Bromocriptine in parkinsonism. A long-term study

A. J. Lees, S. Haddad, K. M. Shaw, L. J. Kohout and G. M. Stern

Bromocriptine was given in a controlled trial to 86 parkinsonian patients. Eight of 30 previously untreated patients with early and mild disease showed sustained benefit for two years and did not develop "on-off" effects or dyskinesias. Only two of 23 patients unable to tolerate or failing to respond to levodopa benefited from bromocriptine. Thirty-three patients with residual disabilities despite maximum tolerated doses of levodopa were also given bromocriptine: although benefit accrued, treatment was abandoned because of unacceptable side effects, and there was no improvement in the 11 with severe "on-off" disabilities. Although it was found that benefit from 70 mg daily of bromocriptine was comparable to that from 750 mg of levodopa with carbidopa, bromocriptine seems to offer no advantage to the majority of patients who have received or are receiving levodopa and/or carbidopa.