The question: What is cabergoline?, is a very short one but it involves a plethora of information that literally expounds on the numerous characteristics of this drug medication. In this article we shall be looking at all the different features of this drug medication including its interactions and warnings for different groups of people. The article also looks at the dangers that are posed and promises to be an interesting journey. Read on and enjoy your own discovery.
What is this drug medication all about?
The drug medication Cabergoline is an oral tablet that’s available only under prescription by a doctor and pharmacist and can be obtained as a generic drug, meaning that there is no brand-name version of the drug available.
Why is Cabergoline used?
This drug medication is used to treat a condition called hyperprolactinemia which involves high levels of prolactin in the body.
This condition occurs when your pituitary gland produces extra prolactin. High levels of prolactin can be caused by a problem with a hormone or by a tumor growth in your pituitary gland.
When high prolactin levels takes place it tends to cause alterations in a woman’s menstrual cycle, ovulation and her production of breast milk.
In men, the story is different because high levels of prolactin can affect the ability to reproduce and also cause sexual problems. These include decreased sex urge or libido and the inability to get and maintain an erection or ED.
How Cabergoline works
It has been discovered that Cabergoline belongs to a family of drugs called dopamine agonists which work in the same way for the treatment of similar conditions.
Your own body makes dopamine, a substance that doesn’t permit your body from releasing prolactin.
What Cabergoline does is it binds itself to the dopamine receptors, an action that prevents your body from releasing prolactin.
This reluctance to release prolactin by the bonding together of Cabergoline and dopamine helps to decrease the prolactin levels in the body.
More information of side effects
The Cabergoline tablet is responsible for causing drowsiness together with other side effects as well.
Common side effects
Among the more common side effects caused by cabergoline may include:
- lack of energy or weakness
- dizziness
- nausea
- constipation
- headache
Normally these side effects are mild and usually disappear of their own accord within a few days or sometimes, a couple of weeks.
If they prove to be more severe or they refuse to just go away, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist for directions.
More serious side effects
If you believe that you are experiencing serious side effects, you should immediately call your doctor. If you feel they might threaten your life, call your country area’s emergency number.
The following serious side effects and their symptoms may emerge as a result of taking cabergoline:
- Scarring of the body’s organic tissues such as kidneys, heat and lungs as indicated by the following symptoms:
- chest pain that persists
- coughing that just won’t go away
- stomach pain
- swelling of the feet, legs and ankles
- problems breathing
- short breath
- Heart valve issues with symptoms that may include:
- coughing
- chest pain
- heart rhythm changes
- breathing issues
- swelling of arms, feet, hands and legs
Interaction with other medications
Cabergoline has been known to interact with herbal remedies, other medications and vitamins that you may be taking.
By interaction is meant that when two medications are combined they interact with one another in such a way that the drug medication works is changed.
When this happens the change can prove harmful to the user or it can prevent the drug from working effectively.
Interactions can be avoided by your doctor who should carefully monitor and manage your medications. You should therefore tell your doctor about every medication, herbs and vitamins you are taking.
You should also talk to your doctor and pharmacist so that you can understand how cabergoline might react with some other medication you’re taking.
Drugs that you shouldn’t use with cabergoline
Listed below is a list of drugs that can cause interactions with cabergoline.
You are cautioned not to take these drugs in combination with cabergoline. If you do you will be causing dangerous effects to your body. The reason is that these drugs work exactly in the opposite direction that cabergoline does.
This simply means that these drugs and cabergoline won’t work well with one another because their effects cancel each other out. These drugs include:
- Anti-nausea drugs such as metoclopramide or promethazine
- Antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol, thiothixene, chlorpromazine, and prochlorperazine
Warnings about taking cabergoline
The use of the drug medication cabergoline involves several warnings.
Allergic warning
A severe allergic reaction can be caused by using cabergoline with symptoms that can include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the tongue and throat
If you do have an allergic reaction after using cabergoline, you should immediately call your doctor or local poison control center. If you find that your symptoms are severe, you should call your country area’s emergency number.
You are advised not to take this this drug again if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction to it. It could be fatal for you if you take it again.
Warnings for other people with health issues
People with heart health issues – Don’t take cabergoline if you suffer from heart pressure or problems with your heart valve as it can worsen your condition. If you suffer from high blood pressure, ask your doctor if your heart condition doesn’t hinder you from taking cabergoline.
People suffering from tissue scarring – if scarred tissue of your lungs, abdomen, kidney or heart is your problem, you should avoid using the drug as it can exacerbate your condition.
People with high blood pressure due to pregnancy – if you’re pregnant and you have high blood pressure from your pregnancy you should not take the cabergoline.
People with liver issues – these people won’t be able to process cabergoline effectively. This may increase the amount of the drug in your body and is likely to cause more side effects.
Bottom line
It’s always of great benefit to try and learn everything you can about a drug medication, especially one that tries to address problems suffered by ordinary men and women. For a woman there’s nothing more precious that the ability to breastfeed a newly born young baby. For her to be able to produce breast milk naturally, is something that she takes for granted. But sometimes even nature can fail and to have a backup in cabergoline is a second blessing for her.