Excessive breast stimulation, medication side effects or disorders of the pituitary gland all may contribute to galactorrhea. Often, galactorrhea results from increased levels of prolactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production. Sometimes, the cause of galactorrhea can't be determined.
The Milky Way contains its fair share of mysteries, but this milky situation is a lot more common than you might think! It's not unusual for milky discharge to continue for up to two to three years after discontinuing breastfeeding.
Galactorrhea sometimes indicates an underlying health condition, but is most often caused by too much prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that triggers milk production. It's made by your pituitary gland, a gland at the base of your brain.
Galactorrhea (guh-LACK-toe-REE-uh) is milk discharge from the breast that is unrelated to breastfeeding or that happens at least one year after stopping breastfeeding. It usually happens in both breasts, but it can also happen in only one. Both women and men can have galactorrhea.
Nipple discharge is the release of fluid from the nipple. It is a very common breast symptom and in most cases is part of the normal function of the breast rather than being caused by a problem. Nipple discharge alone (without a lump or other nipple change) is a very uncommon symptom of breast cancer.
This is called idiopathic galactorrhea, and it may just mean that your breast tissue is particularly sensitive to the milk-producing hormone prolactin in your blood. If you have increased sensitivity to prolactin, even normal prolactin levels can lead to galactorrhea.
Nipple discharge refers to any fluid that seeps out of the nipple of the breast. Nipple discharge during pregnancy and breast-feeding is normal. Nipple discharge happens less commonly in women who aren't pregnant or breast-feeding.
It's not unusual for milky discharge to continue for up to two to three years after discontinuing breastfeeding. That said, some people (regardless of their sex assigned at birth or whether they've breastfed before) can experience milk production or milky discharge called galactorrhea.
Try a medication, such as bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel) or cabergoline, to lower your prolactin level and minimize or stop milky nipple discharge.
During relactation, you train your body to produce milk after not lactating for a period of time. It's possible to relactate if you haven't produced breast milk in weeks, months or even years. And while some may think relactation is a modern concept, the practice has been around for hundreds of years.
Galactorrhea is milk production from the breast unrelated to pregnancy or lactation. Milk production one year after cessation of breastfeeding is non-lactational and is considered galactorrhea. Various hormones including prolactin, estrogens, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) can affect the production of milk.
For this list, a child named Charlotte Spink is considered the oldest known kid to have been breastfed. Sharon Spink, a mother of four, argued that nursing daughter Charlotte up until earlier than 10 years old was quite normal, which solidified their relationship for the rest of their lives.
See a GP if:
it happens regularly and is not just a one-off. it only comes from 1 breast. it's bloodstained or smelly. you're not breastfeeding and it leaks out without any pressure on your breast.
The main symptom of galactorrhea is a milky white discharge from one or both nipples. Sometimes, the discharge is yellow or greenish in color.
Tests for pregnancy, serum prolactin level and serum thyroid-stimulating hormone level, and magnetic resonance imaging are important diagnostic tools that should be employed when clinically indicated. The underlying cause of galactorrhea should be treated when possible.
There are two hormones that directly affect breastfeeding: prolactin and oxytocin.
Galactoceles are benign, milk-filled cysts that occur almost exclusively in lactating women. The presence of mammary duct obstruction during lactation is the main etiological factor. The incidence of galactocele in women presenting with benign breast conditions to the outpatient department is 4%.
Even after breastfeeding has stopped, there may be milk in the breasts for several months to years. You may notice drops of milk on occasion or may be able to express drops by hand.
Galactorrhea is a milky discharge from both nipples, when a woman is not breastfeeding. This is often due to an increase in the hormone prolactin, which produces milk. Galactorrhea may occur if you take sedatives or marijuana. Or it can be caused by high doses of estrogen.
The skin of the nipple and areola often looks crusted, scaly, and red. There may be blood or yellow fluid coming out of the nipple. Sometimes the nipple looks flat or inverted. It also might burn or itch.
Treatment and prevention
Montgomery tubercles are harmless, and no treatment is necessary when these change or increase in number. These spots should not be squeezed or popped as this can introduce infection.
A nipple discharge can also be caused by breast stimulation in women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, especially during the reproductive years. However, a nipple discharge in men is always abnormal. A normal nipple discharge is usually a thin, cloudy, whitish, or almost clear fluid.
In some situations, nipple discharge without pregnancy occurs due to the increasing level of prolactin hormones, and such high prolactin is said to be the cause of infertility. This usually happens because prolactin stops a woman from ovulating and also disrupts the menstrual cycle.