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Postpartum cardiomyopathy is a rare but devastating condition for new mothers. Although some patients spontaneously improve, many go on to have permanent debilitating heart failure or to require heart transplantation. Recently, investigators presented two cases that demonstrate possible important therapeutic effects of bromocriptine for postpartum cardiomyopathy.
A 32-year-old woman developed severe heart failure 3 weeks after delivery. The patient was breast-feeding and had elevated serum prolactin (128 ng/mL); 16kDa prolactin derivative levels were markedly higher than normal for breast-feeding women. Treatment with bromocriptine (5 mg/day for 2 weeks; then 2.5 mg/day for 6 weeks) resulted in rapid decreases in prolactin and 16kDa prolacti…