What is Prolactinoma
A prolactinoma is a benign tumor of the pituitary gland that produces a hormone called prolactin. It is the most common type of pituitary tumor. Symptoms of prolactinoma are caused...
Join Now
|
Does the tumour always shrink when taking the meds
|
Watch this |
| View More Posts Ignore |
I was diagnosed with a macro tumour in June this year. I started Cabergoline immediately and when I went back last month my prolactin level had come down from nearly 6000 to just above the normal range of 630. I haven't had a follow up scan yet but I've seen that sometimes the tumour doesn't shrink. I'm somewhat concerned because my initial MRI said that the tumour was pushing onto my optic nerve and lately I've been having more headaches than normal.
I've probably not listened to my body in the past and infact when I was told I had the tumour I went into overdrive and was trying not to show that i had health issues (often working too hard and then spending my evenings and weekends in bed so that work colleagues wouldn't have to make allowances for me.) It is only now that my prolactin levels have come down that I realise how Ill I actually was in the sense that I was barely functioning. Should I be concerned or should I stick it out until my next appt in January and I should have had a second MRI by then? Thanks in advance for your replies, Melissa Posted on 11/07/09, 12:11 pm |
| 5 Replies | Add Your Reply |
| View More Posts Ignore |
Melissa, your Prolactin levels should come down to less than 10 for it to be normal.
It would take some time for your tumor to shrink...several months in fact. Your tumor is large and it's productive...wow...your levels were way up there. Keep on your meds and let's see where you go from here. These tumors usually grow over a period of years and the symptoms accumulate over time. 
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
Melissa, are you in the UK-- i suspect that the levels may seem so high to us bc the units of measurement are different....
My understanding is that functioning prolactimoas (which actively produce the prolactin) will shrink from the medication. With a non functioning tumor or a cyst, the prolactin levels will come down with Cabergoline, but the tumor will not shrink.
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
You do have some reason to be concerned. I was diagnosed two years ago with a large prolactinoma ( 50+ mm ). I started on cabergoline (4 whole pills a week). The numbers started falling like a charm. The levels went from 8271 to 293 two months later to 30 last June. The second MRI showed significant shrinkage after six months.
The problem is that even though the levels kept falling, the third MRI a year after showed it was starting to grow again. Due to the size of mine and how it had wrapped itself around everything, it is inoperable, so they put me through radiation to stop it from growing more. So yes, it is great to see that your levels have come down, but make sure you do still get MRIs taken every so often.
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
my first pituitary tumor was invasive.. involved the carotid arteries, optic nerves, transverse sinuses and spheniod sinses.. had transphenoid surger in 1978, not all of the tumor was extracted.
Non-invasisve tumor was discovered about five years ago. Took Parlodel from 1978 until a year ago.. prolactin level was -15 .. so far I am not required to take parlodel ...
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
Thank you all for your comments. I am from the UK and we obviously measure prolactiin levels differently from other places. I guess I will just have to be patient and wait and see what happens.
|
|
|
|
||
| Add Your Reply |
