Leaky Heart Valve Problems Linked to Dostinex and Permax Side Effects

Leaky heart valve problems may be the side effects of Dostinex cabergoline and Permax pergolide, drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease, according to a recent study.

The January 4, 2007, edition of The New England Journal of Medicine reports findings that indicate possible side effects from using Permax and Dostinex. Pergolide and cabergoline, which are marketed under the brand names of Permax and Dostinex, are used to treat Parkinson's disease. This recent study suggests that using Dostinex and Permax may significantly elevate the risk of heart valve problems, leading to a leaky heart valve in patients.

In the article, which is entitled "Dopamine Agonists and the Risk of Cardiac-Valve Regurgitation", Italian researchers report that nearly ¼ of the patients who were monitored in the study, had heart valve problems of a moderate to severe nature. Moreover, German researchers, who contributed to this article as well, found that patients taking Permax or Dostinex were five to seven times more likely to have a leaky heart valve problem than Parkinson patients who had been prescribed other medications.

Speaking about the study, Dr. Bryan Roth, a pharmacology professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, remarks on the side effects of using Dostinex and Permax, "This is an extraordinarily high risk." He also noted that, currently, valve replacement surgery is the only medical procedure capable of addressing heart valve problems, "It's a bad side effect. As far as I know, there are no medications that can reverse it."

Although Dr. Roth, who directs a drug screening program for the federal government’s National Institute of Mental Health, did not participate in conducting the study, several years ago, he published a paper that noted the possible side effects of using Dostinex and Permax, and that these drugs appeared to have a similar detrimental effect on heart valves that the fen-phen diet pills did. Marketed under the brand names Redux and Pondimin, the fen-phen diet pills were withdrawn from the market in 1997.

Drug injury lawyers at Levy Phillips & Konigsberg, LLP, have handled complex, harmful drug lawsuits in many courts. Our team of innovative and aggressive defective drug lawyers offers experienced representation for the victims and their families who have leaky heart valve problems after being exposed to the side effects from using Dostinex and Permax.

[ Top of page ]