Prolactin is not available as a pill, supplement, or over-the-counter product. It is a protein hormone, which means your digestive system would break it down before it could reach your bloodstream, much like eating a steak doesn’t deliver intact proteins to your cells. The only form of prolactin that has been used therapeutically is a lab-made version called recombinant human prolactin, administered by injection under the skin, and it is not currently approved or commercially available.
That said, there are indirect ways to raise prolactin levels, and understanding why someone would want to (or want to avoid it) matters just as much as whether you can take it directly.
Why You Can’t Swallow Prolactin
Prolactin is a protein made up of amino acids, just like the proteins in food. When you swallow a protein, stomach acid and digestive enzymes chop it into fragments that no longer function as hormones. This is why insulin, another protein hormone, must be injected rather than taken by mouth. One animal study explored whether oral prolactin could survive digestion in newborn piglets, whose stomachs lack the full suite of digestive enzymes. Even in that scenario, special formulations were needed to get any absorption at all. In an adult human gut, oral prolactin would be destroyed.
Recombinant Prolactin: Experimental, Not Available
Researchers have tested a synthetic version of prolactin, given as a twice-daily injection under the skin, specifically for mothers who cannot produce enough breast milk. In clinical trials, this recombinant prolactin increased both blood prolactin levels and milk volume in two groups: mothers with prolactin deficiency (from conditions like Sheehan syndrome, where the pituitary gland is damaged after childbirth) and mothers of premature infants struggling with milk supply. The treatment was given at a dose based on body weight, self-injected every 12 hours for up to 28 days.
This therapy filled a real gap. Some women lack functioning prolactin-producing cells in the pituitary gland entirely, meaning drugs that stimulate those cells simply don’t work for them. Direct prolactin replacement was the only option. Despite promising results, recombinant human prolactin has not received FDA approval and is not commercially available. No pharmacy stocks it, and no doctor can prescribe it outside of a research setting.
Medications That Raise Prolactin Indirectly
Rather than taking prolactin itself, some people use prescription medications that cause the body to produce more of it. These drugs work by blocking dopamine, the brain chemical that normally keeps prolactin in check. When dopamine’s braking effect is removed, the pituitary gland releases prolactin freely.
The two most commonly discussed options are metoclopramide and domperidone. Metoclopramide can raise prolactin levels up to 15 times above baseline. Domperidone produces up to a 10-fold increase. Both are primarily prescribed for nausea and digestive motility problems, but their prolactin-boosting effect has led to off-label use for stimulating breast milk production in mothers of preterm infants, adoptive parents inducing lactation, and transgender women who wish to breastfeed. Domperidone does not cross into the brain the way metoclopramide does, which generally means fewer neurological side effects, though it is not approved in the United States.
These are prescription medications with real risks, not casual supplements. They should only be used under medical supervision.
Herbal Galactagogues and Prolactin
Several herbs are traditionally used to support milk production, though the evidence for most is limited. In controlled trials, shatavari (a type of asparagus root) and moringa leaf extract showed measurable increases in serum prolactin compared to placebo. Shatavari may work through estrogenic effects on breast tissue combined with increased prolactin production. Moringa’s mechanism is less clear, but prolactin levels were significantly higher in mothers taking it.
Fenugreek is probably the most widely known herbal galactagogue, but its proposed mechanism is different. Rather than boosting prolactin directly, it may stimulate milk production through its effect on sweat glands (the mammary gland is technically a modified sweat gland). Milk thistle extract has also been studied, though evidence remains thin. None of these herbs deliver prolactin itself. They nudge the body’s own production or act on breast tissue through other pathways.
Why Raising Prolactin Isn’t Always a Good Idea
Prolactin does more than drive milk production. It directly interferes with the hormonal cascade that controls fertility. Elevated prolactin suppresses the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the brain, which in turn reduces levels of the hormones that trigger ovulation in women and testosterone production in men. Research has shown that prolactin acts on kisspeptin neurons, key regulators of reproductive hormones, to shut down this system. In animal studies, continuous prolactin infusion induced anovulation and suppressed reproductive hormone secretion.
In women, chronically high prolactin can cause missed or irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, acne, difficulty getting pregnant, and bone loss. Spinal bone density drops by roughly 25% in women with prolonged high prolactin, and that loss doesn’t always reverse even after prolactin returns to normal. In men, elevated prolactin leads to erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, infertility, breast tissue growth, decreased muscle mass, and lower energy. Normal prolactin levels sit below 20 ng/mL for men and below 25 ng/mL for non-pregnant women.
Prolactin and Anabolic Steroids
If you found this article while researching bodybuilding or performance-enhancing drugs, there’s a specific reason prolactin comes up in those circles. Long-term use of anabolic steroids has been shown to significantly increase prolactin levels while simultaneously crashing testosterone and FSH. In one study of male bodybuilders, steroid users had average testosterone levels of about 3 ng/mL compared to 7.5 ng/mL in non-users, while their prolactin was significantly elevated. This combination drives decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and can contribute to gynecomastia (breast tissue growth in men). Some steroid users seek out prolactin-lowering drugs to counteract these effects, which is a separate issue from trying to take prolactin itself.
Low Prolactin Is Also a Problem
While most medical attention focuses on high prolactin, genuinely low levels carry their own risks. The most common cause of low prolactin is medication, specifically dopamine agonists used to treat conditions like prolactinomas (prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors). But pituitary damage from Sheehan syndrome, head trauma, radiation therapy, pituitary tumors, and autoimmune conditions can also deplete prolactin.
Low prolactin has been linked to metabolic problems including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, abnormal cholesterol levels, sexual dysfunction, and increased cardiovascular risk. Despite these associations, there is no established replacement therapy available. This gap in treatment is exactly why researchers have been exploring recombinant prolactin, but for now, clinicians have limited tools to address genuine prolactin deficiency beyond treating the underlying cause of pituitary damage.