Prolactin — What It Means in Your Blood Test
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Prolactin is a hormone that mainly helps the body make breast milk.
A Prolactin reading shows how much of this hormone is present in your blood right now. Levels shift for many everyday reasons, so a doctor weighs your result against the wider picture.
Also known as: PRL, Lactotropin, Luteotropic hormone, LTH
This isn't a case where higher or lower is better. Your body keeps it in a narrow band, and both directions can matter.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-16
What is Prolactin?
Prolactin comes from the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. It drives milk production after birth and also helps immune and metabolic roles.
Why is Prolactin tested?
You may have this test to look into milk leakage that is unexpected, cycle changes, or trouble conceiving. It can also flag some pituitary conditions.
What is a normal Prolactin range?
- India
- No India-specific national reference interval is published for this parameter; your lab's printed range is the most reliable comparison.
- Global
- Non-pregnant women: 2–29 ng/mL; Men: 2–18 ng/mL; Pregnancy: up to 300 ng/mL (increases through gestation)
Ranges vary by lab, method and equipment — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.
Source: [Endocrine Society, 2011]
What does your Prolactin value mean?
There is no widely-accepted set of value bands for this parameter. Compare your result with the reference range printed on your own report, and discuss it with your doctor.
What does a high Prolactin result mean?
A high result can link to a benign pituitary growth, some medicines, or an underactive thyroid. Everyday triggers like stress or recent feeding also raise it. Your doctor can help interpret it.
What does a low Prolactin result mean?
A low result is usually not a concern. It may sometimes follow certain pituitary conditions and can be discussed with your doctor.
What can affect your Prolactin result?
- Time of day (highest during sleep)
- Recent nipple stimulation or sexual activity
- Feeling stressed at the time of the draw
- Some medicines (for mood, nausea, or mental health)
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Questions to ask your doctor
About this result
- What does my Prolactin result mean for me specifically, given my age and health?
- Is my Prolactin in the range that is right for me, not just the lab's general range?
What to do next
- Could anything I eat, do, or take have affected my Milk-production hormone result?
- Is there anything I should do about my Prolactin, or is it fine to leave as it is?
About retesting
- Does my Prolactin need to be repeated, and if so, when?
- The typical range for Prolactin can vary between labs — should I compare my result against my own lab's printed range?
The bigger picture
- Should my Prolactin be looked at together with my Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone result?
- Does my Prolactin connect to any condition I already have, or to anything I have noticed in how I feel?
Frequently asked questions
- What is Prolactin?
- Prolactin comes from the pituitary, a small gland at the base of the brain. It drives milk production after birth and also helps immune and metabolic roles. You may have this test to look into milk leakage that is unexpected, cycle changes, or trouble conceiving. It can also flag some pituitary conditions.
- What is a normal Milk-production hormone range?
- A typical adult range is around Non-pregnant women: 2–29 ng/mL; Men: 2–18 ng/mL; Pregnancy: up to 300 ng/mL (increases through gestation). No India-specific national reference interval is published for this parameter; your lab's printed range is the most reliable comparison. Ranges vary by lab, method and equipment — the range printed on your own report is the one that applies to your result.
- What does a high Prolactin result mean?
- A high result can link to a benign pituitary growth, some medicines, or an underactive thyroid. Everyday triggers like stress or recent feeding also raise it. Your doctor can help interpret it.
- What does a low Prolactin result mean?
- A low result is usually not a concern. It may sometimes follow certain pituitary conditions and can be discussed with your doctor.
- What can affect your Prolactin result?
- Several everyday factors can influence it, including Time of day (highest during sleep), Recent nipple stimulation or sexual activity, Feeling stressed at the time of the draw, Some medicines (for mood, nausea, or mental health), Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Sources
- Endocrine Society (2011) — Diagnosis and treatment of hyperprolactinemia: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
Part of the Hormones
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