Cabergoline

Generic Name: Cabergoline

Brand Names:

Availability: Available with Prescription

Drug Class: Dopamine receptor agonists

Therapeutic action

  • Long-lasting lactation inhibitor

Indications

  • Inhibition of lactation or suppression of established lactation in case of intrauterine foetal death or neonatal death

Forms and strengths

  • 0.5 mg scored tablet

Dosage and duration

Lactation inhibition

  • 1 mg single dose on the first day post-partum

Lactation suppression

  • 0.25 mg every 12 hours for 2 days

Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions

  • Do not administer to patients with postpartum hypertension or psychosis, preeclampsia, valvulopathy, and history of pulmonary, retroperitoneal or pericardial fibrosis.
  • May cause: hypotension, valvulopathy, dizziness, headache,nausea, drowsiness, hallucinations. 
  • Do not combine with chlorpromazine, haloperidol, metoclopramide, promethazine (effect of cabergoline antagonised), methylergometrine(risk of vasoconstriction and hypertensive crisis), and macrolides (effectof cabergoline increased).
  • Pregnancy: CONTRA-INDICATED

Remarks

  • The use of cabergoline is not recommended to inhibit lactation in women who chose to not breastfeed: it is not justified to expose women to the adverse effects of cabergoline, lactation will stop spontaneously.
  • Cabergoline is not includedin the WHO list of essential medicines.
  • Cabergoline is a dopamine agonistalso used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

Storage

– Below 25 °C