The bottles say not to take during menstuation, so has anyone ever continued taking it during their period, or is it really crucial to stop?

Thanks again,

Nefertila

You can take with a little water. Not sure about apple juice though.
I actually like the taste of GCG and got used to Chinese Bitters, maybe it is because the results for me were so good that the taste seems to be the taste of health.

Look what i found in Mrs Chang´s web site about Chinese Bitters and GCG:
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Ingredients: Chinese Gentian, Bupleurum

Organs Affected: Liver, Gallbladder, Urinary Bladder

Dosage: ½ to 1 teaspoonful (about 5 mL) once daily on empty stomach 20-30 minutes before breakfast

User Experience & Properties: As an effective liver purger, it has been found to help alleviate the toxic effects from over use of medication such as painkillers or hormone therapies.
It helps digestive juice production.
It alleviates mentrual cramp and reduces uterine fibroids and ovarian cysts due to the liver's improved efficiency in eliminating estrogens.
In conjunction with Coptis, Chinese Bitters is effective for endometriosis.
It regulates menstruation and alleviates or eliminates hot flashes experienced in menopause especially if the symptoms are worst at night. It has also been found to promote pregnancy.
It has natural anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to help alleviate joint or arthritic pains.

Note 1: Some users may experience initial headache or tightness in the head due to detoxification. It usually does not last more than a couple of weeks. Because Chinese Bitters is a liver purger, it should not be taken at the same time as other medication as it may negate the effects of the medication. The taking of Chinese Bitters should be separated from medication use by at least a meal. It is also recommended to take a 5-7 day break after each 3-4 weeks of continuous use of Chinese Bitters; otherwise the liver may be over-purged. Chinese Bittersis effective in decongesting the liver. However, liver congestion is often caused by the presence of gallstones. If this is the case, Gallstones should be flushed out before liver congestion can be relieved completely. For details on gallbladder flush, click here
Note 2: You should avoid foods that congest the liver, such as spicy foods and nuts, especially roasted nuts.
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GOLD COIN GRASS (GCG) 250 ml or 8.5 oz - US$20.95
Ingredients: Gold Coin Grass, Bupleurum

Organs Affected: Liver, Gallbladder, Kidneys, Urinary Bladder

Dosage: 1 tablespoonful (about 15 mL) once daily on empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast.

User Experience & Properties: This product is effective in softening and crushing Gallstones and is useful as a preparatory step in gallbladder flushing. Most users found their gallbladder pain alleviated or relieved already following a few days of using this product. Gallstones released with the use of this product prior to gallbladder flush are generally smaller and more in numbers. Sometimes the stones even come out in flat pieces.

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Good luck

Fernando