Pathological hyperprolactinemia suppresses hot flashes in menopausal women.

Hyperprolactinemia impairs pituitary-gonadal function in young women, but its effect in menopausal women is not known. The purpose of this report is to describe the effect of hyperprolactinemia on gonadotropin secretion and hot flashes in menopausal women before and after treatment with a dopamine agonist. We studied two such women with prolactinomas. Both had plasma LH and FSH levels in the range found in premenopausal women and no hot flashes. Treatment with bromocriptine was associated with normalization of plasma PRL levels, elevation of plasma gonadotropin levels, and the onset of menopausal hot flashes in both patients. We conclude that hyperprolactinemia can inhibit the augmented gonadotropin secretion that occurs in postmenopausal women and prevent hot flashes.