However, damage to the pituitary or eye nerves occurs in less than one percent of pregnant women with prolactinoma. In women with large tumors, the risk of damage to the pituitary or eye nerves is greater, and some doctors consider it as high as 25 percent. If a woman has completed a successful pregnancy, the chances of her completing further successful pregnancies is extremely high. A woman with a prolactinoma should discuss her plans to conceive with her physician, so she can be carefully evaluated prior to becoming pregnant. As soon as a patient is pregnant, her doctor will usually advise that she stop taking bromocriptine, the common treatment for prolactinoma.
Most endocrinologists see patients every two months throughout the pregnancy.
The patient should consult her endocrinologist promptly if she develops symptoms-particularly headaches, visual changes, nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst or urination, or extreme lethargy. Bromocriptine treatment may be renewed and additional treatment may be required if the patient develops symptoms from growth of the tumor during pregnancy. At one time, oral contraceptives were thought to contribute to the development of prolactinomas. However, this is no longer thought to be true. Patients with prolactinoma treated with bromocriptine may also take oral contraceptives.