Prolactin[emia] - Hypo- Can Be As Problematic As Hyper-

[Koveras]

As is normally human tendency sometimes the thought is that 'more is better' or in the case of 'less is better' then maybe 'none is best'.

There have been some sane comments lately in the threads about iron that maybe one should test their iron levels before donating blood or attempting aggressing iron reduction strategies.

Similarly - for anyone who's interested in managing their prolactin levels in the quest for better health, libido, hormone levels, etc. Be aware that there is probably an ' optimal' level which is not rock bottom and recognize that sometimes these things (prolactin, inflammation, oxidative stress, etc.) are elevated as part of a normal adaptive response or part of our body's natural rhythms.

Some of this discussion has been ongoing in the Lisuride thread

This is experimental chemical, not for human use. But yes, there are human studies showing that high doses of drugs like lisuride can lower prolactin to subnormal levels. That is why most people using such drugs should start with a lower dose (say 50mcg) and only increase if there is no effect on prolactin. The 200mcg dose is pharmacological dose for people with hyperprolactinemia, not normal prolactin levels.

Summary of some research:

Working on health / liver health?
-May not want to lower prolactin excessively as it is necessary for liver regeneration. Also important to consider if there are ongoing sources of liver injury.

Working on libido, sexual function, and/or fertility?
-May not want to lower prolactin excessively as it is necessary for normal androgen production, estrogen production, and the sensitivity of tissues to these hormones.
-Excessively low prolactin and/or high dopamine and/or low serotonin may cause premature ejaculation
-Excessively low prolactin may reduce sperm production and quality and negatively influence fertility in both sexes

Working on weight and/or blood sugar control?
-For males, excessively low prolactin that negatively influences hormone levels as noted above may be counterproductive due to the influence of androgens and estrogens on body fat

[Leydig cell function in hyper- or hypoprolactinemic states in healthy men]. - PubMed - NCBI

Effects of hyper- and hypoprolactinemia on gonadotropin secretion, rat testicular luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptors and te... - PubMed - NCBI

Effects of chronic bromocriptine-induced hypoprolactinemia on plasma testosterone responses to human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation in normal men. - PubMed - NCBI

D2-dopamine agonists inhibit adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) production in human term trophoblastic cells. - PubMed - NCBI

Effect of a dopamine agonist on luteinizing hormone receptors, cyclic AMP production and steroidogenesis in rat Leydig cells. - PubMed - NCBI

Hypoprolactinemia as related to seminal quality and serum testosterone. - PubMed - NCBI

Hypoprolactinemia: a new clinical syndrome in patients with sexual dysfunction. - PubMed - NCBI

Prolactin has a direct effect on adrenal androgen secretion. - PubMed - NCBI

Prolactin effect on the permeability of human benign hyperplastic prostate to testosterone. - PubMed - NCBI

Prolactin's role in the early stages of liver regeneration in rats. - PubMed - NCBI

Prolactin promotes normal liver growth, survival, and regeneration in rodents: effects on hepatic IL-6, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3, and ang... - PubMed - NCBI

 

[ecstatichamster]

I've seen some of these studies and am very confused. I am thinking that yes, very low prolactin is not good...but I doubt whether low prolactin is a problem for men with ED. I think that these studies that say that it is, may be confusing the effect (ED) with a cause that has nothing to do with it...also, prolactin levels vary wildly depending upon recency of orgasm...