What does periods stopped feel like with hyperprolactinaemia?

Hyperprolactinaemia means prolactin is higher than expected. Prolactin normally supports milk production, but excess prolactin can interrupt the hormone signals that coordinate ovulation and the menstrual cycle. Periods may become widely spaced before stopping, or stop without much physical sensation. Some people have nipple discharge when they are not breastfeeding; others have no obvious sign beyond absent bleeding. Causes can include medicines, a pituitary gland change, thyroid problems or other health conditions, so the symptom needs an assessment rather than a conclusion based on how it feels.

Arrange a clinical review if your periods have stopped, especially if pregnancy is possible. A clinician may ask about medicines, breastfeeding, headaches, vision changes and cycle history, then consider a pregnancy test and blood tests for prolactin, thyroid function and other reproductive hormones. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own. Keep a note of the last period, any nipple discharge, headaches, visual symptoms and supplements you use; this makes the appointment more useful.

Seek urgent medical help for a sudden severe headache, new loss of vision, fainting, confusion or severe pelvic pain. Contact a clinician promptly for a positive pregnancy test with pain or bleeding, persistent milky discharge, or periods that remain absent with worsening symptoms. These warning signs call for timely assessment and are not determined by how common hyperprolactinaemia is.

Could pregnancy, a medicine, thyroid change or raised prolactin explain my stopped periods? Which tests are appropriate, and when should they be repeated? What symptoms would mean I should seek help sooner?