This study sought to perform a systematic review of adverse events reported with the use of cabergoline for postpartum lactation inhibition or suppression in women aged 15 to 50. Following registration with PROSPERO (CRD42017049894), a comprehensive search of the Ovid databases Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL, along with PubMed, was conducted from January 1, 1985 to January 25, 2018. All study designs investigating cabergoline use for postpartum lactation inhibition or suppression in women aged 15 to 50 were included. A total of 695 articles were retrieved, and 25 articles were eligible for inclusion. Adverse events were then reported in terms of frequency, with percentages calculated according to the total number of women exposed to the intervention. A bias assessment of the articles was also performed. Among a total of 757 women, 108 adverse events were observed in 96 women (14.2%). The most common adverse events were dizziness (35 of 757), headache (30 of 757), and nausea or vomiting (19 of 757). These events were described as short-lived, self-resolving, and dose dependent. One pharmacovigilance study reported 29 "serious" events from a total of 175 events in 72 case reports, which included thromboembolic and neurologic events. Four case studies specifically addressed the psychiatric population, with one half reporting psychiatric symptoms following administration of cabergoline. In conclusion, this systematic review demonstrates that adverse events were generally benign and tolerable following the administration of cabergoline. However, pharmacovigilance data reveal that vigilance is still needed given the occurrence of rare but serious events.
Keywords: Cabergoline; breastfeeding; ergot derivatives; lactation; lactation inhibition; lactation suppression.
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