Galactorrhea among Female Mentally Ill Patients Using Antipsychotics in a Tertiary Institution in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Objective was to determine the prevalence of galactorrhea among respondents, to determine the correlation between the dose of antipsychotic and the presence of galactorrhea, to determine the relationship between the duration of drug use and the prolactin level, to determine the relationship between class of antipsychotic and galactorrhea, and to determine the predictors of galactorrhea among the respondents. This is a cross-sectional study. From 81 consenting patients taking prescribed antipsychotic medications and all of whom have met the inclusion criteria, a sociodemographic interview schedule was administered. Next, the venous blood sample was collected for the estimation of the serum prolactin level. The prevalence of galactorrhea was 50.6%, there was a correlation between galactorrhea and chlorpromazine equivalent dose of antipsychotics (r = 0.356, p = 0.001), there is an association between galactorrhea and the use of typical antipsychotics, there was also an association between the duration of antipsychotic use and galactorrhea, and the greatest predictor of galactorrhea was found to be the duration of antipsychotic medication usage. Galactorrhea can result from the use of atypical or typical antipsychotics, and the duration of antipsychotic use was the greatest predictor of galactorrhea.