this post was submitted on 24 May 2024
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How important is prolactin? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by MicrondeMMMMMMM@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/mtf@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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Hello everyone, I just got my test results back and everything seems to be good, although I'm slightly concerned that my prolactin is too low, it's at 9ng/mL.

I looked up prolactin online and it seems it regulates breast growth and pregnancy, could low prolactin levels slow my breast growth?

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[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Have you talked to your doctor about it?

Just reading briefly, it's normal to have low prolactin levels (less than 25 ng/mL) for women who aren't pregnant. If you were trying to prepare to breastfeed and your levels remained low that might be something to talk to your doctor about. However, I wouldn't worry about it for normal breast growth.

The things you should focus on to promote good breath growth are things that keep you in good health generally, like

  • eating a healthy and diverse diet (e.g. incorporate more salads with vegetables and nuts, choose less refined sources of carbs like whole wheat instead of white bread, etc.),
  • staying hydrated (keep water by you all day and drink it regularly),
  • avoiding drug use (especially tobacco and alcohol),
  • keeping good sleep hygiene (helpful PDF),
  • regularly exercising (both aerobic and strength training, aim for 1 - 2 hours of intense aerobic activity per week),
  • reducing stress (including worrying about your prolactin levels, lol; meditation can help with stress reduction & helping to identify and redirect unhelpful thoughts; recommended reading: Judson Brewer's Unwinding Anxiety, and for a meditation manual, The Mind Illuminated by John Yates).
[–] MicrondeMMMMMMM@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Haha thanks :) I'm already doing most of these (my sleep schedule is fuuuuuuuucked) but yeah my doc told me not to worry about it so I guess we're golden then! Also the stress thing is so real, my breasts stopped being sensitive during exam week then went right back to normal after!

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's probably not a healthy tip, but I think there were some studies that showed being overweight led to more breast growth. It sorta makes sense, the breasts are a place where excess fat is stored. That said, being overweight creates lots of other health risks, so it's probably not good to target that as much as fat cycling where you shed and put on weight might be part of a strategy of transitioning.

[–] MicrondeMMMMMMM@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I know about this but I just can't gain weight still, I'm over eating as much as I can, i just stay the same weight which is a pain. Although I will say I've gained some weight since starting HRT and it definitely hasn't gone on my belly!

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

If you want to gain weight it helps to incorporate high-calorie foods that don't stimulate the over-full feeling, so something high in sugar like soda or ice cream. Obviously eating enough of that can cause metabolic disorders, but over time eating these kinds of foods will be fattening, though it can take a bit of time as your basal metabolism will increase and burn up the extra calories at first. Just be moderate I guess, obviously these are unhealthy tips, lol.

I have the opposite problem though, I struggle with losing weight and not over-eating (even when I'm eating really healthy foods). Fasting has helped me lose weight, personally.

[–] MicrondeMMMMMMM@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah I eat quite healthy because it's cheap lmao 😂 I'm also not very fond of sugar, my current bet is eating su much butter I get fat!

[–] dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago

haha, fat definitely increases calories, though I find it's less directly fattening because it doesn't seem to increase insulin resistance the way simple carbs and sugars do (and insulin seems key to controlling your weight). Though targeting insulin resistance is like aiming to get diabetes, so I don't suggest it, lol. Still, it gives you a way to really gain weight.

I'm not the most fond of sugar though I think I crave it more since starting HRT. I do typically crave simple carbs like bread, potato chips, etc. - eating more simple carbs can definitely be another way to fatten up (they're often not as filling either!). I have noticed stress tends to push me towards eating high calorie foods like simple carbs, sugars, and fats, and Robert Sapolsky talks about the mechanism for this in Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers.

[–] Fluffy_Doggy_DG@pawb.social 2 points 5 months ago

That can work. We've been doing something similar: It's slow gains (~8kg/year) but it worked for us.

Changes were:

  • Increase all meal sizes by ~50% - At least for us it meant every meal went from being "decently filling" to "very (but not overly!) filling". Don't repeatedly, find the lining where it still feels OK and don't cross. There is a risk of loosing your body's sense of appitite when crossing repeatedly which causes serious long-term problems (eating disorder).
  • Use lots of unsaturated fats when cooking: Olive oil is great for this - It doesn't add much subjective weight to cooked foods, has a lot of kJ/g and doesn't cause any metabolic disorders if used in consumable quantities (unliked saturated acids or sugars).
  • Bananas and peanut butter also rank high on the "decently healthy, high energy scale" and can be incorperated as/into daytime snaks (mini-meals).

All of this from some reading on the subject and self experimentation - I'm not a nutritionist, etc. 😊

[–] LadyAutumn@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 6 months ago

Not that I've ever heard of. The main things doctors generally monitor are blood estrogen and testosterone. High T levels can inhibit breast growth, and the same with low E levels.

Worth speaking with a medical professional (if you have one) about how you feel about your results. Doses may need to be adjusted. You should be on some form of estrogen, and an anti-androgen depending on your E dose.