Cabergoline Side Effects

Reported Cabergoline side effects

Common effects In a 4-week placebo-controlled trial in women with high prolactin, nausea affected 27 percent on cabergoline against 20 percent on placebo, headache 26 against 25 percent, dizziness 15 against 5 percent, constipation 10 percent against none, fatigue 7 percent against none and low blood pressure on standing (postural hypotension) 4 percent against none (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). In the 459-woman comparison with bromocriptine, adverse effects were recorded in 68 percent on cabergoline and 78 percent on bromocriptine, 3 against 12 percent stopped because of intolerance, and gastrointestinal symptoms were less frequent, less severe and shorter-lived with cabergoline (PMID: 7915824). Heart valves at Parkinson's disease doses The label states that postmarketing cases of cardiac valvulopathy have generally occurred at high doses above 2 mg a day used for Parkinson's disease, for which cabergoline is not approved in the US, and it cites a 12-year multi-country cohort in Parkinson's disease with 68 cases of valve regurgitation per 10,000 person-years on cabergoline against 10 on non-ergot dopamine agonists and 11 on levodopa (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). In a UK nested case-control study of people prescribed Parkinson's drugs, current cabergoline use was associated with newly diagnosed valve regurgitation (incidence rate ratio 4.9, 95% CI 1.5 to 15.6) (PMID: 17202453). In an Italian echocardiography study of Parkinson's patients, moderate to severe regurgitation of any valve was found in 28.6 percent of 49 patients on cabergoline, 23.4 percent on pergolide, none on non-ergot agonists and 5.6 percent of controls, and patients with grade 3 to 4 regurgitation had received higher cumulative doses (PMID: 17202454). A 2015 systematic review of observational studies judged the evidence strong that pergolide and cabergoline are associated with a higher risk of valve regurgitation in Parkinson's disease, with higher risk at longer treatment duration and higher dose (PMID: 26585874). Heart valves at the lower doses used for high prolactin The label states that valvulopathy has also been reported at the lower doses used for hyperprolactinemic disorders (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). A 2018 meta-analysis of 13 case-control studies found more tricuspid regurgitation in patients treated with cabergoline for high prolactin than in controls (odds ratio 3.74), none diagnosed because of symptoms, and no increase in other valve disease (PMID: 30215804). A UK follow-up of 192 patients with repeat echocardiograms found no link between cumulative cabergoline dose (median 232 mg at the second scan) and valve abnormalities (PMID: 27571182). Among 1,811 patients with prolactinoma, a 2015 systematic review counted 2 confirmed cases of cabergoline-associated valvulopathy (0.11 percent) (PMID: 25466526). In a 2021 London primary care study of 646 patients treated with cabergoline for prolactinoma for more than 6 months, valve surgery or heart failure occurred in 2.8 percent against 2.33 percent of matched controls (relative risk 0.78, not significant), at a median weekly dose of 2.1 mg (PMID: 33247916). Label monitoring and fibrosis The current label contraindicates cabergoline in people with a history of heart valve disease or of pericardial, pleural, pulmonary or retroperitoneal fibrosis, and it calls for an echocardiogram before treatment and every 6 to 12 months during treatment, or as clinically indicated (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). Pleural, pulmonary and retroperitoneal fibrosis have been reported after marketing, some in patients previously treated with other ergot dopamine agonists, and patients with pleural effusion or pulmonary fibrosis improved after stopping cabergoline (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). Impulse control disorders The label warns that people taking cabergoline or other drugs that increase dopamine activity can experience intense urges to gamble, spend money, binge eat or have sex (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). In a cross-sectional study of 308 patients with prolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists, 17 percent screened positive for an impulse control disorder, most often hypersexuality (6.5 percent), which was more common in men (PMID: 30848825). In an Australian study, 22.1 percent of 113 treated patients and 8.1 percent of 99 community controls screened positive for hypersexuality, and male sex was the strongest risk factor (odds ratio 13.85) (PMID: 31580439). A 2025 meta-analysis of 8 observational studies found a higher prevalence of impulse control disorders with dopamine agonist treatment (risk ratio 1.71), mainly hypersexuality and punding (PMID: 40480033). Psychiatric and other postmarketing reports Postmarketing reports also include psychotic disorder, aggression and hair loss (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). Postpartum use The label advises against cabergoline to inhibit or suppress breast milk after childbirth, because bromocriptine, another dopamine agonist, used this way has been associated with high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, seizures and death (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). Pregnancy The label states that published case reports have not shown a clear association between cabergoline in early pregnancy and major birth defects or miscarriage, and that dopamine agonists should in general be avoided during pregnancy and after delivery (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). In a 12-year observational study of 380 pregnancies, neonatal abnormalities were recorded in 9 percent of infants with no apparent pattern, and the authors found no increase in miscarriage or malformation (PMID: 17760883). A 2025 systematic review of 1,662 exposed pregnancies found no increase in major malformations or spontaneous abortions but rated study quality as low (PMID: 40116053).

When to continue, reduce, or stop Cabergoline

Cabergoline contraindications

Cabergoline is contraindicated in uncontrolled hypertension, that is, uncontrolled high blood pressure (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). Known hypersensitivity to ergot derivatives is a contraindication (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). A history of cardiac valvular disorders, shown by anatomical evidence of valvulopathy of any valve on pretreatment evaluation, or of pericardial fibrosis is a contraindication (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). A history of pleural, pulmonary or retroperitoneal fibrosis is a contraindication (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). The label does not recommend cabergoline in severe liver impairment, where exposure rose 5.6-fold (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). The label states that cabergoline should be combined with other drugs linked to valve disease only if the potential benefit outweighs the risk (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). After childbirth, the label advises against using cabergoline to suppress lactation and does not recommend it for women who are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed (US prescribing information for cabergoline tablets). A study of patients with prolactinoma on dopamine agonists looked at risk factors for impulse control disorders: male sex, a history of gambling, alcohol use and smoking were more common in those with the disorders (PMID: 30848825).

Why vendor quality drives Cabergoline side-effect frequency

Research-compound communities consistently report that adverse-event frequency tracks with source quality. Three reasons: (1) impurity profiles vary by lab (residual synthesis byproducts can trigger reactions); (2) mislabeled mass means actual dose can be 50-150% of stated dose; (3) reconstitution-grade water and capping methodology affect long-term storage stability. COA-verified vendors with published HPLC data minimize all three failure modes. Check a vendor's COA record and Trust Score before you buy.

Cabergoline side effects FAQ

Research-use disclaimer. All safety information on this page summarizes published research literature and community-reported reactions. It is not medical advice and not authorization for human consumption. Always consult a licensed practitioner before any compound enters a clinical context. Compounds linked from this page are sold for research-use only.
Affiliate disclosure. See our affiliate disclosure .