Prolactin causes the breasts to grow and make milk during pregnancy and after birth. “Hypopituitarism.”University of California, San Francisco: “Levodopa.”Mayo Clinic: “Headache Medicine Ergot-Derivative-Containing (Oral Route, Parenteral Route, Rectal Route).”National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine: “The clinical use of dopamine in the treatment of shock.”WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland, known as a prolactinoma. Notsu et al., measured prolactin levels in 15 healthy controls and in 74 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients of which 42 were euthyroid, 18 had subclinical and 14 had overt hypothyroidism and prolactin was found to be elevated in 42% of the overt hypothyroid patients, 11% in the subclinical hypothyroid patients, and 14% of the euthyroid patients . If you have questions about your results, talk to your health care provider.The medical information provided is for informational purposes only, and is not to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Certain medicines can raise prolactin levels. Prolactin levels are normally high for pregnant women and new mothers. URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/prolactin-levels/To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Lower levels of prolactin usually do not need medical treatment.Certain drugs can cause low levels of prolactin. National Library of Medicine: “Hypothalmic dysfunction.”American Society for Reproductive Medicine: “Fact Sheet: What is Prolactin?”Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.”University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics: “Prolactin Blood Test.”American Association for Clinical Chemistry. Prolactin is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland and also known as milk hormone. You will get a Some people feel just a little sting. High levels of prolactin may caused by some drugs, diseases and tumors. That’s known as hypopituitarism. If you have a prolactinoma, the goal is to use medicine to reduce the size of the tumor and lower the amount of prolactin.University of Rochester Medical Center: “Prolactin.”American Association for Clinical Chemistry: “Prolactin.”UpToDate: “Patient education: High prolactin levels and prolactinomas (Beyond the Basics).”Mayo Clinic: “Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid).”U.S. Symptoms may include:Other symptoms are different depending on whether you are a man or woman. This tumor is not You’ll lie inside a magnetic tube as the MRI device uses radio waves to put together a detailed image of your If your prolactin levels are below the normal range, this could mean your pituitary gland isn’t working at full steam. It plays an important role in both male and female reproductive health. Vaginal dryness and milk production from breasts without of birth are the main symptoms. Others might feel moderate pain and see slight bruising afterwards.After a few days, you’ll get the results of your prolactin test in the form of a number.If your value falls outside the normal range, this doesn’t automatically mean you have a problem. When the adenoma affects vision, improvement in vision may begin within days of starting treatment. Levels are normally low for nonpregnant women and for men. Prolactin levels change throughout the day, but are usually the highest in early morning.Be sure to tell your health care provider about any medicines you are taking. If you are a woman, symptoms also depend on whether you have gone through Symptoms of excess prolactin in women who have not gone through menopause include:Women who have gone through menopause may not have symptoms until the condition worsens. Prolactin is a If prolactin levels are higher than normal, it often means there is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland, known as a Prolactinomas are usually benign (noncancerous). A prolactin (PRL) test measures the level of prolactin in the blood. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. If it turns out to be a small prolactinoma or a cause can’t be found, your doctor may recommend no treatment at all.In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medicine to lower prolactin levels. These include There is very little risk to having a blood test.