Bromocriptine mesylate is an ergot derivative with potent dopamine receptor agonist activity. Each bromocriptine mesylate tablet, USP for oral administration contains 2.5 mg bromocriptine (as the mesylate). Bromocriptine mesylate is chemically designated as Ergotaman-3',6',18-trione, 2-bromo-12'-hydroxy-2'-(1-methylethyl)-5'-(2-methylpropyl)-,(5'α)-monomethanesulfonate (salt). The structural formula is: Active Ingredient: bromocriptine mesylate, USP Inactive Ingredients: anhydrous lactose, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, maleic acid, povidone and pregelatinized starch. Complies with USP dissolution test 1. Structural Formula

Hyperprolactinemia-Associated Dysfunctions Bromocriptine mesylate tablets are indicated for the treatment of dysfunctions associated with hyperprolactinemia including amenorrhea with or without galactorrhea, infertility or hypogonadism . Bromocriptine mesylate tablets treatment is indicated in patients with prolactin-secreting adenomas , which may be the basic underlying endocrinopathy contributing to the above clinical presentations. Reduction in tumor size has been demonstrated in both male and female patients with macroadenomas. In cases where adenectomy is elected, a course of bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy may be used to reduce the tumor mass prior to surgery. Acromegaly Bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy is indicated in the treatment of acromegaly. Bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy, alone or as adjunctive therapy with pituitary irradiation or surgery, reduces serum growth hormone by 50% or more in approximately ½ of patients treated, although not usually to normal levels. Since the effects of external pituitary radiation may not become maximal for several years, adjunctive therapy with bromocriptine mesylate tablets offers potential benefit before the effects of irradiation are manifested. Parkinson's Disease Bromocriptine mesylate tablets are indicated in the treatment of the signs and symptoms of idiopathic or postencephalitic Parkinson's disease. As adjunctive treatment to levodopa (alone or with a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor), bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy may provide additional therapeutic benefits in those patients who are currently maintained on optimal dosages of levodopa, those who are beginning to deteriorate (develop tolerance) to levodopa therapy, and those who are experiencing "end of dose failure" on levodopa therapy. Bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy may permit a reduction of the maintenance dose of levodopa and, thus may ameliorate the occurrence and/or severity of adverse reactions associated with long-term levodopa therapy such as abnormal involuntary movements (e.g., dyskinesias) and the marked swings in motor function ("on-off" phenomenon). Continued efficacy of bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy during treatment of more than 2 years has not been established. Data are insufficient to evaluate potential benefit from treating newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease with bromocriptine mesylate tablets. Studies have shown, however, significantly more adverse reactions (notably nausea, hallucinations, confusion and hypotension) in bromocriptine mesylate-treated patients than in levodopa/carbidopa-treated patients. Patients unresponsive to levodopa are poor candidates for bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy.

General It is recommended that bromocriptine mesylate be taken with food. Patients should be evaluated frequently during dose escalation to determine the lowest dosage that produces a therapeutic response. Hyperprolactinemic Indications The initial dosage of bromocriptine mesylate tablets in adults is half to one 2.5 mg scored tablet daily. An additional 2.5 mg tablet may be added to the treatment regimen as tolerated every 2 to 7 days until an optimal therapeutic response is achieved. The therapeutic dosage ranged from 2.5-15 mg daily in adults studied clinically. Based on limited data in children of age 11 to 15, the initial dose is half to one 2.5 mg scored tablet daily. Dosing may need to be increased as tolerated until a therapeutic response is achieved. The therapeutic dosage ranged from 2.5-10 mg daily in children with prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas. In order to reduce the likelihood of prolonged exposure to bromocriptine mesylate tablets should an unsuspected pregnancy occur, a mechanical contraceptive should be used in conjunction with bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy until normal ovulatory menstrual cycles have been restored. Contraception may then be discontinued in patients desiring pregnancy. Thereafter, if menstruation does not occur within 3 days of the expected date, bromocriptine mesylate therapy should be discontinued and a pregnancy test performed. Acromegaly Virtually all acromegalic patients receiving therapeutic benefit from bromocriptine mesylate tablets also have reductions in circulating levels of growth hormone. Therefore, periodic assessment of circulating levels of growth hormone will, in most cases, serve as a guide in determining the therapeutic potential of bromocriptine mesylate tablets. If, after a brief trial with bromocriptine mesylate therapy, no significant reduction in growth hormone levels has taken place, careful assessment of the clinical features of the disease should be made, and if no change has occurred, dosage adjustment or discontinuation of therapy should be considered. The initial recommended dosage is half to one 2.5 mg bromocriptine mesylate tablet on retiring (with food) for 3 days. An additional half to 1 tablet should be added to the treatment regimen as tolerated every 3 to 7 days until the patient obtains optimal therapeutic benefit. Patients should be reevaluated monthly and the dosage adjusted based on reductions of growth hormone or clinical response. The usual optimal therapeutic dosage range of bromocriptine mesylate tablets varies from 20-30 mg/day in most patients. The maximal dosage should not exceed 100 mg/day. Patients treated with pituitary irradiation should be withdrawn from bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy on a yearly basis to assess both the clinical effects of radiation on the disease process as well as the effects of bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy. Usually a 4 to 8 week withdrawal period is adequate for this purpose. Recurrence of the signs/symptoms or increases in growth hormone indicate the disease process is still active and further courses of bromocriptine mesylate tablets should be considered. Parkinson's Disease The basic principle of bromocriptine mesylate tablets therapy is to initiate treatment at a low dosage and, on an individual basis, increase the daily dosage slowly until a maximum therapeutic response is achieved. The dosage of levodopa during this introductory period should be maintained, if possible. The initial dose of bromocriptine mesylate is half of a 2.5 mg tablet twice daily with meals. Assessments are advised at 2-week intervals during dosage titration to ensure that the lowest dosage producing an optimal therapeutic response is not exceeded. If necessary, the dosage may be increased every 14 to 28 days by 2.5 mg/day with meals. Should it be advisable to reduce the dosage of levodopa because of adverse reactions, the daily dosage of bromocriptine mesylate, if increased, should be accomplished gradually in small (2.5 mg) increments. The safety of bromocriptine mesylate has not been demonstrated in dosages exceeding 100 mg/day.

Since hyperprolactinemia with amenorrhea/galactorrhea and infertility has been found in patients with pituitary tumors, a complete evaluation of the pituitary is indicated before treatment with bromocriptine mesylate. If pregnancy occurs during bromocriptine mesylate administration, careful observation of these patients is mandatory. Prolactin-secreting adenomas may expand and compression of the optic or other cranial nerves may occur, emergency pituitary surgery becoming necessary. In most cases, the compression resolves following delivery. Reinitiation of bromocriptine mesylate treatment has been reported to produce improvement in the visual fields of patients in whom nerve compression has occurred during pregnancy. The safety of bromocriptine mesylate treatment during pregnancy to the mother and fetus has not been established. Bromocriptine mesylate has been associated with somnolence, and episodes of sudden sleep onset, particularly in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Sudden onset of sleep during daily activities, in some cases without awareness or warning signs, has been reported. Patients must be informed of this and advised not to drive or operate machines during treatment with bromocriptine. Patients who have experienced somnolence and/or an episode of sudden sleep onset must not drive or operate machines. Furthermore, a reduction of dosage or termination of therapy may be considered. Symptomatic hypotension can occur in patients treated with bromocriptine mesylate for any indication. In postpartum studies with bromocriptine mesylate, decreases in supine systolic and diastolic pressures of greater than 20 mm and 10 mm Hg, respectively, have been observed in almost 30% of patients receiving bromocriptine mesylate. On occasion, the drop in supine systolic pressure was as much as 50-59 mm of Hg. Since, especially during the first days of treatment, hypotensive reactions may occasionally occur and result in reduced alertness, particular care should be exercised when driving a vehicle or operating machinery. While hypotension during the start of therapy with bromocriptine mesylate occurs in some patients, in rare cases serious adverse events, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, seizures, stroke, have been reported in postpartum women treated with bromocriptine mesylate for the inhibition of lactation. Hypertension has been reported, sometimes at the initiation of therapy, but often developing in the second week of therapy; seizures have also been reported both with and without the prior development of hypertension; stroke has been reported mostly in postpartum patients whose prenatal and obstetric courses had been uncomplicated. Many of these patients experiencing seizures (including cases of status epilepticus) and/or strokes reported developing a constant and often progressively severe headache hours to days prior to the acute event. Some cases of strokes and seizures were also preceded by visual disturbances (blurred vision, and transient cortical blindness). Cases of acute myocardial infarction have also been reported. Although a causal relationship between bromocriptine mesylate administration and hypertension, seizures, strokes, and myocardial infarction in postpartum women has not been established, use of the drug for prevention of physiological lactation, or in patients with uncontrolled hypertension is not recommended. In patients being treated for hyperprolactinemia, bromocriptine mesylate should be withdrawn when pregnancy is diagnosed . In the event that bromocriptine mesylate is reinstituted to control a rapidly expanding macroadenoma and a patient experiences a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, the benefit of continuing bromocriptine mesylate must be weighed against the possible risk of its use during a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. When bromocriptine mesylate is being used to treat acromegaly or Parkinson’s disease in patients who subsequently become pregnant, a decision should be made as to whether the therapy continues to be medically necessary or can be withdrawn. If it is continued, the drug should be withdrawn in those who may experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (including eclampsia, preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension) unless withdrawal of bromocriptine mesylate is considered to be medically contraindicated. Because of the possibility of an interaction between bromocriptine mesylate and other ergot alkaloids, the concomitant use of these medications is not recommended. Periodic monitoring of the blood pressure, particularly during the first weeks of therapy is prudent. If hypertension, severe, progressive, or unremitting headache (with or without visual disturbance), or evidence of CNS toxicity develops, drug therapy should be discontinued and the patient should be evaluated promptly. Particular attention should be paid to patients who have recently been treated or are on concomitant therapy with drugs that can alter blood pressure. Their concomitant use in the puerperium is not recommended. Among patients on bromocriptine mesylate, particularly on long-term and high-dose treatment, pleural and pericardial effusions, as well as pleural and pulmonary fibrosis and constrictive pericarditis, have been reported. Patients with unexplained pleuropulmonary disorders should be examined thoroughly and discontinuation of bromocriptine mesylate therapy should be considered. In those instances in which bromocriptine mesylate treatment was terminated, the changes slowly reverted towards normal. In a few patients on bromocriptine mesylate, particularly on long-term and high-dose treatment, retroperitoneal fibrosis has been reported. To ensure recognition of retroperitoneal fibrosis at an early reversible stage it is recommended that its manifestations (e.g., back pain, edema of the lower limbs, impaired kidney function) should be watched in this category of patients. Bromocriptine mesylate medication should be withdrawn if fibrotic changes in the retroperitoneum are diagnosed or suspected.

Drug Interactions The risk of using bromocriptine mesylate in combination with other drugs has not been systematically evaluated, but alcohol may potentiate the side effects of bromocriptine mesylate. Bromocriptine mesylate may interact with dopamine antagonists, butyrophenones, and certain other agents. Compounds in these categories result in a decreased efficacy of bromocriptine mesylate: phenothiazines, haloperidol, metoclopramide, and pimozide. Bromocriptine is a substrate of CYP3A4. Caution should therefore be used when co-administering drugs which are strong inhibitors of this enzyme (such as azole antimycotics, HIV protease inhibitors). The concomitant use of macrolide antibiotics such as erythromycin was shown to increase the plasma levels of bromocriptine (mean AUC and C max values increased 3.7-fold and 4.6-fold, respectively). 1 The concomitant treatment of acromegalic patients with bromocriptine and octreotide led to increased plasma levels of bromocriptine (bromocriptine AUC increased about 38%). 4 Concomitant use of bromocriptine mesylate with other ergot alkaloids is not recommended. Dose adjustment may be necessary in those cases where high doses of bromocriptine are being used (such as Parkinson’s disease indication).