New drug helps women with "post-pill" problem
Gold, M.
JAMA 235(24): 2575
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0098-7484 PMID: 12229478 Document Number: 497590
An experimental drug - bromocriptine - apparently restores menses and suppresses prolactin production in women with amenorrhea and galactorrhea. Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, and mild ankle edema usually abate after the first few weeks of therapy. In a study of 13 women with elevated prolactin levels who were treated with 2.5 mg of bromocriptone orally twice a day for up to 24 weeks, galactorrhea diminished markedly in all the patients. Only 5 had complete cessation of galactorrhea. Galactorrhea returned in 11 patients when they stopped taking the drug. Menses were restored in 10 of the women after 3-10 1/2 weeks of treatment. 3 women became pregnant before the resumption of menses. The degree of prolactin suppression (reduced to less than 20 ng/ml in a patient) failed to correlate well with early or late resumption of menses or conception.