Experience with misoprostol (cytotec)

When I was prescribed misoprostol I found it really helpful to read about others woman’s experiences with the medication. Now that the process it over I thought I would share my experience in case someone Is going through it too.

I had a missed miscarriage last Saturday. I went in at 8 weeks and found out babies heart had stopped beating at around 7. weeks. The doctor immediately told me the three options I had. 1. Go home and wait one week to naturally miscarry. 2. Take misoprostol to induce contractions and miscarry 3. D/C (which is also necessary if step 1/2 happen but there is still tissue left). I chose to wait to miscarry naturally and got the prescription for misoprostol in case.

I waited exactly one week to naturally miscarry but unfortunately it did not happen. For me personally, waiting to miscarry naturally was the hardest part emotionally. I couldn’t handle the thought that my baby had passed but was still inside of me and I really couldn’t start the healing process until I knew the baby was no longer inside.

After one week I filled my prescription for misoprostol. I was horrified by the stuff i read online from other woman who have taken the medication. It may have been a good thing to read it though because I expected the ABSOLUTE worst. But bottom line is everyone’s experience is going to be different.

I ate a heavy meal (Alfredo pasta from Olive Garden) and bought 6 bottles of cold vitamin water and a bag of maxi pads. I don’t know about the pasta but the vitamin water helped A LOT. I took two pills intravaginally and one sublingual and was instructed to take that same dose every 6 hours until I was bleeding profoundly. I took two doses (so 6 total). My doctor prescribed me pain killers and I was going to save them for when the pain was 10/10, but never ended up using them. My pain tolerance is high because I am used to having bad period cramps. If you don’t, I would recommend asking for pain killers. I laid down in bed and started cramping about 4 hours later. The cramps felt like really bad period cramps. The kind where you can’t lay still and are squirming around and getting in every pose you can think of. The cramps continued constantly for about an hour (during the time I was cramping I had no bleeding). About 6 hours after taking the pills I finally started to bleed. The cramps stopped for me once the bleeding started. I just sat on the toilet because i would have filled a maxi pad in probably 20 minutes. The blood isn’t drops its more like a stream so I would recommend sitting on the toilet when you start to bleed. I had my cold vitamin water and my iPad trying to watch a happy movie (and the door open and told my husband if I yell to come). I was sitting on the toilet when the sac and fetus came out. I couldn’t see it because the toilet bowl was bright red (probably a good thing). But trust me you will know when you passed the sac. It feels like an egg (at 7 weeks at least) and it just slips out. After I passed the fetus I was able to get off the toilet and lay around. But stay near a toilet because you will pass big clots.

It’s been exactly one week since I took the misoprostol. I have been bleeding and passing clots ever since (bright red blood). The two days after I miscarried the bleeding was lighter and then it started heavy again. I’ve also been passing really large clots today (one week later). The clots range from the size of a pea to the size of a plum. However one clot that I passed three days after taking the medication was about the size of a golf ball and really painful. Started with 30 minutes of bad cramps and went to the bathroom and passed the clot. Since then no more cramping and just smaller sized clots.

I had an ultrasound yesterday to see if the process worked and it did (so no d/c needed). Doctor said I will bleed for another week or two. She said I cannot get pregnant this month but can start trying again in August.

That was my experience! If anyone has questions I would be happy to answer them. Remember you’re 10x stronger than you think you are. ❤️