Yes, vitamin D deficiency appears to be linked to high prolactin levels, with studies showing that people with low vitamin D often have elevated prolactin, and vitamin D supplementation can help lower these levels, suggesting a potential regulatory role for vitamin D in prolactin secretion, particularly in conditions like prolactinomas.
Also vitamin D deficiency in prolactinoma patients associated with larger adenoma size and higher prolactin level. Finally, 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was a statistically significant predictor of prolactinoma size but not prolactin levels.
Estrogen and Progesterone: Adequate Vitamin D supports the enzymes that regulate these sex hormones. Without balance here, luteal phase defects, PMS, or irregular cycles can occur. Androgens: Low Vitamin D is often linked with elevated testosterone in women, a hallmark of PCOS.
If prolactin levels are high, more tests are usually done to check for other hormones including thyroid hormone levels and to rule out pregnancy in women. Low thyroid (hypothyroidism) sometimes causes hyperprolactinemia. A test for an abnormal form of prolactin (macroprolactin) might also need to be done.
Increased prolactin is also seen in lactation, pregnancy, and the post-partum state. Multiple medications can also increase prolactin levels. These include estrogens, dopamine blockers/antagonists, some stomach acid reducers, opiates, some high blood pressure medications, anti-depressants, and anti-psychotics.
Most cases of hyperprolactinemia are caused by increased prolactin secretion from the pituitary gland, which also produces many other hormones that travel throughout the body. In women, physical or psychological stress, pregnancy and nipple stimulation have all been found to increase prolactin levels.
The most potent stimulator for prolactin synthesis is suckling or nipple stimulation. This mechanical process stimulates sensory nerves in the nipple that carry the signal via the spinal cord to the arcuate nucleus, which inhibits dopamine release, thus removing the inhibitory action of dopamine on prolactin.
Vitamin B6 can naturally lower prolactin levels as it is involved in dopamine production. Therefore, incorporating foods rich in Vitamin B6, such as fish, chicken, bananas, and avocados, is recommended.
If dopamine function is impaired due to such factors as fewer D2 receptors, reduced reuptake, or decreased dopamine transporter, all of which have been observed in rodent models of early iron deficiency (4,5), there should be less inhibition of prolactin release and therefore higher prolactin levels.
Doctors treat prolactinomas primarily with medications that lower prolactin levels and shrink the tumor. Surgery is less commonly required unless the tumor doesn't respond to medication or causes pressure on nearby areas, like the optic nerves.
Here are 10 unexpected signs of a vitamin D deficiency that may surprise you.
When vitamin D levels are low and the body isn't able to properly absorb calcium and phosphorus, there is an increased risk of bone pain, bone fractures, muscle pain, and muscle weakness. In older adults, severe vitamin D deficiency (levels less than 10 ng/mL) may also contribute to an increased risk of falls.
Vitamin D absorption can be prevented by limited sun exposure (dark skin, sunscreen, covering up, indoor lifestyle), medical conditions (celiac, Crohn's, cystic fibrosis, liver/kidney disease, obesity), certain medications (steroids, anti-seizure drugs, weight-loss drugs), and even some nutritional factors like low magnesium, with fat malabsorption issues and obesity being major culprits for preventing both dietary and sun-derived vitamin D from working effectively.
Some women may have elevated prolactin levels without any symptoms. In men, high prolactin levels can cause galactorrhea, erectile dysfunction (inability to achieve and/or sustain an erection during sex), reduced sexual desire, and infertility.
Hormonal Imbalances From Vitamin D Deficiency in Women
Conversely, when dopamine levels are low, prolactin production increases. Hypothalamic tumors: Abnormal growths on the hypothalamus gland—such as craniopharyngiomas, germinomas, and hypothalamic hamartomas—can disrupt dopamine signaling, which inhibits prolactin secretion.
Can Low Vitamin D Increase Prolactin Levels? It seems vitamin D deficiency may cause high prolactin levels. For example, in a study from Poland, researchers investigated the levels of vitamin D in women who had high levels of prolactin. They found these women to be low in vitamin D.
Macroprolactin is found to interfere with most commercially available immunoassays used for prolactin. As a result, false high prolactin values (apparent hyperprolactinemia) are obtained and these values depend on the assay method employed (11).
Outline
The brain chemical dopamine helps suppress (stop) prolactin production.
After a 16-week treatment period, the vB6 group showed a 68.1% reduction in serum prolactin levels (from 95.52 ± 6.30 μg/L to 30.43 ± 18.65 μg/L) while the ARI group showed only a 37.4% reduction (from 89.07 ± 3.59 μg/L to 55.78 ± 7.39 μg/L). During weeks 1–4, both treatments reduced prolactin similarly.
Supplements like vitex, magnesium, vitamin B6, and zinc can all help lower prolactin levels. You can also try lifestyle changes like getting enough sleep, managing stress, and reducing alcohol consumption.
It is particularly important that you express at least once during the night. This is because the levels of the hormone prolactin, which drives milk production, are higher overnight. Prolactin levels seem to be highest between 2-6am.
Hypothyroidism is commonly associated with hyperprolactinemia and such patients exhibit ovulatory failure. Hence, assessment of serum TSH and prolactin levels are mandatory in the work up of all infertile women, especially those presenting with menstrual irregularities.
Prolactin levels have been reported to be affected by different types of psychosocial stressors. Elevated prolactin levels have been reported in response to acute stressors such as acute psychosocial laboratory stress [17], parachute jumping [18], and skydiving [19].