Bromocriptine (Cycloset) for Diabetes: Label, Half-Life
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Bromocriptine: label dosing, warnings and half-life

Tablet strengths · Approval status · Half-life ~6 hours

Short answer: Bromocriptine has a half-life of about 6 hours. Levels peak 53 minutes fasting; 90 to 120 minutes after a high-fat meal after a dose. People vary, so treat these as estimates.

What is bromocriptine?

Bromocriptine is a dopamine agonist, an ergot-derived drug that acts like the brain chemical dopamine. A quick-release form taken in the morning, Cycloset, is approved to help lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. Other bromocriptine products are used for other conditions and have their own labels; this page covers Cycloset.

Also known as: Cycloset, bromocriptine mesylate.

Tablet strengths

Cycloset comes as a 0.8 mg tablet, so the daily dose is a number of tablets (2 to 6 tablets is 1.6 to 4.8 mg).

Approval status and how it is used

The Cycloset label approves it, with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes; it is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Label dosing: one 0.8 mg tablet once a day within 2 hours after waking, with food, going up by one tablet each week to 6 tablets (4.8 mg) or the most tolerated between 2 and 6. A missed morning dose is skipped and the usual dose taken the next morning, not doubled.

The label has no boxed warning. Its first warning is low blood pressure on standing and fainting, especially when starting or raising the dose. It may worsen psychotic disorders, and can cause impulse-control problems and sleepiness. It is not used with an allergy to ergot drugs, syncopal migraine, after giving birth, or while breastfeeding. In the 52-week safety trial of 3,070 people, nausea affected 32.2% vs 7.6% on placebo, dizziness 14.8% vs 9.2%, fatigue 13.9% vs 6.7% and vomiting 8.1% vs 3.1%, mostly during the first dose increases. See Cycloset side effects, Cycloset dosing schedule and missed Cycloset dose.

Bromocriptine half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeabout 6 hours
  • Time to peak (Tmax)53 minutes fasting; 90 to 120 minutes after a high-fat meal

The Cycloset label says 65% to 95% of a dose is absorbed but only about 7% reaches the blood, because most is broken down on first pass through the gut and liver (mainly by CYP3A4). Levels peak 53 minutes after a dose when fasting and about 90 to 120 minutes after a high-fat meal, which also raises exposure by about 55% to 65%. The elimination half-life is about 6 hours.

Numbers shown are taken from the source above. Half-life varies from person to person.

How to track bromocriptine in Dose Track

  1. Add bromocriptine as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each tablet when you take it, including split or fractional tablets, so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

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Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of bromocriptine?+
The Cycloset label says 65% to 95% of a dose is absorbed but only about 7% reaches the blood, because most is broken down on first pass through the gut and liver (mainly by CYP3A4). Levels peak 53 minutes after a dose when fasting and about 90 to 120 minutes after a high-fat meal, which also raises exposure by about 55% to 65%. The elimination half-life is about 6 hours.
Why is Cycloset taken in the morning?+
The Cycloset label says to take it once a day within 2 hours after waking, with food. If the morning dose is missed, the usual dose is taken the next morning.
Can Cycloset cause fainting?+
Yes. The label lists low blood pressure on standing and fainting as its first warning, especially when starting or raising the dose, and says standing blood pressure is checked before starting.
Can I track bromocriptine in Dose Track?+
Yes. Bromocriptine is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each tablet next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Cycloset (bromocriptine mesylate) tablets prescribing information (VeroScience), sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 12.3. DailyMed, January 2026.

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