Is anyone else on bromocriptine for high prolactin?

[goldstns]

I have a few questions if you are....

 

[s_love]

I've only been on it for a little over a month, but I will try to answer your questions!

 

[goldstns]

hey thanks! do you track your BBT? if so did your temps increase or decrease when on the meds? also, when you started it did your cycles change or AF change?

 

[s_love]

hey thanks! do you track your BBT? if so did your temps increase or decrease when on the meds? also, when you started it did your cycles change or AF change?

No problem. I haven't seen any significant changes in my cycle or AF except that it was a little but heavier... But I honestly don't know if they are related. My temp went up just a tiny bit but I stopped tracking my bbt because brcause with the Clomid my temps have been all over the place.

What dosage are you taking? Have you had any other side effects like headaches or nausea?

 

[goldstns]

I have been on it for 2 years. I started with a half pill (so 1.25 mg) and now I am at 2 pills (totally of 5mg) daily.

I get bad headaches, I have been nauseas here and there but I always tell myself that feeling is in my head. I get bad heartburn that I believe is related because it only started since they increased me to 2 pills (not when I was at lower dosage).

They increased me from 1.5 pills to 2 pills on Dec 18th. I o-ed (on time) on Dec 24th and then I got a 2-3 day AF on Dec 30th (5DPO) and didn't understand why I got it so early and why it was so short and MUCH lighter (light/med and spotting). Since then my temps haven't dropped. So I am not sure what it all means.

What is the reason the docs put you on bromo?

 

[s_love]

I have been on it for 2 years. I started with a half pill (so 1.25 mg) and now I am at 2 pills (totally of 5mg) daily.

I get bad headaches, I have been nauseas here and there but I always tell myself that feeling is in my head. I get bad heartburn that I believe is related because it only started since they increased me to 2 pills (not when I was at lower dosage).

They increased me from 1.5 pills to 2 pills on Dec 18th. I o-ed (on time) on Dec 24th and then I got a 2-3 day AF on Dec 30th (5DPO) and didn't understand why I got it so early and why it was so short and MUCH lighter (light/med and spotting). Since then my temps haven't dropped. So I am not sure what it all means.

What is the reason the docs put you on bromo?

They've only got me one 1 pill a day, but they have me take it as a half in the morning and half at night. I'm already prone to migraines, but I swear it makes them worse! If I don't eat a lot and take it I get so nauseated!

My FS put me on it because I had high(but low as far as the high spectrum is concerned) levels of prolactin. They did the MRI and found my scans to be normal with no prolactinoma. What about you?

Also I ran into a lady in the doctors waiting room who was also on bromo and she was on estrogen too because they told her high prolactin causes you to stop producing estrogen and that has its own complications. My doc didn't say anything to me about estrogen, did yours?

So I saw in your signature you've been trying for 5 months. How did they come across your high prolactin 2 years ago? The only reason we found out about mine was because of all the tests from TTC since we've been trying for a year now. I had no clue before that.

 

[goldstns]

Ya one of the side effects is nausea. So what you are noticing is normal. They recommend eating with the meds or drinking a glass of milk with it.

My doc only has me taking both pills together at night. I even asked her if I should do 1 in morning and 1 at night....she said no both at night is fine.

I do have a biene tumor on my gland in my brain. My levels were really high when they noticed (200s). Docs actually noticed 10 years ago that my prolactin was high because I wasn't getting my period and they did a blood test. My body was acting like it was breastfeeding because of such high levels. (TMI) and yes it was to the point where I could squeeze my nipple and liquid would come out. However it was only 2 years ago (when I moved and got a dif doc) where they did the MRI and found the tumor. At that point they were more serious about getting things fixed up because I knew I would want to have kids soon.

I dont think my doc has ever tested my estrogen. Very interesting though, because I believe low estrogen causes short AF (which is what I had this month). We are going to get a full fertility test done in 2 weeks. Ill ask them to test that. Thx!

Do you have bad acne because of all the hormone imbalance? I really think that is where my acne comes from (I am not horrible, but not totally clear faced).

Why were you on clomid? Can you mix the two meds?

 

[s_love]

Ya one of the side effects is nausea. So what you are noticing is normal. They recommend eating with the meds or drinking a glass of milk with it.

My doc only has me taking both pills together at night. I even asked her if I should do 1 in morning and 1 at night....she said no both at night is fine.

I do have a biene tumor on my gland in my brain. My levels were really high when they noticed (200s). Docs actually noticed 10 years ago that my prolactin was high because I wasn't getting my period and they did a blood test. My body was acting like it was breastfeeding because of such high levels. (TMI) and yes it was to the point where I could squeeze my nipple and liquid would come out. However it was only 2 years ago (when I moved and got a dif doc) where they did the MRI and found the tumor. At that point they were more serious about getting things fixed up because I knew I would want to have kids soon.

I dont think my doc has ever tested my estrogen. Very interesting though, because I believe low estrogen causes short AF (which is what I had this month). We are going to get a full fertility test done in 2 weeks. Ill ask them to test that. Thx!

Do you have bad acne because of all the hormone imbalance? I really think that is where my acne comes from (I am not horrible, but not totally clear faced).

Why were you on clomid? Can you mix the two meds?

Oh wow! See I never saw any thing like lactation although they always ask if I do. Yes on the acne! I was mostly clear with a few stragglers here and there but since I've gotten on it I have many more and it's hard to get them to go away.

I was on Clomid because I don't ovulate regularly. So they use that to get me to O. This is my fourth cycle, 2 I did O on and 1 time I didn't get to take all the pills so I didn't. Waiting to see if I do this cycle. Lol I really hope you can mix them because that's what they put me on together. We are looking into IUIs in February. Also I don't have a left Fallopian tube so that complicates things further!

 

[goldstns]

this has all been very interesting the same things we are going threw. Best of luck to you both! Thanks for answering all my questions. I know who to go to if I have more questions.
THANKS!

 

[s_love]

Thank you! I haven't met anyone else on the forum who was on bromo... Well no one answered my post about it at least. Best of luck to you!!

 

[Bea1986]

Hi Ladies, i wonder if I can join you on this thread?

I have been diagnosed with high prolactin levels after having 2 blood tests. I think that i do ovulate but its very late in the month with only a 9 day LP.
My blood is currently being tested for Macroprolactin, before i get referred to an endocrinologist.
How long does it take for the meds to lower your prolactin levels?

 

[goldstns]

Hello Bea- Everyone is different and I don't want to scare you. My levels were in the 200's (never even got a period) and my endocrinologist has been working for 2 years to lower mine. Currently I am at 35. However I believe I ovulate (and now I get my AF) and they said I can still get prego. They are still working on lowering my levels every month. I take 7.5mg of bromocriptine every night.

It has shortened my cycles a lot .... used to be 60-ish days, now im more like 25 days. Id say the worst thing about them adjusting my meds every month is it makes my cycles unpredictable. Ex: one cycle I got my period just 5 days after ovulation. One cycle I o-ed at CD 11. Therefore I usually really pay attention to CM and Ov pee sticks. Also makes it hard to figure out when to prego test because I am never sure how long my luteal phase is. I also found that my temps are all over the place. I dont really trust that strategy very much, almost debating to stop temping.

Hope that helps. GL! Let me know if you have more questions.

 

[Bea1986]

Hi Goldstns, thank you so much for your reply, its really helpful.
It sounds like your levels are finally getting somewhere now.. I think my levels must have been measured on a different scale as my doc said the range is up to 434 and mine is 850, so mine is double what its supposed to be, so still very high.
I am looking forward to getting put on meds, but i will do as you have done and pay extra attention to my cycles and signs such as opks so that i dont miss our opportunity each month. I am also a little scared about the side effects as i've heard they can be bad.
I hope now that you are ovulating you get your BFP very soon

 

[goldstns]

Thanks you too! Ya side effects can be a pain. I get heart burn and cold fingers/toe's a lot. But otherwise not horrible. I have read others people get it worse.

 

[Bea1986]

Hi Goldstns,

How are you doing now with regulating your prolactin levels?
I have finally got Bromocriptine prescribed and I am taking my first tablet tonight. I am starting on 2.5mg this week then up the dose to 5mg next week.

I had an MRI and a 0.5cm tumour was found on my pituitary gland.

I would love to hear how you are getting on now.

 

[goldstns]

Hello Bea, Thanks for checking in! I was on bromo and they ended up increasing me to the max amount. I was still at 28 (when they want it under 18), so 3 weeks ago they put me back on cabragoline. Before TTC I was on cabragoline an my levels were around 17. They changed my meds when I started TTC because bromo is tested with women TTC, but cabra isn't. However, there are a lot of people out there that have gotten healthy pregnancies on cabra, so I am not worried. As far as that, we have learned more unfortunate news about our TTC experience. DH has 0% morphology for his sperm. Meaning 0% of his sperm can permeate an egg.... Anyways, we were offered IVF. I really don't want to do that. So right now I am doing natural as we have a few more apt with doc's for DH. He will go for a second SA tomorrow to see if all (15) vitamins he is on has helped since his last SA (3 months ago). I have hoping it is over 4%, meaning we will do natural a little longer. If still under 2% then we will do IVF, but we need a little time to see a few doctors and come up with the money.

How are you? When they did my scan they couldn't see the tumor, but they knew it was there. Hows the bromo for you? hopefully no side effects! what were you prolactin levels again?

 

[goldstns]

Just so you know I started taking Vit B-complex (50mg) and my 9-10 day LP went to 13 day LP. Are you still having LP issues?

 

[Bea1986]

Hi Thanks for giving me an update on how you are doing. It seems like Cabra is the best option for you then, and I hope it gets your levels down nice and low again very soon. They said my prolactin level is ranging from 750-850, but I think they used a different scale, on this scale anything from 29-400 is best. So mine is double the norm.

I'm sorry to hear about your DH's SA and the morphology results. I really hope that the vitamins have helped to improve things and that his morphology goes up so that you can ttc naturally.

Your chart is looking like you are definitely ovulating which is a good sign.

My endo told me that the bromo should sort out my hormones and i should get higher progesterone in my LP which will hopefully increase it. I still have lots of the vitamin b complex tabs in the cupboard so i'm sure it wouldnt hurt to try taking those as well and see what happens!

I'm starting the Bromo tonight, i'll keep you posted on my side effects if you like? I will keep my fingers crossed that your husbands SA has better results this time, would be great to hear from you how you both get on. Take care.

 

[goldstns]

Ladies, I got my BFP yesterday! Things we did different this month: I changed from bromo to cabro, DH (has MFI, 0%-2% morph of sperm) has been taking 15 supplements for the last 3 months and our style of "BD-ing" (I cum first).

 

[lw0619]

LADIES!!! im so glad i came across this thread! i talk all the time about my prolactin but no one ever seems to know anything about it!! i have dealt with this for 5 years now (TTC for only 3). My levels were anywhere from 60s to 100s and i never O. You can see from my sig that i had my tumor removed. If yall havent had your previous questions answered before now about estrogen, yes... prolactin DEFINITELY effects it which is why i never Oed. My estrogen levels were always -12. Since getting the tumor removed (since cabergoline and bromo didnt work for me), my levels went down to around 12. But my latest bloodwork shows they were back at 24 (normal is 3-23). I was devastated, especially after getting several +OPKs this month for the first time. Im hoping it was just the Zoloft i was taking causing it to rise. Im currently trying to wean off of it. goldstns CONGRATS on you BFP... you have given me such hope!! Ive been so depressed all week. Im just so afraid my levels are going to keep rising. Anyhow, I had to chime in on this thread. Hope thats ok! My fingers cant even keep up with me rigjt now bc im so glad I finally found some ladies on here who knows what Im going through. Bea, if you ever have any questions, i may be able to help. Ive been going through this for so long, unfortunately, that i feel almost like an expert in it! GL to both of you ladies.

BTW- I never had any symptoms on either meds. I was always on the highest dose possible of both. Hopefully you wont either Bea!