For mothers with newborn babies, it’s normal and expected that their breasts start to produce breast milk which is a healthy food source for the new born baby.
However it’s not uncommon for women to experience some “leaking” from the breasts even when they are neither pregnant nor nursing a baby. Many times this is usually discovered by their partners during sexy time.
Prolactin is one of the many hormones which play important roles in the body. Its most important role is the stimulation of milk production in women after the delivery of a baby. Normally, prolactin levels increase during pregnancy, causing the mammary glands in a woman’s breast to enlarge in preparation for breastfeeding. It also helps with the release of milk when nursing the baby. The high levels of prolactin are also the reason why breastfeeding mothers don’t get their period and therefore usually don’t get pregnant.
This of course means that high prolactin levels cause infertility. Another term for high prolactin is hyperprolactinemia. Women who are not pregnant, and are not breastfeeding, should have low levels of prolactin. If a non-pregnant woman has abnormally high levels of prolactin, it may cause her difficulty in becoming pregnant.
Excess prolactin may stop a woman from ovulating, this may present as a complete absence of periods. In less severe cases, high prolactin levels may only disrupt ovulation once in awhile. This would result in intermittent ovulation, or ovulation that takes a long time to occur. Women in this category may experience infrequent or irregular periods. Women with the mildest cases involving high prolactin levels may ovulate regularly but not produce enough of the hormone progesterone after ovulation. Reduction in levels of progesterone produced after ovulation may result in a uterine lining that is not very favorable for implantation of an embryo. Some women with this problem may see their period come a short time after ovulation.
Causes of Hyperprolactinemia
Prolactinomas: A prolactinoma is an abnormal growth, or tumor, on the pituitary gland . This causes the pituitary to produce too much prolactin leading to hyperprolactinemia. A prolactinoma is almost always benign, meaning it is not a cancer. Many times there is no clear cause, and also they are more common in women.
Medications: some medications can cause higher levels of prolactin to be produced. The most common medications that do this are known as anti-psychotic medications. Other medications which may increase prolactin levels include some anti-depressants, some sedatives, some blood pressure control medication, oral contraceptives, etc.
- Stress: physical stress can sometimes bring about high prolactin levels. Some common stressors can also raise prolactin levels. These stressors include low blood sugar, strenuous exercise activities, and even mild forms of discomfort.
- Pregnancy: this is a normal physiological response.
- Hypothyroidism:An underactive thyroid or inadequate thyroid hormone replacement can also raise prolactin levels
- Kidney disease
- Chest trauma
Symptoms of prolactinoma in women include:
- unexplained headaches
- visual impairment
- galactorrhea, or lactation outside of childbirth or nursing
- pain or discomfort during sex
- abnormal growth of body and facial hair
- abnormal acne
How is the test carried out?
A prolactin test is just like a blood test. Some birth control pills, high blood pressure drugs, or antidepressants can affect the test results. So be sure to tell your doctor about any medications you’re taking before the test is done. Sleeping problems, high stress levels, and strenuous exercise before the test can also influence the results.
Your doctor will assess whether your results are normal based on many factors, including your general health. Prolactin values can vary slightly depending on several factors and all these factors must be taken into consideration to make a proper assessment.
Some steps you can take to lower your prolactin levels include:
- changing your diet and keeping your stress levels down
- stopping high-intensity workouts or activities that overwhelm you
- avoiding clothing that makes your chest uncomfortable
- avoiding activities and clothing that overstimulate your nipples
- taking vitamin B-6 and vitamin E supplements
The good news is that it is a treatable condition which, if treated properly, does not inhibit fertility for long. The important thing is to always be on the look-out for its warning signs, in order for it to be quickly diagnosed, and subsequently treated.
