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Treatment of psychotropic-induced hyperprolactinaemia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Denise Duncan
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
David Taylor
Affiliation:
The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
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Prolactin, a protein hormone synthesised and released by the anterior pituitary, promotes mammary tissue development and lactation and suppresses gonadotrophin secretion. Dopamine is the natural inhibitor of prolactin release and so standard antipsychotics, which block dopamine receptors, will cause prolactin levels to rise. This hyperprolactinaemia can lead to gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea, menstrual disturbances, a reduction in sperm count, erectile dysfunction, failure of ejaculation and reduced libido. Prolactin-related adverse effects are frequently encountered in patients on antipsychotics and are a cause of substantial morbidity.

Type
Drug Information Quarterly
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995

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