Bromocriptine in the treatment of hyperolactinemic amenorrhea.
Thirty women with secondary amenorrhea and hyperprolactinemia were studied; galactorrhea was present in 25 of them, and 18 were infertile. Serum prolactin (PRL) levels were high in all cases, between 26 and 120 ng/ml. All women were treated with bromocriptine in increasing doses from 2.5 to 5.0 or 7.5 mg daily, according to the response obtained, for 4 months. In 27 patients a PRL determination was performed during treatment; values returned to normal (up to 20 ng/ml) in 23 women and remained high in 4. Galactorrhea disappeared in 21 of 25 women. Ovulatory menses were re-established in 17 patients (56.6%). Seven women became pregnant (38.8%), one of them after bromocriptine and clomiphene were given simultaneously in the same cycle. According to our results and a literature review the following conclusions may be drawn: (1) bromocriptine is a useful therapeutic tool for re-establishing menstruation and inducing ovulation in patients with the hyperprolactinemic-amenorrhea syndrome; (2) the association of bromocriptine and clomiphene could be the next step in the treatment of patients who fail to ovulate with bromocriptine alone.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002996:Clomiphene / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005687:Galactorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*
D002996:Clomiphene; D001971:Bromocriptine; D011388:Prolactin