Methylergonovine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Methylergonovine is an ergot derivative sold in the U.S. under 2 brand and generic names, for postpartum hemorrhage. 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 (across its forms)
- Postpartum Hemorrhage
- Available as
- Tablet · Injectable
- Sold as
- 2 products — Methergine and Methylergonovine Maleate
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- Half-life
- a mean of about 3.4 hours (range 1.5 to 12.7 hours)
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $159 for a 30-count supply — not your price
How methylergonovine is dosed
From the FDA label for Methylergonovine Maleate (application ANDA090193). Other methylergonovine products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Intramuscularly 1 mL, 0.2 mg, after delivery of the anterior shoulder, after delivery of the placenta, or during the puerperium. May be repeated as required, at intervals of 2 to 4 hours. Intravenously 1 mL, 0.2 mg, administered slowly over a period of no less than 60 seconds (SeeWARNINGS.) Orally The recommended dosage of methylergonovine maleate is One tablet, 0.2 mg, orally 3 or 4 times daily in the puerperium for a maximum of 1 week.
Methylergonovine side effects
Clinical trials experience Common Adverse Reactions The most common adverse reaction is hypertension associated in several cases with seizure and/or headache. Hypotension has also been reported. Abdominal pain (caused by uterine contractions), nausea and vomiting have occurred occasionally. Rare Adverse Reactions Rarely observed reactions have included: acute myocardial infarction, transient chest pains, vasoconstriction, vasospasm, coronary arterial spasm, bradycardia, tachycardia, dyspnea, hematuria, thrombophlebitis, water intoxication, hallucinations, leg cramps, dizziness, tinnitus, nasal congestion, diarrhea, diaphoresis, palpitation, rash, and foul taste. There have been rare isolated reports of anaphylaxis, without a proven causal relationship to the drug product. Post marketing Experience The following adverse drug reactions have been derived from post-marketing experience with methylergonovine maleate via spontaneous case reports. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not possible to reliably estimate their frequency which is therefore categorized as not known. Nervous system disorders Cerebrovascular accident, paraesthesia Cardiac disorders Ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, angina pectoris, atrioventricular block To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact American Regent at 1-800-734-9236 or…
Who shouldn’t take methylergonovine
Hypertension; toxemia; pregnancy; and hypersensitivity.
Every methylergonovine 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 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Tablet | Generic | $159 | View → | |
| 2 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Injectable | Generic | $159 | View → |
What methylergonovine pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Methylergonovine recalls
From the FDA Enforcement database. A recall covers specific lots — not the drug as a whole.
How long methylergonovine keeps
No methylergonovine 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 methylergonovine expire? The in-use limits and storage rules from its labelsMethylergonovine and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for methylergonovine: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadLimited information indicates that maternal doses of methylergonovine up to 0.75 mg daily produce low levels in milk. Product labeling in the U.S. currently recommends avoiding breastfeeding for at least 12 hours following the last dose of methylergonovine and discarding the milk. This warning appears to be based on unpublished adverse reactions in breastfed infants after several days of maternal methylergonovine therapy. The use of shorter courses of the drug after delivery during the colostral phase of lactation are not expected to transfer appreciable amounts of drug to the breastfed infant or cause adverse effects in the infant. The lack of infant side effects was documented in one case-control study. If adverse reactions in the breastfed infant are seen, such as tachycardia, vomiting, diarrhea or agitation, the drug should be discontinued.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised June 15, 2025. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about methylergonovine
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 77 reports naming methylergonovine, and the FDA flagged 81% 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:
- dyspnoea11 reports
- chest pain7 reports
- arteriospasm coronary6 reports
- wrong product administered6 reports
- acute pulmonary oedema5 reports
- blood pressure increased5 reports
- nausea5 reports
- oliguria5 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean methylergonovine 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 July 25, 2026.
How long methylergonovine stays in your system
The elimination half-life of methylergonovine is a mean of about 3.4 hours (range 1.5 to 12.7 hours). This is the terminal (elimination) half-life: the label states the plasma decline is biphasic and reports a mean elimination half-life of 3.39 hours (range 1.5 to 12.7 hours), so the value given is the beta/terminal phase, not the rapid distribution phase (distribution from plasma to tissues occurs within about 2-3 minutes after IV). Methylergonovine is not a prodrug and the label names no active metabolite that outlasts the parent. It is cleared mainly by hepatic metabolism and excretion, so liver impairment would be expected to prolong the half-life, but the label does not quantify this and gives no separate half-life figures for older adults or kidney or liver impairment. The wide upper end of the range (up to 12.7 hours) reflects inter-individual variability rather than a named population.
Methylergonovine Maleate label — DailyMed (Clinical Pharmacology) ↗Half-life is how long the body takes to clear half a dose. It is not the same as how long a drug test can detect it, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is methylergonovine?
Methylergonovine maleate is a semi-synthetic ergot alkaloid used for the prevention and control of postpartum hemorrhage. Methylergonovine maleate injection is a clear, colorless, sterile solution available in 1 mL single dose vials, containing methylergonovine maleate 0.2 mg for intramuscular or intravenous injection.
What kind of drug is methylergonovine?
The FDA classifies methylergonovine 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.
How long does methylergonovine stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of methylergonovine is a mean of about 3.4 hours (range 1.5 to 12.7 hours) — that is how long the body takes to clear half of a dose. This is the terminal (elimination) half-life: the label states the plasma decline is biphasic and reports a mean elimination half-life of 3.39 hours (range 1.5 to 12.7 hours), so the value given is the beta/terminal phase, not the rapid distribution phase (distribution from plasma to tissues occurs within about 2-3 minutes after IV). Methylergonovine is not a prodrug and the label names no active metabolite that outlasts the parent. It is cleared mainly by hepatic metabolism and excretion, so liver impairment would be expected to prolong the half-life, but the label does not quantify this and gives no separate half-life figures for older adults or kidney or liver impairment. The wide upper end of the range (up to 12.7 hours) reflects inter-individual variability rather than a named population. Half-life is not the same as how long a drug test can detect the drug, and it varies with age, kidney and liver function.
Can you take methylergonovine 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 methylergonovine 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 methylergonovine sold under?
We track 2 methylergonovine-containing products in the U.S.: Methergine and Methylergonovine Maleate. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does methylergonovine come in?
Across the brands we track, methylergonovine is currently marketed as tablet and injectable, 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 methylergonovine?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic methylergonovine 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.
Has methylergonovine been recalled?
The FDA's Enforcement database lists 1 recall record whose product description mentions methylergonovine. The most recent: Methylergonovine Maleate Tablets (Mar 25, 2024). A recall applies to specific lots, not to the drug as a whole — check the record for the affected lot numbers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Methylergonovine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/methylergonovine
- MLA
- “Methylergonovine: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/methylergonovine.
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 methylergonovine on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.