cabergoline Side Effects
Also known as: Dostinex
Analysis of 4,670 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
4,670
Death-Related
245
5.2% of reports
Hospitalizations
1,549
33.2% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 245 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| OFF LABEL USE | 55 |
| LUNG NEOPLASM MALIGNANT | 46 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 45 |
| ARTHROPATHY | 42 |
| ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT | 41 |
| DEATH | 41 |
| INFLAMMATION | 41 |
| LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION | 41 |
| RASH | 41 |
| COVID-19 | 40 |
| PRODUCT DOSE OMISSION ISSUE | 40 |
| PULMONARY PAIN | 40 |
| OVERDOSE | 39 |
| RADIATION INFLAMMATION | 39 |
| DRUG ABUSE | 38 |
| INTENTIONAL PRODUCT MISUSE | 37 |
| SCHIZOPHRENIA | 36 |
| KNEE ARTHROPLASTY | 29 |
| MALAISE | 27 |
| DIARRHOEA | 26 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 1,549 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| OFF LABEL USE | 180 |
| DRUG ABUSE | 111 |
| RASH | 110 |
| PRODUCT DOSE OMISSION ISSUE | 107 |
| ARTHROPATHY | 103 |
| FALL | 102 |
| LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTION | 98 |
| PULMONARY PAIN | 96 |
| ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT | 95 |
| INTENTIONAL PRODUCT MISUSE | 95 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 92 |
| OVERDOSE | 92 |
| HEADACHE | 90 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 88 |
| FATIGUE | 86 |
| MALAISE | 85 |
| DIZZINESS | 83 |
| VOMITING | 77 |
| KNEE ARTHROPLASTY | 73 |
| ANXIETY | 68 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About cabergoline Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 4,670 voluntary reports linked to cabergoline and its brand equivalents (Dostinex), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 245 (5.2%) listed death as an outcome and 1,549 (33.2%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 59% were female and 41% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 1,209 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is drug ineffective with 390 submissions, followed by off label use and headache.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.