Cycloset Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Cycloset is a prescription tablet containing bromocriptine mesylate, a dopamine receptor agonist. It is used along with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. It is taken once daily in the morning and works through a mechanism different from most other diabetes medicines.

What is Cycloset Tablet

Cycloset is a prescription tablet containing bromocriptine mesylate, a dopamine receptor agonist. It is used along with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Cycloset Tablet uses

• Improves blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, used along with diet and exercise
• Treats type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Helps improve blood-glucose control
• Helps reduce HbA1c
• Used together with appropriate diet and physical activity

Benefits of Cycloset Tablet

• Can lower blood sugar levels after meals
• May be taken alone or combined with other diabetes medicines
• Taken once a day
• Provides once-daily treatment
• Works through a different mechanism from most other diabetes medicines
• Can be combined with selected glucose-lowering therapies
• May improve overall glycemic control

How Cycloset Tablet works

Cycloset works by activating dopamine receptors in the brain and nervous system. In people with type 2 diabetes, taking it in the morning increases the body's sensitivity to insulin and helps lower blood sugar after meals, without raising insulin levels in the blood.

Cycloset Tablet dosage

Take by mouth each morning with food, within 2 hours after waking up. If you miss your morning dose, wait until the next morning to take your usual dose — do not double up. Your doctor may raise your dose gradually over time based on how well it works for you and how you tolerate it. Continue checking your blood sugar and following your prescribed diet and exercise plan while taking this medicine. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become sick, have a fever, get injured, or have surgery, since your medication needs may change.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (0.8 mg)

Side effects of Cycloset Tablet

Common

• Nausea
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Weakness or feeling tired (fatigue)
• Constipation
• Sinus infection
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion
• Vomiting
• Low appetite
• Cold feeling or numbness in fingers
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Stomach pain

Serious

• Low blood pressure, including fainting or severe dizziness when standing up
• Vision problems
• Constant runny nose
• Chest pain or pain when breathing
• Fast heart rate or rapid breathing
• Shortness of breath, especially when lying down
• Back pain, swelling in ankles or feet
• Urinating less than usual or not at all
• Confusion or hallucinations
• Feeling like you might pass out
• Low blood sugar (headache, hunger, weakness, sweating, tremors, irritability, trouble concentrating)
• Muscle movements you cannot control
• Loss of balance or coordination
• Bloody or tarry stools, or vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Dangerously high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision, buzzing in ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, or seizures)
• New or increased urges to gamble, spend money, have sex, or binge eat
• Serious and life-threatening problems in women who have recently given birth, including high blood pressure, heart attack, seizures, stroke, and psychosis

Warnings and precautions

• Cycloset can cause low blood pressure, especially when starting treatment or increasing the dose, which can lead to dizziness, fainting, or injury from falls.
• This medicine is not recommended for people with severe psychotic disorders, since it may worsen symptoms or make psychiatric medicines less effective.
• Some people may develop intense, hard-to-control urges such as gambling, spending money, or sexual urges while taking this medicine.
• This medicine must not be used by women who have recently given birth, because it has been linked to serious and life-threatening reactions such as high blood pressure, heart attack, seizures, stroke, and psychosis.
• Do not use this medicine if you have a history of fainting migraines, since it can increase the risk of fainting episodes.
• Combining this medicine with certain antipsychotic drugs (dopamine receptor antagonists) is not recommended because each may make the other less effective.
• There isn't enough information in humans to rule out risk during pregnancy, so Cycloset should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed. Talk to your doctor about the best way to manage your blood sugar if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• Cycloset should not be used while breastfeeding. It can stop milk production and has been linked to serious, life-threatening problems in women who recently gave birth.
• The kidney plays only a small role in removing this medicine from the body, but caution is advised in people with kidney problems. Because this medicine is broken down mainly by the liver, caution is needed in people with liver problems.
• Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Cycloset, since it can raise the risk of low blood pressure, sleepiness, and dizziness.
• This medicine can make you drowsy or lightheaded, so avoid driving or operating heavy machinery until you know how it affects you, and stop these activities right away if you feel sleepy or dizzy.

Storage

• Store at room temperature between 68°F and 77°F (20°C and 25°C)
• Store in a tight, light-resistant container
• Keep out of the reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Call your doctor right away if you feel severely drowsy or like you might pass out.
• Seek medical help immediately if you think you have taken too much of this medicine; symptoms of overdose can include nausea, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, and fainting.
• Contact your doctor if you develop new or increased urges to gamble, spend money, or engage in sexual behavior, or other unusual compulsive behaviors.
• Get medical care right away if you faint or fall while taking this medicine, especially if you hit your head.

Alternatives

• Metformin
• Sitagliptin
• Linagliptin