Dostinex Side Effects and Recall Information

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Dostinex, generically known as Cabergoline, is a prescription medication sometimes used in the treatment of the tremors, restless leg syndrome, and poor muscle control associated with Parkinson’s disease. The medication is manufactured by Pfizer, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical company. Dostinex and its generic counterpart are used for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in other countries, but it has not been approved for use in treating Parkinson’s disease in the United States, although the medication did receive FDA approval for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia, a hormonal disorder. Experts estimate that nearly 6 million people suffer from Parkinson’s disease worldwide and, in 2005, nearly 87,000 prescriptions for Dostinex were filled in the United States

The common side effects of Dostinex include nausea, somnolence, vertigo, dry mouth, and depression. Incidences of hallucinations, angina pectoris, gastric irritation, and palpitations were also reported by patients. More serious side effects linked to the usage of Dostinex and Cabergoline include:

• Cardiac Valvulopathy –a condition where the heart valves become inflamed or stiff. No medication is currently available to reverse this condition and sufferers will normally require surgery to replace the damaged heart valves in order to correct the problem.
• Primary Pulmonary Hypertension –a condition where there is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. Blood vessels carrying deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs harden and become narrow, causing the heart to strain to pump the blood to the lungs for re-oxygenation. The disorder over-works the heart and can cause heart failure.
• Pulmonary Fibrosis – is the medical term for scarring of the lung. The lung’s air sacs are gradually replaced by fibrotic tissue, causing an inability in the lungs to introduce oxygen into the bloodstream. The condition cannot be reversed and is estimated to affect nearly 5 million people worldwide.
• Leaky Heart Valves – a condition occurring when the leaflets in the valves of the heart do not completely close, enabling the blood to flow backwards across the valve. Studies have found that patients taking Dostinex or Cabergoline have up to seven times the risk of suffering from leaky heart valves than patients on other types of Parkinson’s medications.

Clinical studies conducted by German and Italian doctors discovered that nearly 25% of the patients taking Dostinex developed moderate to severe heart valve damage. The results of the study indicated a high risk for severe cardiovascular events. There are no medications currently available to repair damage to the valves of the heart and most cases require surgery to repair or replace the damaged heart valves.

Recalls of Dostinex or Cabergoline have not been required by the FDA because the medication’s approved usage in the treatment of hyperprolactinemia has a much lower dosage than the amount required in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The amount used to treat hyperprolactinemia is nearly 40 times less than the dosage for treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Studies indicate that the amount used for hyperprolactinemia treatment is well below the threshold required to adversely affect the heart valves, making a recall unnecessary. However, patients who have taken the higher amounts of Dostinex or Cabergoline for Parkinson’s disease treatment are at a higher risk for heart valve damage and should seek emergency treatment immediately if any adverse events are experienced.

Do I have a Dostinex Lawsuit?

The Defective Drug Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in Dostinex and Cabergoline lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new Dostinex cases in all 50 states.

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