A few questions help us personalize your report.
Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that drives milk production after childbirth but is present at baseline in all adults. Elevated prolactin (hyperprolactinemia) suppresses sex hormones — reducing testosterone in men and causing irregular periods or infertility in women — and can cause breast milk production outside of pregnancy in both sexes. The most common cause is a benign pituitary tumour called a prolactinoma; certain medications (antipsychotics, antidepressants, antiemetics) are another frequent trigger.
Also known as: Lactotropic hormone, Lactotropin, Mammatropic hormone, Mammotropin, PRL, Prol, Prolactin, Prolactin Level
High prolactin suppresses sex hormones, causing low testosterone in men and anovulation in women. Causes include pituitary tumors, antipsychotic medications, and hypothyroidism.
Standard range is 2-18 ng/mL for men and 2-29 ng/mL for women. Prolactin above 200 ng/mL strongly suggests prolactinoma.