Re: Can VITEX cause similar symptoms to progesterone dominance?

Vitex does raise progesterone.  At recommended doses the level is rather low.  Larger doses have been used historically to increase progesterone levels up higher to suppress the libido, thus the name "chaste tree berry".  If you are having problems from low levels of vitex then I suspect that you likely already have abnormally high levels of progesterone to begin with, or you are very sensitive to progesterone.

One of the biggest differences is that progesterone dominance kills the sex drive while estrogen enhances it. 

LOL!!! well that's me ZILCH sex drive! 

High progesterone is not the only reason for low sex drive.  Low testosterone or elevated serotonin can also kill the sex drive.

and apparently i have uterus atrophy also.

Uterine atrophy is from low estrogen.

No acne, only mood is sometimes i feel like crying for no reason but i have low thyroid function along with incredible fatigue.  and when i was on progesterone cream therapy my ZILCH sex drive went further north, if that is possible! I was on Vitex for months and developed abdominal bloating,

This is a side effect of progesterone.

swollen soar breats

This is also a side effect of progesterone.

and my uterus felt swollen also. I got told to persist as bodily hormones were balancing out - apparently progesterone turns on estrogen receptors which is meant to explain the bloating. Zilch zilch zilch!

Progesterone is a precursor for estrogen, but the side effects of progesterone are separate from estrogen.

The bloating is a result of the smooth muscle relaxant effects of the progesterone.  This slows down the digestive process to provide more time for nutrient absorption to nourish the infant.  Bit the slowed digestion also leads to more fermentation and thus the bloating.

As far as the claim that progesterone turns on estrogen receptors I have never seen any evidence of this.  So I looked for the evidence and could not find any, just the claim by progesterone selling sites.  But all the actual research I could find shows just the opposite, that progesterone downregulates estrogen receptors.  And estrogen is required for progesterone to stimulate progesterone receptors.