How does your prolactinoma affect your period?
Background:
My prolactin was high on some exploratory labs. My doctor had it retested a week later and the prolactin had doubled, so he ordered a brain MRI with contrast. The MRI confirmed that I had a 4mm prolactinoma. He referred me to an endocrinologist and I scheduled immediately, but they were booking several months out. So, all of this information was gathered in April of this year.
In researching and reading through this subreddit, I've noticed that many women experience delayed, missed, or light periods. However, I have extremely heavy periods. I can feel myself passing large clots of blood when I sit on the toilet. I also bleed through double-stacked purple overnight pads within an hour.
I know that hormones can really powerfully affect your biological processes, so I'm trying to figure out if this could be related to my prolactinoma, or if I should explore this as a separate issue. I've had a transvaginal ultrasound, which did not show any evidence of cysts, but did show thick lining.
Question:
Has anyone experienced heavy, painful periods as a result of their prolactinoma? If so, did you experience any other symptoms that are similar to PCOS or endometriosis?
Thank you so much for your help! The months of waiting to see a doctor and start treatment are anxiety-inducing.
Posted Aug 13, 2026, 4:10 PM UTC