levels, so I have some of that data. Of course there needs to be more research on the benefits (and hazards) of vitex. I am curious what the actual substance or combination of substances that give Vitex its effect. If it works on the pituitary or hypothalamus level, as hypothesized, what else is out there that could help. However, where does the money come to do it? There is no drug company with deep pockets to balance their cost benefit ratio. I believe that using Vitex is less hazardous than the previous mentioned drug combination. It is not like women stay on vitex for a long period of time. My wife uses it now when she has a few sleepless nights, after using it regularly for about a year. Sleeplessness (and early awakening) seems to be the biggest menopause complaint I hear. My daughter is much better with PMS and uses my cramp blend when needed. Several women that have used it, no longer feel the need to use it. Bottom line is improvement in the quality of life for women. I incorporate vitex in a cream, a blend and an inhaler. I also have the plain EO mixture of berries and leaves from Butch. The inhaler has a history of working great for hot flashes. I have been using some of the Vitex hydrosol (from Butch) as a spritzer for hot flashes, however the success rate has not been as high as smelling the oil. I have also mixed it with Sandalwood and lavender hydrosols in hopes it could work better. If you are having uncomfortable symptoms in your life's journey to mature womanhood or PMS or severe cramps, Vitex may be worth a try. I believe vitex to be safer than the use of the NSAIDS (Aleve, Motrin) one could take for cramps. Vitex is applied topically which means less concentrated exposure to the body organs, the liver and kidneys. I don't think pharmacokinetics would be that exciting to read here, however it plays a role in my determination of what is safe or hazardous. Again further research is needed (and for all EO's). From my personal study and known safety record (see below), Vitex is safer than anything you can get from the drugstore or on perscription written by your competent healthcare provider. Everyone gets the warning I borrowed from Barbara Lucks' paper: Original publication: Lucks, Barbara; Sorensen, J.; Veal, L. Vitex agnus-castus Essential Oil and Menopausal Balance: A Self-Care Survey, “Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery”. Volume 8, Number 3, Pages 148-154. Elsvier Science, London. August, 2002 ã 2003 Barbara Chopin Lucks Documented benefits from the use of essential oil Vitex agnus castus a.. Decrease or elimination of hot flashes and night sweats b.. Improved emotional stability and cognitive ability c.. Improved vaginal tone and lubrication. More comfortable intercourse. d.. Moderation of irregular periods and flooding Possible side effects from use of Vitex agnus castus a.. Headache b.. Nausea c.. Rash or sensation of ants crawling on skin d.. Increased hot flashes or night sweats e.. Nightmares f.. Emotional crises, exacerbation of depression, suicidal ideation g.. Unwanted or unexpected vaginal bleeding h.. Reduction of the efficacy of birth control pills Known & Possible Interactions relating to use of essential oil Vitex agnus castus NOTE: This list should not be assumed to be comprehensive or conclusive, as information regarding response to the essential oil is relatively new and derived in most cases from non-clinical data. The author has listed herb/drug interactions that are noted in referenced texts, or that have been suggested by information from the case studies. It should also be noted that action of a whole herb and action of the essential oil do differ from time to time. a.. Any form of progesterone, either natural or synthesized, when used in combination with e.o. vitex, may potentiate activity and lead to elevated progesterone levels. Breakthrough bleeding was consistently noted when these substances were used in combination. b.. Oral contraceptives. Possibility that use of any form of the herb can reduce efficacy. c.. Hormone replacement therapy. See note above regarding progesterone. Case studies indicate several instances of successful combination of estrogen (either plant derived or animal derived) with e.o. vitex. Any such use should be professionally managed. d.. Neuroleptic medications (haloperidol, thioridazine) may weaken or block effects of the herb or oil. Research strongly suggests that the oil acts as a dopamine-receptor agonist. Additionally, a few reports both from the case studies and more informal communication indicate a possible positive effect on seizure-type disorders. Practitioners should be aware of potential for the following: · Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome · Exacerbation of depression (esp. if estrogen levels fall dangerously). Anyone that is using it long term, (ie, you buy another bottle from me) gets the third degree. I keep up with the folks so that more information can be compiled on the use of Vitex. This has been very exciting using this oil and seeing such a positive response in improving women's quality of life. There has been some non-success so that you don't get the idea that it works for everyone. It is a great alternative for those who want to and take control of their healthcare in my opinion. Thanks for letting me share my experience. Chuck Woodfield Chiropractor, Pharmacist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 Thank you very much for your experiences with this one Dr. Chuck *Smile* Chris (list mom - a fellow lover of chemistry, but unfortunately not with nearly the same amount of schooling in the subject as you have http://www.alittleolfactory.com > > Chuck Woodfield [cwoodfield] > Hello: > > Sorry it took me so long to get this written. I have been > working on a monster honey-do list (I recently moved) and my > STAT Immune oil blend. > > The use of Vitex essential oil has intrigued my curiosity for > the past 5 years. Plants being the original source of drugs, > my first exposure to essential oils was in pharmacy school by > the Pharmacognosy (fancy name for the study of plant source > of drugs) professor. I love chemistry and when I see an oil, > I see all those neat structures and how their chemistry can > relate to ours. Being a pharmacist for 10 years I was able to > observe the effect of pregnant mare's urine on women. > Interesting that when problems began to crop up (sorry....I > love puns) it was decided that another hormone should be > added to 'prevent these unwanted effects.' Premarin and > progesterone (Prempro) soon became the rally call of the drug > salesman. It was interesting and sad to observe that women > who tooks these drugs still 'sufferred' from the ailments > they were supposed to 'prevent,' ie., hip fractures (stronger > bones), heart disease and cancer. Becoming fed up with pill > rolling (and the fleecing of patients by drug companies), I > attended Palmer College of Chiropractic to get to the root of > dis-ease, where I learned that prevention of our 'illnesses' > is the answer. Oils seem to be a perfect fit for this > profession regardless to what some say. > > Five years ago my sister in law, contracted breast cancer. > The tumor was pinkie sized and as the MD did not tell her to > stop taking her estrogen/progesterone, pinkie grew to a golf > ball and radical masectomy. I had been working with my other > sister in law using the more naturaul ways, black cohosh, > vitex extract etc.the Wise woman approach to transition this > part of life. When I read about Vitex EO in Kurt Schnaubelt's > book, I wondered if this may be a real help. > > I found some on line (sorry Butch it wasn't you and I did pay > DEARLY for 5 > ml) and started experimenting with it. It smelled 'nasty', > (not my description) so I blended it with Rose and Neroli. > About this time my mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer, > a side effect of 25 years of hormone replacement. I had > three women close to me that were having hot flashes, not > sleeping, having headaches, etc, so things were not too fun. > I started trying to determine a safe way for vitex to be > used. One of my patients, a psychologist, voluntered to take > it by mouth, which I wasn't too keen about. She ended up > apply it to her thyroid area, an interesting case study. I > found that the best way to use vitex was diluted in jojoba > (10%) and placed on the soles of the feet (I know that sounds > Young Livingish) and then inhale what was on the hands for a > minute. Perhaps the inhalation was all that was needed. To > stop hot flashes, just inhaling the bottle seemed to make > them come to a screeching halt. I noticed that women who had > been on hormone replacement therapy for a long period of > time, needed other oils to be added to help. Adding > Sandalwood and Vetivert to the vitex seemed to help the most. > (I believe the sedative actions of these oils contributed to > the effect). I missed Barabara Lucks first round of vitex > study and hopped right on board for the second. I had plenty > of volunteers. I had also been using vitex with one of my > daughters who had (has) PMS and cramps. Using it daily from > day 14 to menses ended the dreaded PMS and severe cramping. > When cramps did appear, usually smelling the oil stopped > them. I also found that rubbing a drop (3%) on the abdomen > helped for cramps and this soon became the route of > administration, instead of the feet. A mixture of clary sage > and vitex really helped cramping of the masssage therapist > that was working with me at the time. I do have a few cases, > 21, where vitex did nothing at all. The biggest complaint is > (was) the smell. > > I have found that a mixture (berries and leaves) seem to work > the best for most women. I currently have ten patients that > are using Vitex. 112 patients have used it over the past 3 > years. Before using it, I recommend that the patient get > salivary hormone levels. It is realitively inexpensive, Great > Smoky Mt labs being the one I suggest. There are also less > expensive kits on the net. This I felt was important after > reading Barabara Lucks update. It seems that severe > depression can result in using vitex when one has too low of > estrogen levels. With all the xenoestrogens in our > environment, lack of estrogen is surprising to me but it does > occur. I have an information sheet with the possible side > effects and warnings (see below). I think preexisting > depression has a role here. I don't recommend it for folks on > antidepressants. You would be surprised how many women are > put on Zoloft for 'this trying time in their lives.' I try to > let the person make an informed decision. Most decide NOT to > do the saliva testing. Those with insurance went to their > gyno for the levels, so I have some of that data. > > Of course there needs to be more research on the benefits > (and hazards) of vitex. I am curious what the actual > substance or combination of substances that give Vitex its effect. > If it works on the pituitary or hypothalamus level, as > hypothesized, what else is out there that could help. > > However, where does the money come to do it? There is no drug > company with deep pockets to balance their cost benefit > ratio. I believe that using Vitex is less hazardous than the > previous mentioned drug combination. > > It is not like women stay on vitex for a long period of time. > My wife uses it now when she has a few sleepless nights, > after using it regularly for about a year. Sleeplessness > (and early awakening) > seems to be the biggest menopause complaint I hear. > My daughter is much better with PMS and uses my cramp blend > when needed. > Several women that have used it, no longer feel the need to use it. > Bottom line is improvement in the quality of life for women. > > I incorporate vitex in a cream, a blend and an inhaler. I > also have the plain EO mixture of berries and leaves from > Butch. The inhaler has a history of working great for hot > flashes. I have been using some of the Vitex hydrosol (from > Butch) as a spritzer for hot flashes, however > the success rate has not been as high as smelling the oil. I > have also mixed it with > Sandalwood and lavender hydrosols in hopes it could work better. > If you are having uncomfortable symptoms in your life's > journey to mature womanhood or PMS or severe cramps, Vitex > may be worth a try. > I believe vitex to be safer than the use of the NSAIDS > (Aleve, Motrin) one could take for cramps. Vitex is applied > topically which means less concentrated exposure to the body > organs, the liver and kidneys. I don't think pharmacokinetics > would be that exciting to read here, however it plays a role > in my determination of what is safe or hazardous. Again > further research is needed (and for all EO's). > > From my personal study and known safety record (see below), > Vitex is safer than anything you can get from the drugstore > or on perscription written by your competent healthcare provider. > > Everyone gets the warning I borrowed from Barbara Lucks' paper: > > Original publication: Lucks, Barbara; Sorensen, J.; Veal, L. > > Vitex agnus-castus Essential Oil and Menopausal Balance: A > Self-Care Survey, “Complementary Therapies in Nursing and > Midwifery”. Volume 8, Number 3, Pages 148-154. Elsvier > Science, London. August, 2002 > > > > ã 2003 Barbara Chopin Lucks > > > Documented benefits from the use of essential oil Vitex agnus castus > > > > a.. Decrease or elimination of hot flashes and night sweats > b.. Improved emotional stability and cognitive ability > c.. Improved vaginal tone and lubrication. More > comfortable intercourse. > d.. Moderation of irregular periods and flooding > Possible side effects from use of Vitex agnus castus > > a.. Headache > b.. Nausea > c.. Rash or sensation of ants crawling on skin > d.. Increased hot flashes or night sweats > e.. Nightmares > f.. Emotional crises, exacerbation of depression, suicidal ideation > g.. Unwanted or unexpected vaginal bleeding > h.. Reduction of the efficacy of birth control pills > Known & Possible Interactions relating to use of essential > oil Vitex agnus castus > > > > NOTE: This list should not be assumed to be comprehensive or > conclusive, as information regarding response to the > essential oil is relatively new and derived in most cases > from non-clinical data. The author has listed herb/drug > interactions that are noted in referenced texts, or that have > been suggested by information from the case studies. It > should also be noted that action of a whole herb and action > of the essential oil do differ from time to time. > > > > a.. Any form of progesterone, either natural or > synthesized, when used in combination with e.o. vitex, may > potentiate activity and lead to elevated progesterone levels. > Breakthrough bleeding was consistently noted when these > substances were used in combination. > b.. Oral contraceptives. Possibility that use of any form > of the herb can reduce efficacy. > c.. Hormone replacement therapy. See note above regarding > progesterone. Case studies indicate several instances of > successful combination of estrogen (either plant derived or > animal derived) with e.o. vitex. Any such use should be > professionally managed. > d.. Neuroleptic medications (haloperidol, thioridazine) may > weaken or block effects of the herb or oil. Research > strongly suggests that the oil acts as a dopamine-receptor > agonist. Additionally, a few reports both from the case > studies and more informal communication indicate a possible > positive effect on seizure-type disorders. Practitioners > should be aware of potential for the following: > > · Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome > > · Exacerbation of depression (esp. if estrogen levels > fall dangerously). > > > Anyone that is using it long term, (ie, you buy another > bottle from me) gets the third degree. I keep up with the > folks so that more information can be compiled on the use of > Vitex. This has been very exciting using this oil and seeing > such a positive response in improving women's quality of > life. There has been some non-success so that you don't get > the idea that it works for everyone. It is a great > alternative for those who want to and take control of their > healthcare in my opinion. Thanks for letting me share my experience. > > Chuck Woodfield > Chiropractor, Pharmacist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2004 Report Share Posted January 18, 2004 At 11:20 AM 1/18/2004 -0600, Chris wrote: >Thank you very much for your experiences with this one Dr. Chuck I would also like to thank him for his input. Well, here's my first: Are you aware of the long history of the tea and tincture of vitex being used? Did you look at the chemical structure of them, in the way you looked at that of the oil? Whether you did or not, why didn't you try these first? Second: Have you published or submitted your findings for peer review? Third: Is anyone (that you are aware of) conducting replication studies based on your findings? Fourth: What is your opinion of lay people, with no CAM practitioner guidance, using the oil? Is is prudent, or is it liable to open the supplier up to a lawsuit if there are harmful side effects? Thanks again! http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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