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What Does My MRI Scan Report Indicate?
Question: I am a male, 36 years old. I was having ED and was diagnosed with high prolactin and after MRI found a thickening in pituitary gland which was NOT of a size of a tumor. I took dopamine for few months and stopped it. Now I have sharp headache of left side of my head, stiff neck and pain on left shoulder pain. Can you suggest a solution for his. Is this problem curable with medication and will I get my Erection back?
Brief Answer:
To rule out the cause first.
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your question. High prolactin could be due to various reasons, most commonly due to a pituitary adenoma. Since you mentioned about absence of tumor and just a thickening, it is likely Hypophysitis ( inflammation of pituitary). Would be great if you could post the pictures of MRI. You have mentioned that you took Dopamine agonists for some time. Did the prolactin improve after that?
Stiff neck, left sided headache and left shoulder pain is likely due to a cervical neuralgia ( nerve problem) and it is good to take Panadol or an anti inflammatory medicine for 48 hours and if not better, you may need to see a doctor.
The cure of erectile dysfunction is based on the cause of high prolactin. If it is due to hypophysitis and if prolactin is still elevated, you may need to take Cabergoline ( dopamine agonist) for few more months. Erection should improve while taking cabergoline. Once the hypophysitis settles, your erection may return with out any treatment.
May I suggest you to wait for few days till the neck pain settle? Any stress/pain can spuriously increase prolactin levels. Hence, it is better to wait for the pain to settle and after that, please repeat a fasting LH, Testosterone, Prolactin( pooled), TSH, Free T4. Better to do all these tests in empty stomach before 9 am in the morning.
Regards
Binu
To rule out the cause first.
Detailed Answer:
Good day,
Noted your question. High prolactin could be due to various reasons, most commonly due to a pituitary adenoma. Since you mentioned about absence of tumor and just a thickening, it is likely Hypophysitis ( inflammation of pituitary). Would be great if you could post the pictures of MRI. You have mentioned that you took Dopamine agonists for some time. Did the prolactin improve after that?
Stiff neck, left sided headache and left shoulder pain is likely due to a cervical neuralgia ( nerve problem) and it is good to take Panadol or an anti inflammatory medicine for 48 hours and if not better, you may need to see a doctor.
The cure of erectile dysfunction is based on the cause of high prolactin. If it is due to hypophysitis and if prolactin is still elevated, you may need to take Cabergoline ( dopamine agonist) for few more months. Erection should improve while taking cabergoline. Once the hypophysitis settles, your erection may return with out any treatment.
May I suggest you to wait for few days till the neck pain settle? Any stress/pain can spuriously increase prolactin levels. Hence, it is better to wait for the pain to settle and after that, please repeat a fasting LH, Testosterone, Prolactin( pooled), TSH, Free T4. Better to do all these tests in empty stomach before 9 am in the morning.
Regards
Binu
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
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