Bromocriptine
Parlodel, Cycloset, Bromocriptine mesylate, CB-154, Bromergon, Abergin
An older ergot-derived dopamine agonist that lowers prolactin. A prescription drug for high prolactin, prolactin-secreting tumors, acromegaly and Parkinson's disease.
Legal status: Prescription medicine in most countries; not on the WADA Prohibited List.
What it gives
What people use it for and what the sources report. Strength is a general category from the literature: mild, clear or strong.
Purpose
Approved for high-prolactin disorders (absent periods, infertility, hypogonadism), prolactin-secreting tumors, acromegaly and Parkinson's; one form is approved for type 2 diabetes. In sport, an older alternative to cabergoline against high prolactin on 19-nor steroids. Prescription only.
What people seek and what studies show
In a trial in 459 women with high prolactin it normalized levels in 59%, versus 83% on cabergoline, and 12% stopped it because of side effects, versus 3%; a meta-analysis of trials also favored cabergoline. It has not been studied in steroid users; one case report describes a bodybuilder on steroids and bromocriptine who fainted with atrial fibrillation.
Effects
Evidence: Approved medicine — studied in people for its medical use
Possible side effects
Possible does not mean certain: whether they appear depends on dose, duration, individual response and monitoring. Below — what to watch for and how to notice it early.
7 possible side effects
level · how often it is reportedWhat the levels mean
Level: general category from the literature, not your personal risk
How often
- common
- reported often
- possible
- reported in some people
- rare
- reported occasionally
How to lower the risks
For 6 of 7 possible side effects there are specific ways to lower the chance: everyday measures, supplements and options a doctor may consider. For the rest — general advice. No measure removes a risk completely.
Do not combine several blood-thinning products (aspirin, painkillers such as ibuprofen, high intakes of fish oil, nattokinase, vitamin E) without a doctor; tell doctors and dentists before procedures; alcohol adds to the risk of stomach bleeding.
Less salt, regular cardio, good sleep; home readings; a doctor if it stays high.
How each option helps (8)
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Seated, rested readings on several days show your true BP; persistently high values are a signal to see a doctor.
- Regular cardio training — Regular aerobic training lowers resting BP by a few mmHg, more in people with high BP.
- Working with a doctor — Diagnoses persistent hypertension and prescribes treatment when needed.
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Regular drinking raises blood pressure; cutting it out lowers it.
- Coenzyme Q10 — Inconsistent: some analyses show a small systolic drop in cardiometabolic disease, but a Cochrane review found no clinically meaningful effect.
- Magnesium — Meta-analysis of trials: about 2 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
- Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA/DHA) — Small drop of a few mmHg, mainly in people with untreated high blood pressure.
- Taurine — Meta-analysis of 20 small trials: about 4 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
Good sleep, fewer stressors, tell someone close to you what to watch for.
How each option helps (2)
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Alcohol and other drugs on top of steroids explain much of the link between steroid use and violence.
- Sleep hygiene — Enough sleep lowers irritability and improves impulse control.
Keep routine and social contact; talk to a specialist if low mood persists.
How each option helps (2)
- Working with a doctor — Mood problems, especially after stopping steroids, are treatable; a doctor can refer you to mental-health care.
- Sleep hygiene — Good sleep supports mood, especially in the low-hormone phase after stopping steroids.
Limit caffeine and other stimulants; with palpitations, stop the suspected drug and get an ECG. Don't add potassium on your own (supplements, Asparkam/Panangin, salt substitutes): it is dangerous with spironolactone, ARBs/ACE inhibitors or kidney problems; a blood test shows the level.
How each option helps (1)
- Heart screening: ECG and echocardiogram — An ECG reveals arrhythmias, conduction problems and QT changes — important with stimulants, clenbuterol, thyroid hormone or diuretics.
Regular cardio, blood pressure control, an echo as a baseline and then yearly.
How each option helps (4)
- Heart screening: ECG and echocardiogram — Echocardiography shows wall thickening and reduced pumping early, while stopping AAS and treating BP can still help.
- Working with a doctor — Orders ECG and echocardiography and treats early heart changes.
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Keeping BP controlled is one of the main ways to limit heart-wall thickening.
- Regular cardio training — Supports heart and vessel function, but does not reverse steroid-related heart thickening or weakening.
Low-level side effects
How each option helps (2)
- Working with a doctor — Assesses persistent vomiting or severe belly pain (possible pancreatitis or gallstones) and adjusts prescribed GLP-1 treatment when nausea persists.
- Pancreatin + dimeticone (Pankreoflat) — May ease heaviness and gas after meals; can cause nausea or diarrhea. Not for pork or cow's milk protein allergy (anaphylaxis reported) or early acute pancreatitis.
Check-ups and blood tests
Which tests and check-ups to do and when. This is a guide — agree the exact schedule with your doctor.
Which doctors can help
At home
- Home blood pressure: 2–3 times a week in the morning, keep a log
Get medical help at once if
- Black or bloody stools, vomiting blood or “coffee grounds”, a sudden severe headache, or bleeding that will not stop — seek urgent care.
- Sudden severe headache, vision changes, numbness or weakness on one side, trouble speaking — call emergency services.
- Chest pain or pressure, breathlessness on light effort, swollen ankles, fainting — seek urgent care.
- Racing or irregular heartbeat that does not settle at rest, dizziness, fainting, chest pain — call emergency services.
- Losing control of anger, thoughts of harming yourself or others — stop and get help today.
- Thoughts of suicide or self-harm — contact emergency services or a crisis line right now.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
For women
In women it treats prolactin-related absent periods and infertility and is stopped once pregnancy is confirmed; after reports of strokes and seizures, it is not recommended to stop breast milk.
Myth & fact
“Bromocriptine is just a cheaper cabergoline: same effect, same risks.”
In a head-to-head trial it normalized prolactin less often (59% vs 83%) and was stopped for side effects four times as often. Its own risks include fainting, sudden sleep and impulse-control problems.
Combinations
No specific combination notes for this substance yet. The stack check still adds up side effects that several substances share.
Sources
Possible side effects by body system, combinations, how to lower the risks and which tests to do — free.
Open the stack check