PROLACTIN (PRL, MILK HORMONE, STRESS HORMONE) EXCESS is called HYPERPROLACTINemia.
What is Prolactin (PRL, milk hormone)?
Prolactin hormone is located in the pituitary gland in the middle region of the brain. It is a hormone secreted by the gland. It is written as PRL in short.
What should be the normal values of prolactin (PRL) hormone?
Although the prolactin hormone shows changes during the menstrual cycle in women, its value is approximately 13-15 µg/L. Values above 20 µg/L (ng/mL) are generally considered abnormally high in women of reproductive age. Prolactin level is a hormone with the highest reference value of 25. If it exceeds this reference value, the Prolactin level is considered excessively high and it is a condition that should be examined and treated.
As the months progress in pregnancy, the level of prolactin hormone increases and reaches values far above normal.
It is usually found in values ranging from 6-10 µg/L in men. What are the effects of PRL) hormone? Some of these are:
- Ensuring milk production in the breasts in women
- It has duties related to sexual desire and desire.
- It has effects on sperm production stages in men
Prolactin (PRL, symptoms of high milk hormone) levels:
High prolactin is called "hyperprolactinemia".
- Anovulation and menstrual irregularity: menstrual irregularity, Sometimes it can cause absence of menstruation for long months.
- Pregnant It can cause milk or liquid to come out of the breasts in women who are not breast-feeding or in puerperium. This is called galactorrhea.
-Tenderness and pain may occur in the breasts.
-High prolactin may cause sexual reluctance in women.
- May cause dryness in the vagina and pain in intercourse
- Hot flashes , irritability
- Low estrogen and testosterone hormones,
-Bone resorption (osteoporosis),
- High prolactin hormone levels in men can cause symptoms such as enlargement of the breasts (gynecomastia), sexual reluctance, and inability to get an erection.
- Visual problems may occur in both genders.
Diagnosis (diagnosis):
Prolactin hormone value determined by blood analysis High or low prolactin hormone can be determined with i. In the next stage, some other hormone tests or brain examination may be required to investigate the cause of this.
If the presence of adenoma in the pituitary gland in the brain is very high (higher than 100 µg/L), the pituitary MRI should be studied to show the pituitary adenoma.
br /> - Low thyroid hormone can cause prolactin elevation. For this reason, thyroid (goiter) hormones should be evaluated.
- Drugs that may cause the patient to increase prolactin,
-psychiatric problems, (prolactin increases in stress)
Causes of elevated prolactin (PRL):
p>* Physiological causes of prolactin hormone elevation:
- Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Sexual intercourse, touching the nipples
- Exercise
- Stress< br /> - Sleep
* Drugs that cause prolactin hormone elevation:
- Dopamine receptor antagonists and dopamine synthesis inhibitors
- Antipsychotic drugs
- Opiate drugs< br /> - Aticonvulsant drugs (epilepsy drugs)
- Some antihypertensive drugs
- Some antihistamine drugs
- Estrogen-containing drugs (As estrogen is found in low milk in birth control pills, it usually does not cause prolactin elevation.)
* Diseases that cause an increase in prolactin hormone:
- Conditions that cause damage to the hypothalamic pituitary axis: Causes such as tumor, trauma, infiltration. Prolactin rises because they prevent inhibition by the effect of dopamine coming from the hypothalus to the pituitary. > - Cushing's disease
- Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone)
- Chronic renal failure
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- Sarcoidosis
- Severe trauma to the chest wall: Similar to the neural mechanism in breastfeeding It causes an increase in prolactin hormone. . PRL value in idiopathic hyperprolactinoma is usually 20 -1 It is in the range of 00 ng/mL (mcg/L).
Is high prolactin (milk hormone) an obstacle to pregnancy?
As high prolactin prevents ovulation (ovulation), it can prevent pregnancy. In this case, it is necessary to investigate the cause first and determine the treatment method according to the results.
Treatment of high prolactin (PRL, milk hormone):
treatment for the cause of high prolactin is required.
Prolactin hormone (milk hormone) high, usually drug treatments called dopamine agonists (broocryptine, cabergoline) are applied.
Sometimes this surgery is performed if there is a large adenoma in the pituitary gland that causes prolactin elevation. These conditions should be evaluated by a neurosurgeon. During all types of treatment, the blood prolactin hormone level is monitored at certain intervals.
LOW PROLACTIN (PRL, MILK HORMONE) LOWER:
A decrease in prolactin hormone level may occur. Generally, dopamine, antiparkinson drugs, It occurs due to pathologies related to the pituitary gland (Sheehan syndrome), pituitary tumors, head trauma, some infections, infiltrative diseases. The main symptom of women is the absence of milk from the breasts after childbirth.
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