Expert: Pat G - 5/26/2010

Question
dear Dr.,

i recently checked a pregnancy test (after being delayed for my period), it was positive. because this is the first and that i am not emotionally and financially ready, i had to do it.

yesterday i took 1000mg of misoprostol/cytotec (3 pills of 200 mg misoprostol was done vaginally and 2 pills were taken orally). i had a horrible feeling, i felt like i was going to die from the pain and i was also bleeding, more like of a menstruation. after that (w/c is today)i bought another pregnancy test kit and found out that i am still pregnant. im still bleeding by the way. based on the result, i think it was not successful.

will it cause abnormalities on the fetal development of the baby? would it be okay to do the procedure again?

i'll be waiting for an answer. thank you very much.

Answer
Hello, bernadette,

First of all, please know that I am not a doctor. I am a woman who is very concerned about the well being of women, and who has done a lot of study and talked to a lot of women.

You took a HUGE dose of misoprostol, and these pills can kill a woman! You are gravely at risk. You need immediate medical attention for several reasons. One is that your uterus could rupture. Also, you can bleed to death. A lot of women are bleeding to death after abortion. The manufacturer says a pregnant woman should NEVER take misoprostol! I don't know who gave you those pills, but they threatened your life by doing so. Finally, you are possibly at risk of getting toxic shock syndrome because you used pills vaginally. You need to be tested IMMEDIATELY for Clostridium sordellii (bacteria), and if you have it, you need to be treated aggressively and immediately, to save your life. Once symptoms start, a woman can die within hours, and I am unaware of any treatment that can save her life.

Whatever you do, don't take any more pills! Please!

There are several things you haven't told me that are important before I can answer your other questions. Did you take anything other than misoprostol? How far along were you?

Your pregnancy hormones won't drop immediately. That takes time. So we don't know whether or not you achieved the results you were looking for.

What problems are you facing that make you feel unready financially and emotionally? A pregnant woman has months to prepare, and there are better answers. By the time a woman is ready to give birth, it is rare for her not to be anxious to meet her baby. There is financial help available in many places. You didn't say what country you are from. I can tell you where you can get this type of help in some countries.

If you start to bleed heavily, you need to do something to stop yourself from bleeding to death. You need to get some cayenne into your body. If you are where you can buy capsules (health food store), do it. Also, eat spicy foods with red hot peppers in them. Do this regularly until the bleeding stops. Be prepared for it to start again as well.

You're welcome. I will pray for you. I am afraid for you. Please take care of yourself, and seek immediate medical attention. Please let me know when you are OK.