Prolactin levels usually fall within the first two to three weeks of treatment, but detectable decreases in adenoma size take more time, usually several weeks to months.
During periods when you're not breastfeeding, your prolactin levels decrease, and milk production reduces. If a person doesn't breastfeed their baby, prolactin levels fall to non-pregnant levels after one to two weeks.
Thirteen of the patients' prolactin levels normalized (i.e., within a range of 2–18ng/mL) within two weeks (Figure 1). The other three patients required from 8 to 12 weeks to normalize.
Does prolactinoma go away? A prolactinoma won't go away on its own without treatment. Long-term medication can shrink the tumor until it's gone. However, it's important to note that prolactinomas can come back, even after successful treatment with medication or surgery.
Prolactinomas can usually be treated successfully with medication alone. Medication lowers the prolactin level in the blood substantially, often to normal, and also usually reduces adenoma size.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another supplement that can inhibit central prolactin secretion. It is also safe, cheap and rarely causes any side effects. The recommended dosage is 300 to 400 IU per day.
The increase in prolactin seen during exercise has been noted to be fully abrogated with continuous infusion of 600mg pyridoxine.
Normal Results
The normal values for prolactin are: Men: less than 20 ng/mL (425 µg/L) Nonpregnant women: less than 25 ng/mL (25 µg/L) Pregnant women: 80 to 400 ng/mL (80 to 400 µg/L)
During prolonged sustained exercise, the prolactin response is proportional to the intensity at which the exercise is performed, and there is a plateau in the level observed. However, extending the duration of the exercise session can result in a graduate increase in the magnitude of the prolactin response [23,24].
However, you'll generally need long-term treatment with drugs. Commonly prescribed drugs include cabergoline and bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel). If a drug shrinks the tumor significantly and your prolactin level remains within the standard range for two years, you may be able to taper off the drug.
The most commonly used medicines are cabergoline and bromocriptine. Your doctor will start you on a low dose of one of these medications and slowly increase the dose until your prolactin levels go back to normal. Treatment continues until your symptoms lessen or you get pregnant (if that is your goal).
The prolactin level is highest about 30 minutes after the beginning of the feed, so its most important effect is to make milk for the next feed (20). During the first few weeks, the more a baby suckles and stimulates the nipple, the more prolactin is produced, and the more milk is produced.
An increase in prolactin secretion is associated with sleep. However, it is not part of the circadian rhythm. The peak level of prolactin is usually between 4 AM and 7 AM.
Non-systematic changes occurred in prolactin levels during the course of the menstrual cycle with the highest level being either during the ovulatory period or during the luteal phase. However, the mean level of prolactin was significantly higher during the ovulatory and luteal phases than during the follicular phase.
Also vitamin D deficiency in prolactinoma patients associated with larger adenoma size and higher prolactin level.
These results show that vitamin E treatment lowers prolactin levels in uremic hemodialysis patients. This might be due to inhibition of central prolactin secretion. Vitamin E inhibits pituitary gland hypertrophy in vitamin E-deficient rats.
Foods that lower prolactin levels are generally high in zinc; think shellfish, beef, turkey and beans. It's also important to get plenty of B6, so foods like potatoes, bananas, wild salmon, chicken and spinach can help boost those vitamin levels.
... the combined group treated with cimetidine and Vitamin C, a significant increase in Prolactin level was observed in Vitamin C high dose group compared to cimetidine group as shown in Fig. 4. The result shows that the increased prolactin had more to do with the action of Vitamin C on the gonadotropes.
[41] , that zinc is an inhibitor of prolactin, reduces its activity and removes its protective effect. Zinc plays an important role in the in vivo regulation of prolactin release. ...
Paeoniflorin and liquiritin, two major constituents in Chinese herbal formulas used to treat hyperprolactinemia-associated disorders, inhibits prolactin secretion in prolactinoma cells by different mechanisms.
Consider taking vitamin B6, which lowers prolactin levels by increasing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Consider taking the herbal medicine Vitex agnus-castus (chaste tree or chaste berry), which lowers prolactin.
If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland, known as a prolactinoma. This tumor makes the gland produce too much prolactin. Excess prolactin can cause the production of breast milk in men and in women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding.