Treating High Prolactin
In women:
Prolactinomas are usually treated with dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine or cabergoline. These medicines reduce the production of Prolactin and shrink the tumor. However, sometimes surgery is needed if the medication doesn’t remove the small tumor and other problems, like infertility.
For acromegaly, surgery is often necessary to remove a pituitary adenoma that is large enough to cause symptoms or has changed vision. The most common treatment for acromegaly is radiation therapy to shrink the tumor, followed by an operation to remove it.
After having treated other health conditions, your doctor might recommend hypothyroidism medication, but only if you don’t have any of the following:
-thyroid problems like thyroid hormone resistance or thyroid cancer; -an untreated overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or -known adrenal gland problems, such as small numbers of adrenal gland tumors (microadenomas).
High Prolactin causes infertility in males and females alike. The medicine inhibits lactation and stops the menstruation cycle completely.
But high Prolactin also impedes other critical bodily functions. For example, research has shown that higher levels of circulating sex hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen, are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease in men, earlier mortality, reduced quality of life, metabolic changes that increase diabetes risk, and prostate cancer.
This has been proved by research conducted on lab rats. Researchers found that female rats with very high prolactin levels did not ovulate, become pregnant, or give birth to healthy litters of baby rats even when mated with males with normal levels of the hormone.
This suggested that even if the previously infertile females did get pregnant, their elevated Prolactin might have affected the pregnancy. When researchers checked back after several generations, they found that descendants of these hyperprolactinemic female rats had smaller litters at lower birth weights than did descendants of normal female rats who were mated with normal male rats.
It was also shown that male rat pups whose mothers had raised prolactin levels during pregnancy were less likely to have healthy reproductive systems as adults. For example, their bodies produced less testosterone, their sperm was less mobile, and they had smaller testes than male rats whose mothers did not have high prolactin levels.
Treating for infertility:
Prolactinomas can cause both temporary and permanent infertility in women and men (the latter by inhibiting testosterone production).
Therefore, it is crucial that if you are planning to become pregnant or think you might be, you should consult your GP regarding your medication and how it might affect your fertility before trying to conceive.
If your medications need changing, regardless of whether or not you’re ready for a baby yet, we recommend that you and your partner discuss the options with your GP and endocrinologist to ensure that you’re both taking the best possible care of yourselves.
So basically, if we were to take every symptom as a sign of something serious like cancer or brain tumor, we would never be able to live our lives symptom-free. So instead, we must learn how to differentiate between symptoms that can harm us and those that don’t; because this is important in saving ourselves from undue panic and helps medical doctors make an accurate diagnosis.
How to reduce Prolactin:
Prolactin is a hormone that has been known to contribute to many conditions such as infertility, decreased libido, and erectile dysfunction. However, the primary reason one would have high levels of Prolactin is due to the use of contraceptives or anti-depressants.
Due to several factors, a large percentage of people today have high levels of Prolactin in their bodies. This could be because they are stressed, have an unhealthy diet, suffer from sleep deprivation, or have been exposed to toxins such as cigarette smoke and pesticides. To reduce the amount you have in your body, you need to adjust your lifestyle. Below are some tips on how to minimize Prolactin naturally:
Regulate your Zinc levels:
Zinc is one of the minerals that are known to assist in the regulation of Prolactin. In addition, the zinc transporter, which brings it intisund to be specifically active in reducing prolactin levels.
A study published in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology entitled “Effects of zinc on development of mouse pituitary lactotrophs” showed that mice bred without a specific gene involved in regulating Zinc had twice as much Prolactin as normal mice.
They also experienced impaired reproductive capability. This means that you should consider increasing your intake of foods rich in Zinc, such as beef, chicken, pork, yogurt, and cheese. You can also take supply your physician recommends the physician.
Vitamin B6 helps to regulate Prolactin:
Vitamin B6, also known as Pyridoxine, has been found to contribute significantly to helping the body reduce the levels of Prolactin. For example, in a study entitled “The involvement of brain serotonin and dopamine in pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy,” it was found that epileptic rats with conditions such as spasticity, aggression, and sensory hypersensitivity had lower levels of Prolactin when they were given Vitamin B6.
This means that people who have high levels of Prolactin should increase their consumption of foods rich in Vitamin B6, such as bananas, potatoes, liver oils, beans, eggs, and whole-grain products.
Increase consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids:
It has been found that Omega 3, a type of unsaturated fatty acid, helps to reduce prolactin levels. A study on a group of 19 men and women showed that those who took a supplement that contained extra omega-three fats every day for 12 weeks had 30% less Prolactin than those who did not take the supplement.
The findings also showed that the hormone cortisol was 25% lower in those who took the supplements than those who did not. You can increase your intake of omega-three from foods such as oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna, as well as some nuts such as walnuts and flax seeds.
Increase consumption of green leafy vegetables:
A compound is known as diindolylmethane is found in large amounts in green leafy vegetables. This compound is known to help the body fight inflammation and cancer. In addition, it has been found that a half-cup serving of cooked collard greens contains up to 250% of your recommended daily value for vitamin K, which is essential for good bone health.
You can also increase your intake by consuming one or two servings of cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts every day as they are all rich sources of diindolylmethane.
In addition, you should consume dark green vegetables such as spinach, watercress, and Swiss chard at least 2 – 3 times a week as they have lower concentrations, but they still contain decent amounts.
is high Prolactin a sign of cancer:
High prolactin levels are often associated with an increase in cell division due to the release of DNA repair enzymes; however, no research has shown a link between high levels of this hormone and other health issues uses. Could high Prolactin be related to?
High Prolactin can cause infertility in both men and women. This is because it disrupts the normal menstrual cycle by inhibiting ovulation, or it may affect spermatozoa production, leading to male infertility.
It also affects the reproductive organs directly and affects normal sexual function by causing erectile problems in men. High levels of Prolactin have also been linked to obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, depression, thyroid disorders, and heart disease.
High prolactin psychological symptoms:
High Prolactin Causes:
The pituitary gland, located at the base of your brain behind your nose, produces hormones that control several other glands in your body. High prolactin levels can be caused by various health problems or issues that affect the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.
Causes of high prolactin levels include:
1) Conditions affecting the hypothalamus include inflammation, infection, and trauma injuries like surgery. Other reasons for an increase in high Prolactin are tumors (cancerous or benign), cysts, genetic disorders including Turner’s Syndrome (a genetic condition where females are missing one X chromosome), Kallmann’s syndrome (the failure of the hypothalamus to function correctly), eating disorders, excessive exercise, stress causing an increase in cortisol levels which then triggers your body to release Prolactin.
2) Conditions affecting the pituitary gland itself include tumors (cancerous or benign), cysts, Cushing’s syndrome (an endocrine disorder caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol), genetic disorders including familial isolated pituitary adenoma (a genetic condition where one or both parents have passed on a mutated gene that causes this disorder), Sheehan’s syndrome (the sudden loss of blood supply to the pituitary gland typically the following childbirth), head injury, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases, sarcoidosis (a condition that affects your immune system), tuberculosis (a disorder caused by bacteria that can affect many different organs in your body), and an overactive thyroid gland.
3) Medications, drugs, medications including high blood pressure pills, steroids, birth control pills, opiates like morphine and heroin. High prolactin levels can also be caused by drinking too much alcohol or quitting and exposure to radiation or toxic chemicals.
Prolactinomas are the most common form of pituitary tumors, but they are usually benign, so medication may not be necessary if it is small enough. However, depending on the location of cancer and its size, you may need surgery or radiation to shrink it down, so average prolactin production resumes again.
Also, taking dopamine agonists like Parlodel (bromocriptine) or fertility medications like Fertomid (clomiphene citrate) can help stimulate average prolactin production to return if the tumor has not responded to medication.