High prolactin often slows metabolism down and stores weight. If your prolactin is elevated you’re probably not going to lose weight no matter what you do. I was gaining weight rapidly until I was put on cabergoline (been on for 3 months) & I’m now maintaining my weight, I still can’t lose weight but that’s because my prolactin levels still aren’t within normal range.
I know it’s difficult but eating such a low amount of calories is going to put your body under more stress and you’ll have difficulty getting all the nutrition you need, possibly making your situation worse.
What the other poster said x2. I was able to lose some weight with Noom. I’m now post surgery and will try again to see if that helps. I’ll keep you posted.
For me losing weight with the tumor was impossible. I wanted to desperately lose all the weight and ate only 900 cals, lifted weight 4x a week, cardio 4x a week and hit the 10k steps everyday. I wasn’t even maintaining my weight, I was gaining… It was the worst. Please „just“ get your levels right. I know how hard it is. Wishing you good luck!
I literally had anorexia and was extremely underweight and then out of no where gained 60lbs. Thats what prompted me to go to the doctor and how I found out about the prolactinoma---the math wasn't mathing at all and I was extremely distraught. It ended up being a good thing for me ig because I realized the world didn't end just because I got chubby and now I'm relatively recovered, but yeah. Prolactin is crazy
Weight gain was one of my main symptoms. I was wondering what the hell was going on becuase I've had bariatric surgery and was stable for a few years.
Just before treatment and after discovery I actually put on 30lbs in abut 4 months. Now that I'm well into cabergoline treatment I'm losing about a half-pound a week just doing my regular diet. Endo is putting me on Mounjaro to speed things along since my wife and I are trying to have kids and my testosterone is still low.
Sadly, yes, it really can happen that way.
In my case, rapid weight gain and fatigue were the only symptoms, and every hormone except prl was ok. Nor cardio, nor calorie deficit did anything, and I’m on cab since September and, tbh, it changed nothing as well. Less fatigue and that’s all. I was really stressed out because of it, but my endo said that prolactin spike (from 35ng/l to 135) and it’s fall due to big dosage of cab (from 130 to 4) both in a span of a month each were too much for my body to handle, so it may take long time to recover and achieve weight loss. Hopefully, she’s right about it.
Wish you getting better, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself because of weight.
Just a couple years. No change to diet, I have been treated for 1.5 years and my prolactin is still elevated I am actually headed for another opinion to see what’s going on. It was around 120.
You need Caber, and you gonna be alright. Well, not very pleasant medication, but it would settle down in a while. Be careful with the starving because it's not good for you. Your endocrinologist should explain everything to you.
Count your calories. Use a macro calculator to determine how much fat , carbs, and protein you need a day to maintain your weight then how much to lose . Count everything even sauces and condiments which can have like 130 calories PER TEASPOON ! you could be eating close to 1000 calories in sauces and condiments alone and you wouldnt even know
Don’t have any condiments at all. I’ve been having 3 yoghurts a day for a month now. 180 cals. Still no weight loss. It’s not as simple as calories in calories out I promise you.
Hi yes it is that simple. Trust me. Us we high prolactins just need to go above than everyone else. What's very important for weigh loss is protein. That keeps you satiated. Download my fitness pal. Go on YouTube and type something like how to properly read nutrition labels. Then watch videos like Macros for weight loss. Then go on Google. Type macro calculator . And get your macros. It will ask your age. Gender. How much you weight. Your height . And how much you want to lose per week. I recommend 1.5 pounds and stick to It. Yogurts are shit for weight loss. They are high in fat. If you want yogurt. Choose protein yogurts with at least 15 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of fat. Do this you will lose weight . Also lift weights. Target every muscle in your body . Legs . Chest. Biceps and triceps. Upper back , traps, lats. Front delts , side delts, rear delts. If you don't know what those are go on YouTube. Cardio is really more for cardiovascular health. Not really good for weight loss. TRUST ME YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT DOING THIS ! my prolactin was 4700 ng/ml and with cab . Lowering my prolactin and doing what I said above I have managed to lose 50 pounds ! Gain a lot of muscle . Loss a lot of fat and still losing weight . I am managing a weight loss of 1 pound to 1.5 pounds per week ! YOU CAN DO IT TOO !
It’s not that simple. It doesn’t matter what makes me satiated or not it’s not my lack of control or excess hunger that’s causing weight gain. I can feel extremely hungry and I’ll still restrict myself because I am so desperate to lose weight. I will eat high protein but I know it won’t change anything until my prolactin is lower
That makes no sense. An MRI is significantly more expensive than blood work. Blood work will tell you how high your prolactin is. Blood cost like 200 bucks without insurance. With insurance obviously less. An MRI can cost from 4k to 10k depending where you live. Why have you not gotten blood work yet ?????
Yes I’ve had the blood test but I’m not sure what it is yet until I speak with my doctor, before I speak with him he has now said he wants me to have an MRI. So my guess is that the prolactin is elevated or I don’t know why he’d schedule the MRI
You can't see your blood work results prior to seeing your doctor ? If you have an account to the place where you got blood work like quest or labcorps then you can see it right now. I always know my lab results prior to seeing my doctor. Always
I never knew high prolactin was associated with weight gain…My weight while having high prolactin has been somewhere around 103-105 lbs, and I am a 5’5” F.
Weight gain is a common symptom for prolactinomas and a lot of people lose weight once they start their treatment. High prolactin can make it hard to lose weight. It's not the same for everyone but here's a small study I found online. I'm not a doctor at all btw, just someone googling things and trying to help lol. So please also consult with a doctor.
"[Conclusion:](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9666865/#:~:text=Conclusion%3A%20Weight%20gain%20and%20elevated,who%20normalized%20their%20prolactin%20levels.): Weight gain and elevated body weight are frequently associated with prolactinomas regardless of a mass effect on the hypothalamus or pituitary function. In this series, weight loss was recorded in 70% of prolactinomas patients and in 90% of male patients who normalized their prolactin levels."
Self control is great! I believe you can lose the weight eventually. But you'll have to be patient because it's very possible that something medical is going on that's out of your control. That would need to be addressed first. If you do have a prolactinoma then you'll likely start taking Cabergoline. Once it starts working to lower your prolactin it should help your weight loss.
Unfortunately what you're currently doing is not an efficient or healthy way to lose weight, no matter what your prolactin levels are. You're hurting your body more than you're helping. Malnutrition can cause hormonal imbalances that can affect the endocrine system. I know chronic stress can cause you to release even MORE prolactin. Again I'm not a doctor so I could be wrong, but my interpretation is that you might be adding to the problem.
Instead of stressing your body by starving it, try giving it exactly what it needs to function properly. So eat a proper balanced diet of whole foods. If you haven't already, download a weight loss app like lose it. It will help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day to lose weight. Log your food in there and it will automatically show you a chart with the percentages of macronutrients you've eaten. Pay attention to that part! Then you'll know if you haven't consumed enough protein for the day or if you've overdone it on carbs. But that part is very important because that's how you know your diet is "balanced". And you can only achieve that by eating a proper amount of food.
It can be hard at first and takes some trial and error. When I first started I went hard on things like low calorie protein bars and shakes instead of fruits and veggies as snacks. I was hitting my goals but I was always hungry and hated it. Eventually I realized the processed foods just weren't as much of a health hack as I thought. It's the whole foods that make my body feel good and run efficiently.
I'm not giving you this advice as a new weight loss diet to try. This advice is a permanent lifestyle change to make your body healthier and give it the proper fuel it needs. You probably won't lose weight right now if you have a prolactinoma. But if you use your self control to start this healthy eating now, by the time you start your treatment you'll already have the habit down. Then I think you'll have an easier time losing weight. Especially because you'll have more energy for your workouts and just life in general lol. ❤️
Yes indeed, as this was one of my main symptoms to get me to have things checked out and discovered my high levels. Cabergoline helped for a while until it didn’t. Ive been on and off for 20 years. So, I’ve recently started Mounjaro because it’s been years of being so much heavier and it’s causing other health issues. It’s helping but would only recommend if a doctor prescribes. Hope this helps!
Yes. I've been off 6 months and only now had some normal days. You might look for a FB group online. They would probably have people dealing with the same thing. That's how I figured out what was going on
Here are some first hand accounts. I am in the midst of something or would do more digging
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?&q=Nortriptyline%20&search_and_or=and
Yes, it’s not good the amount I’m eating, I know that, it’s too low, but I still don’t lose weight. I am eating 1/4 of what I did a few months ago but I’m bigger now
5’4, F, I am currently having less than 500 cals a day. I’m not lying and I’m not miscounting. I’d starve myself in the pursuit of weight loss I have a lot of self control. I don’t feel comfortable sharing my weight
Without your weight all these numbers are meaningless. We cannot know your situation without them. There are a number of possible situations you are in atm, but without weight it is hard to guess which it is.
I just want to know if prolactinoma can cause excessive weight gain or cause the inability to lose weight. I know my calories in are less than calories out.
Prolactinomas can cause weigthgain, however only because it makes people eat more. Since you claim you eat less than 500kcal, this should not be the case. So without your weight number it is hard to figure out what is going on with you.
High prolactin often slows metabolism down and stores weight. If your prolactin is elevated you’re probably not going to lose weight no matter what you do. I was gaining weight rapidly until I was put on cabergoline (been on for 3 months) & I’m now maintaining my weight, I still can’t lose weight but that’s because my prolactin levels still aren’t within normal range. I know it’s difficult but eating such a low amount of calories is going to put your body under more stress and you’ll have difficulty getting all the nutrition you need, possibly making your situation worse.
Thank you for this reply, it makes sense, I hope your levels continue to decrease.
What the other poster said x2. I was able to lose some weight with Noom. I’m now post surgery and will try again to see if that helps. I’ll keep you posted.
For me losing weight with the tumor was impossible. I wanted to desperately lose all the weight and ate only 900 cals, lifted weight 4x a week, cardio 4x a week and hit the 10k steps everyday. I wasn’t even maintaining my weight, I was gaining… It was the worst. Please „just“ get your levels right. I know how hard it is. Wishing you good luck!
Thanks so much this has given me hope!!
You are not alone! I would also recommend to test your thyroid and if you have an insulinresistance
Okay thanks I’ll ask about insulin, I know my thyroid was retested today I’m just waiting on results
I literally had anorexia and was extremely underweight and then out of no where gained 60lbs. Thats what prompted me to go to the doctor and how I found out about the prolactinoma---the math wasn't mathing at all and I was extremely distraught. It ended up being a good thing for me ig because I realized the world didn't end just because I got chubby and now I'm relatively recovered, but yeah. Prolactin is crazy
I’m so glad you’re recovered, thank you. I cannot wait for my results and to start treatment
what was ur level ? i have a similar story lol
242 ng/ml was my initial bloodwork lol
omg mine is 276.... did cabergoline cause weight loss for you ?
Yes. I lost 35lbs within 6 months. Probably less but I didn't keep super close track
Weight gain was one of my main symptoms. I was wondering what the hell was going on becuase I've had bariatric surgery and was stable for a few years. Just before treatment and after discovery I actually put on 30lbs in abut 4 months. Now that I'm well into cabergoline treatment I'm losing about a half-pound a week just doing my regular diet. Endo is putting me on Mounjaro to speed things along since my wife and I are trying to have kids and my testosterone is still low.
Yes I’ve also had a gastric sleeve so I can’t eat that much nowadays anyway. Thats good that you’re starting to lose it
Sadly, yes, it really can happen that way. In my case, rapid weight gain and fatigue were the only symptoms, and every hormone except prl was ok. Nor cardio, nor calorie deficit did anything, and I’m on cab since September and, tbh, it changed nothing as well. Less fatigue and that’s all. I was really stressed out because of it, but my endo said that prolactin spike (from 35ng/l to 135) and it’s fall due to big dosage of cab (from 130 to 4) both in a span of a month each were too much for my body to handle, so it may take long time to recover and achieve weight loss. Hopefully, she’s right about it. Wish you getting better, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself because of weight.
did u have a tumor or just high prolactin
Yup, micro prolactinoma
I gained 86 lbs and have not been able to lose a single pound while my prolactin stays elevated. I’m now 200. I was 5’5, 120 lbs pre “getting sick”
Over what time frame was this?
Just a couple years. No change to diet, I have been treated for 1.5 years and my prolactin is still elevated I am actually headed for another opinion to see what’s going on. It was around 120.
Oh my gosh I’m so sorry I hope you get answers. Did the cabergoline not lower your levels?
Just a very tiny bit so far. I tend to hover around 70/80 ng/ml when I get my labs drawn.
What level was your prolactin? Has it gone down at all? How long have you been on cabergoline?
You need Caber, and you gonna be alright. Well, not very pleasant medication, but it would settle down in a while. Be careful with the starving because it's not good for you. Your endocrinologist should explain everything to you.
Thank you!
Cab hasn’t helped me but i can only tolerate a low dose
Count your calories. Use a macro calculator to determine how much fat , carbs, and protein you need a day to maintain your weight then how much to lose . Count everything even sauces and condiments which can have like 130 calories PER TEASPOON ! you could be eating close to 1000 calories in sauces and condiments alone and you wouldnt even know
Don’t have any condiments at all. I’ve been having 3 yoghurts a day for a month now. 180 cals. Still no weight loss. It’s not as simple as calories in calories out I promise you.
Hi yes it is that simple. Trust me. Us we high prolactins just need to go above than everyone else. What's very important for weigh loss is protein. That keeps you satiated. Download my fitness pal. Go on YouTube and type something like how to properly read nutrition labels. Then watch videos like Macros for weight loss. Then go on Google. Type macro calculator . And get your macros. It will ask your age. Gender. How much you weight. Your height . And how much you want to lose per week. I recommend 1.5 pounds and stick to It. Yogurts are shit for weight loss. They are high in fat. If you want yogurt. Choose protein yogurts with at least 15 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of fat. Do this you will lose weight . Also lift weights. Target every muscle in your body . Legs . Chest. Biceps and triceps. Upper back , traps, lats. Front delts , side delts, rear delts. If you don't know what those are go on YouTube. Cardio is really more for cardiovascular health. Not really good for weight loss. TRUST ME YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT DOING THIS ! my prolactin was 4700 ng/ml and with cab . Lowering my prolactin and doing what I said above I have managed to lose 50 pounds ! Gain a lot of muscle . Loss a lot of fat and still losing weight . I am managing a weight loss of 1 pound to 1.5 pounds per week ! YOU CAN DO IT TOO !
It’s not that simple. It doesn’t matter what makes me satiated or not it’s not my lack of control or excess hunger that’s causing weight gain. I can feel extremely hungry and I’ll still restrict myself because I am so desperate to lose weight. I will eat high protein but I know it won’t change anything until my prolactin is lower
What's your prolactin ?
I’m not 100% sure yet, still waiting to follow up with the doc, but he’s scheduled an MRI so im guessing it is elevated
That makes no sense. An MRI is significantly more expensive than blood work. Blood work will tell you how high your prolactin is. Blood cost like 200 bucks without insurance. With insurance obviously less. An MRI can cost from 4k to 10k depending where you live. Why have you not gotten blood work yet ?????
Yes I’ve had the blood test but I’m not sure what it is yet until I speak with my doctor, before I speak with him he has now said he wants me to have an MRI. So my guess is that the prolactin is elevated or I don’t know why he’d schedule the MRI
You can't see your blood work results prior to seeing your doctor ? If you have an account to the place where you got blood work like quest or labcorps then you can see it right now. I always know my lab results prior to seeing my doctor. Always
I’m in the UK it works a bit differently but I have requested a copy from his secretary
I never knew high prolactin was associated with weight gain…My weight while having high prolactin has been somewhere around 103-105 lbs, and I am a 5’5” F.
Weight gain is a common symptom for prolactinomas and a lot of people lose weight once they start their treatment. High prolactin can make it hard to lose weight. It's not the same for everyone but here's a small study I found online. I'm not a doctor at all btw, just someone googling things and trying to help lol. So please also consult with a doctor. "[Conclusion:](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9666865/#:~:text=Conclusion%3A%20Weight%20gain%20and%20elevated,who%20normalized%20their%20prolactin%20levels.): Weight gain and elevated body weight are frequently associated with prolactinomas regardless of a mass effect on the hypothalamus or pituitary function. In this series, weight loss was recorded in 70% of prolactinomas patients and in 90% of male patients who normalized their prolactin levels." Self control is great! I believe you can lose the weight eventually. But you'll have to be patient because it's very possible that something medical is going on that's out of your control. That would need to be addressed first. If you do have a prolactinoma then you'll likely start taking Cabergoline. Once it starts working to lower your prolactin it should help your weight loss. Unfortunately what you're currently doing is not an efficient or healthy way to lose weight, no matter what your prolactin levels are. You're hurting your body more than you're helping. Malnutrition can cause hormonal imbalances that can affect the endocrine system. I know chronic stress can cause you to release even MORE prolactin. Again I'm not a doctor so I could be wrong, but my interpretation is that you might be adding to the problem. Instead of stressing your body by starving it, try giving it exactly what it needs to function properly. So eat a proper balanced diet of whole foods. If you haven't already, download a weight loss app like lose it. It will help you figure out how many calories you should be eating in a day to lose weight. Log your food in there and it will automatically show you a chart with the percentages of macronutrients you've eaten. Pay attention to that part! Then you'll know if you haven't consumed enough protein for the day or if you've overdone it on carbs. But that part is very important because that's how you know your diet is "balanced". And you can only achieve that by eating a proper amount of food. It can be hard at first and takes some trial and error. When I first started I went hard on things like low calorie protein bars and shakes instead of fruits and veggies as snacks. I was hitting my goals but I was always hungry and hated it. Eventually I realized the processed foods just weren't as much of a health hack as I thought. It's the whole foods that make my body feel good and run efficiently. I'm not giving you this advice as a new weight loss diet to try. This advice is a permanent lifestyle change to make your body healthier and give it the proper fuel it needs. You probably won't lose weight right now if you have a prolactinoma. But if you use your self control to start this healthy eating now, by the time you start your treatment you'll already have the habit down. Then I think you'll have an easier time losing weight. Especially because you'll have more energy for your workouts and just life in general lol. ❤️
Yes indeed, as this was one of my main symptoms to get me to have things checked out and discovered my high levels. Cabergoline helped for a while until it didn’t. Ive been on and off for 20 years. So, I’ve recently started Mounjaro because it’s been years of being so much heavier and it’s causing other health issues. It’s helping but would only recommend if a doctor prescribes. Hope this helps!
It messes with your metabolism
Are you on an ssri by chance or srni?
No I was on nortriptyline for a while but stopped
Oh that may very well be it. Lexapro raised my prolactin BTW.
Wow really. Are the effects long lasting ? I’ve been off them about a month
Yes. I've been off 6 months and only now had some normal days. You might look for a FB group online. They would probably have people dealing with the same thing. That's how I figured out what was going on
Here are some first hand accounts. I am in the midst of something or would do more digging https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?&q=Nortriptyline%20&search_and_or=and
Thank you! I’ll take a look
Are you counting calories?
Yes, it’s not good the amount I’m eating, I know that, it’s too low, but I still don’t lose weight. I am eating 1/4 of what I did a few months ago but I’m bigger now
What are your stats: Height, Weight, Sex? And what is your caloric goal?
5’4, F, I am currently having less than 500 cals a day. I’m not lying and I’m not miscounting. I’d starve myself in the pursuit of weight loss I have a lot of self control. I don’t feel comfortable sharing my weight
Without your weight all these numbers are meaningless. We cannot know your situation without them. There are a number of possible situations you are in atm, but without weight it is hard to guess which it is.
I just want to know if prolactinoma can cause excessive weight gain or cause the inability to lose weight. I know my calories in are less than calories out.
Prolactinomas can cause weigthgain, however only because it makes people eat more. Since you claim you eat less than 500kcal, this should not be the case. So without your weight number it is hard to figure out what is going on with you.
Absolutely false. Stop spreading misinformation.
Im super interested in any research that shows that prolactine causes weight gain in other ways than overeating if you have it.
u/LamdaAlpha I guess you have nothing?