Prolactin
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone that plays a key role in breast development and milk production in women. In men, it plays a role in regulating testosterone and sperm production.
Prolactin is a hormone that plays a key role in breast development and milk production in women. In men, it plays a role in regulating testosterone and sperm production.
Prolactin
Normal range
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Prolactin
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone that plays a key role in breast development and milk production in women. In men, it plays a role in regulating testosterone and sperm production.
Prolactin
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Prolactin
Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone that plays a key role in breast development and milk production in women. In men, it plays a role in regulating testosterone and sperm production.
Prolactin
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Male: 70-400 Female: 102-550 MIU/L
Normal range
Prolactin
Dr. Thiviya Sivakanthan
MBBS
Your Body's Nurturing Hormone
Your Body's Nurturing Hormone
In women, prolactin is your body's primary breastfeeding hormone, but it also plays a crucial role in regulating your menstrual cycle and fertility. When prolactin levels are imbalanced, it can disrupt your reproductive system and cause symptoms ranging from irregular periods to mood changes and fertility issues - effects that might seem unrelated to a hormone designed for milk production.
In women, prolactin is your body's primary breastfeeding hormone, but it also plays a crucial role in regulating your menstrual cycle and fertility. When prolactin levels are imbalanced, it can disrupt your reproductive system and cause symptoms ranging from irregular periods to mood changes and fertility issues - effects that might seem unrelated to a hormone designed for milk production.
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
Discover why unexpected milk production, missed periods, or fertility problems might be your body's way of signalling hormone trouble.
Read more
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
Learn how this nurturing hormone can actually block ovulation and why understanding this link is crucial for conception.
Read more
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
From stress to medications, understand the surprising factors that can dramatically boost your body's prolactin production.
Read more
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Understanding Your Results
Decode your hormone numbers and know exactly what your prolactin levels mean for your reproductive health and wellbeing.
Read more
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
High Prolactin in Women: High prolactin in women is like having an overprotective guardian who thinks you're always nursing a baby, even when you're not. This hormone elevation can cause galactorrhoea - unexpected milk production from your breasts - which can be both embarrassing and concerning. It's your body's way of preparing for motherhood when motherhood isn't actually on the agenda.
Beyond unexpected milk production, high prolactin acts like a fertility blocker, suppressing ovulation and causing irregular or absent periods. It's nature's way of preventing pregnancy whilst you're supposedly breastfeeding, but when prolactin levels are high without a baby to feed, it can leave you struggling to conceive or maintain regular cycles.
High Prolactin in Men: Men with elevated prolactin often experience decreased testosterone production, reduced libido, and erectile dysfunction. It's like having a hormone that tells your body to focus on caregiving rather than reproduction, suppressing the very systems that drive masculine vitality and sexual function.
High prolactin can also cause breast enlargement (called gynaecomastia) and, rarely, milk production in men. Some men describe feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing their competitive edge when prolactin levels are elevated.
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
High Prolactin in Women: High prolactin in women is like having an overprotective guardian who thinks you're always nursing a baby, even when you're not. This hormone elevation can cause galactorrhoea - unexpected milk production from your breasts - which can be both embarrassing and concerning. It's your body's way of preparing for motherhood when motherhood isn't actually on the agenda.
Beyond unexpected milk production, high prolactin acts like a fertility blocker, suppressing ovulation and causing irregular or absent periods. It's nature's way of preventing pregnancy whilst you're supposedly breastfeeding, but when prolactin levels are high without a baby to feed, it can leave you struggling to conceive or maintain regular cycles.
High Prolactin in Men: Men with elevated prolactin often experience decreased testosterone production, reduced libido, and erectile dysfunction. It's like having a hormone that tells your body to focus on caregiving rather than reproduction, suppressing the very systems that drive masculine vitality and sexual function.
High prolactin can also cause breast enlargement (called gynaecomastia) and, rarely, milk production in men. Some men describe feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing their competitive edge when prolactin levels are elevated.
When Prolactin Levels Go Haywire
High Prolactin in Women: High prolactin in women is like having an overprotective guardian who thinks you're always nursing a baby, even when you're not. This hormone elevation can cause galactorrhoea - unexpected milk production from your breasts - which can be both embarrassing and concerning. It's your body's way of preparing for motherhood when motherhood isn't actually on the agenda.
Beyond unexpected milk production, high prolactin acts like a fertility blocker, suppressing ovulation and causing irregular or absent periods. It's nature's way of preventing pregnancy whilst you're supposedly breastfeeding, but when prolactin levels are high without a baby to feed, it can leave you struggling to conceive or maintain regular cycles.
High Prolactin in Men: Men with elevated prolactin often experience decreased testosterone production, reduced libido, and erectile dysfunction. It's like having a hormone that tells your body to focus on caregiving rather than reproduction, suppressing the very systems that drive masculine vitality and sexual function.
High prolactin can also cause breast enlargement (called gynaecomastia) and, rarely, milk production in men. Some men describe feeling less motivated, experiencing mood changes, or losing their competitive edge when prolactin levels are elevated.
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
Ovulation Suppression in Women: Prolactin acts like a natural contraceptive in women, suppressing ovulation when levels are elevated. This mechanism makes perfect biological sense—if you're breastfeeding, your body assumes you don't need to ovulate because you're already caring for a baby. However, when prolactin levels are high without breastfeeding, this natural contraceptive effect can prevent conception when you're actually trying to get pregnant.
Testosterone Suppression in Men: In men, high prolactin suppresses testosterone production gradually reducing your masculine energy. This can lead to decreased sperm production, reduced fertility, and loss of libido. Your body prioritises the nurturing hormone over the reproductive one, creating an imbalance that affects your ability to father children.
Treatment Effectiveness: The good news is that prolactin-related fertility problems are often highly treatable in both men and women. Once prolactin levels are brought back to normal, many people find their reproductive function returns to normal and their fertility is restored. Treatment can be remarkably effective, with improvements often seen within weeks of starting appropriate therapy.
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
Ovulation Suppression in Women: Prolactin acts like a natural contraceptive in women, suppressing ovulation when levels are elevated. This mechanism makes perfect biological sense—if you're breastfeeding, your body assumes you don't need to ovulate because you're already caring for a baby. However, when prolactin levels are high without breastfeeding, this natural contraceptive effect can prevent conception when you're actually trying to get pregnant.
Testosterone Suppression in Men: In men, high prolactin suppresses testosterone production gradually reducing your masculine energy. This can lead to decreased sperm production, reduced fertility, and loss of libido. Your body prioritises the nurturing hormone over the reproductive one, creating an imbalance that affects your ability to father children.
Treatment Effectiveness: The good news is that prolactin-related fertility problems are often highly treatable in both men and women. Once prolactin levels are brought back to normal, many people find their reproductive function returns to normal and their fertility is restored. Treatment can be remarkably effective, with improvements often seen within weeks of starting appropriate therapy.
The Prolactin-Fertility Connection
Ovulation Suppression in Women: Prolactin acts like a natural contraceptive in women, suppressing ovulation when levels are elevated. This mechanism makes perfect biological sense—if you're breastfeeding, your body assumes you don't need to ovulate because you're already caring for a baby. However, when prolactin levels are high without breastfeeding, this natural contraceptive effect can prevent conception when you're actually trying to get pregnant.
Testosterone Suppression in Men: In men, high prolactin suppresses testosterone production gradually reducing your masculine energy. This can lead to decreased sperm production, reduced fertility, and loss of libido. Your body prioritises the nurturing hormone over the reproductive one, creating an imbalance that affects your ability to father children.
Treatment Effectiveness: The good news is that prolactin-related fertility problems are often highly treatable in both men and women. Once prolactin levels are brought back to normal, many people find their reproductive function returns to normal and their fertility is restored. Treatment can be remarkably effective, with improvements often seen within weeks of starting appropriate therapy.
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
Stress and Chronic Conditions: Chronic stress acts like a prolactin amplifier, causing levels to rise as part of your body's stress response. It's your body's way of preparing for perceived threats, but in our modern world, this ancient survival mechanism can disrupt your hormonal balance and affect your reproductive health in both men and women.
Medications: Certain medications can dramatically increase prolactin levels, acting like unwanted hormone boosters. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and some blood pressure medications can all elevate prolactin. Even some over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can affect prolactin production, often without patients realising the connection.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or liver problems can affect prolactin levels. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal feedback loops that keep prolactin production balanced. In women, PCOS can also sometimes be associated with elevated prolactin levels. In rarer cases, non-cancerous growths known as prolactinomas can elevate levels.
Lifestyle Factors: Excessive exercise, particularly endurance training, can boost prolactin levels like a natural stress response in both sexes. Sleep disruption, certain foods, and chronic stress can all temporarily elevate prolactin levels, affecting your body's hormonal balance.
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
Stress and Chronic Conditions: Chronic stress acts like a prolactin amplifier, causing levels to rise as part of your body's stress response. It's your body's way of preparing for perceived threats, but in our modern world, this ancient survival mechanism can disrupt your hormonal balance and affect your reproductive health in both men and women.
Medications: Certain medications can dramatically increase prolactin levels, acting like unwanted hormone boosters. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and some blood pressure medications can all elevate prolactin. Even some over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can affect prolactin production, often without patients realising the connection.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or liver problems can affect prolactin levels. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal feedback loops that keep prolactin production balanced. In women, PCOS can also sometimes be associated with elevated prolactin levels. In rarer cases, non-cancerous growths known as prolactinomas can elevate levels.
Lifestyle Factors: Excessive exercise, particularly endurance training, can boost prolactin levels like a natural stress response in both sexes. Sleep disruption, certain foods, and chronic stress can all temporarily elevate prolactin levels, affecting your body's hormonal balance.
What Sends Your Prolactin Soaring
Stress and Chronic Conditions: Chronic stress acts like a prolactin amplifier, causing levels to rise as part of your body's stress response. It's your body's way of preparing for perceived threats, but in our modern world, this ancient survival mechanism can disrupt your hormonal balance and affect your reproductive health in both men and women.
Medications: Certain medications can dramatically increase prolactin levels, acting like unwanted hormone boosters. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, and some blood pressure medications can all elevate prolactin. Even some over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements can affect prolactin production, often without patients realising the connection.
Medical Conditions: Conditions like hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or liver problems can affect prolactin levels. These conditions act like interference signals, disrupting the normal feedback loops that keep prolactin production balanced. In women, PCOS can also sometimes be associated with elevated prolactin levels. In rarer cases, non-cancerous growths known as prolactinomas can elevate levels.
Lifestyle Factors: Excessive exercise, particularly endurance training, can boost prolactin levels like a natural stress response in both sexes. Sleep disruption, certain foods, and chronic stress can all temporarily elevate prolactin levels, affecting your body's hormonal balance.
Understanding Your Results
Prolactin levels vary between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your nurturing hormone is working properly:
Men:
Normal: 86-324 mIU/L
Women (Non pregnant):
Normal: 102-496 mIU
Women (Pregnant):
Normal: 760-4,500 mIU/L
It's like measuring the volume of a sound system—the numbers are meaningless unless you know what's considered normal for your situation.
The Testing Challenge: Prolactin levels can fluctuate throughout the day and are sensitive to stress, exercise, and even the act of having blood drawn. Your doctor may need to repeat the test or take multiple samples to get an accurate picture of your prolactin status.
The test is ideally done in the morning when prolactin levels are typically at their lowest, and you'll be asked to fast and avoid stress before the test to get the most accurate reading.
Understanding Your Results
Prolactin levels vary between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your nurturing hormone is working properly:
Men:
Normal: 86-324 mIU/L
Women (Non pregnant):
Normal: 102-496 mIU
Women (Pregnant):
Normal: 760-4,500 mIU/L
It's like measuring the volume of a sound system—the numbers are meaningless unless you know what's considered normal for your situation.
The Testing Challenge: Prolactin levels can fluctuate throughout the day and are sensitive to stress, exercise, and even the act of having blood drawn. Your doctor may need to repeat the test or take multiple samples to get an accurate picture of your prolactin status.
The test is ideally done in the morning when prolactin levels are typically at their lowest, and you'll be asked to fast and avoid stress before the test to get the most accurate reading.
Understanding Your Results
Prolactin levels vary between men and women, reflecting the different roles this hormone plays in your body. Understanding these ranges helps you know whether your nurturing hormone is working properly:
Men:
Normal: 86-324 mIU/L
Women (Non pregnant):
Normal: 102-496 mIU
Women (Pregnant):
Normal: 760-4,500 mIU/L
It's like measuring the volume of a sound system—the numbers are meaningless unless you know what's considered normal for your situation.
The Testing Challenge: Prolactin levels can fluctuate throughout the day and are sensitive to stress, exercise, and even the act of having blood drawn. Your doctor may need to repeat the test or take multiple samples to get an accurate picture of your prolactin status.
The test is ideally done in the morning when prolactin levels are typically at their lowest, and you'll be asked to fast and avoid stress before the test to get the most accurate reading.
The Takeaway
Prolactin levels provide important insights into your reproductive health, particularly if you're experiencing fertility problems, irregular periods, or unexpected symptoms. While prolactin imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, most are highly treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fertility difficulties, hormonal symptoms, or changes in sexual function, your prolactin levels could be providing crucial clues about what's happening in your body. These symptoms aren't just inconveniences you have to live with—they're your body's way of signalling that your hormonal balance needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your prolactin levels are supporting your reproductive health or interfering with your body's natural processes. Don't ignore persistent hormonal symptoms or assume they're just part of life. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's nurturing systems and take appropriate action to restore your hormonal balance.
The Takeaway
Prolactin levels provide important insights into your reproductive health, particularly if you're experiencing fertility problems, irregular periods, or unexpected symptoms. While prolactin imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, most are highly treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fertility difficulties, hormonal symptoms, or changes in sexual function, your prolactin levels could be providing crucial clues about what's happening in your body. These symptoms aren't just inconveniences you have to live with—they're your body's way of signalling that your hormonal balance needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your prolactin levels are supporting your reproductive health or interfering with your body's natural processes. Don't ignore persistent hormonal symptoms or assume they're just part of life. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's nurturing systems and take appropriate action to restore your hormonal balance.
The Takeaway
Prolactin levels provide important insights into your reproductive health, particularly if you're experiencing fertility problems, irregular periods, or unexpected symptoms. While prolactin imbalances can significantly impact your quality of life, most are highly treatable once properly identified.
If you're experiencing unexplained fertility difficulties, hormonal symptoms, or changes in sexual function, your prolactin levels could be providing crucial clues about what's happening in your body. These symptoms aren't just inconveniences you have to live with—they're your body's way of signalling that your hormonal balance needs attention.
A simple blood test can determine whether your prolactin levels are supporting your reproductive health or interfering with your body's natural processes. Don't ignore persistent hormonal symptoms or assume they're just part of life. One small test can give you the clarity you need to understand your body's nurturing systems and take appropriate action to restore your hormonal balance.
References
British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy. (2020). Prolactin disorders in reproductive medicine. BJOG Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Hyperprolactinaemia: diagnosis and management. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2021). Prolactin testing in fertility assessment. RCOG Practice Guidelines.
References
British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy. (2020). Prolactin disorders in reproductive medicine. BJOG Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Hyperprolactinaemia: diagnosis and management. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2021). Prolactin testing in fertility assessment. RCOG Practice Guidelines.
References
British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy. (2020). Prolactin disorders in reproductive medicine. BJOG Guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Hyperprolactinaemia: diagnosis and management. NICE Clinical Guideline.
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. (2021). Prolactin testing in fertility assessment. RCOG Practice Guidelines.
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