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Medications for hyperprolactinemia

What is hyperprolactinemia?

One potential side effect of antipsychotic use is hyperprolactinemia, which can disrupt sex hormones and the production and flow of breast milk, and can cause infertility and erectile dysfunction in men. Hyperprolactinemia is caused by blocking of the D2 dopamine receptor at the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, resulting in high prolactin levels. As different antipsychotics have different actions, they also differ in the degree to which they affect prolactin levels.

What is the evidence for medications for hyperprolactinemia?

Moderate quality evidence shows a benefit of adjunctive metaformin for reducing serum prolactin levels in people with schizophrenia taking antipsychotics. Note that all trials were conducted in China, so these results may not apply to other populations.

October 2020

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Last updated at: 1:55 am, 31st August 2021
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