Hyperprolactinaemia

In theory, hyperprolactinaemia means your body is producing too much prolactin (a hormone produced by the pituarity gland). This occurs naturally when a woman is breastfeeding to produce the breast milk.

This is nature’s concept that while a mother is still breast-feeding, she will be less fertile (to reduce mums chance of having repeated pregnancies in very short intervals). While breastfeeding may limit natural fertility, it is not a contraceptive method.

A woman’s natural fertility, when not breastfeeding, can be affected by the same biochemical mechanisms – hyperprolactinaemia and this indicates that your body’s biochemistry is malfunctioning and reduce your fertility status. This generally comes about due to lifestyle factors such as:

·         Stress

·         Excessive exercise

·         Beer and alcohol

·         High dose oestrogen contraceptive pill

·         An  underactive thyroid

Studies are showing that constant stress can cause the body to produce the same amount of prolactin as when a woman is lactating. It would be important to monitor your stress levels and the causing factors of the stress to assist with the fertility treatment.

The idea behind treatment is to correct the chemicals stimulating the glands to inform the body that it is ready to produce regular menstrual and ovulation cycles and prepare to conceive another embryo. The general consensus on the cause of hyperprolactinaemia is that is biochemically overstimulating the prolactin-secreting glands. From a blood test, an analysis on your hormone levels can assist in making an educated judgement on this and provide guidelines on necessary treatment.

How do you know? It’s important to test your levels of prolactin with a routine blood test. In the mean time some sign and symptoms you may experience include:

·         Light and irregular periods

·         Absent periods

·         Decreased libido

·         Possible headaches

A Naturopath can assist you with correcting your hormone levels and regulating the menstrual cycle to bring about natural fertility. It is vital that you have the blood levels checked to ensure that there is nothing more serious behind the signs and symptoms.

From here, you should expect to see positive change within a few months.

Something so simple could be causing your infertility.