High Prolactin Hormone Levels

The anterior pituitary gland in the body is responsible for the regulation of prolactin hormone in the body. It is responsible for developing the breast’s tissues and mammary glands. Prolactin also assures lactation or milk production during and post-delivery of the baby. While it is quite normal for new mothers and pregnant women to have high levels of prolactin in their blood, non-pregnant women do not have this in common.

The normal prolactin value in a non-pregnant person can be between 3 to 27 nanograms per milliliter. But if you have been tested recently and noticed abnormal levels of prolactin, it will be helpful to consult a doctor to check if you have hyperprolactinemia. For more information, you can visit Allgenericpills.

Hyperprolactinemia – What is it?

It is the condition where a woman’s body will have a high level of prolactin in the blood despite not being pregnant. It is frequently seen concern in women. A great percentage of women during their childbearing years can have this concern. When this happens, the woman might experience difficulty getting pregnant, or the breast will start producing milk outside of pregnancy.

It is noted that about 90% of the cases of galactorrhea have got hyperprolactinemia. The high prolactin levels in the body can impact normal hormone production, like that of progesterone and estrogen. This can result in missed or irregular period concerns. In fact, there are cases where women might have high prolactin levels in the body without showing any symptoms.

Men can also have high prolactin levels in the body, which can cause impotence, infertility, or reduced sexual desire. When the situation remains untreated, then the men will make less sperm or even no sperm at all.

What are the common causes of hyperprolactinemia?

It is important that the person stays aware of the causes so that proper precautions can be taken to keep the concern at bay. The major causes include.

• Hypothyroidism
• Pituitary tumors
• Medicines are given for depression or high blood pressure
• Herbs like fennel seeds, fenugreek, or red clover
• Chest wall irritation from surgical scars or two tide bra
• Excess exercise or stress
• Nipple stimulation
• Certain food item

What are the symptoms of hyperprolactinemia?

In case of any of these symptoms, consulting your doctor as soon as possible is helpful.

• Irregular periods or no periods for months
• Excess vaginal dryness resulting in painful intercourse
• Breast tenderness
• Infertility
• Galactorrhea, which means milky discharge from the breast issues even when not breastfeeding or pregnant.

How to diagnose hyperprolactinemia?

When you consult your doctor, she will ask you for a blood test. This will help measure the prolactin levels. Sometimes a level can be higher if you have been under great stress or had a meal. The test can be done again once you are relaxed or you have fasted for a long time. The doctor can also get a physical examination for better analysis.

If even after the second check the level is high, then the doctor will advise an MRI scan of the brain to check the pituitary gland tumors.

Treatment

The treatment of the concern will depend entirely on the specific case or the cause. If no cause has been identified, and you do not have a tumor, then the usual medicines will be used. Hypothyroidism can be treated with thyroid replacement medicines, which will also ensure the prolactin levels get back to normal.

If it is a regular medicine that results in concern, then the doctor will work with you to find a different medication to help keep the prolactin levels under control.

Medicines

Cabergoline is the most commonly used medicine for treatment. The doctor will start you on a loading dose of this medicine and then slowly increase the dose until the prolactin levels in the body go back to normal. The treatment will be continued until the symptoms are reduced, or you are pregnant if that is the goal of the treatment.

Cabergoline has to be taken twice a week. Thankfully it comes with few side effects than the other options. The medicine works well for dropping the prolactin levels in the body faster, but it can also result in heart valve problems when taken in a higher dosage.

Medicine can be used even when the woman is pregnant. However, the most common side effects here include lightheadedness, nausea, and headaches. Thus, slowly increasing the dose will keep the side effects under control.

Surgery

If there is a tumor of a big size, surgery might be required if the medicine does not improve the symptoms. MRI becomes important so that the doctor will be able to check the size of the tumor and take proper steps based on it

It is important to know that not all women suffering from hyperprolactinemia require treatment. No doubt, a woman with high prolactin who fails to make estrogen will require treatment based on the cause of the problem. But the doctor will state no treatment when the cause cannot be found or when the pituitary gland tumors are the reason behind high prolactin levels, but the patient is making estrogen.

Generally, a pituitary gland tumor is responsible for about 50% of the cases. They can be treated through surgery, medication, or radiation therapy based on the condition. It is important to start with the medicine as soon as possible.

Conclusion

hyperprolactinemia is not a life-threatening condition but can result in a lot of complications. Also, remember it can have some repercussions like irregular periods or infertility. All of these can take a toll on mental and physical health. So, if you have started to experience any symptoms connecting with the doctor will be helpful. The test analysis will help seek the right treatment and balance the prolactin levels in the body.