Case report, 2019
Can chasteberry, a herbal remedy for PMS, cause a psychotic episode?
A report describes one woman who developed a psychotic episode after taking chasteberry for premenstrual syndrome. Because this is only one case, it cannot show how often this might happen.
What they did
Doctors described the case of one woman who took chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus), a herbal remedy, to treat premenstrual syndrome.
What they found
The woman went on to develop a psychotic disorder that the doctors linked to taking chasteberry.
What it means for you
This single case raises the possibility that chasteberry could, rarely, trigger serious mental health symptoms in some people. One case cannot show how common this is or who might be at risk, so it cannot prove that chasteberry caused the episode.
1
number of cases described
About the study
- Original title
- Drug-induced psychotic disorder after administration of Vitex agnus castus (chasteberry) medication to treat premenstrual syndrome: a case report
- Authors
- Firoozeh Farshchian, Omran Davarinejad, Serge Brand
- Journal
- Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo)
- Year
- 2019
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus), a herbal remedy for PMS.
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1590/0101-60830000000198
Original abstract
Americanae nace como un proyecto conjunto que surge dentro de la Red Europea de Información y Documentación sobre América Latina (REDIAL), y que ha afrontado la Biblioteca de la Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). Esta nueva biblioteca virtual hace más accesibles los libros digitales de tema americanista a los investigadores y usuarios interesados de cualquier parte del mundo.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
Topics
Related studies
Randomised trial, 2025
Which is more effective for PMS - Vitagnus, soy, or both together?
Review, 2024
What is premenstrual exacerbation and how does it affect different psychiatric illnesses?
Cohort study, 2023
Are PMS symptoms linked to genetic factors for psychiatric disorders?
Randomised trial, 2023
Can herbal medicine prevent or treat PMS and menstrual disorders?
Systematic review, 2022
Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle?
Randomised trial, 2020
What is the best dose of Vitex for treating PMS?