prolactin??

Question

I posted last week that I thought I might have been preg...even though I was on depo..I thought this because my breats were very sore, swollen, and itchy..so I went to the dr, I'm not pregnant. he took some blood because i am producing milk but aren't preg. he said if my prolactin levels are too high there could be a tumor on my pituitary gland,,,in the brain, great for me...my question is if they arent too high and it isnt a tumor could it just be my hormones got mixed up from being on depo for soo long and this will go away on its own?

Answer 1

Being on Depo Provera for a prolonged period of time doesn't affect prolactin levels to a noticable degree (it may raise them slightly), and normally females don't produce that much in a non pregnant state. It is difficult to say what is causing it, are you on any other drugs? Follow your physician's advice and he will probably send you for some tests.

Answer 2

Prolactin is a hormone from the pituitary gland which resides in the skull directly under the brain. The brain sends signals to the pituitary not to release prolactin by secreting dopamine into the blood vessels that go to the pituitary. Prolactin is then secreted when:
1. the dopamine is not being produced (pregnancy/breast feeding)
2. the blood vessels have been damaged (trauma, tumors)
3. the dopamine is being blocked by medications like Antihistamines and Antipsychotics (a common cause)
4. microadenomas (tiny tumors) that produce prolactin are not rare and are too small to find on an ordinary CT scan.
5. adenoma (larger tumors) which would produce a level over 200.
Most microadenomas and adenomas can be controlled with medications (which work like dopamine).

Answer 3

You should be asking your doctor this question.

However, I highly recommend getting off that shot. It will play havoc with your hormones and create all sorts of problems, as you are already starting to see. Try natural birth control. I know this scares women and brings to mind images of dozens of kids. But this is not so. Get to know your body and look into the ovulation method. I've used it safely and accident-free for nearly 8 years, and so did both my sisters until they were ready to have children. Read Dr. Christiane Northrup's "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" This is a great reference book and will explain the method in very clear, concise terms.

But please get off those hormones. Something so drastic cannot possibly be good for you. I went through all those problems before I wised up.

Best of health to you.