How important is prolactin?
How important is prolactin?
Hello everyone, I just got my test results back and everything seems to be good, although I'm slightly concerned that my prolactin is too low, it's at 9ng/mL.
I looked up prolactin online and it seems it regulates breast growth and pregnancy, could low prolactin levels slow my breast growth?
Not that I've ever heard of. The main things doctors generally monitor are blood estrogen and testosterone. High T levels can inhibit breast growth, and the same with low E levels.
Worth speaking with a medical professional (if you have one) about how you feel about your results. Doses may need to be adjusted. You should be on some form of estrogen, and an anti-androgen depending on your E dose.
11Hello! thanks for answering! All my levels seem to be good including Estradiol, Testosterone, LH and FSH (I'm not on prog just yet) I was just scared that my prolactin could slow my breast growth. I dont see it being talked about much so I'll assume it's not that important 🤷♀️.
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My levels are to high. That's probably way worse then to low. From my experience it doesn't lead to big bewbs or lactation. Or faster growth, really don't think it affects it.
3Heya! Thanks for answering!
I indeed saw online that high levels were not desirable but nothing about low levels, I'll probably ask my doc about it I'm not really that concerned :P
I'm sorry you went through higher levels than expected, that's from CPA if I recall?
2What causes lactation then? I think I still dont get it
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Have you talked to your doctor about it?
Just reading briefly, it's normal to have low prolactin levels (less than 25 ng/mL) for women who aren't pregnant. If you were trying to prepare to breastfeed and your levels remained low that might be something to talk to your doctor about. However, I wouldn't worry about it for normal breast growth.
The things you should focus on to promote good breath growth are things that keep you in good health generally, like
- eating a healthy and diverse diet (e.g. incorporate more salads with vegetables and nuts, choose less refined sources of carbs like whole wheat instead of white bread, etc.),
- staying hydrated (keep water by you all day and drink it regularly),
- avoiding drug use (especially tobacco and alcohol),
- keeping good sleep hygiene (helpful PDF),
- regularly exercising (both aerobic and strength training, aim for 1 - 2 hours of intense aerobic activity per week),
- reducing stress (including worrying about your prolactin levels, lol; meditation can help with stress reduction & helping to identify and redirect unhelpful thoughts; recommended reading: Judson Brewer's Unwinding Anxiety, and for a meditation manual, The Mind Illuminated by John Yates).
2Haha thanks :) I'm already doing most of these (my sleep schedule is fuuuuuuuucked) but yeah my doc told me not to worry about it so I guess we're golden then! Also the stress thing is so real, my breasts stopped being sensitive during exam week then went right back to normal after!
2It's probably not a healthy tip, but I think there were some studies that showed being overweight led to more breast growth. It sorta makes sense, the breasts are a place where excess fat is stored. That said, being overweight creates lots of other health risks, so it's probably not good to target that as much as fat cycling where you shed and put on weight might be part of a strategy of transitioning.
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