What do you make of hormone regulating natural remedies?

Hormones can be a right pain in the hoop, as anyone who’s had problems with theirs can attest. There are a couple of natural remedies that I regularly see touted as a good way to help balance and regulate lady hormones: I’m thinking primarily of St. John’s Wort, Agnus Castus, Evening Primrose Oil, Starflower Oil, and Vitamin B.

These can work really well – I’ve taken Evening Primrose Oil and a Vitamin B complex in the past to tackle really bad PMT symptoms on the recommendation of my doctor, and they definitely made a difference – but it’s important to know when it’s appropriate to take them and how they might interact with other medication you’re on.

As boring as it is to say this, your best bet is to check with your own doctor before starting a course of any tablets, even if they don’t need to be prescribed. And you shouldn’t really need to take any of these natural hormone regulating remedies if you’re on the Pill or similar hormonal contraception. That’s because these contraceptives work by regulating your hormones anyway… although that doesn’t rule out undesirable side effects, unfortunately.

In addition, it’s recommended that you steer well clear of St. John’s Wort and Agnus Castus if you’re using hormonal contraception, as both can interfere with its effectiveness.

Have you tried any hormone helping remedies like these? What did you make of them?