Galactorrhea: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Galactorrhea is milky breast discharge found in women who aren’t pregnant or breastfeeding, and in rarer cases, men. It affects as many as one out of every four or five women. It can happen at any age, even after menopause, and even if you’ve never had children.
Galactorrhea causes
A common cause of galactorrhea is high levels of prolactin, the hormone that triggers milk production. The pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of your brain, produces prolactin. You may find that your menstrual periods stop or become less frequent while you have the milky discharge.
Several other factors can contribute to galactorrhea, including:
overstimulation of the breasts, either during sexual activity or frequent breast self-exams, or when articles of clothing rub against the breast, such as a sports bra during high-impact exercise
certain medicines, including antidepressants, opioids, birth control pills, sedatives, antipsychotics, and high blood pressure medicines
certain herbal supplements, such as fennel or anise
an underactive thyroid gland
disorders affecting the pituitary gland, such as a non-cancerous tumor
ongoing kidney disease or kidney failure
While it is more common in women, men also can develop galactorrhea. Galactorrhea in men is caused by many of the same factors as galactorrhea in women, such as an underactive thyroid gland. It also can be caused by very low testosterone levels and is usually accompanied by gynecomastia, breast enlargement, or tenderness.
Sometimes doctors can’t find a cause for galactorrhea. If this happens, it’s called idiopathic galactorrhea. It may mean your breast tissue is extra sensitive to prolactin. In this case, even normal levels of prolactin can cause galactorrhea.
Galactorrhea symptoms
The main sign of galactorrhea is a milky liquid coming from the nipples. This can happen in one or both breasts.
Depending on the cause of the galactorrhea, you might have other symptoms, including:
erectile dysfunction, if you’re a man
Diagnosing galactorrhea
To diagnose galactorrhea, your doctor does several things, including:
a physical exam of the breast and nipples
analyze the nipple discharge
review the medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take
a blood test to check your prolactin levels and thyroid function
a pregnancy test
imaging tests of the breasts, such as a mammogram or ultrasound
an MRI of your pituitary gland
Galactorrhea treatment
Treating galactorrhea depends on the cause. In some people, it goes away on its own without treatment.
Your doctor may recommend:
taking cabergoline (brand names: Dostinex, Cabaser) or bromocriptine (brand names: Cycloset, Parlodel) to lower prolactin levels
stopping certain medicines or supplements
taking medicine to treat an underactive thyroid gland, if that’s the cause
avoiding activities that overstimulate your nipples
wearing loose-fitting clothing to reduce friction on your nipples
wearing breast pads to absorb the discharge and protect the nipples
When a pituitary tumor is the cause of galactorrhea, the tumor is usually benign (non-cancerous). If the tumor isn’t causing other problems, your doctor may decide it doesn’t need to be treated. If the tumor does need to be treated, your doctor may prescribe medicine or radiation therapy to shrink it or recommend the tumor be removed with surgery.
— Last updated on March 12, 2024 at 7:50 PM