Intermittent bromocriptine treatment for the induction of ovulation in hyperprolactinemic patients.

Postovulatory treatment with bromocriptine bears a potential teratogenic risk. Therefore, after restoration of the menstrual cycle in 20 infertile hyperprolactinemic anovulatory patients, treatment was restricted to the follicular phase and the periovulatory period. The resulting intermittent treatment regimen using a dose of 5 mg of bromocriptine/day yielded ovulatory cycles in all 20 patients. Fifteen pregnancies were achieved in thirteen patients, two women becoming pregnant twice. Discontinuation of treatment after ovulation caused hyperprolactinemia during the luteal phase. This did not seem to interfere with the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Hyperprolactinemia during the follicular phase may be related to luteal insufficiency.