Hyperprolactinemia: Causes, Medications, and What You Need to Know

When your body makes too much hyperprolactinemia, a condition where the hormone prolactin is abnormally high. It's not a disease on its own—it’s a sign something else is off, often in the pituitary gland or due to certain drugs. This isn’t rare. Many people with unexplained infertility, low sex drive, or even milk coming from their breasts without pregnancy have it—and don’t know why.

One of the most common causes is a prolactinoma, a benign tumor in the pituitary gland that overproduces prolactin. But it’s not always a tumor. Medications like some dopamine agonists, drugs that affect brain chemicals to control movement or mood, antipsychotics and antidepressants, can trigger it. Even stomach meds like metoclopramide and some blood pressure pills do. If you’re on any of these and notice symptoms, it’s worth asking your doctor to check your prolactin levels.

High prolactin doesn’t just mess with your reproductive system. It can lower testosterone in men and estrogen in women, leading to missed periods, trouble getting pregnant, or reduced bone density over time. In men, it often means less energy, smaller testicles, or erectile dysfunction. And yes—it can cause milk production even if you’ve never had a baby. That’s not normal, and it’s not just "hormonal fluctuation." It’s a signal.

What’s interesting is how often this gets missed. People go to the doctor for headaches or fatigue, get diagnosed with stress or depression, and never get their prolactin checked. But if you’re on a medication known to raise prolactin—like risperidone, haloperidol, or even some SSRIs—and you’re having sexual side effects or unusual breast changes, that connection matters. It’s not just "side effects." It’s a hormonal imbalance with real consequences.

Thankfully, it’s often fixable. Stopping the culprit drug, switching to one that doesn’t affect prolactin, or using specific treatments like cabergoline can bring levels back to normal. But you need to know it’s happening first. The posts below cover real cases where medications caused this, how to spot the signs early, and what alternatives exist without the same hormonal fallout. You’ll find advice on managing side effects, understanding drug interactions, and what to ask your doctor before you keep taking something that might be quietly disrupting your hormones.