Will I have to take bromocriptine or cabergoline for the rest of my life?
Possibly, not. As mentioned above, recent studies have shown that in patients who had a microadenoma (< 10 mm) who were treated with medication for 5 years and after the medication was stopped, approximately 1/3rd continued to have a normal prolactin and no tumor growth. In patients who had a large tumor (macroadenoma, > 10 mm) treated for 5 years, the prolactin remained normal in 16% of patients after stopping medication. It is reasonable to stop medication after 5 years of treatment and follow the prolactin level – if prolactin increases above normal or if there is tumor growth on the MRI, medication (bromocriptine or cabergoline) should be re-started.
