Prolactin blood test

A fasting blood sample is needed .

No special preparation is necessary.

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.

Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain. It regulates the body's balance of many hormones. Prolactin stimulates breast development and milk production in women. There is no known normal function for prolactin in men. Prolactin is usually measured…

The normal values for prolactin are: Men: less than 20 ng/mL (20 µg/L) Nonpregnant women: less than 25 ng/mL (25 µg/L) Pregnant women: less than 500 ng/mL (500 µg/L) Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your health…

People with the following conditions may have high prolactin levels: Chest wall injury or irritation Presence of nipple rings Disease of an area of the brain called the hypothalamus Thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone ( hypothyroidism ) Kidney disease Pituitary tumor that makes prolactin ( prolactinoma…

There is little risk in having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Excessive bleeding…

Guber HA, Oprea M, Rusell YX. Evaluation of endocrine function. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods . 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25. Weiss RE. Anterior pituitary. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 27th ed.…