Hyperprolactinemia is a disorder which often results in infertility. The disorder is most common among women of child bearing age who have had a baby in the past. Hyperprolactinemia is basically the production of the hormone prolactin in women who are not breastfeeding. It is often a contributing factor to secondary infertility.
To understand hyperprolactinemia, it is important to understand how the hormone prolactin works. Prolactin is the hormone responsible for the production of breast milk. It is secreted by the pituitary gland. Prolactin also inhibits the secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and lutenizing hormone, which are responsible for stimulating the ovaries to produce eggs.
The suppression of these two hormones is one reason breastfeeding women often don’t get periods for many months after a baby is born. Ovulation doesn’t occur due to the higher prolactin levels. Later, when the baby begins eating solid foods or the mother begins supplementing with formula, the prolactin level drops. Shortly after this happens ovulation and normal menstrual periods will resume.
For some women, the prolactin level does not drop. A high prolactin level in a woman who is not breastfeeding is part of the diagnosis of hyperprolactinemia. Although the condition primarily affects women, men can actually have the disorder too. In women, anovulation, absent periods and infertility are the most common symptoms.
There are a few causes of hyperprolactinemia that have nothing to do with breastfeeding. The occurrence of one of these conditions explains why women who have never had a baby and men can develop the disorder. One is hypothyroidism and the other is a pituitary tumor.
In some cases, prescription medications can be the cause of hyperprolactinemia. The production of prolactin is suppressed by dopamine. Medications that block the production of dopamine, such as some heavy tranquilizers, certain cancer drugs, hypertension and anti psychotic medications can have this effect. The result is an increase in prolactin levels.
How hyperprolactinemia is treated depends on the cause in the individual patient. If a medication is found to be the culprit, another drug may be substituted if possible. Hypothyroidism can be treated as well. If the problem is a pituitary tumor, this can be treated either with surgery or medications. In addition to other treatments, fertility medications may be prescribed.
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