SHIFT Newsroom · UK

Bromocriptine reminder stresses blood pressure checks

The MHRA’s 2024 review reinforced monitoring when the medicine is used to suppress milk production after childbirth.

A 24 October 2024 MHRA notice reinforced the importance of blood pressure monitoring with bromocriptine, particularly early in treatment. The review followed a Yellow Card report that highlighted the need for those checks. MHRA source

For suppressing milk production after childbirth, the regulator limits bromocriptine to medical indications. It is not recommended for routine suppression or ordinary breast pain and engorgement. The notice also lists blood-pressure and cardiovascular conditions in which it must not be used. MHRA source

The warning extends beyond the initial prescription: clinicians are asked to monitor during subsequent dose increases too. The patient advice identifies chest pain or an unusually severe or persistent headache, with or without visual symptoms, as reasons for urgent medical assessment. MHRA source

This report describes the regulator’s monitoring requirements; it does not select a medicine, dose or monitoring schedule for an individual. A suspected-reaction report can trigger a safety review but cannot, by itself, establish how often an adverse effect occurs. The original dated notice remains linked for the full prescribing context. MHRA source

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