high prolactin levels

applesock

silly question, but seems im new to this what are high prolactin levels? ive googled it but dont quite understand. like can they/it be cured?how do you no you have it etc ? any advice be much appreciated, been TTC for 16 months.Not to worried about the length of time just yet as my cycle only getting back to normal.

Neyite

Hi Applesock,
I have high prolactin, and I started a thread a little while ago on it - you can read it here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056025057

Prolactin is a hormone detected in your ttc blood tests - a low level is of no medical importance, and will not affect your efforts to have a baby, but high levels can inhibit ovulation, disrupt or cancel your periods, and can lower the progesterone levels required post ovulation to aid implantation. Prolactin affects several of the hormones.

Prolactin is produced by the pitutuary gland, which sits below the brain. its also informally called 'the milk hormone' because it is this hormone that tells your body to produce milk for a baby. In non pregnant women the symptoms are swollen achy boobs (all months not just at times) bloating, absence of periods, or shorter cycles, and milk production. A lot of women dont get all or many of the symptoms, so a blood test tells you if you have high levels or not.

This is why its hard for a breastfeeding woman to get pregnant until her milk stops - the high level of prolactin is kind of telling her body that she has one baby to feed and does not need another!

if your level is below 400, you are fine. if it is between 400 and 1000 it is classed as mildly elevated, and anything over that is high. It responds very well to treatment - I take a daily tablet. Mine was diagnosed after several blood tests, and an MRI, which showed a small benign tumour on the pitutuary gland. In my case, I only had the sore boobs, and I had it so long that I forgot boobs are'nt meant to ache. I never knew I had it until the day 3-7 blood test showed it mildly elevated, and the day 21 was also high. a third random blood draw confirmed it and I was referred.

If this is a cause of infertility, it is one that is very easily fixed, without too much invasive treatment.

applesock

thanks neyite for your reply in somewhat simple terms il check out the link and read up on this thanks so much