Posted by BekkaH on July 19, 2002, at 20:49:11
In reply to Re: PMS - Chasteberry/Vitex Agnus Castus, posted by hildi on July 18, 2002, at 19:02:01
> Did you say the SSRI's icrease prolactin?
> What does prolactin do? You know- when I first started SSRI's I never had PMS, then, over time, the PMS got slowly worse, then unbearable.
> For a good while, though, I did find some releif from vitex.
> Hildi***********************************************
Hi Hildi,
Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that ALL SSRI's raise prolactin. The ones I've read about raising prolactin are Paxil and Celexa. I have not taken any anti-psychotics, but apparently they are notorious for raising prolactin levels. It seems that many medicines that lower dopamine will raise prolactin, and vice versa.
Prolactin seems to have a number of functions, but I think its primary action in humans is regulation of milk production. I think prolactin release can also occur in response to stress, and in some species it may be involved in immune function. When I have been on medicines that increase prolactin, my premenstrual breast pain has been much worse, and I think that might be due to prolactin's stimulation of breast tissue.
Bekka
poster:BekkaH
thread:112820
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/112956.html