Raised prolactin levels??

[Mummytofour]

Hi Helen, thanks, I am sooo happy right now, just need to catch that eggie!!!

The levels are interpreted on different scales depending what country you are in?

In the UK the "normal" levels are between 60 - 360 mU/L

HTH

 

[hypnorm]

Hi, havent read throught all the thread, but i conceieved my first within 6 months. my second took about 3 yrs i had a routine blood on the second yr and it was fine, i then had a blood done about 9 months after that and my prolactin levels were sky high approx 1500. They thought i might have a prolactinoma, a small tumour i had a scan an nothing was seen, given a drug called bromocriptine as we were TTC 3 months later my prolactin was in the 500s and i was preg. so i have stopped med and now waiting for breastfeeding and lactation to stop so i can be monitored again.

 

[hypnorm]

cabergoline pills twice a week for two weeks,

Just read through it (had a spare five mins) usually they don't recommend taking carbergoline if you are TTC as it has not really been tested in early pregnancy, i was put on Bromocriptine as i was ttc. you have to take it every day,

Found this on levels:
The normal values for prolactin are as follows:

• Males: 2 - 18 ng/mL
• Non-pregnant females: 2 - 29 ng/mL
• Pregnant women: 10 - 209 ng/mL

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.
Note: ng/mL = nanograms per milliliter

 

[helen1234]

Hi Helen, thanks, I am sooo happy right now, just need to catch that eggie!!!

The levels are interpreted on different scales depending what country you are in?

In the UK the "normal" levels are between 60 - 360 mU/L

HTH

so i'm prob still too high to ovulate on my own but not high enough for more drugs which is why they probably have me on clomid .

i've ditched clomid for a cylce to see what my body does, and cd 21 still havent ovulated. i've lost a stone as well in a month hoping to get another stone off and be back to a size 14 i'm hoping this may help ovulation as well

 

[Mummytofour]

Hiya Helen1234

Have you had your/or are going to have you prolactin levels checked again?
As they seem to vary wildly throughout different cycles, it maybe that around the follicullar phase they are too high to produce the oestrogen you need?
Ask for a cd3 and cd7 test maybe?

Well done on the weight loss hunni!!! Thats fanastic!!!
I put on 2.5 stone last year when I stopped smoking and I was convinced that the prolactin issue was playing a part aswell!
Since starting Bromocriptine I have lost 1.5 stone!!! Don't know whether its because I feel nauseous all the time or if the claims of it being a weight loss drug are true?!!!

I am pretty certain I wasn't ovulating when I was overweight, but I defo am now!! Just need to seduce DH again!

That sucks that you haven't O'd yet. What length are your cycles normally?

 

[helen1234]

my cycles are as long as rainbows they were just none exsistant, i got preg with rhys after 6 months clomid and ttc as soon as he was born i had a bleed when he was 10wks old waited for the next cycle to come and start clomid but after about 5 weeks i took a progesterone pill for a week to bring on a bleed and start clomid in sept i came off clomid to see what my body did and had nothing for 8weeks so progesterone and clomid. i've come off clomid again jan 20th to see if losing a little bit of weight might help but still havent ovulated yet, had blood test around cd5 i think and that was 427 so think i'll wait till end of feb take progest to kick start a new cycle exhaust the clomid i have left then go hound my doctor for more testing.

 

[3yearsttc]

I was supposed to have my first IUI after the cabergoline treatment this weekend, but got snowed out from DC and couldn't make it back on time for an US. I'll just have to hang in there for another month!

 

[3yearsttc]

Yes, good luck with the weight loss! Did you know whales prepare for conceiving by losing weight?

 

[helen1234]

well i could be a whale lol, cant harm losing a few pounds
good luck for next month hun x

 

[MarsMaiden]

Well I had a bit of a shock today - AF arrived. On CD18!!!!!! What the heck is going on??!

My cycles have been shorter since last summer but never less than 24 days. I feel completely and totally defeated, I have no clue what on earth my body is doing any more!

I know that raised prolactin can cause periods to stop or give very long cycles but does anyone know if it is also responsible for very very short cycles or would this be due to something else??

I had been pondering taking VitB6 but didn't want to mess with anything they might do for the IUI and the nurses said that my short cycles wouldn't matter for that anyway but I am at a loss now so any advice would be appreciated!!

I really hope that they let me discuss some of this at my injection training appointment next week....

 

[helen1234]

^^^^^ i have absolutely no idea hunni why that would happen, you sure its not a implant bleed it can happen.

i ovulated on my own without drugs for the first time in 5 yrs i was in total shock with the cbfm and i have to say with it being valentines i've been taking advantage of the romance

 

[3yearsttc]

I have high prolactin levels and my cycles have been shorter than normal too. they are also usually late. And I do have a pituitary tumor.

 

[MarsMaiden]

Helen1234 - Thank you. An implantation bleed crossed my mind briefly but then reality took hold, I know I didn't ovulate and the bleed was way too long and heavy. But I am trying to be positive and thinking that maybe it was my body's way of pressing the reset button and that things will now get back to normal... *hopes*

I had my injection training yesterday so was finally able to get a bit more information. Turns out the levels at my last blood test were 872 so at least not earth shatteringly high. I talked the nurse into taking some more blood there and then too so I should have the repeat results next week.

Unfortunately they really do not seem to know very much about raised prolactin and how it might affect TTC. She did not know whether or not we'd be able to carry on with the IUI program if my repeat test shows raised levels again but she did say that she would speak to the consultant and check.

So I am back to the waiting game again but at least things are moving now... I will keep you all updated with my results next week!

 

[JFansler1]

Hello all! I'm new here, and came in hoping to find some other members with the same prolactin level issues as mine. After living abroad, we've been trying to conceive for 2 years (before this I had two miscarriages about 4 years ago ), then I ran a marathon and took a year off ttc. I went to two different infertility experts, the first wanted to give me a blood transfusion claiming that I had some kind of allergic reaction to my husband! And the second, after making me take many tests gave me 2 iui's and neither of them worked. Now I'm trying a new expert (seems better) and it turns out my prolactin levels were high. I've been taking 1/2 cabergoline pills twice a week for two weeks, and my levels went down. She says I can try iui again during my next period, which is about to start. I'm wondering how long it might take to get pregnant, and whether my original miscarriages could've been caused by this. I also recommend doing an MRI - they found a small tumor in my pituitary gland too, which is important to follow up on)... I can't wait to have a ! All my friends are conceiving and I even convinced my husband to move away with my job to avoid the pressure.

Hi! I'm new here too. Just wanted to tell you my story... I was diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma when I was 18, since then I've been on dostinex and I had the endoscopic surgery to have my tumor removed. I got pregnant six months after my surgery. But have also heard of numerous people getting pregnant with just the meds and not the surgery. As soon as I stopped worrying about getting pregnant, it happened.

 

[not2lucky09]

HELLO EVERY1 MY PROLACTIN LEVELS R HIGH AND IVE BEEN ON BROMOCRIPTINE FOR NEARLY 2.5 YEARS WITH NO LUCK. LASY YEAR I CONCIEVED BUT LOST IT DUE TO A ECTOPIC PREGNANCY AND LOST MY LEFT TUBE AS A RESULT. MY DR. WONT CHANGE MY MEDICATION FROM BROMOCRIPTINE TO CABERGOLINE..I WONDER WHY WHY WHY???? WHAT SHOULD I DO? HAS ANY1 BEEN LUCKY WITH EITHER MEDICATION. I HAVENT SEENED A MENSTRUATION SINCE AUGUST 29...

 

[Mummytofour]

Hiya and sorry for your loss.
Most gp's tend to use bromocriptine for two reasons,
1 It has been extensively trialled in pregnancy whereas cabergoline has not.
2 Cabergoline is much more expensive.

Do u still have your prolactin levels checked regularly? It may be advisable to stop treatment for a month or so and see what happens to your cycle naturally, then repeat bloods etc?

I fought with my gp with prolactin levels for 9 years then finally turned the conversation to a fertility problem NOT just prolactin. After 2.5 years they have to refer you under NICE guidelines.

Arm yourself with as much info as possible for your next consult and demand he refers you. Just asking or being compliant seems to get nowhere these days I'm afraid!

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[babybirdangel]

Hello Ladies! I also just found out that I had high prolactin levels. The doctor prescribed cabergoline. Hopefully this will help lower my levels. I wish you well and pray that everything works for you.

 

[hypnorm]

I've just had my review and my prolcatin is normal 1yr after stopping breastfeeding, consultant says i may not need further meds, but will have another blood test in about 6 months.

 

[nessa1122]

hi im new to this but im so glad iv found people who are going through the same thing as me, its good to have someone to talk to who understands me, i have a high prolactin level and iv had it for over a year now, but my doctor just keeps sending me for blood tests and not really helping me at all with information and things, i also leak milk all the time and have done for the past year, my levels were over 1000 a year ago but are now 500, since iv been off the pill, my high levels are caused by my benign tumor, i had a period for 5 months non-stop, it really got me down and felt so upset. but now they are all messed up and not regular at all. does anyone no what the normal level is?

 

[hypnorm]

not many doctors understand prolactinoma, as soon as my doctor suspencted it i was refered to an endocrinologist, was put on medication and sent for an Mri scan.