High Prolactin: Causes, Symptoms, and What You Can Do

When your body makes too much prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland that mainly controls milk production and reproductive health. Also known as hyperprolactinemia, it’s not just about breastfeeding—it can mess with your sex drive, period, and even your mood, even if you’re not pregnant or nursing. Many people don’t realize their fatigue, low libido, or weird breast discharge is linked to this one hormone. It’s more common than you think, and it’s often treatable.

One of the biggest culprits behind high prolactin is a harmless tumor in the pituitary gland called a prolactinoma, a noncancerous growth that overproduces prolactin. But it’s not always a tumor. Stress, certain medications like antidepressants or antipsychotics, hypothyroidism, and even too much nipple stimulation can push prolactin levels up. If you’re on blood pressure meds, antinausea drugs, or SSRIs, you might be unknowingly triggering it. And yes—women and men both get it. Men might notice erectile issues or reduced body hair; women might miss periods or leak milk when they’re not nursing.

Testing for high prolactin is simple: a blood draw, usually done in the morning before eating. If levels are high, your doctor will check your thyroid and may order an MRI to look at your pituitary. The good news? Most cases respond well to medication. Dopamine agonists, drugs like cabergoline or bromocriptine that mimic the brain’s natural prolactin suppressor shrink tumors and bring levels back to normal in most people. Surgery is rare and only for big tumors that don’t respond. Lifestyle changes—cutting back on stress, avoiding tight clothing that irritates the chest, and reviewing your meds with your doctor—can also help.

What you’ll find below are real, practical posts that break down how high prolactin connects to other conditions like depression, infertility, and medication side effects. You’ll see how it shows up in men versus women, what drugs cause it, and how to tell if it’s something serious or just a fluke. No fluff. Just what you need to understand your body and talk to your doctor with confidence.