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Cycloset
Cycloset is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of diabetes. Specifically, it is used in combination with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. The medication comes in tablet form and is usually taken within two hours after waking in the morning. Some of the common side effects of this drug include dizziness, vomiting, and fatigue.
Cycloset™ (bromocriptine mesylate) is a prescription diabetes medication. It is approved to be used together with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes.
(Click Cycloset Uses for more information on what the medication is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
Cycloset is made by Patheon, Inc. for VeroScience LLC.
Cycloset belongs to a group of medications known as ergot alkaloids. It works as a dopamine receptor agonist, which means that it binds to and stimulates dopamine receptors. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical that transmits signals between nerves).
It is not entirely clear how Cycloset works to control blood sugar, but it is thought that stimulating dopamine receptors in the brain at certain times of the day "resets" the biological clock and improves metabolism. It is thought that seasonal changes in the metabolism of wild animals are due to similar mechanisms.
For years, bromocriptine (the active ingredient in Cycloset) has been used to treat Parkinson's disease, acromegaly (a growth disorder), and hyperprolactinemia (a hormone disorder). Only recently has it been approved for treating diabetes.
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD