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Dostinex
Dostinex, also known by the generic name of its active ingredient Cabergoline, is a prescription medication used to treat certain hormone problems involving excess prolactin. The drug is also used to reduce or prevent breast milk production, except after childbirth (postpartum). In addition, this drug may also be used to treat Parkinson's disease in some cases, treat prolactin-producing tumors and to adjust various hormone levels in certain diseases (ovarian diseases). Side effects of the drug can include unusual weakness or fatigue, nausea or vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tingling or numbness sensation may occur. If these persist or worsen, notify your doctor. Unlikely side effects that should also be reported promptly can include mental or mood changes, fainting, swelling of feet or ankles, breast pain, menstrual changes, vision problems. In addition to these side effects, in two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine on January 4, 2007, Dostinex was implicated along with pergolide in causing valvular heart disease in some patients. Both drugs are ergot-derived dopamine agonists, although their molecular skeletons are different. As a result of this, the Food and Drug Administration removed pergolide from the U.S. market on March 29, 2007. Dostinex is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of hyperprolactinemic disorders (conditions in which there are elevated levels of prolactin in the blood). Dostinex is not approved in the U.S. for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. For hyperprolactinemic disorders, a considerably lower dose of Dostinex is used. At these lower doses of Dostinex, there appears to be little chance of heart problems, therefore Dostinex remains on the US market for the treatment of hyperprolactinemic disorders. However, any patients who have received Dostinex as a treatment for Parkinson's should consult with their physician as to whether the dosage of the drug they received may contribute to valvular heart disease. If you or someone you know may have been negatively affected by the possible side effects of Dostinex, use the Dostinex attorney case evaluation form on this page to be contacted by an experienced Dostinex attorney as soon as possible.
Fast Facts
| Name: | Dostinex |
| Generic: | Cabergoline |
| Manufacturer: | Pfizer |
| Date approved: | December 23, 1996 |
| Status: | Prescription only |
| Approved uses: | Approved for the treatment of hyperprolactinemic disorders,either idiopathic or due to pituitary adenomas. |
| Off-Label uses: | It has at times been used as an adjunct to SSRI antidepressants as there is some evidence that it counteracts certain side effects of those drugs, such as reduced libido and anorgasmia |
| Side effects: | Unusual weakness or fatigue, nausea or vomiting, constipation, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, tingling or numbness sensations, mental or mood changes, fainting, swelling of feet or ankles, breast pain, menstrual changes, vision problems, as well as possible link to valvular heart disease. |
| Related topics: | Pergolide |
