Cabergoline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Cabergoline is an ergot derivative sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for adenoma, hyperprolactinemia and parkinson disease. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Ergot Derivative
- Treats
- Adenoma, Hyperprolactinemia and Parkinson Disease
- Available as
- Tablet
- Sold as
- 2 products — Cabergoline and Dostinex
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $42 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How cabergoline is dosed
From the FDA label for Dostinex (application NDA020664). Other cabergoline products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Before initiating CABERGOLINE evaluate for valvular heart disease, including with an echocardiogram. If valvular disease is detected, do not administer CABERGOLINE. ( 2.1 ) • Recommended starting dosage of CABERGOLINE is 0.25 mg orally twice weekly. ( 2.2 ) • Titrate CABERGOLINE to achieve normal serum prolactin levels by increasing CABERGOLINE by 0.25 mg orally twice weekly at intervals of no less than 4 weeks. ( 2.2 ) • Maximum recommended dosage is 1 mg orally, twice weekly. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Recommended Evaluation Before Initiating CABERGOLINE Before initiating CABERGOLINE evaluate for valvular heart disease, including with an echocardiogram. If valvular disease is detected, do not administer CABERGOLINE [see Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended starting dosage of CABERGOLINE is 0.25 mg orally twice weekly. Titrate CABERGOLINE to achieve normal serum prolactin levels by increasing CABERGOLINE by 0.25 mg orally twice weekly at intervals of no less than 4 weeks. The maximum recommended dosage is 1 mg orally, twice weekly [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . Administer CABERGOLINE with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . If CABERGOLINE is discontinued, monitor the serum prolactin level periodically to determine whether CABERGOLINE should be reinstituted.
Cabergoline side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: • Cardiac Valvulopathy and Pericardial Fibrosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . • Pleural, Retroperitoneal, and Pulmonary Fibrosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . • Orthostatic Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] . • Impulse Control Disorders and Compulsive Behaviors [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] . The most common adverse reactions (incidence >10%) are nausea, headache, and dizziness. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Viatris at 1-877-446-3679 (1‑877‑4‑INFO‑RX) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of CABERGOLINE has been evaluated in more than 900 patients with hyperprolactinemic disorders. In a 4-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (CABERGOLINE vs. placebo) [see Clinical Studies (14) ] , the incidence of the most common adverse reactions during the placebo-controlled trial in patients with hyperprolactinemic disorders is presented in Table 1. Table 1. Adverse Reactions (n (%)) Adverse reactions that…
Who shouldn’t take cabergoline
CABERGOLINE is contraindicated in patients with: • Uncontrolled hypertension. • Known hypersensitivity to ergot derivatives. • History of cardiac valvular disorders, as suggested by anatomical evidence of valvulopathy of any valve, determined by pre-treatment evaluation including echocardiographic demonstration of valve leaflet thickening, valve restriction, or mixed valve restriction-stenosis, or history of pericardial fibrosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . • History of pleural, pulmonary, or retroperitoneal fibrotic disorders [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] . • Uncontrolled hypertension. ( 4 ) • Known hypersensitivity to ergot derivatives. ( 4 ) • History of cardiac valvular disorders, or pericardial fibrosis. ( 5.1 ) • History of pleural, pulmonary, or retroperitoneal fibrotic disorders. ( 5.2 )
Cabergoline drug interactions
CABERGOLINE, a dopamine receptor agonist, is not recommended for concomitant use with D2-antagonists, such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, or metoclopramide. CABERGOLINE, a dopamine receptor agonist, is not recommended for concomitant use with D2-antagonists, such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, or metoclopramide. ( 7 )
Every cabergoline product we track (2)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $42 | View → | |
| 2 | 64/100 | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $42 | View → |
What cabergoline pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
How long cabergoline keeps
No cabergoline label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Does cabergoline expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsCabergoline and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for cabergoline: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadCabergoline is usually not used during breastfeeding because it suppresses lactation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers cabergoline to be not indicated to suppress lactation because the similar drug bromocriptine has caused hypertension, stroke, seizures and psychosis when used for this purpose. However, two systematic reviews found that cabergoline was generally well tolerated for use in suppressing lactation, but dizziness, headache, nausea and vomiting occur occasionally. A retrospective study of 225 women who received cabergoline postpartum had a maximum decrease in systolic blood pressure of 10.88 mm Hg at 20 to 24 hours after the dose. Serious reactions are uncommon, but include thromboembolic and neurologic events. Psychiatric symptoms have occurred rarely, but women requesting lactation suppression with cabergoline are more likely to have anxiety and depression. Some experts recommend cabergoline as a safer alternative to bromocriptine for lactation suppression, but others do not. The disadvantage of cabergoline is that it has a half-life of about 68 hours, which means that any adverse effects might persist for a prolonged period of time. Women treated with cabergoline for pituitary adenomas who become pregnant can breastfed their infants with no apparent risk of recurrence. A treatment scheme has been reported for mothers with hypergalactia that uses low doses of cabergoline to decrease milk supply. Decreased milk synthesis may occur by 2 days after drug administration.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised September 15, 2025. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about cabergoline
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 4,964 reports naming cabergoline, and the FDA flagged 82% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- headache349 reports
- fatigue295 reports
- nausea285 reports
- dizziness232 reports
- malaise215 reports
- diarrhoea185 reports
- rash178 reports
- abdominal discomfort169 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean cabergoline caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
What is cabergoline?
Dostinex (Cabergoline) is an ergot derivative used to treat Adenoma, Hyperprolactinemia, Parkinson Disease.
What kind of drug is cabergoline?
The FDA classifies cabergoline as an ergot derivative. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take cabergoline with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run cabergoline against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is cabergoline sold under?
We track 2 cabergoline-containing products in the U.S.: Cabergoline and Dostinex. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does cabergoline come in?
Across the brands we track, cabergoline is currently marketed as tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic cabergoline?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic cabergoline product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Cabergoline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cabergoline
- MLA
- “Cabergoline: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/cabergoline.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for cabergoline on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.