Prolactinoma Support Group
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 by too much prolactin in the blood or by pressure of the tumor on surrounding tissues. Prolactin stimulates the breast to produce milk during pregnancy. After delivery of the baby, a mother's...
I started getting weird symptoms in 2008 and was on Alesse birth control since 2006. It started with a horrible yeast infection followed by severe nausea that lasted for months and months with anxiety. Felt like morning sickness but lasted 24 hrs a day every day. I literally could not eat anything without feeling sick. Had dizziness as well. I went of all meds because the doctors could never figure out what was wrong with me. This weird illness faded 6 months later as mysteriously as it had begun. Started the same birth conrol again in 2009, two years later same symptoms started again. Yeast infection, severe nausea, but this time with severe anxiety that would last all day. I also had trouble with double vision and had pretty severe tension headaches for a month straight, along with bad memory. Again the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. This time it has been going for a year and a half. Went off all meds again. I ened up in a psychiatric hospital for 5 days for severe anxiety, and was started on Mirtazapine. It worked for the anxiety, but a few days into the med i started having a deep deep depression. The doc would not check my hormones so I went to a naturopath and did a saliva test, and the hormomes were all out of whack. I then went to a gynechologist and was told i may have pcos, but lucily he checked my prolactin and it was elevated in two different blood tests, 54 and 52. I did not know i was lactating until i squeezed my nipples. I was then referred to an endocrinologist and had an mri done and found out that I have a 4mm prolactinoma. I started on Cabergoline .5mg and was also started on Prozac 5mg by my psychiatrist. The Cabergoline was way to strong and I ended up in the ER with severe constipation so I ended up cutting my dose down to .125mg once a week. I get depressed within 24hrs of taking the pill and Im still battling constipation, but not as bad. It also makes me not sleep very good. By the time i need to take my next dose, I feel pretty good. I know that my symptoms were all over the place and ended up seeing every doctor form a gastro to a naturopath. I have been told that all of these symptomes were all in my head caused by anxiety and depression. I do know they tried to diagnose me with depression years ago, because I have also battled severe irritability and a low sex drive for a few years as well which has not been good on my marriage. I understand that my symptoms have been all over the place and that is why Ive had such a hard time getting diagnosed. I have been told numerous times that my symptoms such as the nausea, severe anxiety and severe depression are not related to the prolactinoma. I literally feel at this juncture in my life, i can not handle any kind of stress because it sends me into a depression, and i have also been questioning everything in my life including the love for my husband when i have been with him for over 13yrs and he has been by my side with patience and understanding through out this whole ordeal. Questioning things I have never questioned before. So I guess my question is......Can my symtoms that I have had over the years be contributed to the proactinoma, and can this devilish thing litrally make me feel like I am going completely crazy questioning everyting and such?
It's very unlikely that you've had a prolactinoma growing since 2008 if tis only 4mm. Furthermore, your symptoms wouldnt go away and then come back, they would just continue to worsen. People here have many different responses to the hormone changes caused by prolactinomas but your would be the worst i'd heard of yet.
I really doubt that all your stress and depression is caused by the prolactinoma, sorry.
Depending on what cells are being pressed by the tumor, you can experience a litany of issues. The symptoms are as individual as the individual and you are correct about the cabergoline...it does make depression horribly, horribly bad.
In my case, I just switched to Bromocriptine and it's a God send...with way fewer side effects.
You are not losing your mind, you have a prolactinoma.
My tumor has held steady at about 5 mm, never growing, never shrinking. So yes, it's possible you've had it for years before finding out about it.
My advice would be to wake up each day determined to stay up and stay busy!
Personally, I do a lot better with more rest and more sleep. I used to fight it, but it usually wins out in the end.
I had symptoms going back into my teens with this. I was hospitalized in 1993, twice, for depression and anxiety. The doctors tested and treated me and totally missed it. I found my tumor by using Google and putting in my symptoms...and finally talked my GP to test me.
In 2006, there it was and it explained so much.
The problem is not just Prolactin. There are also complex Neuropeptides within the brain itself...in the Thalamus and Hypothalamus...that simply have a problem regulating hormones in the body.
Just like Diabetes is an Endocrine problem that can kill...I see no reason why our Endocrine problems are any less severe. Of course, people are going to look at you and say, "You don't look sick".
If they only knew you were trying to drive down the Interstate with the Emergency Brake applied...they'd come to understand what we face.
I seldom ever feel good.