Dostinex during lactation

Breast milk production is a natural process that begins with the birth of a woman’s baby and is regulated by the hormones prolactin and oxytocin. On average, lactation lasts 15-18 months and gradually fades away.

Involution of lactation manifests itself as follows:

• the amount of milk produced decreases significantly, the child stops eating even after being applied to both mammary glands;
• the woman experiences psychological and physical fatigue, feels the need to stop feeding;
• the baby sleeps through the night more and more often, skipping night feedings;
• the woman calmly tolerates long breaks between feedings (from 12 hours), the breasts do not overflow with milk.

If there are signs of a natural decline in lactation, breastfeeding can be stopped without harm to mother and baby.

But in some cases it becomes necessary to stop lactation before its involution. The reason may be:

• the age of the child who has already switched to regular nutrition;
• the need to treat the mother with drugs that are incompatible with breastfeeding;
• forced separation of mother and child, etc.

Stopping breastfeeding can be very stressful for both mother and baby. It is recommended to stop feeding gradually, reducing the daily number of breastfeedings. If circumstances require an abrupt cessation of lactation, the mother should consult with lactation consultants so as not to harm her body.

Composition, release form and packaging

Dostinex is a drug from the group of suppressors of lactogenic hormone secretion with the active substance cabergoline. In the very name of the hormone you can see its main purpose:

• stimulates the development of mammary glands;
• increases the number of ducts in them;
• forms colostrum and then milk.

Dostinex gradually stops lactation. Release form: tablets of 0.5 milligrams, white, with notches. Packaged in 2 or 8 pieces per bottle. It costs about 700 and 1700 rubles, respectively. The holiday is by prescription only. Dostinex is prescribed to breastfeeding mothers against lactation, as an emergency aid when circumstances are urgent. It is used even during pregnancy, as soon as colostrum begins to be produced.

Dostinex's analogs

There are several drugs that are analogues of Dostinex - these are Bergolak, Bromocriptine, Agalates and Cabergoline. Only a doctor can choose one of the drugs and prescribe it if necessary! Replacing one product with another on your own, relying on the fact that they are analogues, is fraught with health consequences!

Bromocriptine or Dostinex

Bromocriptine contains the same active ingredient as Dostinex - cabergoline, so their principle of action and effectiveness are approximately the same.

Cabergoline or Dostinex

Another drug containing the same active ingredient as Dostinex. The cost of the drug is quite high, but it has good reviews. Although many women note side effects such as headaches and nausea.

Bergolak or Dostinex

Bergolak is a generic of Dostinex - a drug with the same active substance, proven equivalence with the original (therapeutic, pharmaceutical and biological), but produced by a different manufacturer and under a different name.

Agalates or Dostinex

These two drugs also contain the same active substance, but there are two differences - Dostinex has a higher price, but at the same time, according to reviews, it causes fewer side effects.

When prescribed and dosed correctly, Dostinex is a fairly effective drug for emergency cessation of lactation. However, it has quite a lot of side effects, which are not always quite harmless. Therefore, if possible, it is better to end breastfeeding more gently - by waiting for natural attenuation or using folk remedies and lifestyle changes.

The principle of action of the medicine

As soon as Dostinex is taken, cabergoline is absorbed by the intestinal walls and enters the blood. Its highest concentration in the blood is at least after 0.5, maximum after 4 hours. Eating does not interfere with its absorption or concentration.

Cabergoline acts selectively; it does not interfere with the synthesis of other hormones, but can affect blood pressure. A single use of the drug reduces blood pressure for 6 hours.

If stopping breastfeeding is required for a while, lactation is restored only after the causes that caused it are completely eliminated. Long-term use of the drug makes it difficult to restore milk production.

How does Dostinex work?

The drug "Dostinex" is recommended for stopping lactation both for relatively experienced young mothers and for women in labor who do not at all want to breastfeed. In the second case, women take the drug immediately after childbirth, often secretly from the obstetrician, since the vast majority of maternity hospitals now have an enhanced policy of supporting natural breastfeeding.

"Dostinex" works not only to stop lactation. Its range of actions includes the treatment of hyperprolactinemia, a syndrome associated with galactorrhea, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea and anovulatory cycles.

Girls suffering from these disorders often cannot get pregnant precisely due to high levels of prolactin in the body without lactation. Therefore, for some patients, Dostinex did not become an assistant in stopping lactation, but a real “wizard” that brought a long-awaited pregnancy.

Every woman planning to take a regimen of the drug is probably interested in exactly how it affects the body. Here it is worth making a reservation right away: “Dostinex” acts exactly on target, and neutralizes only prolactin, leaving the rest of the pituitary hormones “untouched.” This means that a woman can not fear for her health and be confident in the protection of her body from various gynecological and endocrine problems.

So how exactly do the pills work?

They inhibit the production of the hormone prolactin in the pituitary gland without affecting its other functions. As you know, prolactin is the foundation for successful breastfeeding in a young mother. Thanks to this biologically active substance, breast milk is produced, which flows through the milk ducts of the gland to the nipples, from where it enters the baby’s mouth.

If lactation needs to be completed, this hormone should be affected. When it is suppressed, milk stops being produced by the breast, which means that deliberately “curtailing” feeding will not cause problems such as lactostasis or mastitis.

The medicine contains the main active ingredient – ​​cabergoline. As an antagonist of dopamine receptors, it blocks prolactin synthesis by actively stimulating central and peripheral D2 receptors.

Dopamine receptors are located on the membranes of the lactotropic cells of the pituitary gland, and their hyperactivity leads to the suppression of prolactin production. As we have already emphasized, the active components of the drug in no way affect the concentration, composition and transport of other hormones.

Efficacy of the drug

3 hours after taking the drug, prolactin levels begin to decrease. It remains unchanged for quite a long time:

• 7-28 days – if the woman is healthy or with hyperprolactinemia;
• 14-21 days - for a nursing mother.

The higher the dose, the longer the prolactin level decreases. This drug should not be taken uncontrolled to suppress lactation. It has contraindications. In addition, it quite often causes side effects, and they can be extremely dangerous for women's health. Drug treatment can be used only after consultation with a gynecologist or therapist.

Medication method: effectiveness of taking pills

Dostinex, an anti-lactation drug, should not be taken unsupervised. The hormonal drug has a number of contraindications and can cause side effects that can have an extremely negative impact on a woman’s health. Before resorting to drug treatment, a nursing mother should consult a gynecologist or therapist.

The active substance of Dostinex tablets is cabergoline, which acts directly on the pituitary gland and suppresses the synthesis of prolactin. A decrease in the level of prolactin in a woman’s blood leads to a decrease in milk production. The results of taking Dostinex can be noticed quite quickly - lactation begins to decrease significantly within three hours after the first dose of the tablet.

The rate of decrease in the concentration of the hormone prolactin in the blood directly depends on the dose of the drug that the woman takes. With prolonged use of the pills, the pituitary gland produces less and less prolactin.

Cabergoline, the active ingredient of the drug, remains in the blood for another 1-4 weeks after stopping the drug Dostinex. The longer the course of treatment, the longer traces of the drug will remain in the woman’s blood.

Dosage regimen

Termination of lactation by medication should be carried out under the supervision of a physician. When prescribing a drug, it is necessary to take into account the patient’s chronic diseases and pay attention to the current state of her health. The doctor must warn about possible serious side effects.

The dosage regimen is selected individually or prescribed according to the instructions. If it is necessary to suppress established lactation, the drug should be taken 2 times a day, 0.25 mg (half a tablet). The course of treatment is 2 days, the total dose of the drug is 1 mg.

If the specified single dosage is exceeded, the risk of orthostatic hypotension (dizziness and fainting due to insufficient blood flow to the brain due to low blood pressure) increases.

Contraindications

Dostinex seriously interferes with the functioning of the body, so before taking the drug you should make sure that there are no contraindications, which include hypersensitivity to the components of the drug - cabergoline, ergot alkaloids, etc.

A number of diseases and conditions are the basis for particularly careful prescribing of a drug that suppresses breast milk production:

• arterial hypertension provoked by pregnancy;
• severe cardiovascular diseases;
• gastrointestinal bleeding, peptic ulcer;
• severe liver failure;
• respiratory dysfunction;
• serious psychotic disorders;
• taking antihypertensive drugs.

Taking into account the patient's health condition, the doctor may prescribe a reduced dose of the drug. In this case, to suppress prolactin production, you will need to take the drug longer, compensating for the reduction in the single dosage.

Side effects

Taking Dostinex tablets is often accompanied by side effects of varying severity. According to the results of clinical studies, about 14% of women noted a noticeable deterioration in their health.

Severe side effects, due to which the drug had to be stopped, were recorded in 3% of patients.

The instructions for the drug indicate the most common manifestations of side effects. The reaction of a woman’s body to taking pills can be expressed as follows:

• rapid heartbeat, noticeable decrease in blood pressure;
• abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, constipation, gastritis;
• drowsiness, dizziness, headache, fatigue, fainting, sensitivity disorder (paresthesia), depression;
• nosebleeds, leg muscle cramps, soreness and engorgement of the mammary glands (mastodynia).

To create the most comfortable environment for a baby weaned from his mother’s breast, he needs to pay much more attention. A stressful situation has a negative impact on the child’s well-being; he may be more capricious than usual and experience discomfort.

If a nursing mother has decided to suppress lactation with medication, she should be prepared for the fact that in the coming days she will have to care for the child, overcoming physical discomfort, perhaps quite severe.

Before you start taking Dostinex, it is important to study the instructions in detail and pay attention to the symptoms of a drug overdose.

If hypotension, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, psychosis, signs of confusion or hallucinations occur, induce vomiting, lavage the stomach and take a drug that increases blood pressure as quickly as possible.

According to the advice of the popular doctor Komarovsky, it is best to schedule the drug intake at the end of the week, entrusting the baby to the grandmother or other close people for the weekend. The medicine is taken for two days, and it is at this time that the risk of side effects is greatest, the mother’s blood pressure drops and she should get more rest.

A woman should not stay at home alone - severe dizziness and loss of consciousness are possible. It is important to monitor how you feel when taking a strong medicine and, if necessary, call an ambulance.

Indications for use

Dostinex is used when there are objective reasons for interrupting lactation:

1. It is recommended for mothers infected with HIV and hepatitis C to eliminate the risk of infecting the child.
2. They cannot do without it if termination of pregnancy is required in the later stages.
3. It is prescribed when the mother is forced to leave the baby for a long time or takes antibiotics. In such cases, there is still a chance to return to breastfeeding.

If circumstances permit, gynecologists recommend achieving suppression of prolactin in a natural way, without stress for the baby, gradually giving up feeding.

Restoration of lactation

For some female diseases, it is necessary to stop lactation temporarily. How to resume breastfeeding your baby after recovery after treatment with Doxinex:

• First of all, talk to your doctor about the period of complete removal of the medicine from the blood. The more tablets taken, the longer the break in feeding will be (from 14 days to a month).
• Next, perform the manipulations of expressing milk, as well as putting the baby to the breast as often as possible (especially at night and in the early morning hours - the time of activation of the pituitary gland).
• On the doctor's advice, select products that stimulate milk production (Mlekoin, Apilak, etc.).

There is no need to be upset if during the first 2 to 4 days of attempts to restore lactation, only a drop will be released. As a result of constant (not painful, but pleasant) irritation of nipple receptors, prolactin will inevitably increase to the desired level. This is how the nature of every mother works.

If you want to use Dostinex tablets in the absence of medical indications, but only for the benefit of preserving girlish breast elasticity (or because of laziness to get up to the baby at night), you need to remember: artificial nutrition with formulas significantly weakens the baby’s resistance to various infections. Early cessation of feeding natural milk creates a risk of deficiency in the child of vital nutrients that are important for his mental and physiological development.

Take care of your bunny son or sweet daughter.

Dosage regimen

It is important to know how to take Dostinex correctly.

The reception scheme is as follows:

Composition and purpose of the drug

Lactation is a complex physiological process in which the main role is played by hormones produced by the hypothalamus. Prolactin triggers milk production, and oxytocin carries it through the ducts and delivers it to the outside of the gland.

Dostinex for interrupting lactation is prescribed to mothers as an emergency aid in urgently stopping feeding. Can be used during pregnancy from the first days of colostrum production or for complications associated with excess prolactin.

The active ingredient of Dostinex is cabergoline (a derivative of ergoline), additional components are lactose, leucine. The drug is available in the form of tablets weighing 0.5 mg, white, odorless.

Action

The active substance of the drug directly acts on D2-like dopamine receptors of lactotropic cells of the adenohypophysis. As a result, the production of prolactin is inhibited, the concentration in the blood drops, and milk is not produced.

Dostinex begins to act within 3 hours after taking the first dose, cabergoline remains in the blood for 14-28 days. The severity and duration of the effect depends on the dosage. The drug acts selectively and does not regulate the functioning of the adjacent lobes of the pituitary gland.

Cabergoline provokes a decrease in blood pressure. With a single dose of Dostinex, the hypotensive symptom appears after 2-3 hours. The pressure returns to normal within 24 hours.

Indications

Consequences of exceeding the dosage

How to recognize an overdose? Hypotension, indigestion, nausea and vomiting, signs of confusion, psychosis, even hallucinations may occur. If these symptoms appear, immediately induce vomiting, do gastric lavage and take something that increases blood pressure. A woman should not remain alone in the house while taking the drug. After all, urgent medical attention may be required.

Contraindications and side effects

Domstinex is not indicated if hypersensitivity to its components is noted. Particular care should be taken when taking the drug if a woman is diagnosed with:

• severe form of cardiovascular disease;
• arterial hypertension;
• liver failure;
• gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcers;
• serious psychosomatic disorder;
• breathing problems;
• or she is taking antihypertensive drugs.

It is not recommended for use by persons under 16 years of age. Taking Dostinex is often accompanied by side effects of varying severity - from rapid heartbeat and gastrointestinal problems to nosebleeds or depression. Sometimes you have to stop taking the medicine immediately.

Recommendations from professionals

Dostinex appeared on the market not so long ago. Experts believe that compared to other hormonal drugs used to stop lactation, it is the safest.

Analogs, known for a long time, have a large number of contraindications, and side effects from them appear much more often.

A lot of positive reviews are published about Dostinex. They serve as additional evidence of the effectiveness of the product. If the woman is healthy and her blood pressure is normal, taking the drug under the supervision of a doctor will not harm.

Do I need to express milk after taking Dostinex?

The drug Dostinex is designed to stop lactation; it lowers prolactin levels and reduces milk production. As a rule, there is no need to express after or before taking the drug, but if there is a lot of milk and painful sensations appear in the breast, you need to express it to a state of relief, so as not to provoke the development of lactostasis.

You also need to express milk if lactation is interrupted temporarily, for example, during treatment, and in the future the woman plans to continue breastfeeding.

Alternative means to stop breastfeeding

Dostinex is a rather expensive medicine. And not every mother can afford it. Therefore, the desire to find equally effective cheaper analogues is understandable. At the same time, it is quite possible to use alternative therapy if interruption of lactation is planned. May I help:

• infusion of mint or lemon balm;
• sage essential oil;
• lingonberries;
• parsley
• bearberry or basil extract;

Prepare a mixture of herbs and brew with boiling water. Leave for half an hour or a little longer. To take, add a tablespoon of the mixture to a glass of water. Take half a glass twice a day - in the morning on an empty stomach and before bed. For emergency completion of breastfeeding, there are analogs of Dostinex in pharmacies.

Bromocriptine

The active ingredient is bromocriptine. Produced in Russia. The cheapest drug. One thing that is alarming is the long list of side effects.

Cabergoline

The difference from Dostinex is only in price and manufacturer.

Bergolak

It contains the same active ingredient as Dostinex and Kaberlogin.

Specific indications for taking Dostinex

• Prevention of the physiological process of postpartum lactation (for women who do not plan to breastfeed initially);
• Termination of already established feeding;
• Treatment of “female” diseases associated with hyperprolactinemia syndrome (anovulatory cycles, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, galactorrhea and other disorders of the reproductive system);
• Micro- and macroadenomas of the pituitary gland associated with prolactinomas;
• Therapy of hyperprolactinemia in men (provokes oligospermia, loss of libido and fatal impotence);
• Menstrual irregularities;
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS);
• Premenstrual syndrome;
• Postpartum mastitis and breast engorgement;
• Benign breast diseases;
• Prevention of lactation after surgical abortion or induced birth.

The drug "Bromocriptine" for the artificial cessation of lactation is a cheaper and more accessible analogue of "Dostinex". “Bromocriptine” is identical in composition and action to the described drug, but has a more extensive list of indications. Those who have taken these drugs have a milder effect and do not entail obvious side effects.