What effect does prolactin have on the body?

Prolactin is a hormone made by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain. Prolactin causes the breasts to grow and make milk during pregnancy and after birth. Prolactin levels are normally high for pregnant women and new mothers. Levels are normally low for nonpregnant women and for men.

What are the side effects of high prolactin levels?

Symptoms include irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, menopausal symptoms (hot flashes and vaginal dryness), and, after several years, osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of the bones). High prolactin levels can also cause milk discharge from the breasts.

What does prolactin do in the body?

Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. It regulates the body's balance of many hormones. Prolactin stimulates breast development and milk production in women.

What is the cause of high prolactin in a woman?

Hyperprolactinemia means you have higher-than-normal levels of prolactin in your blood. The most common cause is a prolactinoma, a benign (noncancerous) tumor in your pituitary gland. Certain health conditions and medications can also cause hyperprolactinemia.

Does prolactin cause weight gain?

High levels of prolactin can also result in weight gain and neuropsychological disturbances.

Hyperprolactinemia (High Prolactin Levels) | Causes, Signs

Can High prolactin levels make you tired?

Rarely, the prolactinoma may press on the rest of the pituitary gland, stopping it from producing other hormones. This can cause symptoms such as tiredness, fainting, low blood pressure, low blood sugar or collapse.

What triggers prolactin?

One of the main regulators of the production of prolactin from the pituitary gland is the hormone called dopamine, which is produced by the hypothalamus, the part of the brain directly above the pituitary gland. Dopamine restrains prolactin production, so the more dopamine there is, the less prolactin is released.

What happens if prolactin is low?

Symptoms of low and high prolactin levels

Women who have low levels of prolactin in the blood may experience the following: Delayed puberty. Menstrual disorders. Infertility, and subfertility.

Can elevated prolactin cause anxiety?

Prolactin has a role in the regulation of stress, and it is linked to anxiety, hostility, and weight gain, which are all implicated in MDD and increased CMD risk.

How do you treat high prolactin levels?

Dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine (Parlodel and Cycloset) are the most common treatment for high levels of prolactin. These medications help the brain produce dopamine to control high prolactin levels. They can also shrink prolactinoma tumors. Your doctor may recommend that you take cabergoline.

Does prolactin affect blood pressure?

In humans, several studies have shown that increased levels of prolactin are associated with elevated arterial pressure (18, 19).

Which foods decrease prolactin level?

Foods that lower prolactin levels are generally high in zinc; think shellfish, beef, turkey and beans. It's also important to get plenty of B6, so foods like potatoes, bananas, wild salmon, chicken and spinach can help boost those vitamin levels.

Does prolactin cause anger?

Given the overall evidence from previous research, the present study hypothesised that higher levels of prolactin would be associated with greater hostility, anger and aggression.

Does prolactin affect sleep?

Prolactin (PRL) is one of the growth factors that influences sleep. It is unique as a growth-sleep factor in that its primary action is to promote rapid eye movement sleep (REMS; also called paradoxical sleep).

Can high prolactin cause mood changes?

However, excess levels can cause mood swings and worsen mental disorders [63, 64, 65]. According to a review of clinical trials, high prolactin (PRL) may increase the risk of anxiety and depression in both men and women. Lowering high PRL levels significantly improved the symptoms in some patients [66].

Does high prolactin cause hair loss?

High prolactin levels can cause hair loss in a pattern similar to female androgenetic alopecia. It does this by interfering with normal ovarian production of estrogen.

Does high prolactin cause facial hair in females?

Symptoms of Prolactinoma

For women, this causes symptoms such as: Irregular or no menstrual periods (amenorrhea) Acne. Increase or thickening of body hair and facial hair.

What is the love hormone called?

As oxytocin is associated with trust, sexual arousal and relationship building, it's sometimes referred to as the “love hormone” or “cuddle chemical.” Oxytocin levels also increase when you're hugging someone and when you're experiencing an orgasm. Oxytocin is an essential hormone for childbirth and lactation.

Does high prolactin cause low estrogen?

Therefore, high prolactin causes low estrogen in women and low testosterone in men and decreases fertility in both women and men. Low estrogen and testosterone also can result in bone loss and osteoporosis. A blood test is used to detect excess prolactin.

Does high prolactin cause brain tumor?

A prolactinoma is a type of tumor that develops in the pituitary gland at the base of your brain. Prolactinoma is a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland. This tumor causes the pituitary gland to make too much of a hormone called prolactin.

Does high prolactin cause excessive sweating?

This can lead to nervousness and irritability, fast heart rate and high blood pressure, heart disease, increased sweating, thin skin, and weight loss. Prolactin. Too much prolactin, a hormone that stimulates lactation and the secretion of progesterone, causes unexpected secretion of breast milk.

Does prolactinoma cause memory problems?

Memory impairments are frequently reported with hyperprolactinemia including decline in short-term memory, verbal or non-verbal memory (4, 21). Consistently, we found that patients with prolactinomas showed a sharply decreased GMV in left hippocampus that was correlated to verbal memory deficits.

What does abnormal prolactin mean?

If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland, known as a prolactinoma. This tumor makes the gland produce too much prolactin. Excess prolactin can cause the production of breast milk in men and in women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding.

How does low prolactin affect fertility?

Abnormally low levels of prolactin cause an inability to breastfeed. Drugs elevating prolactin levels are given to ensure the breastfeeding. In men, low level of prolactin is associated mainly with diminished sperm motility. However, treatment is effective in eliminating symptoms.

Can exercise reduce prolactin levels?

Of these studies in men, one study reported a significant increase in prolactin concentrations over an eight-week, intensive exercise regimen [18] and two others reported significantly reduced prolactin concentrations associated with intensive exercise among athletes [19,20].