Prolactinoma and anxiety?

I apologise if you are a woman 😳

Hi, yes I'm a 19 year old male. Well I found out about the tumor because one day I had a panic attack ad the following day I felt like doing nothing. This lasted so I went to a psychiatrist and they prescribed Prozac. About 4 months later I went to my family practice doctor and told him about my sudden anxiety and depression (which had no trigger), and he decided to check hormone levels. They were off, so he sent me for an MRI just in case and they found a pretty large tumor! They are amazed that I don't have double vision or problems with my eyesight.

Hi Julian

Are they going to operate on the tumour or just use drugs? Mine is a micro at 8mm but I still get headaches with it. I know how mine is affecting me, my daily life seems to be run by hormones so one day I can feel ok and the next I feel like death. Other people seem to sail along with no problems. It's a bizarre affliction to have. Out of curiosity have you banged your head in the past?

No never banged my head mine is 24mm, and the doctors are going to proceed with medication to shrink it down. I know it's strange, but the only thing that I care about at the moment is if my anxiety will finally go away after 5 months!

julian, yes, because the pituitary gland controls your hormones which are causing the anxiety and depression.  You may have other hormonal issues too.

My issues were almost immediately resolved when I used carbergoline.  I am still using it 7.5 years later because when I try to reduce it the problems return.

 

This question is to Bellaboo: I am curious as to why you asked julian is he had banged his head in the past? Because I banged the yelp out of my head in a Motorcycle Accident (no helmet) hitting my head as I tucked and rolled on the pavement; with at least 6 of the hardest blows taken to my head if not more! Emergency put in 36 stapels incorrectly into my head which never closed my head wound. The on-call surgeon operated on my fractured ankle the next day, telling me that the cat scan shows no significant damage and I am sent home. My head pressure was the most unnatural pain I had ever endured. Within five days I had raccoon eyes and the worse painful bruising behind my ears (battles sign). Within two weeks my vision and hearing was torture and within a month I had constant vertigo, sweating, skin changes, always hot, vomiting, nausia, and then the unexplained weight gain that always felt like I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. Diagnosed with carpal tunnel, hypokalemia, high blood pressure, and put on water pills from my right foot and hand swelling. After three years and me demanding a MRI, (doctors all said I have PTSD) they found a tumor 5mm on the right side of my pituitary. And I know it wasn't their before my head injury.  Julie

 

Hi Julie, I was diagnosed with a prolactinoma in 1999, my prolactin level was 5000 at that time, I asked my endo what had caused this he said a possible trauma. In 1996 I was involved in a serious RTA which put me in hospital, this I would say could have been the beginning of my prolactinoma. I started on bromocriptine and had no problem at all, then about four years later I was put onto cabergoline, 1 tablet per week. Some have no problems with this but the side effects I had where quite a few, three years ago I was taken off cabergoline by my endo after 14 years in total of taking both bromocriptine and cabergoline. They assured me there would be no side effects in doing this, but for me it was horrible. My prolactin to day although it is above normal (876) the endo will not treat, my own GP restarted my treatment 5 weeks ago half per tablet per week, and the side effects have returned, two years ago I had an Mri scan and my Tumor was small at 0.4 at first it was 5mm just like yours my prolactin is still elevated, but no where near the figure it was

Hi Julie, sorry for the delayed reply. I asked about head trauma as my mum had read an article a while ago where specialists were coming to the conclusion that a blow to the head was quite commonplace in pituitary tumour patients. I came off a swing when I was very young and severely banged my head. My periods were late at starting and I was a slow pubescent which I'm putting down rightly or wrongly to the prolactinoma. I was wondering if we have all had some sort of accident that could have caused the tumours.