What is Amenorrhea and Lactation Syndrome

Many non-pregnant women and postpartum women experience persistent galactorrhea and amenorrhea one year after stopping breastfeeding. This is what we usually call amenorrhea and lactation syndrome. This disease often occurs one year after stopping breastfeeding and is a gynecological endocrine disease. However, many women do not know what amenorrhea and lactation syndrome is and what causes it? Let me share with you what amenorrhea and lactation syndrome is. Let’s take a look together.

Six months after stopping breastfeeding, galactorrhea continues for a long time, accompanied by amenorrhea; or the breasts secrete milk-like fluid and have amenorrhea even when you are not pregnant. This syndrome is called amenorrhea and lactation syndrome.

Amenorrhea and lactation syndrome is often caused by pituitary tumors, hypothalamic tumors or extrapituitary tumors and hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction; taking contraceptives, chlorpromazine, phenothiazines, reserpine, methyldopa, metoclopramide; thyroid dysfunction, shingles, long-term breast sucking; after ovarian, uterine, gallbladder and pituitary stalk removal; head trauma, menopause and adrenal cortex dysfunction can all cause amenorrhea and lactation syndrome.

Patients with this syndrome may experience persistent lactation and amenorrhea. Lactation may be just a small amount of milky fluid flowing out when the breasts are squeezed by hand, or it may be so much that the breasts are extremely full and congested, or there may be involuntary spontaneous milk discharge. If amenorrhea and lactation syndrome occur after childbirth, there are often contractions of the uterus and ovaries, hirsutism and obesity; if it is caused by a tumor, symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, visual impairment, and progressive narrowing of the visual field may occur.

1. Pituitary disease: amenorrhea and galactorrhea caused by pituitary tumors have nothing to do with pregnancy. The tumor is composed of prolactin-secreting cells that secrete prolactin autonomously without being controlled by the hypothalamic prolactin inhibitory factor. Such as pituitary tumor enlargement compression pituitary stalk. The obstruction of the transport of hypothalamic prolactin inhibitory factor can also cause the pituitary gland to secrete excessive prolactin. In addition, craniopharyngioma and empty sella turcica can also cause lactation and hyperprolactinemia due to compression of the hypothalamus or pituitary stalk.

2. Drug effects: Long-term use of reserpine, chlorpromazine, phenothiazines, morphine, birth control pills and other drugs can also lead to amenorrhea and galactorrhea.

3. Postpartum galactorrhea is caused by the dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary gland caused by pregnancy, which leads to continuous production of excessive prolactin and inhibition of the secretion of gonadal hormones, resulting in amenorrhea, galactorrhea and genital atrophy. Such patients should be closely followed up to monitor for pituitary tumors.

4. In primary hypothyroidism, thyroid hormone secretion decreases, thyrotropin-releasing hormone secretion increases, and prolactin secretion can also be stimulated.

5. Idiopathic amenorrhea and galactorrhea syndrome are caused by psychological factors such as trauma, anesthesia, depression, and false pregnancy, which act on the hypothalamus-pituitary gland through the cerebral cortex, causing an increase in prolactin.

6. Other reasons: Primary hyperthyroidism, long-term nipple sucking, renal insufficiency, bronchial tumor, etc. can all cause hyperprolactinemia.

Treatment of amenorrhea and lactation syndrome must be directed at the cause. If it is caused by an intracranial tumor, surgery or radiotherapy can be performed; if it is caused by hypothyroidism, thyroid preparations can be taken. If the medication is discontinued for half a year, it can be restored.

You should also take medicine to treat amenorrhea and lactation syndrome. Clomiphene is suitable for idiopathic lactation and amenorrhea syndrome caused by oral contraceptives, 50-100 mg each time, once a day, for 5 consecutive days; Levodopa is suitable for idiopathic amenorrhea syndrome, 0.5 mg each time, 3 times a day, for 6-9 months; bromocriptine, 2.5-7.5 mg per day, orally in 2-3 times, for 3-6 months. Lactation may stop within 2 to 4 weeks, and menstruation may resume within 6 to 24 weeks.

The above content is an introduction to the question of what amenorrhea and galactagogue syndrome is. I hope it will help the majority of female friends understand this disease. It is recommended to strengthen physical exercise in daily life, keep warm during menstruation, and maintain a proper balance between work and rest. This can not only prevent and improve amenorrhea, but also regulate the balance of the human body mechanism, enhance resistance, and greatly reduce the possibility of illness.