High Prolactin and Infertility: Understanding Hyperprolactinemia

Hyperprolactinemia infertility is an issue that most women seeking conception are experiencing. Hyperprolactinemia brought about by prolactin overproduction in the pituitary gland may be hindering ovulation and fertility. It’s important that everyone experiencing infertility becomes knowledgeable about hyperprolactinemia and how it disrupts conception. This article offers what hyperprolactinemia is, why, how, treatment, and lifestyle modification for effective management of hyperprolactinemia.

What Is Hyperprolactinemia?

Hyperprolactinemia is the abnormally high prolactin levels in the blood, generally secondary to disease of the endocrine and pituitary. Prolactin is not generally a problem, save during lactation following delivery, but elevation will impair ovulation and menstruation and is therefore an infertile cause.

Common Causes of High Prolactin Levels

• Pituitary tumors (prolactinomas)
• Hypothyroidism
• Certain drugs (antidepressants, antipsychotics, antihypertensive drugs), chronic disease, and stress
• Chest wall or over-exercise stimulation

Hyperprolactinemia Symptoms

Early detection is important, early detection of signs and hyperprolactinemia symptoms in women. Signs and symptoms are:

• Irregular menstrual cycle or amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
• Antecedent or sterility (inability to conceive)
• Spontaneous galactorrhea discharge without galactorrhea
• Dryness and loss of libido in the vagina
• Headache or change of vision (in pituitary tumors)

Identification of those symptoms is followed by the simple question: Can high prolactin cause infertility? Yes—the answer is yes—high prolactin inhibits ovulation and endocrine balance for conception.

How High Prolactin Affects Fertility

Prolactin and Ovulation

Hyperprolactinemia interferes with the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the hormone governing the menstrual cycle. Interference can inhibit ovulation by the ovaries, resulting in infertility in women.

Effects on Fertility Treatments

The success is also unlikely for women seeking fertility treatment when high prolactin levels in women are not controlled by doctors. Endocrine disease renders it impossible to treat with medication using the help of ovulation stimulation treatment and IVF treatment.

Diagnosing Hyperprolactinemia

Doctors would typically administer the following while diagnosing infertility due to hyperprolactinemia:

• Blood lab testing to obtain serum prolactin levels
• Excluding hypothyroidism testing
• MRI scans to determine a pituitary tumor
• Drug screening to determine which drug raises prolactin
  

Treatment in the early stage of hyperprolactinemia improves the chance of normal ovulation and regaining fertility.

High Prolactin Infertility Treatment

Hyperprolactinemia is treated to reverse the cause of hyperprolactinemia.

Medications

• Drugs of the first choice are drugs that affect dopamine, like bromocriptine and cabergoline. These drugs suppress prolactin and restore fertility in most cases.
  

Surgery or Radiation

• For rare cases of unresectable giant pituitary tumors, surgery or radiation therapy may be used.
  

Lifestyle Adjustments

• Partial relief from stress, since stress has also been shown to induce infertility, may reduce prolactin naturally.
• Food that suppresses prolactin, like food containing vitamin B6 (bananas, spinach) and food containing zinc (pumpkin seeds, nuts), will restore hormone balance.
• Rest and restorative exercise will also return prolactin balance.

High Prolactin Levels in Women and Infertility Treatment

Both treatment by the physician and lifestyle change most commonly result in the best outcome. Of course, most women become pregnant after their prolactin is normalized. Treatment of hyperprolactinemia in assisted reproduction technology (ART) enhances implantation and ovarian function.

FAQs About High Prolactin and Infertility

Q1. Can high prolactin cause infertility?

Ans : Yes, high prolactin disrupts menstruation and ovulation and results in blockage of pregnancy.

Q2. What is hyperprolactinemia in women?

Ans : Hyperprolactinemia is a female hyperprolactinemia syndrome and results in pathological menstruation and infertility.

Q3. How is high prolactin diagnosed?

Ans : With blood test, thyroid test, MRI scan, and drug-induced elevated prolactin test.

Q4. What are the symptoms of hyperprolactinemia in women?

Ans : Amenorrhea or irregular menses, infertility, nipple discharge, loss of libido, and infrequent headache or eye disease.

Q5. How is high prolactin infertility treatment done?

Ans : Primarily with dopamine agonist medication, lifestyle change, and occasionally surgery or irradiation of pituitary tumors.

Q6. Can diet help lower prolactin levels?

Ans : Yes, bananas, spinach, nuts, seeds, and stress reduction normalize prolactin.

Q7. Is hyperprolactinemia reversible?

Ans : Yes, in most situations. With drug treatment and food modification, the prolactin level will need to normalize, leading to better fertility.

Conclusion

Hyperprolactinemia infertility is reversible, but an epidemic derangement of male/female fertility. Identification of signs and hyperprolactinemia symptoms, early diagnosis, and timely adherence to proper treatment regimens—medications, lifestyle modification, and nutrition—can restore women to fertility. Do not allow high prolactin to kill your fertility. If you see it, see a health care professional earlier in life, not later, to write your reproductive life.

Do something about it: Get your prolactin tested and treated to enhance your fertility.