---
title: Do women with breast pain during their menstrual cycle have higher prolactin levels?
description: No, the study found no difference in prolactin levels between women with breast pain and healthy women, so high prolactin does not appear to cause this sympto
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/plasma-prolactin-in-women-with-mastodynia-1984/
---

- [Niyora](https://niyora.com/)
- [Research](https://niyora.com/research/)
- [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/)
- Do women with breast pain during their menstrual cycle have higher prolactin levels?

Case-control study, 1984

# Do women with breast pain during their menstrual cycle have higher prolactin levels?

No, the study found no difference in prolactin levels between women with breast pain and healthy women, so high prolactin does not appear to cause this symptom.

 Moderate study design

22 women with moderate or severe breast pain and 43 healthy controls

## What they did

A case-control study measuring plasma prolactin during the luteal phase (second half of the cycle) in 22 women with moderate or severe breast pain and 43 healthy control women.

## What they found

No significant differences in prolactin levels were found between women with breast pain and healthy controls. Prolactin levels did not change noticeably during the luteal phase in either group. No association was found between breast pain and prolactin variation.

## What it means for you

This finding suggests that high prolactin is not the explanation for breast pain. Doctors might not need to check or treat prolactin levels to help this type of pain. However, the study is small and only measured prolactin once per cycle, so other factors might still be involved.

22

Women with moderate or severe breast pain

43

Healthy control women

## About the study

Original title Plasma prolactin in women with mastodynia Authors Graziottin A, Sopracordevole F, Velasco M et al. Journal Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology Year 1984 Study design Case-control study Participants 43 What was tested None - this is an observational study Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6539179/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6539179/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

Systematic review, 2021

Does damask rose help reduce menstrual pain, headache, fatigue, anxiety, and bloating?

Systematic review, 2012

What medications work best for PMDD?

Review, 2009

What causes PMDD and what are the treatment options?

Study, 2026

What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

Systematic review, 2025

Do diet changes or supplements help PMS symptoms?

Survey study, 2022

What factors are linked to PMS in teenage girls?

Ask AI about this page

Copy prompt

ChatGPT

↗

Claude

↗

Perplexity

↗

Google AI Mode

↗

Grok

↗