Summary
We studied the efficacy and tolerability of a repeatable long-acting parenteral depot-bromocriptine preparation (Parlodel LAR) in 14 acromegalic patients, 10 of whom had received oral bromocriptine therapy previously, 2 of them showing intolerance to oral bromocriptine. Patients received i.m. injections of 50–100 mg depot-bromocriptine at 4-week intervals for 3–24 months (median 6). Growth hormone profiles were assessed by four daily samples at 4-week intervals. Main daily growth hormone levels decreased from 52.1 ±12.3 μg/l (mean ± SEM) to 19.4 ± 4.7 μg/l on the day of injection. In 6 patients, growth hormone values were lowered by more than 50%, whereas IGF-I levels decreased only slightly and growth hormone values during the oral glucose tolerance test remained non-suppressible. Tumour sizes were not affected. Two women became pregnant and were delivered of healthy babies. Side-effects typical of bromocriptine occurred frequently on the days of injection and diminished in most patients after 2 months of therapy despite increasing dosage. Compared with previous oral bromocriptine therapy, 9 of 10 patients preferred the depot preparation, whereas the reduction of growth hormone levels was similar during both treatments. In conclusion, depot-bromocriptine should be considered for acromegalic patients intolerant to oral bromocriptine.
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Abbreviations
- br:
-
Bromocriptine
- oral br.:
-
oral bromocriptine
- depot-br.:
-
depot-bromocriptine
- GH:
-
growth hormone
- oGTT:
-
oral glucose tolerance test
- GnRH:
-
gonadotropin-releasing hormone
- TRH:
-
thyrotropin-releasing hormone
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Jaspers, C., Haase, R., Pfingsten, H. et al. Long-term treatment of acromegalic patients with repeatable parenteral depot-bromocriptine. Clin Investig 71, 547–551 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208479
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208479