[Charlie_girl]

Yes the dr said that amount too.

Oh! Okay, so since YOU haven't experienced any bad side effects (yet) from those really high levels of fenugreek, then it MUST be safe for everyone? NO. If you take it at the "sky high" or "unlimited" doses you recommend, you're playing with fire. And YES, fenugreek DOES increase prolactin levels. Too much fenugreek (and fennel seeds and red clover) can cause hyperprolactinemia (abnormally high levels of prolactin). http://www.reproductivefacts.org/FACTSHEET_Hyperprolactinemia_Prolactin_Excess/

I've breastfed and relactated twice (brought my milk back after drying up) and I know more about all of the aspects of the hormones & herbs involved than my first 3 lactation consultants did, including the effects of fenugreek + prolactin + breastfeeding. However, no. You don't already need ELEVATED prolactin levels in order for fenugreek (or any phytoprolactin) to raise your prolactin level. That's outrageous. But, yes, prolactin levels are high during pregnancy & breastfeeding, especially right after birth when the estrogen & progesterone levels plummet and the prolactin level spikes (this combo is what tells your body to secrete the milk).

You just said it yourself, "it raises what you have". And your statement right before that, " In nursing mothers who already have prolactin then it raises prolactin". We ALL have prolactin. You don't need to be pregnant to HAVE prolactin. So, since prolactin is already a hormone that you DO have, yes, it will raise it.


The normal values for prolactin are:

Males: 2 - 18 ng/mL
Nonpregnant females: 2 - 29 ng/mL
Pregnant women: 10 - 209 ng/mL

BUT, you ARE right in that it has balancing effects. I'm not saying that taking too much fenugreek alone for a short amount of time will cause all those health problems. I'm saying that too high of prolactin levels for too long CAN and does cause those. And too high amounts of fenugreek for too long does lead to dangerously high levels of prolactin. So why risk it?

Shatavari does also increase prolactin, And is also a hormone balancer. I'm not saying that taking high doses of these specific herbs alone or together will send your prolactin levels sky high WITHOUT raising other hormone levels. Again, I'm saying 1- too many herbs taken at the same time that, for the most part, have the same effect, is pointless and too much of, or too many herbs over floods your liver (in general- not just taking these two herbs). Taking these two herbs together is fine. I'm not sure what HIGHER doses are safe and which are way too much taken together over the long term. But regardless, someone doesn't need to take sky high levels of anything, especially 3-5 different things that all elevate the same hormone more than the other hormones.

Just sayin