Prolactinoma Natural Treatment: What Actually Works

by Deborah Maragopoulos FNP | Apr 4, 2023 | Hypothalamus | 0 comments

prolactinoma natural treatment microadenoma

Can you treat prolactinomas naturally? Let's talk about it.

Prolactinomas are benign tumors on the pituitary gland that can cause some serious side effects if not treated.

Prolactinomas are prolactin-secreting adenomas and are categorized by size. Microadenomas are smaller than a centimeter in size and can be treated medically. Macroadenomas are larger than a centimeter and usually have to be removed surgically.

Most prolactinomas can be shrunk by dopamine agonists. A dopamine agonist is a medication that raises dopamine levels. Dopamine is secreted by your hypothalamus and inhibits prolactin production which is why it’s called Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone (PIH). When your hypothalamus is dysfunctional and does not produce enough dopamine, prolactin levels will rise.

Your hypothalamus produces Prolactin Releasing Hormone (PRH) which stimulates the pituitary gland to release stored prolactin.

We can measure prolactin in your blood. If your levels are grossly elevated, we suspect a prolactinoma and must do an MRI to confirm.

When you have high levels of prolactin, you may have the symptoms of milky breast discharge because prolactin induces breast milk production. Both women and men can experience this milky discharge called galactorrhea. You may also have headaches. The pea-sized pituitary gland sits in a bony saddle called the sella tursica. A prolactinoma increases the size of your pituitary creating intense pressure which you experience as headaches. Prolactinomas can also cause visual disturbances because the optic nerve runs close to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Pressure on the optic nerve by a prolactinoma can cause visual disturbances.

In women, high prolactin levels inhibit estrogen production causing irregular periods, infertility and sometimes menopausal symptoms like hot flashes. On the other hand, in men, high prolactin inhibits testosterone production causing infertility and erectile dysfunction. In both sexes, prolonged high prolactin levels can cause osteoporosis.

I recommend checking prolactin levels between 8-9 am.

At that time they should be under 9 ng/ml which indicates your hypothalamus is producing enough dopamine to inhibit prolactin production and releases. If you have a prolactinoma, your prolactin level will be much higher than the normal range for your gender.

So can you treat Prolactinomas naturally?

While surgery is necessary to remove macroadenomas, microadenomas can be managed using dopamine agonists.

I have found that supporting your hypothalamus with Genesis Gold®, and sometimes some extra Sacred Seven® amino acids, helps to keep prolactin levels in a much more normal circadian rhythm. If the patient has a microadenoma meaning a prolactinoma that is smaller than one centimeter and the levels of prolactin are not excessively high, we can just use hypothalamic support.

But if the prolactinoma is approaching one centimeter and the levels of prolactin levels are excessively high, we do need to use a dopamine agonist to induce dopamine production so that we can shrink the prolactinoma. It may take up to two years to shrink it. We follow prolactin levels and do followup MRIs.

There are two types of dopamine agonists, long-acting capergoline and short-acting bromocryptine.

Unless the prolactin levels are excessively high I use bromocryptine once in the morning to simulate natural hypothalamus circadian dopamine production. I don't want to necessarily lower prolactin at night as I’m trying to reset the circadian rhythm.

There has been some data that shows that using chasteberry can help to lower prolactin but in my clinical experience, I haven't found that Chasteberry has been very effective. Chasteberry actually increases prolactin levels in men.

If you have symptoms of a prolactinoma - headaches, visual disturbance, milky discharge from your nipples - you need to be seen as soon as possible. Endocrinologists usually treat prolactinomas, but you may be referred to a neurosurgeon if you have a macroadenoma.

If you have any questions about prolactinomas, please join me in our Hormone Support Group where I answer your questions live. You can access it by signing up for my free Hormone Reboot Training.

References:

Research: Intravaginal Bromocriptine for Prolactinoma. Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 1992.

Research: Chasteberry and Prolactin. PubMed/NIH, 2018.

Can prolactinomas be treated naturally?

Whether a prolactinoma can be treated naturally depends primarily on its size and the severity of prolactin elevation. Small prolactinomas — microadenomas under one centimeter — may be manageable through hypothalamic support and natural dopamine-supporting approaches, particularly when prolactin levels are only modestly elevated. The hypothalamus produces dopamine, which is also called Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone — when the hypothalamus is adequately nourished and its dopamine production is supported, it can naturally suppress prolactin production back toward normal range. Larger prolactinomas — macroadenomas over one centimeter — or any prolactinoma causing significant symptoms (headaches, visual disturbances, galactorrhea, or significant fertility impact) require medical evaluation and treatment; natural approaches alone are not appropriate in these cases and medical intervention should not be delayed.

What is a prolactinoma and what causes it?

A prolactinoma is a benign (non-cancerous) tumor of the pituitary gland that produces excess prolactin — the hormone responsible for breast milk production and for suppressing reproductive hormones during breastfeeding. Prolactinomas are the most common type of pituitary tumor and occur in both women and men. They are categorized by size: microadenomas are smaller than one centimeter and are typically managed medically; macroadenomas are larger than one centimeter and often require surgical removal. The pituitary gland sits in a bony structure called the sella turcica at the base of the skull — a macroadenoma can exert pressure on surrounding structures including the optic nerve, causing headaches and visual disturbances. The underlying cause of most prolactinomas is not fully understood, but hypothalamic dysregulation — particularly insufficient dopamine production — is a significant contributing factor, as dopamine from the hypothalamus normally inhibits pituitary prolactin release.

What are the symptoms of high prolactin levels?

Elevated prolactin produces symptoms through two mechanisms — the direct effects of prolactin on target tissues and the secondary effects of the reproductive hormone suppression it causes. Direct symptoms include milky nipple discharge (galactorrhea) in both women and men, and headaches from pituitary enlargement pressing on surrounding tissue. Indirect symptoms from reproductive hormone suppression include irregular or absent menstrual periods, infertility, hot flashes, and reduced libido in women — reflecting the estrogen deficiency that high prolactin causes by suppressing GnRH pulsatility. In men, high prolactin suppresses testosterone, producing reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and fatigue. In both sexes, prolonged elevation of prolactin causes bone density loss because the estrogen and testosterone deficiencies it produces remove their protective effect on bone remodeling.

Why does the hypothalamus affect prolactin levels?

The hypothalamus is the primary regulator of prolactin through two opposing signals. It produces dopamine — also called Prolactin Inhibiting Hormone (PIH) — which travels to the pituitary and suppresses prolactin release. It also produces Prolactin Releasing Hormone (PRH), which stimulates prolactin secretion. Under normal circumstances, dopaminergic inhibition dominates and keeps prolactin within the normal circadian range — highest during sleep, lowest in the morning. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated — from chronic stress, malnutrition, certain medications, hypothyroidism, or physical injury — dopamine production decreases, and prolactin rises without adequate inhibitory control. This is why supporting hypothalamic function is clinically relevant for managing elevated prolactin, even when a microadenoma is present: addressing the hypothalamic root can improve the regulatory environment in which the pituitary is operating.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can your hypothalamus cause weight gain?

Yes. The hypothalamus is the master regulator of metabolism, controlling how your body stores and burns energy through its signaling to the thyroid, adrenals, and pancreas. When the hypothalamus becomes dysregulated by chronic stress, poor sleep, inflammation, or blood sugar instability, it defends a higher weight "set point" — causing the body to hold onto fat regardless of diet or exercise. This makes hypothalamic dysfunction an upstream root cause of stubborn weight gain.

What is a weight set point and why won't mine move?

A weight set point is the body weight your hypothalamus works to defend, calibrated over time by stress, sleep, hormones, and inflammation. When you diet, the hypothalamus perceives scarcity and responds by slowing metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and suppressing satiety signals to return you to that set point. This is why most people regain lost weight within two to five years of conventional dieting — the set point itself was never recalibrated, only temporarily overridden.

Why do I gain weight under stress even when I'm not eating more?

Chronic stress raises cortisol, which disrupts blood sugar regulation, promotes abdominal fat storage, and signals the hypothalamus that the body is under threat. In survival mode, the hypothalamus defends fat stores and slows metabolism — so weight can increase even without any change in calorie intake. The stress chemistry, not the food, is driving the weight gain, which is why stress reduction is essential to any lasting metabolic reset.

Why do I regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications?

GLP-1 medications work peripherally on appetite and gastric signaling, but they do not address the underlying hypothalamic dysregulation that sets your defended weight. Because the hypothalamic set point is never recalibrated, the body resumes defending its original weight once the medication stops — leading to significant regain. Long-term success requires restoring hypothalamic regulation so the set point itself lowers, rather than relying on appetite suppression alone.

How long does it take to reset your metabolism?

Genuine metabolic recalibration takes a minimum of 90 days, because the hypothalamus needs consistent signals of safety and sufficiency before it will lower its defended set point. This differs from a diet, which produces temporary suppression the body quickly corrects. A 90-day reset typically moves through three phases: stabilizing stress chemistry (days 1–30), rebuilding metabolic efficiency (days 31–60), and lowering the weight set point (days 61–90).

Why does my thyroid feel slow even though my labs are "normal"?

Under chronic stress, the body converts thyroid hormone into reverse T3, which blocks active thyroid receptors and slows metabolism at the cellular level — even when standard lab values appear normal. This means you can experience genuine symptoms of slow metabolism, such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and brain fog, while your thyroid panel looks unremarkable. Addressing the upstream hypothalamic and stress signaling often improves thyroid conversion and symptoms.

Is stubborn weight gain a willpower problem?

No. Stubborn weight gain is a signaling problem, not a willpower problem. The hypothalamus governs weight through survival mechanisms that operate below conscious control — defending its set point by slowing metabolism and increasing hunger when it perceives threat. No amount of discipline can override this system; lasting change comes from restoring hypothalamic regulation through reduced stress, balanced blood sugar, restorative sleep, and targeted nutritional support.

About the Author - Deborah Maragopoulos FNP

Known as the Hormone Queen®️, I’ve made it my mission to help everyone - no matter their age - balance their hormones, and live the energy and joy their DNA and true destiny desires. See more about me my story here...

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Last Updated: June 10, 2026