The acute effects of pergolide in cyclical oedema

The acute effects of a single 10 micrograms dose of a new dopamine agonist, pergolide, were investigated in 6 healthy women and 6 women with cyclical oedema. There was a prompt and significant reduction in mean plasma prolactin concentrations with maximum suppression occurring at 4 hours in both groups. However, the prolactin suppression was significantly less in the women with cyclical oedema. This is further evidence for a prolactin disturbance in cyclical oedema, and consistent with the proposal that reduced dopaminergic tone may be an important abnormality in the disorder.