prolactin too high?

[tmckenzie]

Just got some of my labs back. Have not talked to Dr yet, but the prolactin was at 14.8 the ref range was 5 to 15.2. Sounds high to me. I was fasting at the time. Could this be why lubido is off, test and was good, e level was 1 point high. Any ideas?

 

[Gene Devine]

It is high.

There are small micro adenoma pituitary tumors that can cause this to happen...don't worry, they are very benign.

You need an MRI to rule it out.

Yes, high levels of Prolactin will crush libido. The use of a drug like Cabergoline will reduce it to normal levels.

What did your total Testosterone labs say? High prolactin serum levels will cause hypogonadism.

Talk to your Doctor about the potential for a micro adenoma as soon as you can.

 

[tmckenzie]

On trt for a year free was 25 and total was 25. Estradiol was 56, but it is up from 16 and a little bit of libido has returned and I would rather not get back on arimidex if possible. I do have trouble seeing, with normal eyes. I read this can be caused by elevated prolactin. I use defy, waiting to here back.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I just posted more information on prolactin. Most men with sexual dysfunction (less than 3 percent) have high prolactin. Those who have high prolactin should find out if they have a pituitary prolactin producing tumor via an MRI. Although cabergoline may have shown some promising results in a small study in the short term, no one has studied the effects on the immune system when lowering prolactin to very low levels.

Prolactin Information

 

[tmckenzie]

Thanks, some of it is over my head, but I have all of the sexual symptoms, I can barely get an orgasm at all. My body hair growth is just about stopped. I bet this is the cause. I read elsewhere it causes fatigue on account of low dopamine levels, which I do have fatigue.

 

[Keith Willse]

@ tmckenzie

Is this your first prolactin blood test ? Do you have a baseline or any previous labs for comparison?

When was the last time you had sexually intercourse or masturbated?

 

[tmckenzie]

This is the first time I have been able to get a doctor to check them. Looking back, my primary who started trt then gave up on me, should have done this and all other proper test before hand. I actually think by the way I felt, that was a low level. In my reading on this, I see it goes up with eating. If I eat I get fatigued and all out of sorts. So I eat small amounts. I have these spells like I am out of my body. They keep saying it is anxiety. I an not an anxious person. Only thing that will keep it under control is anti anxiety meds. I am kind of pissed as I think I have missed so many benefits of trt because of high prolactin. And, who knows, maybe I could have avoided trt if prolactin would have been addressed in the first place. I last had sex last weekend, I can never reach orgasm with a woman now. I used to be able to no trouble. I have to masturbate and really concentrate when I do and it takes upwards of 30 mins sometimes to reach a piss poor orgasm. I ejaculate before the orgasm hits most times. I have had several instances of ejaculating with no orgasm at all. Weird. I have never been this way. With low t I could orgasm, but it took forever with a woman. My new girlfriend thinks it is her not turning me on. I want to have sex to please her and I do enjoy sex, it is more like a task than the horny, want to fuck a tree hole kind of sex drive. I talk to Dr. Saya on Wednesday. I had an appt with the nurse until the labs came in. Then they rescheduled me with him. At no extra cost I might add. Defy is good. My cholesterol was high last time, it came down to good range this time, I attribute this to daily use of lipo c. I have shed fat like nothing.

 

[Gene Devine]

tmckenzie - Keep us posted on your appointment with Dr. Saya and results of your test here in this thread.

I want to follow so I am subscribing to this thread.

I believe you are in good hands and you will get this worked out.

gd

 

[powerlifterty16]

from what I have seen, most males dont have prolacin over 8. I would consider over 8 to be high.I don't even think the prolactin test is gender adjusted. So many things wrong with testing these days lol.

 

[tmckenzie]

Thanks all of you. Defy called, I was to follow up with nurse Tuesday, but they wanted Dr. Saya to talk with me. So I will update here. The more I study on it, the more it seems that prolactin at the level I have basically cancels out the good effects of trt. I am sure they will get me on the right track.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

I doubt that a prolactin in the top side of the normal range is the culprit. But you can always ask Dr Saya what he thinks about a short experimentation with Cabergoline

 

[tmckenzie]

I plan too. Waiting on dht too, but I think prolactin is the cause. May be wrong though.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Hormones may just be part of the equation. Sex drive is also linked to dopamine, mental state, health issues, stress, poor sleep, medication side effects, etc

 

[tmckenzie]

If I read right, high prolactin effects dopamine levels?

 

[Gene Devine]

Elevated prolactin can and will dampen libido...it's a classic symptom.

With elevated prolactin and low testosterone serum levels combined is a double whammy to libido.

You need to rule out a pituitary micro adenoma. Sometimes these prolactin secreting tumors can be so small they don't even appear on an MRI!

If I were you, I'd want an MRI and also discuss the use of Dostinex to lower your prolactin serum levels to that of an otherwise healthy male.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Interesting info about smoking...


Nicotine from cigarette smoking increases circulating levels of cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin in male chronic smokers
Results of this study indicate that nicotine from cigarette smoking increases circulating levels of cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin in male chronic smokers. Previous studies have not addressed the question of whether the stimulus for smoking-related hormone release is the ‘stress’ of smoking or a pharmacologic action of nicotine and other tobacco substrates. Nicotine exposure is controlled in this study by allowing each subject to smoke only two 2.0 mg nicotine cigarettes during one experimental session and two 0.2 mg nicotine cigarettes in another session. Plasma levels of cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin for the higher nicotine session were found to be significantly elevated over those for the low-nicotine session, indicating that nicotine itself plays a predominate role in smoking-induced hormone increases. All hormone levels for the 2.0 mg nicotine session had not returned to baseline 60 min after smoking. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00433730

 

[Nelson Vergel]

Substantial elevation in prolactin (>150 ng/mL) in a nonpuerperal state usually indicates a pituitary tumor. Good correlation exists between radiographic estimates of tumor size and prolactin levels, and very high levels of prolactin are associated with larger tumors. Prolactinomas are classified as microade-nomas (<10 mm) and macroadenomas (>10 mm). The finding of a substantial elevation in serum prolactin in association with a pituitary lesion larger than 10 mm by radiographic analysis supports the diagnosis of a macroprolactinoma.
Modest levels of prolactin elevation (25&#8211;100 ng/mL) may be associated with several diagnoses. All other causes of hyper-prolactinemia should be excluded before a tumor is considered. Primary hypothyroidism and pregnancy should be excluded. Chronic renal disease is associated with elevations in prolactin, probably because of altered metabolism or clearance of prolac-tin or decreases in dopaminergic tone.44 Hemodialysis does not usually reverse the hyperprolactinemia.
Multiple pharmacologic causes of hyperprolactinemia are found. Ingestion of phenothiazines and other neuroleptics is a common cause for elevations in serum prolactin.44a One diagnostic problem is the evaluation of patients with psychiatric disease who are receiving phenothiazines and are found to have an elevated prolactin level. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) should be obtained for patients whose prolactin levels are above 100 ng/mL. Levels lower than 100 ng/mL are consistent with neuroleptic administration, and a scan is unnecessary unless other symptoms suggest a pituitary tumor. This strategy is based on the finding that most patients receiving neuroleptics with modest prolactin elevations have no evidence of a pituitary abnormality on MRI. Other pharmacologic agents associated with hyperprolactinemia include reserpine, a-methyldopa, cimetidine, and opiates. http://medtextfree.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/chapter-13-prolactin-and-its-disorders/

 

[tmckenzie]

Looking through older lab work. Last November prolactin was checked as I had did garage from my right breast. On a range of 0 to 20 it was 9.8. I had way fewer libido problems then. Got blood work back today from primary Dr stating my uric acid is too high. I have a ton of cramps and aches and pains, this would be the cause of tat I think.

 

[robs2nd75]

Some medications can cause hyperprolactinemia, Neuroleptics being one as Nelson stated. Also the act of rubbing your nipples can cause prolactin to elevate. Elevated e2 can make nipples more sensitive. Can this process elevate prolactin?
Two of my children had elevated prolactin and their endo prescribed levothyroxine which promptly lowered it into a normal range.

 

[tmckenzie]

No medications I take will elevate it, and far as I no I did not rub my nipples. I think this must be the cause of me having hypganadism at34 years old. The Dr should have done the proper testing to begin with. I was not as educated on this stuff a year ago as I am now or I would have insisted. Comes down to shitty drs.