The condition that you are facing is called in medical circles as hyperprolactinemia. This is a condition where the hormone responsible for promoting lactation in women, prolactin, is secreted in abnormally high quantities. Your fears about breast cancer can be correct if your nipple discharge is only in one nipple and if you feel that you have a lump somewhere on the breast. It takes both of these symptoms to come to the conclusion that you have breast cancer. Nevertheless, it makes sense to get a mammogram done to be absolutely sure. Otherwise, you can be safe in the fact that you do not have breast cancer.
Hyperprolactinemia is a condition that sometimes affects women because of imbalanced hormones. Prolactin is a hormone that is usually secreted after another set of signals is sent to the pituitary gland in the brain that you are pregnant to start secreting milk. However, there are some reasons that cause this to go awry. A type of cancer in the pituitary gland called prolactinoma will cause low amounts of dopamine to be secreted. When this is secreted, due to the inhibition of another series of hormones, prolactin is discharged into the body in high amounts. You should get yourself checked to ensure that there is no tumor like growth in your pituitary gland by immediately getting an MRI done. However, all cases of hyperprolactinemia are not necessarily because of a tumor of the pituitary gland. As mentioned, low amounts of dopamine will cause this problem, so drugs that block the effects of dopamine are a cause for concern. Tranquilizers, antipsychotics, and some of the medications used to treat esophageal reflux like proton pump inhibitors will suppress dopamine production. Some other diseases that can cause the condition include hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, and even polycystic ovary disorder or PCOD.
Treating the condition requires an increase in dopamine levels to cancel out the effects of prolactin. Cabergoline and bromocriptine are the medicines of choice when dealing with this disorder and are known as dopamine agonists. Since estrogen in the body inhibits the secretion of milk, it is important that you take plants supplements of estrogen called phytoestrogen. The highest phytoestrogen content is found in nuts, oilseeds, cereals, bread, and legumes. Flax seed is extremely potent in this regard and should help you a bit with your problem of lactation. However, do get yourself checked up for hormonal issues and PCOD.
answered by G M