Short answer: The cabergoline label starts at 0.25 mg by mouth twice weekly, with or without food. The dose is raised by 0.25 mg twice weekly at intervals of no less than 4 weeks until prolactin is normal, up to a maximum of 1 mg twice weekly. A heart valve check with an echocardiogram comes first. The label has no missed-dose rule.
This is what the FDA label says. Follow your prescriber. Your prescriber may use a different dose or pace than the label's standard schedule.
What Cabergoline is approved for: Cabergoline is an ergot-derived dopamine agonist approved to treat hyperprolactinemic disorders (high prolactin), either with no known cause or due to pituitary adenomas, in adults (section 1). The label says to avoid it for stopping or suppressing breast milk after childbirth because of the risk of serious adverse reactions (sections 1, 5.4).
Source
CABERGOLINE tablets, for oral use, prescribing information and Patient Information. Mylan Pharmaceuticals (Viatris). DailyMed, version published July 1, 2026. DailyMed setid e497366b-a124-4d7f-bd45-a883c392d4bb
Cabergoline is a 0.5 mg scored tablet taken by mouth twice a week, with or without food (sections 2.2 and 3).
Before starting, heart valves are checked, including with an echocardiogram, and cabergoline is not given if valve disease is found (section 2.1).
The Patient Information says prolactin is checked about every 4 weeks at first and periodically after that, and the dose may be changed.
The table below is the label's schedule, from the Dosage and Administration section. Numbers are copied exactly; the section is in brackets.
| Step | Dose | When |
|---|---|---|
| Start | 0.25 mg orally twice weekly | After a heart valve evaluation including an echocardiogram |
| Increase | Add 0.25 mg twice weekly | At intervals of no less than 4 weeks, to achieve normal serum prolactin levels |
| Maximum | 1 mg orally twice weekly | Maximum recommended dosage |
| After stopping | None | Serum prolactin monitored periodically to see whether cabergoline should be restarted |
Heart valves are evaluated, including with an echocardiogram, before starting. If valve disease is detected, cabergoline is not given.
During treatment, echocardiograms are repeated at intervals of 6 to 12 months or as clinically indicated.
Blood pressure is checked at the start and during treatment.
Cabergoline is not recommended with dopamine D2 blockers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes or metoclopramide.
Not recommended in severe liver impairment; side effects are monitored more closely in moderate liver impairment; mild liver impairment uses the usual dose.
In the 4-week study, a lower 0.125 mg twice-weekly dose was not effective and is not recommended. How long cabergoline keeps working beyond 24 months has not been established.
The cabergoline label gives no missed-dose instruction. Ask your prescriber or pharmacist what to do if a twice-weekly dose is missed.
More on this: missed a dose of Cabergoline.
If pregnancy occurs during treatment, the label says cabergoline is stopped if the risks to the mother or fetus outweigh the benefits; dopamine agonists are generally avoided in pregnancy and after delivery.
In Dose Track you set up Cabergoline as a protocol with the dose and schedule your prescriber gave you. A protocol can hold dose steps, each with its own dose and length in days or weeks, so a step-up plan like the one on the label can be entered once and the app moves to the next step on its own. Reminders follow the schedule, and every dose is logged with the date and time, so you can see which step you are on and when your last dose was. The app follows what you enter; it does not choose or change a dose.
This page is what the FDA label says, in plain words. It is not medical advice. Follow your prescriber, and ask them or your pharmacist about anything here.