| Abstract: | ![]()
Suppression of puerperal lactation by a potent serotonin antagonist, metergoline was studied in 33 puerperal women, i.e., abortion after sixteen weeks of gestation 6, premature labor 13, labor at term 13, and hydatiform mole 1. The drug was administered orally at a dose of 4 mg bid for 5 days to 26 subjects, starting within one week from delivery (group A). The remaining 7 subjects received 4 mg of metergoline bid for 7 days after more than 2 weeks from delivery (group B). Lactation was either rapidly suppressed or prevented in 22 out of the 26 subjects in group A and in all subjects in group B. After the therapy was stopped, rebound phenomena were observed in 4 subjects in group A and in 2 subjects in group B, but a further 5-7 days' treatment with metergoline produced satisfactory results. The mean plasma prolactin levels, studied in 10 subjects in group A at hourly intervals after the first metergoline dose, decreased significantly one hour later (p less than 0.05) and reached the nadir level, 19.9 +/- 2.6% of the mean basal value, 4 hours later. The daily plasma prolactin levels in 9 subjects were significantly lower than those of the control group during metergoline treatment (p less than 0.001). No side effects of metergoline medication were observed. Metergoline for a short course of administration is very effective in the suppression of puerperal lactation. In case of the suppression of lactation after the second week of puerperium, 10-14 days of metergoline treatment is recommended to avoid the rebound phenomena. |
