Expert: Pat G - 8/30/2009

Question
I'm 4 weeks pregnant.. I took 6 cytotec pills one every hr, i got 3 blood clots like an inch big and i got some bleeding very light then i stopped bleeding like in 3hrs,i got some cramps while i was bleeding but then everything stopped except the discharge.. I took them friday and today is sunday and nothing has happened.. Does it mean it happened already? or that it didnt work? im 18 and i dont want anyone to know, im in college and this is just the wrong time.. I need HELP!!

Answer
Hi, Amy,

Wow. I don't offhand see how you can keep people from knowing you did this, considering that you have possibly done some serious damage to your body! Cytotec is really dangerous. It can kill a pregnant woman within hours. It can cause contractions so severe they can rupture a woman's uterus. If taken vaginally, it can cause toxic shock syndrome, which can kill a woman so fast there isn't even time to diagnose the problem in the emergency room. The manufacturer specifically says it is NOT to be used by pregnant women. It's for stomach ulcers! If you got the pills from a doctor, either he is ignorant, or he committed malpractice. From the standpoint of your personal safety, the best possible outcome is that you are still pregnant and your baby is fine. Seriously! Lots of people think abortion is trivial. It isn't. ALL abortions are dangerous and can do serious damage to you either in the short term or the long run. They can put you at risk of not being able to have a normal pregnancy, and they can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer. They can do serious short term damage, and they can have serious emotional repercussions. Yeah, I know that people are saying abortion is safe. They don't know what they are talking about! There are so many ways an abortion can cause long term damage that people have written books about it.

The thing you will need to watch for is profuse bleeding, which can endanger your life. If that happens, have someone take you to the emergency room. Also, it may be helpful to get some cayenne (red hot pepper) into your system, either by eating food with it, such as hot Mexican food, or taking capsules.

You didn't tell me if you were 4 weeks from your last menstrual period, or from the probable time of conception. That's important. There's no way to tell over the internet if it worked or not. You'd have to see a doctor to find out what happened. And he may not be able to tell by ultrasound at this point. Have you taken a pregnancy test?

Please tell me why nobody can know you are pregnant. Offhand, I see no reason whatsoever why you can't continue to go to college anyway. I did it. I graduated after I had four kids, three of them preschoolers. What difficulties are you facing? It's basically illegal for anyone to curtail your college career over pregnancy. There are places where you can get help. This includes help with the financial problems, medical care, baby supplies, adoption help, and so forth. You can find a decent doctor who can try to help fix the damage you have caused. You can get counseling on how to handle your parents if they have threatened you in any way about becoming pregnant. You may be able to find a place to live, if that's an issue. Many colleges are developing a program in response to the College Outreach Program of Feminists for Life. This program meets the needs of pregnant college students. This includes things like housing. You may be able to get a Pell grant, and WIC, Some of these programs will actually cause you to be better off financially than you would be if you weren't pregnant. Also, if you choose adoption, all your expenses will be paid.

To find an organization that can help, go here:

http://www.pregnancycenters.org/

To find out whether your college has a College Outreach Program, go here:

http://www.feministsforlife.org/

You may have to email them; I doubt if they have a complete list at this pont. Or you can ask your college, especially at the health clinic. If someone there represented to you that abortion is your only choice, scream! That is totally unfair. They should have offered you different options. Not only that, but they SHOULD have told you about all the risks involved. If they hadn't told you enough to know that this was a very dangerous thing to do, they did NOT get your informed consent! Get some answers!

Please don't take any more chances with your life. Don't take any more dangerous drugs, and don't put yourself at risk for pregnancy anymore. Don't think you can have "protected" sex. It doesn't work. Condoms don't work, and neither does pulling out. I will be here, but you really need to see a decent doctor. Don't go to whoever gave you the pills. They can't be trusted. Please let me know what happens, and take care of yourself!