didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I recently read an article, attached here, regarding a 17 year old that started getting recurrent headaches for 3 years. they occurred 30 to 60 minutes after eating (??) Standard CH symptoms occurred. MRI of the brain showed a pituitary tumor growing inth the cavernous sinus. Although his prolactin levels were normal and all of his pituitary functions otherwise were normal.  Doctors gave him a glucose tolerance test and observed that the headache was in conjunction with elevations in the serum prolactin levels. The patient was given cabergoline (a dopamine agonist (side note.. psilocybin increases dopamine in the brain so maybe that's why RC seeds and shrooms fix the issue ? just a thought) from which he got relief of his symptoms. Cabergoline is a dopamine agonist. im sure this is a rare condition as sited in this article but who knows someone searching here might find it applies to them. it would appear that high prolactin levels and CH's go hand in hand in this case. anyway attached here for the read is the article. it might be worth getting prolactin levels checked by your doc in any case. A_Case_of_Postprandial_Cluster-Like_Headache_With_Prolactinoma__Dramatic_Response_to_Cabergoline.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 im running off down the high prolactin train ... its easy enough to get your doctor to test .. I find it interesting that the list below contains verapamil one of the weapons used against CH ... hmmm "What else can cause elevated prolactin levels? " There are a few conditions other than prolactinomas that may be associated with hyperprolactinemia. As prolactin is regulated by dopamine, medications that interfere with this substance in the brain can cause elevated prolactin levels. Drugs prescribed for psychiatric and gastrointestinal disorders may raise prolactin levels to greater than 200 ng/ ml. Other drugs that can cause mild elevations of prolactin levels include estrogens and verapamil, a drug used to treat high blood pressure. An underactive thyroid or inadequate thyroid hormone replacement can also raise prolactin levels, as can kidney disease, pregnancy, stress, and chest trauma. Causes of Hyperprolactinemia •Prolactinomas •Medications (phenothiazines, metoclopramide, risperidone, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, estrogens, verapamil) •Stress •Pregnancy •Hypothyroidism •Kidney disease •Chest trauma Most patients with medication-induced hyperprolactinemia will have prolactin levels between 25 and 100 ng/ml (rarely up to 250 ng/ml). If an elevated prolactin level is due to a medication, the level will usually return to normal 3-4 days after the drug is stopped. It is not possible to determine the cause of an elevated prolactin from the blood level alone. Even if you have a high prolactin level caused by a medication, do not stop any of your medications without first consulting your doctor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 and yet more .. so ok ,, I start thinking ,, you know my son had a collapsed lung at birth.. would the raised prolactin go back that far .. and was his cholic not cholic but CH's night after night ??? What Abnormal Results Mean People with the following conditions may have high prolactin levels: •Chest wall trauma or irritation •Hypothalamic disease •Hypothyroidism •Kidney disease •Pituitary tumor that makes prolactin (prolactinoma) •Other pituitary tumors and diseases Certain medications can also raise prolactin levels, including: •Antidepressants •Butyrophenones •Estrogens •H2 blockers •Methyldopa •Metoclopramide •Phenothiazines •Reserpine •Risperidone •Verapamil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 since many CH'rs are smokers does the body recognize this as chest wall trauma ,, anyone here have their prolactin levels checked ?? be willing to try Cabergoline for a few months ? curious as always Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 by the way an H2 blocker is an over the counter ant-acid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 IV. Causes: Medications A.See Medication Causes of Hyperprolactinemia Causes: Non-Neoplastic A.Afferent Neural Stimulation 1.Mechanisma.Chest wall Sensory Nerve signal passed via spinal cord to hypothalamus b.Signal reduces Dopamine levels, which in turn generate less inhibition of Prolactin secretion Hypothyroidism: Increased prolactin levels are often seen in people with hypothyroidism, and doctors routinely test people with hyperprolactinemia for hypothyroidism. Breast stimulation can modestly increase the amount of prolactin in the blood. Chest wall trauma (for example, an injury from a car steering wheel after an accident) can lead to increased levels of prolactin. Marijuana use is also a well documented cause of elevated levels of prolactin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 additional info - a possible explanation for your hypothalamus connection. http://www.touchendocrinology.com/system/files/private/articles/8311/pdf/hansen.pdf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 so to much prolactin can cause hypogonadism (low testerone) some here I know have found relief from upping testerone levels. ok after finding the below maybe folks can go get their prolactin levels checked huh ?? The rate limiting step in dopamine synthesis is the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Insufficient levels of vitamin D inhibit tyrosine hydroxylase, resulting in a disturbance in the dopamine pathway. Vitamin D increases the release of dopamine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 sooo .. (this is for my benefit .. sometimes I bounce the ball but don't follow it) Vitamin D increases the release of Dopamine ,, which restrains the release of Prolactin which at high levels can produce Cluster Headaches. aaaannddd since Psilocybin increases the dopamine levels this might fit.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 ok i'll stop now have a good evening everyone ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 so maybe anything that increases dopamine might help ? no really ,, im going to stop now .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 seriously this is it so below are some stated ways to up dopamine naturally ,, which also might fit as there is someone here that has totally altered his diet which he says is helping, somewhere else I read about a person that deprives them selves from sleeping completely for 24 hours and it has helped .. but I don't know about the exercise bit. http://www.wikihow.com/Increase-Dopamine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codywilliams Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Treatment for pituitary tumors may include: Surgery Radiation therapy Medicines that block tumor hormone secretion or block the symptoms caused by these hormones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didgens Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi Cody ,, I am more interested in folks Prolactin levels which can be elevated by something other than a pituitary tumor and may for what ever reason be elevated in CH sufferers. Worth getting a blood test just to look see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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