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Can you live with high prolactin levels?
Prolactinoma and hyperprolactinemia are not life-threatening. The worst side effects of medications usually go away after treatment. Infertility caused by high prolactin levels can be reversed once prolactin levels return to normal. Your quality of life will remain high even if you need long-term treatment.
Does high prolactin cause brain tumor?
A prolactinoma is a type of tumor that develops in the pituitary gland at the base of your brain. Prolactinoma is a noncancerous tumor of the pituitary gland. This tumor causes the pituitary to make too much of a hormone called prolactin.
Can prolactin cause infertility?
High prolactin levels may cause infertility . Another term for high prolactin levels is hyperprolactinemia. Women who are not pregnant and are not breastfeeding should have low levels of prolactin. If a non-pregnant woman has abnormally high levels of prolactin, it may cause her difficulty in becoming pregnant.
Can pituitary tumors cause death?
Vision problems occur when the tumor “pinches” the nerves that run between the eyes and the brain. Sudden loss of vision, loss of consciousness, and even death can result from sudden bleeding into the tumor. Macroadenomas and pituitary carcinomas can also press on and destroy the normal parts of the pituitary gland.
Is a prolactinoma serious?
Although prolactinoma isn’t life-threatening, it can cause vision difficulties, infertility and other problems. Prolactinoma is the most common type of hormone-producing tumor that can develop in your pituitary gland.
Can you live a normal life with a pituitary tumor?
In general, when a pituitary tumor is not cured, people live out their lives but may have to deal with problems caused by the tumor or its treatment, such as vision problems or hormone levels that are too high or too low.
Can you get pregnant with hyperprolactinemia?
What are my chances of pregnancy after treatment for hyperprolactinemia? The prolactin level returns to normal in about 90 percent of women who take bromocriptine or cabergoline. Eighty-five percent of women taking these medications ovulate, and of those who ovulate, 70 to 80 percent get pregnant.
What happens if you leave a pituitary tumor untreated?
Most pituitary tumors are curable, but if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications such as complete vision loss.