Common uses

Dostinex is used for treating disorders associated with high prolactin levels: persistent breast milk production, lack of a menstrual period, infertility, and other conditions.

Before using

Tell your doctor if:
1. you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
2. you are breast-feeding or intend to breast-feed. This medicine prevents the flow of breast milk.
3. you have or have had any other health problems especially:
- kidney, heart and liver problems
- lung disease or problems with your breathing
- Raynaud's syndrome (associated with extreme numbness, tingling and colour changes in the fingers due to cold )
- ulcer or bleeding in the stomach or intestines
- low blood pressure
- high blood pressure after childbirth
- history of severe mental illness.

If you have not told your doctor or pharmacist about any of the above, tell them before you start to take Dostinex.

Directions

Use Dostinex as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
• Take Dostinex by mouth with or without food.
• It may be helpful to mark on a calendar which days you are supposed to take Dostinex.
• If you miss a dose of Dostinex , contact your doctor right away.

Cautions

Do not use Dostinex if:
• you are allergic to any ingredient in Dostinex or to ergot derivatives (e.g., ergotamine);
• you have uncontrolled high blood pressure;
• you are taking a butyrophenone (e.g., haloperidol), metoclopramide, a phenothiazine (e.g., chlorpromazine), or a thioxanthene (e.g., thiothixene).
•
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important:
• Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
• If you suspect that you may be pregnant, contact your doctor so that a pregnancy test can be arranged.
• Dostinex should be used with extreme caution in children; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Dostinex while you are pregnant. It is not known if Dostinex is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Dostinex .

Possible side effects

Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome:
• constipation; dizziness; headache; indigestion; nausea; tiredness or weakness; vomiting.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:
• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); behavior changes (eg, aggression); chest pain; confusion; cough; depression; fainting; hallucinations; irregular heartbeat; mood or mental changes; shortness of breath; swelling of hands or feet; vision disturbances.

If you take too much

Overdosage might be expected to produce nasal congestion, syncope, or hallucinations. Measures to support blood pressure should be taken if necessary.

Additional information

Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.

Drug interactions

It is important to tell your doctor or pharmacist what medicines you are already taking, including those bought without a prescription and herbal medicines, before you start treatment with this medicine. Similarly, check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new medicines while taking this one, to ensure that the combination is safe.

This medicine is not recommended for use in combination with other ergot alkaloid derivatives, such as pergolide, bromocriptine, lisuride, ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, methysergide or ergometrine.

There may be an increased risk of a drop in blood pressure that makes you feel dizzy if this medicine is taken in combination with other medicines that can lower blood pressure, for example medicines to treat high blood pressure (antihypertensives). Tell your doctor if you feel dizzy after starting treatment with this medicine, as your doctor may need to adjust the dose of your blood pressure medicine.

This medicine should not normally be taken in combination with the following medicines, as these work by decreasing the activity of dopamine in the brain and so may oppose the effect of cabergoline:
• antipsychotic medicines, eg chlorpromazine, haloperidol
• domperidone
• metoclopramide.
Macrolide-type antibiotics such as erythromycin may possibly increase the concentration of cabergoline in the blood, which may increase the risk of its side effects. However, small amounts of erythromycin applied to the skin can be used safely.