High Prolactin / Pituitary

[JCub369]

My Dr suspects I may have a tumor on my pituitary.

He thinks that is what is causing my high prolactin.

Other than fixing my thyroid ( have ordered tyromix ) Do you have any other suggestions for lowering prolactin?

I am going for another Prolactin test in 2 weeks and then an MRI, I am unsure as to why he won't send me straight for an MRI.

If it is a tumor, it seems to only be affecting my Prolactin and not my other hormones too badly, so I would prefer to not get it removed via surgery. Which is why I am asking if you have any recommendations regarding lowering prolactin.

 

[JCub369]

My Dr suspects I may have a tumor on my pituitary.

He thinks that is what is causing my high prolactin.

Other than fixing my thyroid ( have ordered tyromix ) Do you have any other suggestions for lowering prolactin?

I am going for another Prolactin test in 2 weeks and then an MRI, I am unsure as to why he won't send me straight for an MRI.

If it is a tumor, it seems to only be affecting my Prolactin and not my other hormones too badly, so I would prefer to not get it removed via surgery. Which is why I am asking if you have any recommendations regarding lowering prolactin.

Also

I have very high SHBG and very low Free Test.

Could hypothyroidism be causing this?

 

[L_C]

If on your next test your prolactin won't be high then it's less likely it will be tumor. If you had tumor your prolactin would be high on all tests. Also, it would be way elevated. Your prolactin is elevated but not as much. Personally, I don't think it's tumor.

Make sure not to take any vitamins one week prior to testing. They tend to mess up the results especially biotin. Also, no FAP a few days prior.

Also, if you end up having MRI, they will make you to do it with the contrast which is not recommended.

B6 can lower prolactin among other things.

 

[xeliex]

Hi there. I wish you luck. From what I know, if the high prolactin is due to a tumor, the levels would be way higher then 20ng/mL

I've had high prolactin in that range that has come down a bit with Tyromax. It did not come down low enough to where I like it. I am slowly increasing thyroid supplementation and recently switched to Cynoplus and titrating up. Everything feels better but sitll a work in progress.

Again, I doubt it's a tumor with that "low" of a prolactin level but it doesn't hurt to check.

 

[JCub369]

Hi there. I wish you luck. From what I know, if the high prolactin is due to a tumor, the levels would be way higher then 20ng/mL

I've had high prolactin in that range that has come down a bit with Tyromax. It did not come down low enough to where I like it. I am slowly increasing thyroid supplementation and recently switched to Cynoplus and titrating up. Everything feels better but sitll a work in progress.

Again, I doubt it's a tumor with that "low" of a prolactin level but it doesn't hurt to check.

Thank you for the reply. I appreciate it. Have you found any success with lowering your prolactin? other than the Tyromax, what else would you recommend.

 

[Blossom]

@JCub369, prolactin fluctuation can occur throughout the day so when you get your next level checked I’d try to mimic what you did at the first draw like go at the same time of day and fast if you were fasting. Just eating can raise it temporarily as well as sexual activity. Your doctor probably doesn’t want to put you through an MRI if it turns out to be a one time blip in elevation. Usually a pituitary tumor isn’t even considered until levels are much higher than yours. Mine was 121ng/mL when my tumor was active and I stopped medication when it came down to 15 but I’m female. I also didn’t have any other pituitary hormones out of range so it was diagnosed as a prolactinoma. Some pituitary tumors only impact prolactin. At your level I feel like it would be worth trying to reduce it with just thyroid, a pro metabolic lifestyle and perhaps a low dose b6-something like the amounts Idealabs Energin vitamin B supplement.

 

[jacob]

My personal experience is completely different than all the suggestions here.

I had a few tests with both normal and slightly elevated prolactin levels in 2017 with the suggestion I may have a pituitary tumor. This was eventually written off by an endocrinologist who said my prolactin levels were not high enough to indicate a pituitary tumor.

After six years of chasing symptoms, my primary doctor finally suggested I go forward with an MRI to rule out the pituitary tumor. Last week in April 2023 I had the MRI and it was confirmed I have a pituitary tumor.

Like you, I’ve always had low free testosterone and high SHBG, which my endocrinologist discounted as well.

I’m scheduled to see a neurologist next month regarding the tumor.

 

[Highserotonin90]

@jacob Do you have an "on/off" history with exogenous hormones?

 

[jacob]

@Highserotonin90 No, not really. I’ve used T3 and Cynoplus for about 90-days one-time each to try to alleviate symptoms which I thought were hypothyroid symptoms, which did not help. Nothing other than that

Why do you ask?

 

[Blossom]

@jacob, I’m glad you finally got to the bottom of it. Many Endocrinologist can be very dismissive. I can’t get anyone to take me seriously even with my history so that’s why I do my own labs and treat myself as needed. I’m glad the OP has found someone to take him seriously and I didn’t mean to come across otherwise. I’m just surprised due to my own experience of getting so little help when someone does get it. I will say that thyroid, b6 and other peaty interventions have helped me stay off the continuous high dose medicine I used to need but certainly everyone is a little different.

 

[Peater]

My personal experience is completely different than all the suggestions here.

I had a few tests with both normal and slightly elevated prolactin levels in 2017 with the suggestion I may have a pituitary tumor. This was eventually written off by an endocrinologist who said my prolactin levels were not high enough to indicate a pituitary tumor.

After six years of chasing symptoms, my primary doctor finally suggested I go forward with an MRI to rule out the pituitary tumor. Last week in April 2023 I had the MRI and it was confirmed I have a pituitary tumor.

Like you, I’ve always had low free testosterone and high SHBG, which my endocrinologist discounted as well.

I’m scheduled to see a neurologist next month regarding the tumor.

So good to see some accurate, personal information. I have tested high for prolactin myself. Did they have to use a contrast agent?

 

[xeliex]

My personal experience is completely different than all the suggestions here.

I had a few tests with both normal and slightly elevated prolactin levels in 2017 with the suggestion I may have a pituitary tumor. This was eventually written off by an endocrinologist who said my prolactin levels were not high enough to indicate a pituitary tumor.

After six years of chasing symptoms, my primary doctor finally suggested I go forward with an MRI to rule out the pituitary tumor. Last week in April 2023 I had the MRI and it was confirmed I have a pituitary tumor.

Like you, I’ve always had low free testosterone and high SHBG, which my endocrinologist discounted as well.

I’m scheduled to see a neurologist next month regarding the tumor.

What were your prolactin levels, Jacob?
In medicine it's not common for prolactinomas to be the cause of high prolactin when that prolactin levels are as 'low" as OP. This doesn't mean much though as modern medicine has its dogma and bias.

Keep us posted. Idealabs has some powerful products, for rats, to suppress prolactin.

I wonder if chemically suppressing prolactin and doing some major life changes can eliminate prolactinomas and not just lower blood prolactin.

 

[JCub369]

@jacob Do you have an "on/off" history with exogenous hormones?

I have not, but what kind of effect would being on/off with exo hormones have compared to just being on exo hormones full-time ?

 

[JCub369]

What were your prolactin levels, Jacob?
In medicine it's not common for prolactinomas to be the cause of high prolactin when that prolactin levels are as 'low" as OP. This doesn't mean much though as modern medicine has its dogma and bias.

Keep us posted. Idealabs has some powerful products, for rats, to suppress prolactin.

I wonder if chemically suppressing prolactin and doing some major life changes can eliminate prolactinomas and not just lower blood prolactin.

What idealabs supplements would you recommend to lower my rats prolactin? Would you suggest Metergolin and/or energin?

 

[Peater]

What idealabs supplements would you recommend to lower my rats prolactin? Would you suggest Metergolin and/or energin?

I believe 10-Methoxy-Harmalan and Lisuride lower prolactin too. My subjects seem to quite like the 10MH.

 

[jacob]

@jacob, I’m glad you finally got to the bottom of it. Many Endocrinologist can be very dismissive. I can’t get anyone to take me seriously even with my history so that’s why I do my own labs and treat myself as needed. I’m glad the OP has found someone to take him seriously and I didn’t mean to come across otherwise. I’m just surprised due to my own experience of getting so little help when someone does get it. I will say that thyroid, b6 and other peaty interventions have helped me stay off the continuous high dose medicine I used to need but certainly everyone is a little different.

Thank you! Yeah, it is really frustrating.

I’m glad you’ve found something that’s working for you!

So good to see some accurate, personal information. I have tested high for prolactin myself. Did they have to use a contrast agent?

Yes they did.

What were your prolactin levels, Jacob?
In medicine it's not common for prolactinomas to be the cause of high prolactin when that prolactin levels are as 'low" as OP. This doesn't mean much though as modern medicine has its dogma and bias.

Keep us posted. Idealabs has some powerful products, for rats, to suppress prolactin.

I wonder if chemically suppressing prolactin and doing some major life changes can eliminate prolactinomas and not just lower blood prolactin.

It’s been a few years so I don’t remember the exact lab values. My lab results were sometimes outside the range but usually inside the range. The results that were outside the range were only a few points over it, which is why I wasn’t encouraged to follow-up on it.

I also had consistently below range IGF-1 and low GH levels at that time. This led to an Insulin Tolerance Test which also showed low growth hormone response to the ITT.

Do you have any thoughts or recommendations based on this additional information with the growth hormone and IGF-1 results?


Edit: I just found my old test results. I had lab values of 22.8 and 16.5 on a scale of 4.0 - 15.2. The endocrinologist dismissed the 22.8 value because the follow-up result was lower than the first result, despite my persistent symptoms.

 

[JCub369]

Thank you! Yeah, it is really frustrating.

I’m glad you’ve found something that’s working for you!




Yes they did.



It’s been a few years so I don’t remember the exact lab values. My lab results were sometimes outside the range but usually inside the range. The results that were outside the range were only a few points over it, which is why I wasn’t encouraged to follow-up on it.

I also had consistently below range IGF-1 and low GH levels at that time. This led to an Insulin Tolerance Test which also showed low growth hormone response to the ITT.

Do you have any thoughts or recommendations based on this additional information with the growth hormone and IGF-1 results?

If you are asking about increasing GH and IGF-1 levels, I believe MK677 is a great way to do so. I believe it elevates levels by about 80% Doesn't create a negative feed back loop, and releases GH over a longer period of time ( ~12 hours ) rather than a spike you would get from exogenous injections or other secretagogues. The only downside being the increase hunger unless that is something you need.

 

[LUH 3417]

Bromocriptine? Although it made me feel nearly suicidal, not sure if that would be your experience. I did find some Reddit threads of other people saying something similar. It was like reality became too intolerable/hyper real and everything just made me miserable. I have heard it will tank prolactin levels, but if you’re depressed or prone to depression it might not be safe.

 

[olowshinenine]

I just got a hormone test done and my prolactin is above normal 21/ml does that sound like it might be a tumor? Are these tumors usually benign or cancerous?

 

[Blossom]

just got a hormone test done and my prolactin is above normal 21/ml does that sound like it might be a tumor? Are these tumors usually benign or cancerous?

Pituitary tumors are typically benign and your levels are only slightly elevated and not indicative of a tumor. That said you would possibly feel better by getting them down.