Prescription:

Parlodel (Bromocriptine) is used to treat a variety of medical conditions. In women, it can be used to treat amenorrhea, a condition whereby the menstrual period does not occur. It can also be used to treat women who are having difficulties getting pregnant because of ovulation problems or who are having problems with abnormal discharge of breast milk. In men, it can be used to treat hypogonadism, a condition that occurs when there is a decreased or absent secretion of hormones from the sex glands (gonads). It may also be used together with other medications to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease or to treat a condition called acromegaly, where the body produces too much growth hormone.

Why is this drug prescribed?

Parlodel tablets and capsules contain the active ingredient bromocriptine mesilate, which is a type of drug called a dopamine agonist. Bromocriptine is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic drug. Bromocriptine works by stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain. This can have several results, hence the drug has several different uses. Bromocriptine is mainly used to treat disorders that result from high levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood. Prolactin is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. Bromocriptine decreases the production of prolactin from the pituitary by stimulating dopamine receptors. A high prolactin level is associated with several conditions. Over-production of this hormone can cause abnormal production of breast milk in both men and women, as well as suppression of the sexual glands, which can result in infertility. High prolactin levels are also associated with some breast and menstrual disorders. Reducing prolactin levels with bromocriptine can therefore improve these conditions. Bromocriptine is also sometimes used to prevent or stop milk production for medical reasons following childbirth, miscarriage or abortion. Prolactin is the hormone that stimulates the production of breast milk, hence decreasing the production of prolactin with bromocriptine stops milk production. A further use of bromocriptine is to reduce prolactin production from a type of tumour of the pituitary gland, called a prolactinoma. Bromocriptine's action on dopamine receptors also decreases the production of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. This is useful for treating conditions where growth hormone is overproduced, such as acromegaly. Lastly bromocriptine can be used to treat Parkinson's disease. The neurotransmitter dopamine is known to be reduced or absent in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease, and this is thought to be the cause of the disease symptoms. Stimulating dopamine receptors with bromocriptine is similar to replacing the dopamine in the brain, and this reduces some of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Treatments

* High prolactin levels that have caused suppression of the sexual glands and/or abnormal milk production in men or women * Preventing or stopping milk production for medical reasons following childbirth, miscarriage or abortion * Benign breast disease or breast pain that occurs at certain times of the menstrual cycle * Menstrual cycle disorders and premenstrual symptoms, eg headaches, breast pain, mood changes or bloating * Infertility * Benign tumours in the pituitary gland that release prolactin * Excess growth hormone production resulting in enlarged facial features, hands and feet * Parkinson's disease

What side effects can this drug cause?

* Headache * Constipation * Drowsiness * Nausea and vomiting * Nasal congestion * Dry mouth * Dizziness * Difficulty performing voluntary movements, resulting in jerky or involuntary movements or muscle twitches * Confusion * Hallucinations * Leg cramps * Hair loss * Drop in blood pressure when moving from lying or sitting to sitting or standing * Fibrous thickening of the lining that covers internal organs including the kidneys, the heart or the lungs * Bleeding or ulceration of the stomach or intestine