Starting the process - anyone know anything about prolactin

[geordiemoo]

Hi ladies, I am really just a newbie to this section of b&b, been ttc with hubby seriously for the past year but have been ntnp for 2 years prior and tbh using the withdrawl method of contraception for about the 6 years before that. Given that we have never yet been pregnant we have approached the doc for help. Hubby has had sperm results back - all normal. I went for day 21 bloods but nurse couldn't get a sample, went back on day 25 and had bloods done for rubella and hormone checks and doc was concerned as I have slightly high prolactin levels. She said they are only slightly high and this can be brought on by stress so I am going back for another blood test on Friday to check this again.

Doc tried to make sure I was calm about this and said that chances are the second test would come back normally but of course my mind is in overdrive. Hubby doesn't really want me panicking about it but I was wondering if anyone had any information on it.

When looking online I saw that this is the hormone that is realeased when you're breastfeeding and when you are pregnant (which I am not). Anyone got any further info and if levels are high, can anything be done to lower it?

 

[serendippy]

Hi there, When i had my bloods done my prolactin levels were raised too. The reason for mine was my under active thyroid. My thyroid levels were low which in turn raised my prolactin levels. I believe the thyroid is one of the things that can impact on prolactin. Have u had a thyroid funtion test?

 

[geordiemoo]

Hi, thanks for replying. I have had the thyroid check and that came back fine. The doctor seemed to think that chances were that the test would come back fine this week but you know how your brain starts whirring. If it is a problem is it fixable?

 

[serendippy]

Yeh its fixable with a drug called Bromocriptine. It cud well be that urs was a blimp and it might rectify itself..ill keep me fingers crossed for u xxx

 

[peasoup]

I'm in a very similar boat. I had my day 3 bloodwork done on friday and they called that afternoon to say that my thyroid and prolactin levels were off. My prolactin levels were pretty high.

I was so shocked because I ovulate regularly and I assumed that you didn't with these problems. I do have a short luteal phase and spotting and apparently this is common with these issues...which I never knew!

I go for more thyroid/prolactin bloodwork tomorrow morning and have an HSG Tues. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. This just isn't what I was expecting!

Since you are at the beginning too, lets keep in touch!

 

[MarsMaiden]

raised prolactin can be caused by stress and will fluctuate a lot. It can also be caused by a small benign tumour on the pituary gland (the one that creates FSH and LH) and so interferes with the normal production of hormones by lowering estrogen and therefore stopping ovulation so you end up lower in progesterone also. If you do conceive it can result in early miscarriage due to low progesterone levels.

Treatment depends on the cause, if you have consistently very high levels over several months, I think they would send you for an mri to check for the presence of a tumour (which are nearly always benign and nothing to worry about other than their effect on ttc), if there is one then bromocriptine or dostinex are very effective in lowering levels of prolactin and I have heard lots of success stories of women falling quickly after treatment. If the cause is stress then the treatment is obvious! If they are not very high and you don't have any symptoms like lactating then they might not do anything at all. I think though even the stress of having blood drawn can instantly raise the levels so unless they are consistently very high I wouldn't worry too much.

(All this is from my goggle research so I hope I have all the facts straight but please don't take any of it as gospel! Best thing is to wait for the retest and then let your GP guide you through the rest)

 

[geordiemoo]

I'm in a very similar boat. I had my day 3 bloodwork done on friday and they called that afternoon to say that my thyroid and prolactin levels were off. My prolactin levels were pretty high.

I was so shocked because I ovulate regularly and I assumed that you didn't with these problems. I do have a short luteal phase and spotting and apparently this is common with these issues...which I never knew!

I go for more thyroid/prolactin bloodwork tomorrow morning and have an HSG Tues. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. This just isn't what I was expecting!

Since you are at the beginning too, lets keep in touch!

Yes definitely. It's all just a little bit scary and DH just doesn't seem to understand. Chances are that it might just be a blip and other tests will come back fine but when we went to the docs he got his test results and they were fine and I was like
"well if there's a prob it's definitely me" and he's all "don't focus on that" but i's really hard not to.

To add to it my friend announced she was pregnant last night and I am soooo pleased for her but just a teeny bit jealous and a bit ashamed that I am. She has been ttc for soooo long as she has PCOS she has had loads of problems and she's lost 5 stone over the last 2 years to help things along and work towards IVF if necessary - but i just wish it was me announcing it