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Prolactin
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Common Questions
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1. What other tests may be done to evaluate an elevated prolactin?
2. If I have an elevated prolactin, why is my doctor testing my thyroid?
3. How are prolactinomas treated?
1. What other tests may be done to evaluate an elevated prolactin?
Testosterone (levels will usually be low in a male when prolactin is high), FSH, and LH (to help evaluate ovulation and fertility), an MRI of the brain (to show pituitary enlargement and help locate a tumor), and an eye examination (to evaluate visual disturbances) may be performed.
2. If I have an elevated prolactin, why is my doctor testing my thyroid?
Increased levels of prolactin are often seen in people with hypothyroidism (although they do not cause it). If you have hyperprolactinemia, your doctor will most likely test you for hypothyroidism.
3. How are prolactinomas treated?
Prolactinomas are usually treated with medications that act like dopamine (such as bromocriptine or cabergoline). Treatment can reduce prolactin levels and symptoms and restore fertility, but the medications may have to be taken for several months or years. Surgery is sometimes necessary if the prolactinomas are large or not responding to treatment. This surgery is delicate and requires an experienced surgeon. Sometimes, despite medication and/or surgery, the prolactinoma will return.
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This article was last reviewed on
September 11, 2006.
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