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Step 1
Begin with a dose of 20 to 40 mg of fruit extract or 30 to 50 drops of tincture per day for most applications and preparations. You can take the herb up to three times daily, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Mix the drops of chasteberry tincture in a cup of hot tea or take the supplement in capsule form.
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Step 2
Use chasteberry to ease PMS and associated symptoms such as cyclical breast tenderness, cramping, headaches, irritability, water retention, depressed mood, acne and constipation.
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Step 3
Try chasteberry to normalize your menstrual cycle. Use of the fruit extract may normalize irregular periods, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
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Step 4
Ask your doctor about supplementing with chasteberry instead of using hormone-replacement therapy during menopause. Daily use of the fruit may relieve hot flashes, depression and irregular menstrual cycles.
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Step 5
Watch for any side effects experienced while taking chasteberry. Use of the fruit extract may cause gastrointestinal problems, dizziness and acne in some people.
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Step 6
Avoid using chasteberry during pregnancy due to its effect on hormone levels. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center warns that women taking birth control pills, hormone-replacement therapy or who have a history of breast cancer should also avoid chasteberry supplementation.
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Step 7
Do not take chasteberry if you are currently taking any medication that alters your level of dopamine. Chasteberry may affect dopamine levels in the brain.
