Expert: Pat G - 5/5/2011

Question
QUESTION: hi, had my last period on d 19th march, didn't get my period for april but yesterday the 2nd of may i started havin backaches and stomach cramps which is becoming severe. Tot abt takin misoprostol shld i stil take them  and if yes how many.

ANSWER: Hello, bashira,

I see no reason to take any of these poisonous pills. It is possible you are having a miscarriage. In any case, they are not guaranteed to work at this point. If they don't, it could cause some problems that will require medical attention, and could pose a serious threat to your life. In fact, they can kill you even if they cause an abortion. They can cause you to bleed to death, or you can develop an infection that will kill you within hours. They can cause your uterus to rupture, and if your uterus is already contracting, it could just throw it over the edge, making a rupture much more likely. The manufacturer says a pregnant woman should NEVER take Misoprostol. It is a medication intended for stomach ulcers, and has nothing to do with abortion, even though people sometimes use it that way. And if the stomach cramps are in your stomach instead of your uterus, it's not clear that an ulcer medication will make things any better, and it could cause harm.

Just wait and see what happens. You are really too close to the absolute cutoff for using them anyway. You would have at least a 15% chance that they won't do anything. You should start to bleed without taking them. If you don't, please see a doctor, because you might be having difficulty with a miscarriage.

If you do have a miscarriage, please consider what you can do to prevent the fear of pregnancy in the future. If you have sex at all, and you're not married, then you are at risk of getting pregnant again, no matter what method you use to stop it. If you are married, obviously not having sex at all is not an option. But you can learn to tell when you are fertile and avoid sex then, and really, there is no reason not to have a baby.

I hope this helps. Please don't endanger your life with these poisonous pills. You probably don't even "need" them to end a pregnancy you sound like you don't want. Please stay safe, and let me know what happens.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks a bunch for your previous answer, yesterday the 4th the bleeding and the cramps got worse and i was passing out thick blood clots. This morning the 5th i'm ok d cramps are not that bad. Wat should i do? Wld i need anti d shots?

Answer
Hello, bashira,

You're welcome, and thanks for the very kind rating. It sure doesn't sound like this pregnancy was normal; it sounds like you did have a miscarriage. You might want to see a doctor just to make sure everything is OK. If you develop heavy bleeding, by all means do so, and try to get some red hot peppers in your food, or cayenne as a supplement.

What do you mean by anti d shots? Are you saying you are Rh negative? If so, this is a question you need to ask a doctor, because it will depend on whether or not you have been injured. If he does a D&C on you because of your miscarriage, you may need one. So again, this is a question to ask of someone who can examine you, and advise you medically.

I hope things go well for you. Take care.