Expert: Pat G - 11/13/2011

Question
I had my surgical abortion 2 days ago on the 11th, it was 9 weeks. After I has given misoprostol and metronidazole. I have to worries about the metronidazole as it is a antibiotic. But what is the misoprostol for? Isn't it one of the medical abortion pill? Why do I have to take this after a surgical abortion? Is I have to take 1 tablet by mouth(200mcg),3 times a day.

Answer
Hello, jackie,

I can only guess what someone who would do an abortion on a woman would think in giving Misoprostol after abortion. It's a very dangerous drug, intended for people with stomach ulcers. Like other medications, it has side effects. Perhaps it is intended to cause your uterus to clamp down. Since you are supposedly no longer pregnant, it doesn't make sense to me. Furthermore, normally a woman wouldn't be given Misoprostol at nine weeks even if she is still pregnant. It may not be outright illegal, but the FDA frowns on it.

I tend to be rather cautious about pharmaceutical drugs in general. In general, there are much better answers for most health conditions. I also don't have a lot of respect for anyone who would do an abortion on a woman. Abortion is bad medicine. One thing to remember about today's doctors is that they often do unnecessary things in order to decrease their legal liability. In this case, he may be concerned that you will bleed too much, and you will conclude that he did damage that is actionable. Most abortionists can't even get malpractice insurance, and if they can, it is the most expensive due to their specialty. These extra procedures are not for the benefit of the patient. The idea is that if something goes wrong, they can say, "I tried everything."

If you don't think it is wise to take the Misoprostol, don't take it. Find another doctor, ask him to examine and test you and see if the abortion was complete. If he recommends something else to cause your uterus to contract, it might be a good idea, depending on whether it is doing so already or not.  Ultimately, you have to live with the consequences of whatever medical treatment you accept. Let me know if you have any problems finding a decent doctor. Please also let me know how you do. Take care.