Although a follow-up appointment is the best way to get reassurance, there are a number of signs to look out for that point to abortion pill success. Most people experience cramping and bleeding within a few hours of taking the second pill, misoprostol.
Bleeding, or the passing of large blood clots, shows that the fetal tissue is exiting the body. Cramping helps the uterus return to its usual state. Your healthcare provider will also schedule a follow-up appointment a couple of weeks later to check that the abortion pill worked. The abortion pill comes in two separate doses.
The process usually takes 1 to 2 days to complete. At this appointment, the healthcare staff will give you the first pill, mifepristone.
In many cases, they will ask you to take it there and then. The second pill, misoprostol, can be taken between 24 and 48 hours after the first one.
Some people return to their healthcare provider to take misoprostol, while others take it at home. A follow-up appointment with your healthcare provider usually takes place around 2 weeks after taking the pills. It blocks an important pregnancy hormone called progesterone. This results in the breakdown of the uterine lining and stopping the growth of the embryo.
The body does this by causing the uterus to contract, which leads to a similar level of cramping and bleeding as a miscarriage. The abortion pill is highly effective, but its effectiveness does decrease the further along the pregnancy is.
For example, the medication works for 94 to 98 percent of people who are 8 weeks pregnant or less. This reduces to 91 to 93 percent effectiveness for those who are between 9 and 10 weeks pregnant. A research review found no evidence of a difference between the effectiveness of medical abortions and surgical procedures. And, according to the University of California, San Francisco, only around 3 to 5 percent of people need a surgical abortion after a medical one.
Healthcare staff will check all of the above and provide clear instructions before giving you any abortion medication. I have always appreciated—frankly, always expected—that my pharmacist asked whether I had any questions about the medications I was taking. Unfortunately, in a time when I needed it most, it was not offered. Going through a miscarriage is a significant emotional rollercoaster.
The physician prescribed medication to manage my missed abortion, including pain medication, antibiotics, and misoprostol.
When my doctor explained what was happening, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I was not paying much attention, much less asking any questions. I dropped off my prescription at the pharmacy shortly after the appointment. I had been crying in the car before I arrived, and I am sure I looked visibly upset.
After a short while, I went back to pick up the medications, including misoprostol. I was never asked if I had any questions about the medication or if I needed to speak with the pharmacist in a more private area. Instead, I felt like I was being judged for picking up the misoprostol—as if it was my decision to end my pregnancy.
My perception of the transaction was that they just assumed I knew what I was doing with the medication because I had already spoken to my doctor and chosen to end my pregnancy. Being in the mental state that I was in, I took 4 pills every few hours the instructions on the bottle were to take 4 pills orally 3 times daily , not taking into account that I should have been spreading it out over a hour period, and not for the hours I was awake.
Could I have spoken up and simply asked the pharmacist to clarify? Furthermore, I was never counseled on the side effects of the medication or what to expect. Misoprostol is a very harsh medication. I experienced a lot of vomiting and diarrhea; however, the stomach cramping was not as awful as I expected.
The entire process was very draining and I slept a lot; it was probably more emotionally than physically draining. I knew once I took that first dose that meant the baby was going to be forced out. But I had no idea what to expect—was it going to happen in 20 minutes, an hour? The waiting game was difficult to bear. For me, the placental sac passed after 9 hours and then a lot of tissue continued to pass for the next couple of days.
One of these rounds consisted of the same pills, but they were inserted vaginally. Once again, I was not counseled on the medication or how to use it. Looking back at my experience, I think it is imperative for pharmacists not to judge patients when dispensing prescriptions regardless of indication.
My overall miscarriage and pharmacy experience could have been greatly improved with some simple customer service and counseling. A warm greeting makes such a difference. Then, taking the time to make sure to ask if we have any questions about the medication and provide counseling on how to use it and what to expect from it. When a patient tells you they have a miscarriage, it might be uncomfortable or you might not know what to say.
Do not be afraid to talk to a patient about their miscarriage. We have questions, and we want you to ask us how we are doing, so that we feel comfortable asking these questions. We want to feel like you care. And if you feel like something should be said, chances are we are waiting for you to say it. Thursday, 11 November Adverse Events Due to Miscarriage With miscarriage being such an emotional time, patients may not have a clear understanding of why the remnants of the pregnancy need to be evacuated or know the more severe adverse events of miscarriage to watch out for, including infection and hemorrhage.
Miscarriage Counseling Interaction with a pharmacist can positively impact the emotional outcomes of a patient with a miscarriage. Future Fertility It is important to clarify that misoprostol will have no impact on future fertility.
For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies. Hide glossary Glossary Study record managers: refer to the Data Element Definitions if submitting registration or results information.
Search for terms. Save this study. Warning You have reached the maximum number of saved studies Repeated Doses of Misoprostol for Medical Treatment of Missed Miscarriage The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators.
Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details. Last Update Posted : December 18, Study Description. Missed abortion is a condition where the fetus has perished but the miscarriage is not expelled.
Women often present at a routine ultrasound or with a slight brownish discharge. Traditionally this condition has been treated with curettage or vacuum aspiration. Lately, medical treatment has become more common due to less risk of infection and other complications. The routine medical treatment is mcg of misoprostol administered vaginally. We wish to examine of repeated doses of mcg misoprostol after the initial mcg vaginal misoprostol increases efficacy of the treatment. Drug Information available for: Misoprostol.
0コメント