--- title: "Do SSRIs and antipsychotics raise prolactin on a blood test?" type: prep url: "https://www.test-well.com/prep/antidepressants-and-prolactin" factor: Antidepressants and antipsychotics aliases: - ssri prolactin high - antipsychotic prolactin levels - medications that raise prolactin - high prolactin no tumor medication reviewed_at: 2026-09-24 review_status: reviewed date_published: 2026-09-24 --- # Do SSRIs and antipsychotics raise prolactin on a blood test? > Yes — medication is the most common non-pregnancy cause of a high prolactin. Antipsychotics that block dopamine (risperidone, haloperidol and others) raise it most; SSRIs and some other antidepressants raise it modestly; metoclopramide, some blood-pressure drugs and estrogen also raise it. A prolactin drawn on one of these is often high without any pituitary problem. Draw prolactin fasting, rested, at least an hour after waking, and tell the clinician every medication you take — a high result is usually repeated, and in some cases the prescriber will consider whether the medicine explains it before any imaging. Never stop a psychiatric medication on your own. ## Which results does it affect? | Marker | Direction | How long the effect lasts | What to do | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Prolactin | raises | While taking; falls within days to weeks of a change the prescriber makes | List all medications with the order; a clinician interprets the level with the drug in mind | [Testing.com (AACC) — Prolactin (medications that raise it)](https://www.testing.com/tests/prolactin/) | | Prolactin (antipsychotics: risperidone, paliperidone, haloperidol, others) | raises | While taking; the largest medication effect | Expected; a very high level on these drugs still gets a clinician's review, not an automatic MRI | [Testing.com (AACC) — Prolactin (medications that raise it)](https://www.testing.com/tests/prolactin/) | | Prolactin (SSRIs and other antidepressants) | can raise | While taking; usually a modest rise | Mention the medication; repeat under standard conditions before further work-up | [MedlinePlus — Prolactin levels test](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/prolactin-levels/) | | Estradiol, testosterone, LH, FSH | can lower | While prolactin stays high | Irregular cycles, low libido or low testosterone on these medications: check prolactin alongside the sex hormones | [Testing.com (AACC) — FSH / LH](https://www.testing.com/tests/follicle-stimulating-hormone-fsh/) | | Prolactin after stress, exercise, a meal or nipple stimulation | raises | Hours | Draw fasting, rested, one to two hours after waking; avoid strenuous exercise beforehand | [MedlinePlus — Prolactin levels test](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/prolactin-levels/) | ## Why do these medicines raise prolactin? Dopamine is the brain's brake on prolactin release. Antipsychotics work by blocking dopamine receptors, so the brake comes off and prolactin rises — sometimes several-fold, and more in women than men. SSRIs act on serotonin, which indirectly loosens the same brake, so the rise is smaller and less consistent. Other common culprits are metoclopramide (a dopamine blocker used for nausea), verapamil, methyldopa and estrogen-containing contraception. Because the mechanism is a normal response to the drug, the result is real — prolactin is genuinely high — but it does not point to a pituitary tumor. The clinical question becomes whether the level is causing symptoms (irregular or absent periods, milky discharge, low libido, low testosterone) and whether the prescriber wants to adjust the medication. ## How is a high prolactin on medication worked up? A single high value is usually repeated under standard conditions: fasting, rested, at least an hour after waking, no strenuous exercise or nipple stimulation beforehand, and no recent blood draw stress. The clinician reviews the medication list, checks for pregnancy where relevant, and looks at thyroid function, because an underactive thyroid also raises prolactin. Only when the level is high out of proportion to the medication, or symptoms suggest a pituitary cause, does imaging follow. Any change to a psychiatric medication is the prescriber's decision — stopping on your own to 'fix' a lab value is not safe. ## Common questions ### Will my SSRI make my prolactin high? It can, usually modestly. If your prolactin comes back high on an SSRI, the standard next step is a repeat under proper conditions and a medication review, not imaging. ### Which medications raise prolactin the most? Dopamine-blocking antipsychotics — risperidone, paliperidone and haloperidol among them — and metoclopramide. SSRIs, verapamil, methyldopa and estrogen raise it less. ### Should I skip my medication before a prolactin test? No. Take medications as prescribed and list them with the order. The clinician interprets the result knowing what you take; only the prescriber decides whether a change is warranted. ## Related - [Do you need to fast before a blood test — and which tests does eating affect?](https://www.test-well.com/prep/fasting) - [Does biotin affect blood test results?](https://www.test-well.com/prep/biotin) - [How does alcohol affect blood test results?](https://www.test-well.com/prep/alcohol) - [Should you exercise before a blood test?](https://www.test-well.com/prep/exercise) - [All preparation guides](https://www.test-well.com/prep) - [Lab visit guide](https://www.test-well.com/at-the-lab) ## Sources - [Testing.com (AACC) — Prolactin (medications that raise it)](https://www.testing.com/tests/prolactin/) - [MedlinePlus — Prolactin levels test](https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/prolactin-levels/) - [Testing.com (AACC) — FSH / LH](https://www.testing.com/tests/follicle-stimulating-hormone-fsh/) --- Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD (Medical Reviewer, TestWell); last reviewed 2026-09-24. Review policy: https://www.test-well.com/reviewers/youmna-distefano-md Canonical page: https://www.test-well.com/prep/antidepressants-and-prolactin Machine-readable catalog: https://www.test-well.com/api/catalog.json · MCP server: https://www.test-well.com/mcp · Overview for agents: https://www.test-well.com/llms.txt Prices are cash-pay, in USD, and include physician authorization; every order adds one flat $6 lab processing fee. Educational content is not a diagnosis — discuss results with a clinician.