Expert: Pat G - 7/11/2010

Question
what causes increased or severe abdominal pains, and how long will the pains last?

Answer
Hello, batsho,

I assume you are talking about a pill abortion.

The pain is caused by the uterus contracting. It is essentially labor (as in giving birth). Some excessive pain is because there is no way to control the strength of the contractions. A woman should NOT try to take medications to decrease the pain, because this can cause her to bleed to death. The pain is necessary for the abortion to take place, and to keep the woman from bleeding so much.

Nobody knows how long the pains will last, and it can be several days. If things don't go as planned, there could be additional pain for that reason.

If you haven't started a medical abortion, don't start one. It is dangerous and can kill you. There are better answers. If you have started a medical abortion, all you can do is wait and endure it, or seek the help of a doctor. I recommend you do NOT go to a doctor who thinks abortion is acceptable. Such a doctor doesn't mind violating medical ethics and has poor medical judgment. No doctor who has good judgment would ever give a pregnant woman the pills that cause an abortion. It is too risky.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have, and please take care of yourself. Please don't hurt yourself in any way. Let me know how things go for you.