What Else Causes Prolactin To Rise?
In some people, high blood levels of prolactin can be traced to causes other than a pituitary tumor. Prescription Drugs. Prolactin secretion in the pituitary is normally suppressed by the brain chemical, dopamine. Drugs that block the effects of dopamine at the pituitary or deplete dopamine stores in the brain may cause the pituitary to secrete prolactin. These drugs include the major tranquilizers trifluoperazine (Stelazine) and haloperidol (Haldol); metoclopramide (Reglan), used to treat gastroesophageal reflux and the nausea caused by certain cancer drugs; and less often, alpha methyldopa and reserpine, used to control hypertension. Other Pituitary Tumors. Other tumors arising in or near the pituitary–such as those that cause acromegaly or Cushing’s syndrome–may block the flow of dopamine from the brain to the prolactin-secreting cells. Hypothyroidism. Increased prolactin levels are often seen in people with hypothyroidism, and doctors routinely test people with hyperprolactinemia
