Bromergone – use in endocrinology, cardiology and neurology. Bromergone interactions with other drugs

Proven content

Bromergone is a prescription-only medicine that contains bromocriptine. Due to its properties, it is used not only in endocrinology, but also in cardiology and neurology.

Bromergon (Sandoz)

Bromergon – what is it?

Bromergone inhibits the secretion of prolactin. It can only be purchased with a prescription. It is available in the form of 2,5 mg tablets – the package contains 30 pieces. The active substance in Bromegone is bromocriptine, a substance that inhibits the secretion of prolactin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It also reduces dopamine deficiency in people with Parkinson’s and stops lactation. Bromocriptine is also used in the treatment of diseases related to impotence.

Bromocriptine has the same effects as dopamine – it is a D2 receptor antagonist. The substance produces dopamine, inhibits the growth of pituitary adenomas. It is used to treat Parkinson’s disease at all stages – both spontaneously and after encephalitis. The biological half-life of bromocriptine is approximately 14-15 hours and it is excreted in the bile and faeces.

Bromergon – when to use?

The indications for the use of Bromergone are:

1. Galactorrhoea with normoprolactinaemia – this is one of the symptoms of hyperprolactinaemia. This condition is characterized by increased levels of prolactin in the body. Its causes are disorders of the thyroid gland, e.g. hypothyroidism, adenomas of the pituitary gland in one of the inflammatory processes. Galactorrhea can also be a side effect of taking, for example, the antipsychotic drugs reserpine.
2. Disorders of the menstrual cycle – changes in menstruation are sometimes caused, for example, by pregnancy, menopause, but also are symptoms of diseases related to hormonal disorders and cancer. Symptoms include spotting for several days, prolonged periods of varying intensity, prolonged menstrual bleeding.
3. Hyperprolactinemia with impotence in men – the cause of the disease is an increase in the concentration of prolactin in the blood serum. In men, it manifests itself primarily with erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, gynecomastia and infertility. In some cases, it leads to a reduction in muscle mass, facial hair and pubic hair.
4. Pituitary adenoma secreting prolactin – the causes of the disease have not been fully understood. There is a thesis that in some cases it is caused by genetic factors. Symptoms of a tumor on the prolactin-secreting pituitary gland are, inter alia, headache, vision problems, anxiety, fatigue, emotional instability. Occasionally there are also seizures, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.
5. Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by the excessive secretion of growth hormone. Its symptoms are changes in the external appearance that develop slowly and are sometimes imperceptible to the patient. The feet and hands are getting bigger, so the patient has to change to bigger shoes within a few years. Other symptoms are: mandible enlargement, widening of the nose, formation of gaps between the teeth and prominent eyebrow arches.
6. Parkinson’s disease – its symptoms build up over several years. Initially, the person is weakened, exhausted, he also gets tired quickly and has slow movements. At this stage, symptoms may resemble rheumatic changes or age-related changes. After some time, however, they intensify and occur, among others, imbalance or difficulty in carrying out daily activities.
7. Postpartum breast inflammation – usually occurs between 2 and 6 weeks after the baby is born. It takes 3 to 4 days. The first symptoms are: mastitis, low-grade fever, local redness of the skin. The infected area also becomes warmer, becomes tender and painful on palpation. Still other symptoms include chills, bone pain, headache, and tachycardia.

Bromergon – dosage

The drug should be taken with a meal. You should start with small doses and gradually increase them until the preparation is most effective – the maximum daily dose of the active substance Bromergone should not exceed 30 mg.

The dosage of the drug depends on the type of disease. It is advisable to follow the dose prescribed by your doctor. The leaflet attached to the preparation also includes the manufacturer’s instructions.

1. Preventing or inhibiting postpartum lactation – in this case, on the first day of treatment, take half a tablet with a meal (both in the morning and in the evening). In the following days, one tablet may be taken twice daily for 1 weeks. Limiting lactation is possible when the preparation is started a few hours after childbirth or abortion. It must be given before certain life functions are stabilized.
2. Menstrual cycle disorders – in this case it is recommended to take two to three times a day. It is possible to increase the dose when it turns out that the previous one is not working well enough. The manufacturer, in the leaflet attached to the preparation, recommends continuing the treatment until the menstrual cycle is normalized or until ovulation is restored.
3. Parkinson’s disease – treatment begins with a low dose of 1,25 mg (half a tablet) a day. The preparation should be taken in the evening hours during the first week of treatment. However, the minimum dose will vary depending on the disease – to determine it, the manufacturer of the drug recommends increasing it gradually. For the daily dose, increase the dose by 1,25 mg once a week.

People with hyperprolactinaemia coexisting with impotence, acromegaly or with prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas are recommended to take two to three times a day. This does not mean, however, that the daily dose can be equally increased in each case – it will have a different value in each of them. It is always worth consulting such decisions with a specialist.

Bromergone – contraindications

Bromergone should not be used by people who are allergic to at least one of its ingredients or bromocriptine. Other contraindications are also:

1. uncontrolled hypertension – its initial symptoms include: sleep disturbance, increased nervous excitability, palpitations, noise and dizziness. In the later stage of the disease, these symptoms persist, but there is a significant reduction in mental and physical performance. Symptoms are more constant during the established period of development of hypertension.
2. Coronary heart disease is a group of symptoms that occur when cells are deficient in oxygen. Symptoms include shallow breathing, pressure behind the breastbone, nausea, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, and dizziness. Sometimes the disease does not give any symptoms and patients only find out about it when a heart attack occurs.
3. Mental disorders confirmed by a doctor,
4. Arterial hypertension in pregnant women,
5. Hypertension after childbirth.

Bromergone – side effects

Bromergone can cause some side effects, although they only occur in some patients. Side effects include headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, constipation. Very rarely: insomnia, dyspnoea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, peripheral edema.

The substance sometimes causes harmful effects on women in the postpartum period who use it to inhibit lactation. Side effects such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, convulsions, mental disorders and stroke have been reported in this group of people. Occasionally, seizures and strokes were preceded by headaches and vision problems.

Bromergon – warning

Pregnant women should not use Bromergone. Women without hyperprolactinemia who are already taking the active substance of the drug should use the drug in the lowest effective doses – thanks to this they will avoid stopping the secretion of prolactin below the physiological concentration. Taking the drug may provoke gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach ulcer.

In the first days of treatment with the use of the drug, it is advisable to refrain from driving or operating machinery, or at least exercise extreme caution when performing these activities. It is related to the possible occurrence of hypertensive reactions in the first days of treatment.

Bromocriptine has a hypnotic effect. Taking it causes episodes of suddenly falling asleep and drowsy. They are especially common in people with Parkinson’s disease. However, not many cases of sudden falling asleep during everyday activities without accompanying warning signals have been reported. The person who intends to take the drug should always be informed of this effect of Bromergone.

Taking the drug in high doses and for a long time may cause pleural and pericardial effusions. Moreover, it can also cause pleural and pulmonary fibrosis and constrictive pericarditis. When pulmonary disorders of unknown origin appear, it is recommended to consult an appropriate specialist and abandon the use of the drug.

Bromergone – drug interactions

Caution should be exercised when co-administering Bromergone with drugs that are strong inhibitors or substrates of this enzyme. It is also not recommended to use Bromergone simultaneously with macrolide antibiotics – otherwise, the concentration of bromocriptine in the serum will increase. The concomitant use of bromergone with octreotide also increases the concentration of bromocriptine in the blood.

It is harmful to take bromocriptine at the same time with sympathomimetic drugs, sumaptryptan, ergot alkaloids. Also, taking it with dopamine receptor antagonists will make the effect of Bromergone weaker. Alcohol may also reduce the tolerance to the active ingredient of the drug.