Is vitex safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about vitex during pregnancy?

1. NCCIH's clinical overview states that using chasteberry during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may be unsafe, and separately advises caution for anyone with a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer. 1
2. A 2023 review in Frontiers in Endocrinology states that Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry) is contraindicated during pregnancy, citing the absence of clear safety data and the pharmacologically varied activity of herbal extracts as the reasons. 2
3. A systematic review of chasteberry safety data hosted on the NCBI Bookshelf concludes it should be avoided during both pregnancy and lactation specifically because of a lack of safety data for those periods, even though the review's broader findings did not point to serious health risks. 3
4. LactMed documents that chasteberry affects prolactin in a dose-dependent way: in one cited study a 120 mg dose raised prolactin by about 16 percent while a 480 mg dose lowered it by about 10 percent, part of why it's considered hormonally active and is advised against during lactation. 4
5. StatPearls notes that chasteberry extracts have shown symptom improvement for PMS in low-to-moderate-quality randomized trials, but that ACOG does not recommend routine use because study formulations and dosages vary widely across the research. 5

Is vitex safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Many people take vitex while trying to conceive, often for cycle support, but once you get a positive pregnancy test, the standard advice is to stop right away. Reviewers describe chasteberry as contraindicated this early because its hormonal activity hasn't been studied in a developing pregnancy.
• Second trimester. There's no research base showing chasteberry has a role once pregnancy is underway, and no established pregnancy dosing exists. If you're still taking it, bring the bottle to your next visit so your provider can weigh in on stopping.
• Third trimester. The same lack of safety data carries through the third trimester. Chasteberry also affects prolactin, the hormone tied to milk supply, so staying off it now keeps that system undisturbed as you approach breastfeeding.