Cabergoline
Cabergoline is a prescription tablet used to treat hyperprolactinemia — high prolactin levels — whether from an unknown cause or a pituitary gland tumor.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 13 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Cabergoline (Dostinex) mimics dopamine to turn down excess prolactin from a noncancerous pituitary tumor or an unknown cause; it is the usual first choice for high prolactin, on the market for well over a decade and available generically. It is usually easier to tolerate than the older option, bromocriptine, though nausea, dizziness and headache are common early on. The key risk is heart valve damage and scarring in the lungs or abdomen, so expect a heart ultrasound (echocardiogram) before and during treatment, and report new breathlessness, cough or swelling. Also report new, hard-to-resist urges to gamble, spend, have sex or overeat; people rarely link these to a medicine.
Clinical pearls
- Doses are taken just twice a week, with or without food, so pick two fixed days and set a reminder.
- Do not reach for metoclopramide (Reglan) for nausea; it blocks dopamine and cancels cabergoline, as do older antipsychotics like haloperidol.
- Expect the lowest dose that normalizes prolactin, raised no faster than monthly, and never use it to dry up breast milk.
- Fertility can return once prolactin falls, so plan contraception and call your doctor promptly if you become pregnant.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Cabergoline, written from its FDA label.
What Cabergoline is used for
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Cabergoline tablets are approved for adults with hyperprolactinemia — a condition where prolactin levels in the blood are too high.
- Cabergoline tablets treat idiopathic hyperprolactinemia — high prolactin with no identified cause
- Cabergoline tablets treat hyperprolactinemia caused by a pituitary adenoma (a noncancerous tumor on the pituitary gland)
- Cabergoline tablets are not approved and should not be used to stop or suppress breast milk production after childbirth, due to the risk of serious harm
How Cabergoline works
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The pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain, normally receives dopamine signals from the brain telling it to limit prolactin production. In hyperprolactinemia, this control breaks down and prolactin rises too high. Cabergoline is a long-acting dopamine receptor agonist — it binds directly to dopamine D2 receptors on the pituitary gland and mimics dopamine's natural signal, telling the gland to produce less prolactin. Because cabergoline has a very long half-life (the time it takes the body to clear half the drug), its effect on prolactin can last for many days from a single dose, which is why it only needs to be taken twice a week.
In clinical studies, cabergoline normalized prolactin levels in the majority of women with hyperprolactinemia and restored normal menstrual cycles and reduced unwanted milk production (galactorrhea) more effectively than bromocriptine, a similar medication.
Cabergoline dosage
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Cabergoline tablets are taken by mouth twice a week. The starting dose is low and is adjusted gradually — no faster than every four weeks — based on your prolactin blood levels, until the right amount is found for you. Food does not affect absorption, so you can take cabergoline with or without a meal.
- Take it on the same two days each week to stay consistent
- After prolactin levels have been normal for six months, your doctor may try stopping cabergoline and monitoring your levels to see if treatment needs to resume
- Do not change your dose or stop taking it without talking to your doctor first
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Cabergoline prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Initiation of therapy (dosage text does not name a specific indication; serum prolactin level guides titration)
- 0.25 mg twice a week
- Dosage may be increased by 0.25 mg twice weekly up to a dosage of 1 mg twice a week according to the patient's serum prolactin level
- Maximum: 1 mg twice a week
- Dosage increases should not occur more rapidly than every 4 weeks; cardiovascular evaluation before treatment and consider echocardiography to assess for valvular disease
Read the label’s full dosing text
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended dosage of Cabergoline Tablets, USP for initiation of therapy is 0.25 mg twice a week. Dosage may be increased by 0.25 mg twice weekly up to a dosage of 1 mg twice a week according to the patient's serum prolactin level. Before initiating treatment, cardiovascular evaluation should be performed and echocardiography should be considered to assess for valvular disease. Dosage increases should not occur more rapidly than every 4 weeks, so that the physician can assess the patient's response to each dosage level. If the patient does not respond adequately, and no additional benefit is observed with higher doses, the lowest dose that achieved maximal response should be used and other therapeutic approaches considered. Patients receiving long term treatment with Cabergoline should undergo periodic assessment of their cardiac status and echocardiography should be considered. After a normal serum prolactin level has been maintained for 6 months, cabergoline may be discontinued, with periodic monitoring of the serum prolactin level to determine whether or when treatment with cabergoline should be reinstituted. The durability of efficacy beyond 24 months of therapy with cabergoline has not been established. HOW SUPPLIED Cabergoline Tablets, USP are a white to off-white, oval shape, flat face, beveled edge tablet containing 0.5 mg Cabergoline USP. Each tablet is debossed "P" bisect line "P" on one side and "673" on the other side. Cabergoline Tablets, USP are available as follows: Bottles of 8 tablets NDC 23155-823-73 STORAGE Store at controlled room temperature 20° to 25° C (68° to 77° F) [see USP]. Dispense in original container. Distributed by: Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. East Brunswick, NJ 08816 1.866.901.DRUG (3784) Revised: 05/2022 OS673A-01-1-01 logo
Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Cabergoline side effects
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The most common side effects with cabergoline tend to be mild to moderate and often improve with time:
Common side effects
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Fatigue or weakness
- Low blood pressure when standing up (lightheadedness)
- Abdominal pain
- Somnolence (drowsiness)
- Depression or mood changes
When to get medical help
- Call your doctor if you notice new or worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling, or signs of heart failure — these could signal a heart valve problem or fibrosis
- Seek care if you develop a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, or pain in your side or abdomen — possible signs of lung or tissue scarring (fibrosis)
- Tell your doctor right away if you feel a strong, hard-to-control urge to gamble, spend money, engage in sexual activity, or overeat
- Report dizziness or fainting when standing up — a sign of orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure dropping when you rise)
- Contact your doctor if you become pregnant while taking cabergoline
Serious reactions — including heart valve damage, lung or tissue scarring (fibrosis), and compulsive behavior changes — are less common but require immediate medical attention. Tell your doctor right away if you develop chest pain, shortness of breath, a persistent cough, or notice dramatic changes in your behavior or urges.
Cabergoline warnings and precautions
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- Heart valve damage and fibrosis: Cabergoline can cause thickening or scarring of heart valves (cardiac valvulopathy) and of tissue in the lungs, around the heart, or in the abdomen. A cardiovascular evaluation including an echocardiogram is required before starting, and monitoring every 6–12 months is recommended. The drug must be stopped if new valve problems are found.
- Lung and retroperitoneal fibrosis: Scarring can also develop in the lungs or in deep abdominal tissue. Watch for persistent cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or flank/abdominal pain and report them promptly.
- Impulse control disorders: Some people develop intense, hard-to-control urges — gambling, sexual urges, compulsive spending, binge eating — while on cabergoline. These may not feel abnormal to you, so it's important to tell your doctor if anyone close to you notices these changes.
- Orthostatic hypotension: Blood pressure can drop when you stand up, causing dizziness or fainting. Rise slowly from sitting or lying positions.
- Postpartum use: Cabergoline must not be used to stop breast milk after childbirth — a similar drug used for this purpose has been linked to stroke, heart attack, seizures, and death.
- Pregnancy: Dopamine agonists, including cabergoline, should generally be avoided during pregnancy, especially in women with pregnancy-related high blood pressure conditions like preeclampsia.
Cabergoline interactions
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Cabergoline has a few important drug interactions to know about:
- D2-antagonist drugs (such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, and metoclopramide): These medications block the same dopamine receptors that cabergoline activates, making cabergoline ineffective. These combinations should be avoided.
- Blood-pressure-lowering medications: Cabergoline can itself lower blood pressure; combining it with other antihypertensive drugs increases the risk of dizziness or fainting when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension).
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Cabergoline prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- D2-antagonists, such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, or metoclopramide: Cabergoline tablets, a dopamine receptor agonist, are not recommended for concomitant use with D2-antagonists. Concomitant use is not recommended.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Cabergoline tablets, a dopamine receptor agonist, is not recommended for concomitant use with D2-antagonists, such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, or metoclopramide. Cabergoline tablets, a dopamine receptor agonist, are not recommended for concomitant use with D2-antagonists, such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes, or metoclopramide. ( 7 )
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Cabergoline
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- Do not take cabergoline if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Do not take cabergoline if you have a history of heart valve problems, pericardial fibrosis, or any valvular disease detected on echocardiogram
- Do not take cabergoline if you have a history of pleural, pulmonary, or retroperitoneal fibrosis (scarring in the lungs or abdomen)
- Tell your doctor if you are allergic to cabergoline or any ergot-derived medicine
- Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant — if you become pregnant while on cabergoline, contact your doctor right away
- Cabergoline is not recommended while breastfeeding
- Safety and effectiveness have not been established in children
- Cabergoline is not recommended if you have severe liver disease; moderate liver disease requires closer monitoring for side effects
- Limited data exist for adults 65 and older — discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor
Cabergoline overdose
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If someone takes too much cabergoline, the priority is to support blood pressure if it drops. Contact the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical care right away. A medical toxicologist can provide additional guidance on managing an overdose.
What Cabergoline does in the body
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Cabergoline produces a dose-related reduction in prolactin levels, with effects detectable even at low doses and maximum suppression at higher doses. In studies of people with hyperprolactinemia, a single dose of cabergoline produced a prolactin-lowering effect lasting up to 14 days — far longer than bromocriptine's roughly 24-hour effect. At doses used for hyperprolactinemia, cabergoline selectively lowers prolactin without meaningfully affecting other pituitary hormones such as growth hormone, FSH, LH, ACTH, or TSH.
How your body processes Cabergoline
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After an oral dose, cabergoline reaches peak blood levels within 2 to 3 hours. It has a very long elimination half-life — roughly 63 to 69 hours — which explains why its prolactin-lowering effect lasts for days and why twice-weekly dosing is sufficient. Cabergoline is extensively broken down (metabolized) in the body, mainly in the liver, with less than 4% excreted unchanged in the urine; the rest leaves through urine and stool over about 20 days. Food does not change how the body absorbs it. People with severe liver disease clear cabergoline more slowly, increasing exposure and the risk of side effects, so cabergoline is not recommended in that group.
How to store Cabergoline
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Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) . Dispense in original container.
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Cabergoline
17 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Cabergoline in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 7
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Cabergoline: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Cabergoline — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly is cabergoline treating — what does 'high prolactin' mean for me?
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How soon will I feel better, and how long will I need to take it?
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Nausea and dizziness sound rough — what can I do about them?
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I heard this medication can affect your heart — should I be worried?
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Can cabergoline change my behavior or mood?
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What if I get pregnant while taking cabergoline?
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Is Cabergoline available over the counter?
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When was Cabergoline first available?
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Who makes Cabergoline?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Cabergoline on HelloPharmacist
Cabergoline forms and strengths (how it comes)
Cabergoline is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Cabergoline inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Cabergoline tablets are used to treat hyperprolactinemic disorders — high prolactin levels — whether the cause is unknown or due to a pituitary adenoma, in adults
- Cabergoline tablets are NOT approved to stop or suppress breast milk production after childbirth
- Cabergoline tablets are taken by mouth twice a week
- Cabergoline tablets can be taken with or without food
- Cabergoline tablet doses are increased gradually — no more often than every four weeks — based on prolactin levels
- Cabergoline tablets should be stored at controlled room temperature (68°F–77°F) and dispensed in the original container
Cabergoline on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Cabergoline appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
9 companies list 12 Cabergoline product records with the FDA, mostly as tablet; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1996. Brand names on the directory include Dostinex; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (7) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Cabergoline is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Cabergoline is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Cabergoline is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Cabergoline prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Cabergoline ranks #561 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 65% of them.
Utilization by Cabergoline product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
cabergoline 0.5 MG Oral Tablet
Summed across the 7 of 14 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 199703
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Cabergoline, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 7 of 14 listed Cabergoline NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Cabergoline products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Cabergoline — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 0.5 mg | Oral | A-S Medication Solutions × 4 listings | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Cranbury Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. d/b/a Avet Pharmaceuticals Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Ingenus Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. | NDA AUTHORIZED GENERIC | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | SOLA Pharmaceuticals, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Somerset Therapeutics, LLC | ANDA | View NDC → |
| 0.5 mg | Oral | Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 12 of 12 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 12 Cabergoline NDCs →
Cabergoline side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Cabergoline — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Cabergoline in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Cabergoline FDA approval history
How Cabergoline went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Cabergoline recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Cabergoline recalls since July 2021.
✅No Cabergoline recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 47579 1 dose form · 4 strengths
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Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 371178In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.5 MGRxCUI 1997031 MGRxCUI 1533312 MGRxCUI 1533324 MGRxCUI 153333
Look up RxCUI 47579 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Cabergoline supply and shortage status
Whether Cabergoline is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
💵 What Cabergoline costs pharmacies (NADAC benchmark)
The national average invoice price pharmacies pay for the drug itself, from CMS's NADAC survey (data as of Sep 30, 2026). This is a supply-cost benchmark — not a retail price and not what you'd pay at the counter.
| Form | Strength | Pharmacy acquisition benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tablet · Oral | 0.5 mg | $1.30 per tablet | NDC details & price history |
Source: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC), a survey of retail pharmacy invoice prices. Benchmarks shown are the range across package sizes of a representative product for each form and strength — other manufacturers' products may differ.
Cabergoline brand names
Cabergoline is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Dostinex. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Cabergoline: manufacturers and labelers
9 companies list Cabergoline products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are A-S Medication Solutions, Amneal Pharmaceuticals NY LLC, Cranbury Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Cabergoline drug class (RxNorm)
Cabergoline belongs to the Ergot Derivative class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Cabergoline page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Greenstone LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →