The spontaneous flow of milk from the nipple at any time
other than during nursing.
G alactorrhea can be due to "normal" factors such as an unrecognized pregnancy,
trauma, surgery, overexercise or one of a number of drugs (including amphetamine,
cimetidine, female hormone replacement therapy, hydroxyzine, methyldopa, nicotine,
narcotics, reserpine, antidepressants of the so-called tricyclic type, or verapamil).
Galactorrhea can also be due to "abnormal" factors of a pathologic nature such
as cirrhosis of the liver, a false pregnancy (pseudocyesis), renal (kidney) failure,
disorders of the spinal cord, or a prolactinoma (a benign pituitary tumor that secretes
the hormone prolactin which stimulates milk production).
The word "galactorrhea" comes from the Greek "galaktos" meaning "milk" + "rhein"
meaning "to flow" = "to flow milk." (The naturally occurring sugar in breast milk
is called galactose.) Galactorrhea is also sometimes called witch's milk.
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