[prismatic]

I'm confused. I though I heard that it that it suppresses prolactin, but I might have misunderstood. Where did you get that info Abi?

*Edit* Oh, I see. It raised prolactin at low doses and lowers it at high doses. Is that right?

@Mocha,

Def shouldn't increase prolactin as progesterone generally competes with prolactin. I always noticed more firmness with vitex not in a liquidy kind of way.

Oh, I may have had it inverted. Yes tibetan, at certain doses it has been observed that vitex can raise prolactin levels as well. It'll also lower them at other certain doses when the progestogenic effect is strong enough... Anyways... I really just don't particularly care for "magic" herbs like that, personally. If its effects aren't a known constant quantity which is easily measurable, and with a formulaic effect from dose changes, then I don't particularly wish to use it myself. All studies regarding the adaptive effects of vitex seem to indicate that dose control is wild and unpredictable. My own experience from using it mainly for the mild opiate it also contains did little to change my opinion. For hormonal purposes - it's effective if you have no alternative way to raise progesterone, but it's not ideal.

Personal experience with vitex: I loved the opiate and I certainly enjoyed the progestogenic properties, but I did get squishy breast and some lactation at times and was constantly having to fiddle with dosing to maintain desired effects and avoid undesired side effects.

That said... I really can't think of any thing else that's a reasonable way of raising progesterone outside of PC, which prismatic apparently can't get.

And I was using it for the opiate, so it might not need as much playing to maintain the progesterone benefits and avoid the potential for prolactin increases.

How much vitex were you taking? And were you doing any massaging or other manual stimulation at the time?

I've ordered PC from Swanson's after reading (http://www.breastnexus.com/showthread.php?tid=12821 ) that jiberish had gotten it through customs. I've also ordered the chasteberry/vitex anyway, seeing as they always seem to check my packages...

I may end up taking a low dose of saw palmetto to see if it helps with the acne I've been getting on my chest in the past two weeks. I'm not sure if it is hormone-related or just because I've been sweating so much. I picked up a chamomile & spearmint tea blend. I'll see how it goes. It's only 35% spearmint, so I might do two cups a day.

Went with Ainterol for PM. I wish I could take something to increase aromatase, since it seems like my T is not being converted. The only things I could find that would possibly raise it are alchohol and Chinese peony, which has proven difficult to obtain short of growing it myself. Tried to think of any aromatase inhibitors I might have been inadvertently consuming. Apart from honey and red wine, I couldn't come up with anything that would be part of a normal diet, so I guess I'm just naturally low on it?

Hope this works for me. I'm so eager to ditch my Tanner IV, if that's even possible. I've been stuck with them for 8 years!