Your Advice: M/C with Cytotec

KingLED

Please share your advice on, or anything you wish you had known, before/during/after your miscarriage with Cytotec (misoprostol).

jllmb79

I would take it again if I had to. It would have been nice if my Doctor fully explained what to expect instead of me having to look on the internet.

jllmb79

qanda2013  The only thing I knew was that taking the Cytotec should get my body expel the fetus.  I went home and googled for a while before I took the pills.

I bleed heavy with painful cramps for a few hours, about 4 hours after I took the pills vaginally.

I didn't know some people save the sac...I flushed it and regret it

I bleed for 30 days.

I needed to take a second dose 8 days later because not everything had passed.

Another 8 days later after another sono my Dr. said hopefully the rest that hadn't passed will be absorbed by my body.

nohalo21

I was induced at 18 weeks with Cytotec (not sure if this makes a difference or not). I was told that the process could take up to 2 days. My doc recommended letting the pills dissolve in my cheeks for about 30 minutes then swallowing/drinking water. This supposedly helps with the GI issues it can cause. I was told that the once the pills kick in, everything then progresses pretty quickly. By the time the cramps got strong, delivery was about 3 hours. The whole process took about 20 hours. 

GR8TDANEMOM

Ticker and signature warning


I actually was dreading it but it wasn't to bad. I took it when I was 8 weeks, but baby was only measuring 6. 3 hours after I took it a started having cramps and spotting. At the 4 hour mark the cramps started getting worse. I took 600mg Motrin. I was prescribed stronger medication, norco but didn't think I needed it. After a couple hours of cramps the bleeding got really heavy and I started passing clots. I passed clots all night and into the next morning. All weekend I had period like bleeding with mild cramps. On Monday ( 4 days after medication) I got bad cramps for an hour and passed what I think was the sac. After that I have had medium to light bleeding for two weeks which is now just spotting. I would do it again. I think it worked properly for me, I have an appointment on the 18th so I'll know then.

Desertrose27

The misoprostol didn't work for me, but I will share my story anyway.

I took my first dose on a Monday, the same day we learned that there was no heartbeat.  They prescribed Vicoden and 600 mg prescription ibuprofen for pain relief.  I was told to take an ibuprofen 30 min before the misoprostol.  Then I laid down and inserted the 4 pills of misoprostol vaginally, and as deep as I could get them to go.  I remained resting on my back for about an hour (the instructions said 15 min but I wanted to be sure).  Nothing much happened for about 5 hours.  Then I started cramping and there was a small amount of blood.  So I took a Vicoden and went to bed.  There was some heavy cramping in the night, but not much bleeding.  The next day the bleeding increased, but never to more than late period amount.  An ultrasound 48 hrs later confirmed that I had not passed the sac.

The second dose I took last Saturday.  The Friday before I started cramping and bleeding more on my own.  To take the misoprostol I followed the same procedure as above.  That day and the next there was a significant amount of blood and some clots.  I alternated the Vicoden and ibuprofen for pain management as needed.  An ultrasound Monday confirmed again that, while my body was valiantly trying to expel the sac, it had not been successful.

So, I have a D&C scheduled for this Friday.  With the pain meds, the misoprostol seems like a good option for those who can get it to work.  Certainly I would prefer it to the surgery, but that's the way it is.

Feegan

Unfortunately like the PP, the misoprostol didn't work for me. 

I found out on a Friday at my 9 week, and last RE appointment, that there was no heartbeat and the baby had stopped growing a little after 7 weeks; there was no doctor on duty so they sent me home and my husband and I spent the weekend grieving and preparing ourselves for the Monday follow up. On Monday (4/28) my RE performed another vaginal ultrasound to confirm what we already knew and then discussed the options: natural, misoprostol, or D&C. 

Because we had conceived via IUI and fertility treatments I was especially scared to go the D&C route because of the possible future fertility issues it could cause. The thought of waiting it out naturally for who knows how long, when it had already been two weeks without my body noticing the loss, was too much for me to bear so we decided to go the medicated route. My RE prescribed two doses, just in case, as well as 600 mg of ibuprofen and sent me on my way. 

I took the first dose (3 pills), vaginally, at noon on Monday. Within 2 or so hours I started having period like cramping, by 5 PM the bleeding began. Unlike most of the experiences I had read about online, I never really spotted between bathroom trips or filled a pad, but the moment I would sit down to use the bathroom it would gush out of me. I started to pass clots and some larger tissue matter around 7:30 PM and would get really bad chills each time I would leave my bed. Walking around was not even an option as the cramping and unyielding lower back pain made it impossible. I preemptively took the ibuprofen with the misoprostol, and again every 6 hours as directed, but I never felt like it helped manage the pain and discomfort. (I will note that in between the cramps I would just feel generally bad and exhausted, but the lower back pain never eased up and was the most painful part of this experience) Around 9 PM the cramping and back pain seemed to ramp up and didn't subside until 2 AM after which time I was finally able to doze throughout the rest of the night between bathroom trips.

Tuesday morning (4/29) I returned to the RE for a follow up ultrasound and it showed that I still had significant "products of conception" in my uterus. (I hated this terminology) So they sent me home to take the second dose, gave me a prescription for Norco to manage the pain,(since the ibuprofen had been useless the previous night), and scheduled me for another follow up ultrasound for the following day. I took the second dose at 12:30 PM and nothing happened. I only experienced very minor cramping but I passed very little, sometimes nothing at all for hours at a time, the entire day/night. Panicked by this, I even went and walked laps in my neighborhood to try to "get things moving" but nothing helped. 

Wednesday morning (4/30) I once again returned to the RE, and as expected, the ultrasound still showed significant "products of conception." At this point my RE explained that we'd give it a few days and have one more ultrasound on Friday, but wanted to schedule a D&C in case I still hadn't passed everything. I reluctantly agreed and made the necessary appointments. At home later that afternoon the lower back pain and cramping I had experienced Monday started back up and I began passing clots, tissue, and blood once more. This continued throughout the day, night, and into Thursday. 

By Friday morning (5/2) I was convinced I had passed everything, even though I never noticed the sac or anything that resembled it (which many others who have posted about their medicated miscarriage experience online had said was impossible to miss). The ultrasound at the RE's office that morning showed that I still had more to pass then they were comfortable with and I was moved to the surgical unit to prep for the D&C. My RE explained that because my body had done most of the work, and the misoprostol had already opened my cervix, that the procedure would be much less invasive then if I had done it to begin with so I that made me feel a little better. Once I was prepped, I was taken in to the procedure room, set up on the table and within minutes I was put under and just as quickly waking up in the recovery room to my husband holding my hand and drying my tears. We were then told that I had never passed the sac, so she was able to send it in for testing, and we should get some answers when the results come in.

The recovery from the D&C has been relatively easy, and as of today, Monday (5/5) the spotting has diminished and I am feeling almost back to normal, physically speaking. Obviously because of what happened, I would not opt for the medicated miscarriage again as I was one of the unlucky 30% who do not respond to it properly. If you are considering it as an option, I truly hope your experience is better than mine.  Also, as a PP suggested, make sure you have someone to care for you throughout the process as you will undoubtedly need the help and support. Also, make sure you have heavy flow pads on hand, a heating pad, ask for stronger meds in case you need them, and make sure you are taking in lots of fluids. I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but know that you are not alone and you can find a tremendous amount of support here on the loss board.

EDIT: Words, grammar

mflowers929

I've just finished up a miscarriage with miso, and my experience was a bit different, mostly because of the timing.

My doctor gave me 4 doses of 2 pills each. He told me to break them in half and get them slightly damp in order for them to absorb more easily. I took the first dose on Thursday at 2 pm, along with 2 extra strength tylenol. Within 20 minutes I was cramping slightly, and I also got chilled. I was sitting at my computer with my sweater, a blanket draped over my shoulders, and my heating pad on my stomach, and I was still shivering. Took my temperature just in case. It was only 99.1 (which was the highest it ever got) so a low grade fever (my temp usually runs a degree below "normal"). After that, I began getting some pretty bad gas pains. At 3:30, I went to the bathroom and passed the first small clots.

Came back downstairs, and almost immediately had to run back upstairs because I had severe diarrhea. Like, almost didn't make it to the toilet diarrhea. I also passed a few more small clots (I couldn't see them, but I felt them). I began feeling exhausted and laid down for a nap.

After that, I continued bleeding and clotting, so I didn't take another dosage as per doctors order, and went to bed. By the time I woke up Friday morning, I felt that my bleeding had slowed down too much, and at about noon I decided to take another dosage. Again, I had cramps and gas pains, but I didn't pass many clots and the bleeding didn't seem to be ramping up at all. At about 6 pm I decided to take a shower, and then I told my husband that I didn't think I had been getting the tablets far enough in. I was only able to get them about half way to my cervix, so I laid down and had him insert two more, much more deeply than I was able to get them.

Apparently that did the trick, because within half an hour my cramps were very strong, and I started passing largish clots. At about midnight, I began bleeding in earnest. I was standing in the kitchen and could feel some clots beginning to escape. There was literally nothing I could do to stop them, so I went and just sat on the toilet for about half an hour. I passed a number of large clots, and had so much blood loss that I was a bit concerned about hemorrhaging. I decided at that point to move to the bedroom upstairs, instead of sitting in the living room.

I went to the bathroom several times, and managed to doze from about 2:30 to quarter to 4. That's when I was woken up by the most horrible pains I had had. I rocked on the toilet, I paced, I took 2 extra strength tylenol and two naproxen, and I had my heating pad on high, and it was still just a horrible feeling of my muscles cramping up and not releasing, which began spreading to my back. At 4:15 my husband came upstairs to find out why I was sobbing, and I told him that either he took me to the hospital or he called me an ambulance. He told me to wait half an hour more and if I was still in that much pain that he would take me. 20 minutes later, I went to the bathroom again, and after 3 pushes, I passed the sac.

This part is a little gross, but I had some curiosity as to what it looked like, so I dug it out. It definitely didn't look like any of the clots I had passed before - it was a solid ovoid shape, about the size of a large chicken egg, and purple/blue in color. I could actually see some sort of vein where I assume it was attached to me. Almost immediately, the cramping eased up.

If (God forbid) I have to, I would take it again, but knowing my experience this time around, I would ask for some stronger pain meds. I'm not a weeny by any means when it comes to pain, but I was ready to go ask for IV morphine.

Some essential things to have:

- Pain meds

- Water, lots of it (I got a bit of dry mouth)

- Some sort of heating pad

- Pads

- I would suggest blankets, just in case of chills

- A thermometer to monitor your temperature is helpful

- Someone with you who can monitor your condition.

- A few days where you don't plan on doing ANYTHING.

ETA - spacing

expectingtofly

*Warning Graphic Descriptions*

I thought i would come here to share my good experience with misoprostol. I was going to have a d&c but my specialist was unavailable and my hubby took the day off work so i decided it would be safe enough, plus i wanted to get it overwith as i was in a fair amount of discomfort. 

i inserted the pills in the morning before lunch time then i started a schedule of my prescribed morphine(dilaudid) every four hours, watched movies with DH and waited. it took 6hrs for them to really start working with some mild cramping and spotting off and on, becoming stronger and more regular right before the fetus and sac were delivered, i was in a bit of discomfort after that until i delivered the plancenta about 30mins later. I didn't have excessive pain or bleeding and i kept salty snacks on hand to keep my blood pressure up. 

Overall it was a good experience. It went quickly and DH and I got to hold and say goodbye to our little bean and say a prayer for him, i feel like that was important to me.

I've compiled a list of tips for anyone still deciding or about to take the misoprostol:

1) Have someone with you in the house to check on you in case of emergency

2) Have your partner buy some adult diapers, dont be embarrassed, i wore depends all yesterday its very comforting to know you will not make a mess, pads may not contain the gushes

3) Start taking your pain meds now and write down your dose schedule, it keeps the pain away

4) (vaginal) Wet the misoprostol pills with a bit of water to help them dissolve once inside

5) (vaginal) Insert two pills on each side of the uterus as far in as you can get them

6) Lie down comfortably for around 30 minutes to keep the meds in place while they dissolve

7) Things to keep handy though out the process: Clean washclothes or wetwipes, extra water bottle for the bathroom as you may be in there awhile. Salty snacks to keep your blood pressure up if you start to feel dizzy. Hot water bottle for the cramps. Gatorade or juice and lots of water. Your phone with doctor/clinic number. Your list of meds and med schedule in case of emergency. Some movies to watch or a book to read while your waiting, it may seem like it takes forever. Keep a bucket with you and an extra bucket in the washroom in case of vomiting. 

If i think of anything else i'll update, good luck ladies, thoughts and prayers to everyone during this hard time 

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Anicole1985

I am currently also taking miso- I was given 2 pills to take orally(dissolve in mouth). I took first dose on 7-16-14 and again on 7-17-14. I had mild cramping and brown blood only when wiping up until today when I started with significant cramping and red blood. I have been taking the prescribed pain meds and I am hoping that this will be the end of this miscarriage. I had a D&C on 12-4-13 and then methotrexate on 12-20-13 because of retained tissue. I don't want to have to wait another extended period of time before TTC again. Fingers crossed this is working!

paintdadanta

My experience was with cytotec (misoprostol) was an abnormal one as it didn't work they way it should have for me. I was about 9.5 weeks when I first took it for a missed miscarriage that had been diagnosed the week before. Everything had dated 7 weeks on the ultrasounds and they gave me the typical option of waiting for it to occur naturally, cytotec, or D&C. I hate hospitals and would much rather do it at home with my husband near by so I made the obvious choice.

Cytotec #1 - I was given 800 mg to take vaginally and was advised to have someone stay with me in case of hemorrhaging which my doctor defined as more than 2 pads an hour for 4 hours. I turned my bedroom upside expecting the worse based on the horror stories of what I had seen online, though I was happy I had laid out the old towels and a larger trashcan than those small bathroom ones. Once that was set up, I laid down to take the pills and waited for them to work. I started to have cramping within the hour and normal bleeding but the back cramps were killing me. I'd had a discectomy and fusion in my lower back so I took a muscle relaxer as discussed with my OB. I fell asleep and woke up the next morning with no progress but rather less cramping than before. For that reason, I would not recommend taking anything similar to Skelaxin with Cytotec as I'm pretty certain that this is what made my initial dose fail. 

Cytotec #2 - Since I had taken the initial dose Saturday evening, I had to wait until Monday to call the office. They gave me an additional 800 mg and instructed me to lay down for at least 30 minutes after I inserted the pills (which I had done previously as well). This time, I did not take any medication until the severe cramps hit me at the 4 hour mark which equaled 2 percocets though my pain tolerance is typically really high. Another hour after that, the bleeding became extremely heavy with large clotting. It got to the point when I got up for the bathroom that it would gush again each time I stood up. I didn't want to get blood everywhere so I decided to sit in the bottom of the shower instead. While this was far more comfortable, it was probably not exceedingly smart since I could not keep track of how much the bleeding was in terms of pads. My husband thinks that I probably lost at least 3 pints of blood or more based on his combat experience. I never saw anything distinguishable as anything other than blood or clots (which were quite large - they completely covered the shower drain several times). 

Everything slowed down within another 4 hours including the pain. I felt exhausted mentally and physically but also weak and extremely light headed. My husband made a mixture of Gatorade and Pedialyte to try and keep me hydrated. It was an awful experience, but I would rather do it this way as I felt more closure that it was over.

Cytotec #3 - I went back to the OB a week later and my ultrasound showed retained tissue so she offered me the option of more cytotec or an in-office D&C. I chose the cytotec which this time was given to me in 3 doses of 400 mg every 4 hours. I had slightly elevated pain and cramping but only minimal bleeding and clots with no pivotal moment of action. The next appointment confirmed what I already knew that this had failed and I forced into the D&C which was the worst experience I had out of them all.

negritosmami

I was 12 weeks pregnant when I found out my baby stopped growing at 8 weeks..so he/she was in there for 4weeks and I'm not sure if this is why I had the experience I did but I started spotting 2hours after I found out my baby passed. It was a Wednesday. I was scheduled for the d&c yesterday and so they gave me 400mg of cytotec which was just supposed to soften my cervix. I took it at 9pm..I was NOT aware I could take pain pills with it. Therefore I spent the next 5 hours in EXCRUCIATING pain...I passed several large clots and at one point passed somethin that took my pain from excruciating to just painful..that lasted until I got to the hospital for my d&c...

Ithought I'd passed everything and wouldn't need it and my doctor confirmed I passed everything and was going to let me go with just another cytotec but there was some tissue left in my cervix so she thought it best just to clean it out. She said she's never seen 400 mg cause a full passing like that but it did for me. .the d&c was quick and I'm glad to have this horrible physical part of it over with. (First post here btw so hopefully I didn't break any rules and I'm glad to have this support during such a ddifficult time)

northernkhaleesi

I had a mmc at 11w. Baby stopped developing at 8w. I had some spotting (no pain) on the Friday of the Labour Day weekend - ironic, I know. Went to the ER to get checked, but the doctor said it was an 'angry cervix' and that everything was fine. But because I went to the ER, I had to go back in 48 hours for repeat bloodwork as per hospital policy.

We went camping with friends. I got up early and drove back to town, confident in the fact that I'd be back by lunchtime. It never happened. My levels had dropped and an ultrasound confirmed that it was over. I was given miso and sent home; told there would be some cramping.

I was not prepared for how intense the pain would be, nor was I given any prescription for pain meds. I took my first dose before bed, thinking it would take a while to kick in.

I repeated the dose of two pills orally every six hours for three doses before the cramping began. By mid afternoon I was breathing through contractions and had diarrhea. At 530 that afternoon I passed the sac, and after about 20 minutes the newly forming placenta. The cramping stopped after that. I was weak and shaky for the rest of that evening; there were several times when I wasn't sure that I'd make it to the bathroom without blacking out. I attribute that to my lack of eating, because once the pain started, I had nothing.

The bleeding was heavy for the next two days, but scaled back to period-like after that. I am at the almost two week mark, and have slight spotting now - mostly when I am exercising. 

I also did a lot of reading online about what to expect because my doctors did not tell me what to expect. At the follow up the next afternoon, I told the doctor how ill-prepared I felt and that they should be providing pain medication as well.

With all of that said, I would choose this option again, because my doctor did say that it was easier on my body. It was one day of absolute devastation for my family, but we are working hard on moving on. 

ellou05

[Updated at the end]  

10/29/14:  Adding my story. Very positive experience with cytotec which I took yesterday. 

Graphic imagery! Fetus stopped growing at 6 weeks (first pregnancy, no health issues or red flags.. just didn't grow). Diagnosed miscarriage at 8 weeks. From that point, I gave it an additional three weeks to miscarriage naturally (e.g., 5 weeks after it stopped growing), but nothing happened so I took Cytotec (oral, 4x200mg pills all taken at one time). My periods are typically not at all bad, which the OB took as a sign that Cytotec wouldn't be too bad for me.  I am/was very pro "waiting it out" to happen naturally... but I reached a point where I just wanted to get on with my life and not have to worry about it starting at an inopportune time.  

Took the pills at 4pm. Within one hour I had an odd feeling stomach (achy) and passed a few small clots in my urine but nothing major. Then nothing for hours. At 11pm it finally kicked in. I was lucky to have almost zero cramping or pain, just a lot of blood and clots/"stuff." Because this happened at night I thought id go to bed with a pad and just wake up every two hours to change it. Bad idea... Bled thru the pad, shorts, and towels under me. Had to switch to one hour pad change and that was perfect. The most alarming part was that I passed about eight large, very dense things that looked like Jell-O shots. Maybe the size of a chicken egg.  I actually felt like I was a chicken laying eggs... If they weren't in my pad, they plopped out when I went to pee. Very very strange feeling. Also of course just a lot of bright red blood and some smaller clots. Sometimes they'd get stuck on me and is have to unpeel them from my vagina, which was gross. I felt a little nausea here and there but I think it was from seeing what was coming out of me. Also had two very quick rounds of diarrhea (1 min or less). 

It is now noon the next day. Clots have stopped and now it's light/medium bleeding (bright red)  like a period but no pain or cramps at all.  All in all, a very good experience so far. 

My tips / thoughts just based on what happened to me... I know it can be very different for different people.  

-You don't know how long cytotec will take to work.  I was really expecting 2 hours, so 7 hours kind of caught me off guard.  Highly recommend that, if possible, you clear a whole day and take them in the morning.   Having to deal with things overnight wasn't much fun.  

-Be prepared for some very foreign things to come out, potentially.  It might be quite DIFFERENT from "just a heavy period" (e.g., think gelatinous blobs... seriously like a Jello-shot).  

-Get yourself set up at the toilet - wipes, pads (the biggest and thickest you can buy), paper towels, reading material, extra underwear, some crackers/snacks (a variety, because who knows what will sound palatable),  water, painkiller, etc.  At one point I felt a wave of nausea and just had to lay down on the floor... but I was also bleeding pretty heavily and passing large clots.  So I laid out some plastic bags on the bathroom floor and just laid there for a bit.  As others have mentioned, it's really nice to have a helper around to fetch things for you.  

-If you have to do it overnight, you can definitely bleed through a lot pretty quickly/easily.  2 hours was enough for me (that was at my max heavy flow).   I'd recommend you put on some junky sheets, or better yet something plastic.  

***UPDATE 11/8/14***

It's been about a week and a half since my post and I wanted to provide an update.  Since I last wrote, it has been pretty much like a regular period but with a lot of clots.  Mostly small/medium and without much mass (stringy/flat) -- but a few had mass.  One like a small pebble and a few larger, denser clots that looked a bit like tripe.   Both of those were about a week ago.   In the last couple of days, i've stopped bleeding red blood and it has been dark brown blood / clots -- and a very reduced volume.   Barely bleeding at this point.  I had my HCG taken yesterday and it was ~300 so moving in the right direction.  

Eek - there are so many negative experiences in this thread...  so sorry everyone had to go through that.   I am proof that cytotec can work well, though!  

4N6s

I personally have not taken cytotec, but would have if I didn't miscarry naturally first. I know being in limbo absolutely sucks, but I think naturally is the best way to go. I'd wait 2-6 weeks for that to happen (average time frame). If it doesn't happen naturally after 6, I'd take the cytotec.
For me, it happened at about 3.5 weeks after the heartbeat stopped.
My major complication was that I bled too much too quickly and passed out. I was almost 12 weeks when I miscarried. Even though, my experience was freakin terrible. I'm glad I didn't have to take cytotec or have surgery. Everything was expelled and my period started about 4 weeks after the start of the miscarriage.
I did bleed for 2 weeks, but not heavily.

I do believe cytotec is a great alternative to a d&c, but you could always end up having a D&C, regardless.

My best friend took cytotec and nothing happened. I think at that point they make you have a d&c.

I don't know much about the actual drug, but to me it seems like pitocin. It's suppose to speed up the process, but can be longer, more painful and provide more complications.

It really sucks that there isn't a "good" choice. I never wanted to pick any.

Good luck and best wishes.

KingLED

@4n6s This post is for cytotec experiences. There are similar posts HERE for other types of miscarriages.

Also, shaming the way others choose to deal with their miscarriages is frowned upon. You don't know the circumstances behind anyones losses. 

23Tez23

I wanted to write to share my experience, which was made much better thanks to this thread.

I learned about my MMC at my 10 week appointment. Confirmed at what would be 11 weeks that baby stopped growing at week 6 or 7, which seemed like plenty of time for it to happen naturally, it was a Friday morning, and a D&C couldn't be scheduled until the following week so I opted for immediate results. I was given two days worth of cytotec (misoprostol), with the understanding that I would only take the second day's dose if the it didn't work on the first day. I didn't need the second dose.

My doctor didn't warn me about how much blood to expect or about how much it would hurt. He told me it would be like a heavy period. I would say it was ten times worse than my worst period. I took much of the PP advice and had the following supplies:

Bathroom wipes,

Hot water bottle,

Gatorade to keep hydrated,

Fabric drop sheet that would protect my mattress,

Extra strength Tylenol,

an easily accessible trash bag,

Depends.

The Depends were the best idea ever. I got a 20 pack and used about half of them.

I inserted the pills (4 x 200) before noon on a Friday (took the day off work), and cleared my schedule for Saturday too.

Thanks to the Depends, I was never worried about blood leaking, and I was able to lie in bed and watch movies waiting it out.

It took about 3 hours for the drug to kick in. I changed my Depends about once every hour or two, and everything that had bled and clotted since the last time I moved would squish out when I sat up or when I stood up would fall out with gravity. Out of curiosity, I started catching the clots in my hand, which was messy but gave my a lot of insight about what was happening. There was so much blood that I couldn't see the through the water in the toilet bowl. It was almost pointless to wipe because it was constantly soaked red, but I would wipe the exterior each time to feel a bit cleaner before putting on a fresh pair of Depends and going to lie down again. I was in a lot of pain, but the hot water bottle helped. When the pain got to be really bad, about 9 hours after inserting the pills, I felt super nauseous, cried from physical pain and had trouble taking slow deep breaths for about 5 minutes. I ran to the toilet because I didn't know what orifice was going to eject and that's when I passed an oblong shaped mass (15 cm long and 3 cm diameter) that was definitely different than the clots. I immediately felt the pain ease up. I was able to sleep through the night. I've been spotting for two weeks since. I feel like I was prepared, and it is thanks to the previous posters on this thread. I hope this information helps someone have a slightly-less-terrible day. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

nikiswimr

I've debated about posting my experience here because it was a little more extreme than I expected from reading this post.  But, I guess it's probably good to hear both sides of the story.  I had a missed MC at 8 weeks 1 day.  Baby had stopped growing around 6 weeks.  I emotionally wanted things to be over so took the Cytotec.  

I signed a consent form for the Cytotec, but the consent form said nothing other than I knew it could cause a miscarriage.  The NP that met me told me it would "induce a period."  From reading on here I realized it could be more extreme than that so waited to take it until a Friday night after work.  They told me to take two 800mg doses transvaginally.  I was supposed to take one (wet the pills so they dissolved faster) then 4 hours later take the second.  

I took the first dose around 10 pm, the second around 2 am.  From about 2 am on, I had regular cramps that felt like, well, contractions.  But they were tolerable and several minutes apart.  I definitely couldn't sleep at all.  t also had bleeding and passed clots, but not as extreme as some of the stories.  I was also sick to my stomach, not yet throwing up, but couldn't force myself to drink anything.

Around 9 am the next morning, things picked up.  I started having nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and then the cramps/contractions just became continuous, one after the other.  I have run 4 marathons, broken my arm, my leg, my nose and had countless stitches and this pain was so far beyond anything I've ever experienced.  I remember passing some big, painful clots (one of which must've been the gestational sac) but don't remember anything else because then I passed out on the bathroom floor.

My husband took me to the ER and when I arrived my BP was 70/30. I had a fever, chills and uncontrollable shakes plus the cramps/contractions, nausea and vomiting were ongoing.  I barely remember the first several hours I was there.  I got a ton of IV fluids and anti-nausea medication.  I spent the whole day in the ER.  I definitely still had a lot of bleeding.  Then everything finally stopped.  

They did a transvaginal ultrasound once I was doing better to see what was going on and it turned out I passed everything.  After that 24 hour period, I only had light bleeding for the next 3-4 days then back to normal.  No spotting since.  It took 18 days for my betas to go to < 5.  

I'm not sure if I was so sick because they told me to take two 800mg transvaginal doses? Which seems a bit higher than what most people are reporting.  For about a week after it I felt like it was pretty much the worst experience I've ever had.  But now that my betas negative and we can try after my first AF, I guess I'm glad I did it.  

Still haven't seen that hospital bill however...

mkays25

This is my first post on here, I've been mostly lurking but after my second mc I wanted to share my experience with cytotec. My first mc was four months ago. I went in for my dating us at 9w2d the tech told me I measured 6w2d and I must have been wrong with my dating. I knew this was impossible done that would make my bfp before I could have been pregnant. It didn't even hit me until I got home that there was no heartbeat I called and got into the ob the next day, he set up another us and blood tests that confirmed my mmc. We decided on cytotec because I didn't want to miss any work and my ob said no need for d&c since I was only measuring 6w it should just be like a normal period. Bad choice.
The plan was to start the cytotec fri afternoon after work, I was given 1 dose of 400mg every 4 hours for 4 doses. I ended up leaving work early due to a migraine (which was lucky) so I inverted my 1st dose (vaginaly) at 1pm. Also took a dose of tylonol 3 for my migraine. I went to the chiropractor and then home to bed for a few hours. When I woke up it was almost time for my 2nd dose. When I went to pee I heard and felt a what i thought was a clot, it was the cytotec falling out into the toilet. I had started to bleed very lightly, but no cramping. I had read other comments about wetting them before incerting and decided to try that while getting them as deep as possible. I also noticed that my cervix had become softer and lower. Nothing changed between that dose and my third. I did take another dose of tylonol 3 for my migraine.
I took my 3rd dose at 9pm, the bleeding started at 10pm. I felt the trickling and some pressure, when I stood up a large clot came out and I rushed to the bathroom. The first one wasn't bad but it just got worse. I was passing large (baseball to softball size) clots every 15-20 mins. I couldn't just sit on the toilet because when I sat nothing happened, it was when I stood up every time. And it was more then just a clot, a large gush of blood would come to, enough to soak a pad my underwear, my pants and sometimes my shirt and socks. so I got stuff together for the long haul. Plenty of extra clothes and underwear. Pads a wastebasket, paper towels and Lysol wipes to clean the floor and walls. Sometimes when I tried to sit on the toilet the clot would come out to fast and hit the floor and blood would go everywhere (sorry if tmi). Months later i still found blood on the walls that i missed. I filled up the tub with cold water to soak my bloody clothes to keep from staining. I told MH to go to bed, I would be up for a while. I made myself some popcorn and a lot of water and laid down to watch a movie. When the movie was over I had been going through this for 3 hours with no change, ob had said if more then two hours go to the er, I waited until 4 hours to make sure it didn't stop on its own.
It was 2am and I woke mh to let him know I was driving to the er, he wanted to take me but I didn't want to wake ms. Even though I knew I had lost a lot of blood I wasn't dissy and I had no pain or cramping (I believe this was from the tylonol 3). Plus the er is less then 10 min away. I put on clean clothes and brought a bunch of towels with me just in case. Got to the er and then started feeling lightheaded ( probably wasn't smart to drive myself). They admitted me and did a pelvic where they found a lot of bleeding and clots. They ordered blood work, iv's, another dose of cytotec (600 mg) and an us after the cytotec to see if it worked. I tried to sleep on and off between all this and just kept passing clots and blood. They had me laying in a very large pad which was nice not having to worry about running to the bathroom every 15 min. Finally had the us at 6:30, felt bad because there was blood everywhere. She wouldn't tell me anything but was very nice, too nice, I knew something was wrong. The dr came in at 7 am to tell me there was retained tissue hooked up to a vein and artery, so every time hy heart pumped twice as much blood filled my uterus and I would need an emergency d&c. But since the hospital was very full 4 pregnancy a head of me and one ob dr, I would have to wait but it would be sometime that morning. I was starting to have some pain and cramps so dr ordered more fluids (already went through my bag) with moriphine. I called mh, my parents and my boss to let them know what was going on. Mh was supposed to come as soon as ms wold up and he could take him to my inlaws. I tried to sleep.
I woke up a little before 9am. I felt dizzy, nauseated, burning up and sweating, I immediately called the nurse. I thought I was having a blood sugar atack( I have low blood sugar) she took it and it was normal. At this time the surgery nurse showed up to get me ready for surgery. They took my blood pressure and immediately took it again I could see on there faces it was not good (found out later it was 70/30 and I was in shock). They got me ready and took me right to surgey. On the way up the nurse was calling for loos for a transfusion. I never felt so bad in my life, I wanted to crawl out of my skin, I was never so relieved to be put under!
When I woke up I felt much better, bleeding had almost stopped and they didn't do the transfusion since my bp went up during surgery (though I wish they had, recovery would have been much easier!). I was told I couldn't go back to work for a week due to the amount of blood I lost the whole point of going the medical route was to not miss any work. The next day I felt like I had been hit by a truck, I could barky move, they gave me no pain meds.
Sorry this is so long but it helped to get it out and I wanted to let people know what happens when it doesn't work (though rare). And if you think anything is wrong (too much pain/blood for too long) GO TO THE ER! I hemmorhaged for 11 hours before going into shock and emergency surgey. The next time I chose the d&c. Thoughts and prayers for all going through this.

Edaggrr

I had a horrible experience with cytotec. I was prescribed 800mg to be inserted vaginally. After two days nothing happened, so I was given 800 mg more and inserted those two days later at around 5pm. At 1:30am I woke up and ran to the bathroom the blood coming out like it was water - I should have immediately known something was wrong. I continued to have this until about 9am when I fainted. The bleeding continued and I thought I would feel better after a shower. In the shower my nose started bleeding like crazy - another red flag I ignored... I finally went to sleep, when I woke up the next day I felt like I was hit by a truck. I was white as paper, shaky and again my nose started pouring blood. I finally called my doctor and she told me to go to the ER immediately. Apparently I was worse off then I knew. I was given two ivs of fluid and a blood transfusion. My doctor said I could have died if I didn't come in. I also had to have a d&c to finish my miscarriage. I couldn't get general anesthesia due to my resting heart rate being too high, so I had to have the procedure under local anesthesia. This was horrible! God forbid I ever have another miscarriage I will do a scheduled d&c under general anesthesia.

I don't want to scare anyone off of cytotec, the ER doctor said my situation was a total fluke. Just make sure you don't ignore any red flags that you are losing too much blood! I don't think I was fully informed about what to expect.

atn714

I had a disappointing experience with cytotec. I had a mmc at 9 weeks. I went in for an ultrasound on Dec 15 and there was no heartbeat. I started cytotec on that Wednesday, Dec 17. I started it around 7pm. I inserted 4 pills vaginally and lay down for a while. Around 30 mins later the diarrhea started. The cramping held off until around 9:30. Then it was intense. I took two ibuprofen. I was having hot flashes and everything. The only way to even somewhat relieve the pain was to lay in a tight fetal position and try to distract myself. For the next two hours there was a lot of pain and a lot of diarrhea. (Sorry for tmi). Finally I took more pain killers and went to sleep. The bleeding started the next morning. Fortunately, cramps were under control as long as I took two ibuprofen every four hours. My bleeding was different than I expected. I was told if you soak up a pad an hour to go to the er. I didn't bleed much at all on my pads at first, if anything only light spotting. But when I sat on the toilet clots would come rushing out. Early in the day I passed and flushed the gestational sac. (Note: I didn't know about this keeping the sac to possibly see the fetus/have a moment. I regret not knowing this, I feel as if it would have helped me mentally, a bit of closure.) The hours went on and then it was time to take the next dose. 8:30 I took my second dose of cytotec. I was preparing for the worst. I had taken my ibuprofen, was in the least amount of clothes possible and was near the bathroom. The diarrhea started up again, as well as very minor cramping, but there was no excruciating pain this time. I thought I was lucky. I thought that I must be right on track. I noticed that when I bled it wasn't normal blood. It was grainy, as if there was bits of tissue and cell in it...as there should have been. Around 10:30 on Dec 18th I stopped bleeding and cramping. I had a few days of being off ibuprofen. Then the bleeding came back. I was initially told that it would take about a week and may stop and start so I thought this was normal. I was doing fine for a while, bleeding here and there but nothing major, more just like brown residue, I didn't even need ibuprofen. I had my follow up appt with the specialist on Dec 22nd and he said that everything seemed to be going well and after my next period we could start trying again if we were ready. Then December 28th the bleeding started up again, as did the cramping. First I noticed fresh bright red blood on my pad. Then began passing blood and clots again when I sat on the toilet. I knew something was wrong but I hoped it would pass on its own so I waited a few days. 10:30pm on New Year's Eve I couldn't handle it anymore. I went to the e.r and waited until 4:30am where the Dr said that the cytotec didn't work and there was remaining tissue and pieces of the fetus left in my body. He said I needed to have an ultrasound within in a couple of days. I explained that I was getting married on that Saturday and asked if it could wait until Monday or Tuesday. He said that I shouldn't because it's increasing the risk of infection. So he ordered an ultrasound for that Friday. Friday came and passed, no call. Monday came and I still had no call. From Dec 31 to Jan 5 the bleeding changed. It was almost as if there was no blood left and I was passing just straight tissue clots. And instead of bleeding I was passing what I called (excuse the graphic wording) liquified, grainy tissue. I was extremely frustrated and feeling weak at this point. So I went in to the er and explained my situation. They said for me to call a number to check when the appt for the ultrasound was. There was a huge mix up but eventually they booked me for an ultrasound first thing in the morning of the next day, Jan 6th. I did my ultrasound and went back to the er for the results. I got admitted and was given a shot of torodol for the cramps (which was wonderful.) and waited around until around 4:00pm where they sent me home and waited for the call for d&c.

7:30pm that night I got the call! We couldn't have been happier to get all of the remaining tissue out so I wouldn't get infected! By 10:30 that night I was out and heading home. There were no more cramps, no more clots, no pain, life was good. I had brown discharge for 8 days. That ended on Jan 15.

It's been a week since everything stopped and I had my follow up appt with my Dr yesterday and she said everything looks good and if you'd like to start ttc again there's no medical reason you can't start now.

In the end everything worked out, I just wish I had of gone with my gut and did the d&c originally.

OliviaNichols

I just had my first (hopefully only) experience with cytotec.

I was 13 wks 4 days pregnant but the baby had stopped growing at 9 wks 1 day. So unfortunately the baby had been in my body after he/she had passed away for almost a month before I knew.

Well I found out on a Monday there was no heartbeat, had an ultrasound on Wednesday to confirm, and started my cytotec on Thursday.
My dr prescribed me 3 pills to take all at once, orally. I took them around 3 pm, not really knowing they would kick in right when I'm trying to sleep. I unfortunately didn't have a heating pad, and also only have a shower (no warm bath for me)
I did buy some super over night pads, but I bled even through those.
I wish I had known before hand how much I really would bleed. This was my very first pregnancy so I didn't know what to expect with pain or bleeding.
I was up all night, changing pads, changing underwear.
I got queasy at one point due to the amount of blood, that would not stop, and ended up all over the bathroom floor at 2am.
By the time I got up in the morning around 11am, the cramps and bleeding was light.
It's been a little over 24 hours, so I don't even know if I've passed the sack, but I think I have.
I really just wanted to share my story to warn anyone of the amount of blood to expect. I was told it was going to be like a heavy period, but it was TONS more than that.

Hopefully I'll never have to do it again, me and my SO are going to try again in a few months.

thebeanandi

I choose cytotec because of various reasons. First off I had to pick out of d and c, go natural, or the cytotec. I went to the OB after having painful period like cramps and brown discharge. They told me to come in and that it was probably round ligament. It was the day before my 12 week scan and turned out it was my body finally realizing I had lost the baby. It had stopped growing at 9 weeks and my body was getting ready to expel it. My cervix was closed but had fresh blood by it so I was about to miscarry naturally. I went ahead with the cytotec since my body was recognizing the problem but I feared to go natural since I lost the baby 3 weeks ago and my body was slow responding. I wanted it to be over and I didn't want the anxiety of waiting for a d and c. Plus I've seen videos of a d and c performed and it scared me like crazy. I was given the cytotec vaginally in the OB office by my doctor. She said it would be tissue passed and not to expect it to look like a baby at 9 weeks. She did say there was a 20 percent chance the pills wouldn't work but I agreed with that being an okay risk. Statistics have not been my friend lately. I had a 10 percent chance of getting pregnant after a plan b pill and I did. I had a 10 percent chances of losing my baby after seeing the heart beat and I did. Miscarriage statistics are absurd. I saw the heart beat at 6 weeks and then at 8 weeks. I still lost it, just goes to show that you shouldn't trust the internet. Anywho. I stayed with my partner who was with me the whole time. I got prescribed norco 7.5. I thought I could do it without them. About an hour after I was given the pills vaginally the contractions started. I took the pain pill after I fell to my knees crawling the floor over the contractions not cramps.shortly after I expelled the sac I'm assuming; it was huge and traumatic I thought it was the baby. Then the contractions eased or the pain meds set in, I'm not sure. A couple hours passed I ate and was checking on my vitals and looked for paleness and blanching of my nail beds. I drank a poweraid through out because the blood loss is scary. I've been in the ER before for dehydration and low blood pressure and I never felt to that point. Another bad contraction came and hurt even with the numbness of the pain meds this time the baby itself passed. I saw it. It wasn't a clot but was not "baby like". We kept it and buried it the next day. After passing the fetus I bleed for a couple more hours and then It went to being like a period. I would suggest getting diapers in the beggining I know that sounds crazy but it's a lot better than changing pads frequently but get pads for the next day. I did have a gushing of blood that was like water in the beggining as someone else posted. It scared the heck out of me. But it only happended twice. It is a brutal experience to do it at home and if anyone is reading this to make up their mind I would suggest having a few things on hand; a partner or support person if things go bad or just to have because it's a draining experience, ginger ale actually works as a natural way of bringing up blood pressure and also helps ease stomach problems (i didn't have that but I'd suggest it), water, lots of pads, possibly depends the adult diapers, a heating pad, lots of granny panties. To me, the experience brought closure to my loss. I am grieving but I knew that it was a possibility going into it since I Have pcos. I never thought I'd be able to have children, and I got to be pregnant for 12 weeks. I'd go this option again if I had to. I found out on a Tuesday the baby had stopped growing, on Thursday I'm barely bleeding. Friday is my follow up visit and Saturday I'll be back at work. I am sorry for everyone's loss. I hope my post can help because if your like me I came straight to this board reading about my options after I got the news.

Romano123

I chose Cytotec and the process went well (as cold be expected)! Took the first 4 pills at 7am on Saturday morning. Severe cramping started at 10:30. Had the urge to push, so went to sit on the toilet. Started to push and clots/other stuff passed. The pain was pretty intense until about 1:00om on Saturday. I lost a lot of blood - much more than a "heavy" period.

I took the second dose sound 2:00pm. Didn't really have lots of cramping with this dose, but did have a lot of blood. A lot- it just came gushing out sometimes.

Had a good day on Sunday - tired and weak, but good.

Monday morning at 4:00am woke up with terrible pains again. About an hour later passed what I think was the gestational sac.

Felt pretty good since then. Had follow up today and everything looks good. I would take cytotec again if heaven forbid this happens again.

Take care ladies.

sm59603

We had a mmc at 7w, found out at 8w, started miso the following week.

The doctor prescribed misoprostol (generic), two 800mcg doses 12 hours apart, taken orally. I took the first on a Sunday around noon, the next at midnight; I had a little stomach pain and no bleeding. A tiny bit of blood when I'd wipe but not enough to even get on the pad.

Called dr at 8am Monday to see if I should just wait because they didn't give me any timeline and my google degree told me it should have been 20 min-4 hours. Triage nurse called back around noon to and said she'd check with the doctor to see how to proceed. Over six hours later, I got a call that I could try the miso again or schedule the d & c.

I took the same dosages Tuesday, the first at 1pm and the next at 11pm. Nothing happened again.

They're going to do the d & c tomorrow. I think the delivery method of the miso is crucial, I just swallowed them (per dr and triage nurse directions, I checked with both of them) but everything that Google pulls up says to insert vaginally or dissolve. It also looks like 12 hours is a long stretch between doses. I honestly believe my dr didn't GAF because I mentioned pregnancy Medicaid; her entire demeanor changed after that, and now she's had a nurse inform me she is pushing me off on another dr for the surgery.

Anyway, point being misoprostol does not always work. The bright side is that there were almost no side effects, though.

sm59603

We had a mmc at 7w, found out at 8w, started miso the following week.

The doctor prescribed misoprostol (generic), two 800mcg doses 12 hours apart, taken orally. I took the first on a Sunday around noon, the next at midnight; I had a little stomach pain and no bleeding. A tiny bit of blood when I'd wipe but not enough to even get on the pad.

Called dr at 8am Monday to see if I should just wait because they didn't give me any timeline and my google degree told me it should have been 20 min-4 hours. Triage nurse called back around noon to and said she'd check with the doctor to see how to proceed. Over six hours later, I got a call that I could try the miso again or schedule the d & c.

I took the same dosages Tuesday, the first at 1pm and the next at 11pm. Nothing happened again.

They're going to do the d & c tomorrow. I think the delivery method of the miso is crucial, I just swallowed them (per dr and triage nurse directions, I checked with both of them) but everything that Google pulls up says to insert vaginally or dissolve. It also looks like 12 hours is a long stretch between doses. I honestly believe my dr didn't GAF because I mentioned pregnancy Medicaid; her entire demeanor changed after that, and now she's had a nurse inform me she is pushing me off on another dr for the surgery.

Anyway, point being misoprostol does not always work. The bright side is that there were almost no side effects, though.

DA682

Hi all- I wanted to post a follow up about my experience with cytotec. As previously mentioned I was 9w2d when I learned I had an empty sac on ultrasound measuring 7weeks. This was on Tuesday. I was completely devastated and numb for the next 2 days. By day 3 I was able to go to work and be somewhat ok. I just took the cytotec last night and (assuming it worked) had a good experience. I wanted to wait til I had a couple days off and was in a better place mentally. I inserted 3 pills (200mg) vaginally at 8pm, wet them a tiny bit at first to help them dissolve. I stuck them way up next to my cervix. A couple hours later I was feeling mild cramps. I took 800mg of ibuprofen and put on one of my giant pads. I saw a tiny amt of spotting at 10pm, but also felt some extra fluid which maybe was the fluid from inside the sac? Around midnight cramps were getting stronger but totally bearable. I fell asleep. Woke up at 2:30am to check and I was indeed bleeding. Bled all night, heavy with clots that mostly gushed out when I sat on the toilet. Amazingly I didn't stain my underwear or sheets or anything. Took another 800mg ibuprofen at 6am. So the heavy bleeding lasted til around 10am. I didn't sleep much bc I was so aware of what was going on and wanted to change my pad frequently. I napped from around 10am-1pm and I've felt good since then. Had a moment of feeling depressed like it's really over, once the bleeding slowed. But I'm mentally feeling better now like I can finally start to move on. The bleeding is now like a medium period and no more cramps. I didn't see a sac so I hope I passed it. I'm assuming it was small and probably mixed in with all the clots. I think maybe my experience was relatively painless bc it was an empty sac. I didn't need the narcotics or the anti nausea medicine I was prescribed but I'm glad I had them in case. I will know more in 2 weeks after my follow up appt. I pray this worked. I would definitely take it again if god forbid I needed to. Thanks all for your support this week, you've really helped me. big hugs

***updated 9/1/15****

The bleeding really quieted down the day after the cytotec, and then the following day, it was heavier and I was having more cramping at work.  That night I suddenly had to have a bowel movement (sorry, TMI!) I went to the bathroom and then I felt the sac plop out. I thought it may have been a clot but I looked and I could tell it was different, it was light pink and looked like tissue. I feel more closure now and the bleeding is better today. 

glitterfingers

For me the misoprostol/cytotec did not work immediately if at all - I had my miscarriage 11 days after taking the meds and the day before a scheduled D&C. I second anyone that said get depends, heating pad and prescribed pain meds. With the depends you can comfortably lie down in bed between bathroom trips. I got Tylenol plus codeine which you can stagger with Advil and it was very helpful at night. Helped with pain and getting back to bed when you need to.

comealongponds

I am part of the 30% of people for whom miso does not work. I told them in the ER when I was sent (US at a clinic showed the sac lodged in my cervical canal) that I had taken it previously for an IUD insert with no success (IUD went in anyways but the miso did not cause the expected cramping and dilation...in fact the OB removed the un dissolved pill at insertion).

I was seen in the early afternoon and prescribed 800mg miso taken vaginally, to be repeated after 3 hours if there was no effect. The previous day I'd had painful cramping and heavy bleeding with a few large clots. After I took the miso (wet slightly with water), along with the T3s the ER doc ordered, I lay on the couch and waited for the cramps and bleeding to kick back in. Nothing happened. I repeated the dose as ordered but again nothing happened, in fact my bleeding slowed down to barely spotting!

I was scheduled for a repeat ultrasound two days after the miso and I was disappointed to know I'd likely need a D&C becaus I was worried about the fertility risks. The day after the miso, I felt some light pressure behind my cervix and I went to the bathroom and passed the sac in one push.

Repeat ultrasound showed that my body had managed to clear everything from my uterus. I bled lightly for two more days, and had some intermittent spotting after that but it appear everything is pretty much over now.

So I hope that helps someone who is worried that failed "watch and wait" and "failed Cytotec" will automatically mean D&C, sometimes it doesn't!

cjs260

DH and I were one of the lucky ones. We hopped of BC and immediately got pregnant. At 6 weeks I had some very light spotting, but was told by the nurses call line at my dr to just take it easy and only come in if the bleeding became heavy or if I was in pain. Neither happened so I assumed all was okay, worried, but not terribly so. At my first prenatal u/s, we found I had a BO and was given Cytotec. We went to the pharmacy, got some overnight pads and medicine and headed home.

I definitely suggest wearing old pants and underwear you don't care to throw away and laying on a towel. Grab a heating pad too. DH and I put on a tv show that we didn't really care about to pass the time, so that we didn't associate a show we loved with this experience. Make sure your dr has prescribed you a pain medication. The pain was rough, but not the worst I've ever felt. I'd put it at an 8 out of 10. About a step below kidney stone pain.

I started the medicine at 9 pm, moistened with water and placed vaginally. I took a Tylenol 3, and settled in for the long haul. Bleeding began around 11 pm but was light. Heavier bleeding started around 1 am and from then on out I was between laying down and on the toilet. Around 1 the cramps started, first mild then stronger. At about 3 am the cramps peaked to what was almost a constant contraction then instant relief. In fact, so instant, that I immediately fell asleep. DH woke me up at 4 and I could feel that I was "full" and I duck waddled to the bathroom where I had a large passing of fluid, tissue, and the sack. I went back to the dr the next day for a rhogam shot since my blood type is A- and the dr said this was a "clear cut case" of Cytotec working properly. I bled heavily for 3 days, then bleeding slowed to what I would call moderate spotting. I went back exactly a week later where the follow up u/s showed a little bit of pooled blood. The dr told me to take another dose of the Cytotec to speed up the blood passing. The second time around had very minimal cramping but the bleeding increased. The bleeding then slowed a few days after, and became light spotting. 2 weeks after the initial dose I had pretty much stopped, with a spot here and there after wiping. Then at day 19 post MC, I had a blow out in the car. So much so, that we thought I might end up in the ER. But it quickly slowed to the flow of a normal period, which lasted about a week. From then on out, I continued to lightly spot. When I reached 5weeks post MC and was still spotting, I went to the dr to ensure I didn't need a d&c. The u/s showed a healthy uterine lining with no "products of conception" left behind. (I absolutely hate that term). My cervix was closed, but I did have a case of bacterial vaginosis that is a common occurrence after a MC. DR said that the previous resurgence of bleeding was my AF and the spotting *could* be caused by the infection. Infection was treated with antibiotics and bleeding stopped about 4 days after starting them. No bleeding for about 3 days, then a couple of days of one spot per day, then the next day cramps and a normal flow for AF. That brings us up to today. I'm hoping that this is for sure AF as the timing is perfect if the previous episode was the first AF.

For anyone reading this in preparation for their own MC with Cytotec - I'm so sorry for what you're going through. It's hard, but it gets a little easier every day. Some days will be better than others. Let your loved ones care for you, it really does help them to help you. Don't be scared to ask for help, whether it's your husband, mother, doctor or friend. Finally, know you're not alone. If you're here, you're surrounded by people who are going through or have been through the same thing. Write about your experience, ask questions, and give support to others - it really does help.

kcmichel

I've had 2 experiences with Cytotec. The first one was horrific, and I blame my doctors for not fully advising/prepping me on what this proccess is really like and how to help it go better. My 2nd experience, I had lots of things in place to help make it go smoother, and it did. Here's my list:

1) Make sure you will have someone with you and prepare to take at least a few days off from work (depending on what you're job is)

2) You usually bleed A LOT for the first couple of hours, get the overnight pads. I even overlapped them for more front to back coverage, helps contain gushes so you have time to get to the bathroom. Also, place towels around the base of the toilet, on the bathroom floor and on your couch/bed. Have extra towels handy to replace as needed. Don't go crazy trying to clean up during this proccess!

3) Take Ibuprofen (usually 600mg) every 6 hours for a couple days before taking the pills, usually docs tell you to do this while taking the medicine anyway because it helps with clotting. I credit doing this ahead of time for helping me avoid excessive blood loss the 2nd time around.

4) Ask for strong pain meds to take with the ibuprofen, some women fare better than others with the pain - my "cramps" were equivalent to labor contractions.

5) Get the house ready - do chores the day/morning before so you don't have as much to do when it's over, you'll be wiped for a few or several days. Have your SO/DH or whoever will be with you help you so you don't wipe yourself out before you even start. It also helped me have some down time afterwards to let it all sink in, the fact tbat it was over and all I had just gone through without worrying about all the little crap that I just didn't want to be bothered with right afterwards. Grieving is important!

6) You will be in 2 places during this process, laying down somewhere or the bathroom. Place changes of comfy clothes, lots of clean underwear and pads in every bathroom or wherever you will be so they are handy, if you bleed a lot - scrambling around to find things will not go well.

7) To help with nausea, eat lightly beforehand. After you take the meds keep light snacks like pretzels and crackers around, and sip water (or pedialyte if you have diarrhea) frequently but in small amounts. Think of it as if you're sick, eating too much will backfire and not eating/drinking at all will make recovery harder.

8) Continue taking a vitamin of some sort afterward. Both times it took me DAYS to get my strength back and iron supplements/multi vitamin helped.

I hope some women find this helpful. Remember, some of these things may not be neccessary for you, the proccess may not be as rough (or it could still be rough for some reason). But I know I wish someone had gone over all of this with me before. Losing a baby is such an emotionally chaotic and exhausting time that I don't think anyone can be expected to think all of this out on their own.

Im so sorry for everyones losses and wish you peace on your journey towards healing!!
Edited to add something to #2.

monkey41

I am so sorry for those who are reading these as I expect you are on a tough journey right now.

As much as I hope Cytotec works for others, I had a bad experience with Cytotec not working after 2 doses given less than a week after the fetus's heart stopped beating at 9w2d. The first dose caused mild bleeding and cramping. The second dose, 3 days later, caused significant bleeding and cramping and contractions, but almost no tissue was passed. I used percoset, motrin, a heating pad, and hot waterbottle. These helped but I still had contractions taking all of my attention every minute or two for an hour. It was hard, and harder knowing it wasn't really working since I was only seeing blood. I basically lost a week to waiting to see if anything came of the cytotec process. Thankfully, my husband and mom were willing to split the time so I didn't have to be alone at all.

Please prepare yourself for all options/outcomes and take care of preparing yourself for the cytotec process. I ended up getting a D&C as I didn't want the process to drag on more than a week with any longer meaning I'd be going through it over Christmas.

Briferocious

I had a blighted ovum diagnosed at 10 weeks. After reading so many stories of sudden and heavy bleeding, painful cramps, and sitting on the toilet for hours, I was totally terrified when my cramps where only moderately painful, my bleeding (moderate) didn't really start until 24 hours later (although when I checked the area around my cervix there was blood), and I didn't pass the gestational sac until 54 hours after my dose of 800 mg inserted vaginally.  

Honestly, the most disturbing part about this miscarriage (my first) was the insane diarrhea (wowza) and the weird, pinching cramps I get before passing blood clots. And passing the blood clots is the weirdest, most distracting sensation. Overall, I had a very positive experience and felt well enough a day later to have dinner at a nice restaurant with wine and lots of soft cheeses. I'm lucky that the miscarriage happened very gradually over the weekend, and I did not need to miss any work. 

Things I was glad I had:

1. Heating Pad
2. 800 mg capsules of Ibuprofen (I was prescribed Percocet -didn't take any.)
3. Netflix 
4. Lots of water 
5. A husband who takes your laptop away and tells you to stop googling everything.

Not sure how long I will be bleeding for, but I don't regret the decision to use misoprostol at home. 

mandi135

I agree with others who feel like they were blindsided.  My OB said it would be like a heavy period with period-like cramps.  That was not true at all.  This was the worst pain I have ever experienced and I was not prepared for that (and I have a high pain tolerance).  

I inserted the pills at about 8:45am and the cramps started around 12:30.  I started throwing up around 1, and started bleeding around 2:30.  The clots didn't start passing until about 4:30, but the entire process didn't end until a little after 9pm.

I was prescribed vicodin which helped when I could keep it down.  I threw up 6 times, lots of diarrhea, and had a fever for a while.  This was my first pregnancy, so I don't know what labor feels like, but I imagine this was similar in terms of the cramping and pain.  I don't know that I would do this again if I have to choose again.  I couldn't eat or drink after the cramps started.

I was glad I had:
-an electric heating pad
-water
-vicodin
-box fans (to cool me off during the fever)
-a husband to do the Googling for me and keep track of my med schedule
-Netflix

I am still very tired today, but I had toast, juice, and tea for dinner and have managed to keep that down after not being able to eat since breakfast yesterday.

I hope everyone who still has to go through this has a better experience than I did.  Love and healing to all.

MamaNicoleof3

I was one of the unfortunate ones who had an awful reaction to it. I had an MMC at 8 weeks- nothing had developed past the embryonic sac, so basically about 5 weeks. My body didn't realize it and I ended up taking two rounds...forgive me for some of the hazy details, as this happened in Dec. 2014.

Round 1: I took the entire round (don't remember dosing anymore) within about 36 hours (2 pills orally every 12 hours until bleeding started). I had the tiniest bit of cramping and bleeding, but nothing even enough to touch the pad.

Round 2: Waited 5 days and then started a vaginal route. I took the entire round again, broken up into 12 hour chunks and still nothing happened.

Once I had all that built up in my system, it finally started working and I was hemorrhaging. Like PPs have said, I could've just sat on the toilet and let it flow out, but I knew I had to get to get to the ER. I got there around 6pm, and after being there for 3 hours, passing LARGE clots and still bleeding like water, having a TV US and blood work done, my BP plummeted to about 62/30 and I kept passing out. I was rushed to the trauma unit to be prepped for surgery and ended up having 2-3 blood transfusions, antibiotics and SO much saline. I had a D&C at around 11 that night and thankfully, it went well, aside from the anticipated nausea/vomiting from the anesthesia. I was kept overnight for observation and went home around 11 the next morning.

Overall, if I had to go through a loss again, I would choose a D&C instead of the Cytotec, just because of how I responded to it. I was very close to death and having to see how that traumatized my husband was the worst part. Again, I was one of the unfortunate ones, and many women have had good experiences, as we've seen from this post!

smazzaca

It was terrible for me and didn't fully work. I had to get a d and e a week later. I wish my doctor never pushed the cytotek on me and just let me do the d and c like I wanted. I'm sorry for your loss.

BelcherEars

***TMI Warning***

I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum at 7 weeks and was prescribed misoprostol to medically induce my miscarriage. My physician prescribed 4 tablets (200mg each) of misoprostol to be inserted vaginally at one time and to repeat in 3 days if needed. I took 800mg of Ibuprofen and 25mgs Promethazine (prescribed for nausea) about 40 minutes prior to inserting the misoprostol. After inserting the misoprostol tablets, it took me about 4 hours before cramping started and 6 hours before bleeding started. I found the cramping for me to be like period cramps and not terrible thanks to the ibuprofen. My physician said to take a new dose of Ibuprofen and promethazine every 6 hours. I found that for my second and third round of ibuprofen I only needed 400mg (but I was allowed to take up to 800mg). 

The bleeding started out bright red and was watery. As the day progressed, the bleeding increased and was like a VERY heavy period. It was only heavier than a very heavy period when urinating. Also, you should note that there will be "gushes" of blood as PP mentioned. "Gushes" doesn't really describe the amount so much as the sensation.

A little over 12 hours after I took the misoprostol, I was once again urinating and felt something large "plop" out. After inspecting the contents, I saw that I had passed some large blood clots and what looked like a pale pink fleshy tissue mass. This is what I assumed to be the sac. After that point, the blood slowed some but continued to be bright red and I passed some nickel to dime sized clots. The bleeding continued to slow and went to a very light period flow for a couple days. My physician said to take hpts till I got a negative and then they would schedule a blood test in the office to confirm I had passed the sac. 

Overall, my experience with misoprostol was not bad. Below are some things I found useful to know during the process:

1. If possible, have someone there to help you with simple things. My husband stayed home with me during the process in case I had a bad reaction to the medicine and to simply help with anything I needed. We made a movie day out of the first day and he was there to fetch me food from the fridge, change movies out, turn the fan on if I needed it, etc. Trust me, even if you aren't in bad enough pain to prevent you from wanting to move, you will feel yucky when the bleeding starts and it's nice to minimize moving around. 

2. Gatorade is your friend. I'm not sure if it was the large dose of ibuprofen, the misoprostol or a combination of the both, but I did experience some diarrhea within the first few hours of taking the misoprostol. Also, if you take something like promethazine for nausea, this medicine will leave you with cotton mouth. Drinking something like gatorade will help keep you hydrated. 

3. Large pads or depends will work fine. I took a PPs advise and tried out some depends. While I didn't feel I needed the extra absorption as compared to a pad (of course I changed mine every 3 hours for sanitary purposes), it was nice that I felt more guarded from leaking. This made lounging on the couch less worrisome. Also invest in some flush-able wet wipes. It makes you feel a little more sanitary during the process. 

4. Set up your main areas with the things you know you will need. I felt this made the process smoother for me. For instance, in the restroom I had laid out wet wipes, depends on the counter, a towel (just in case) and a garbage bag specific for putting used depends in. At my spot on the couch I had a pillow, towel underneath me for extra leak protection (just in case), blanket, throw up pail (just in case), medicines, bottle water, non-perishable snacks, wet wipes and heating pad (this was very helpful for cramps). 

5. Thankfully I didn't have to use this one, but I would suggest it for anyone. If you are having someone stay with you, write down emergency phone numbers for them. For instance, I wrote down my OBGYN's office number, the names of my OBGYN and the nurse I see, my work phone number in case he needed to alert them I would not be in that week (if an emergency happened),etc. Also, I took the time to write out a timeline of my day as it happened. I did this in case I had a bad reaction to the medicine or something happened. If I wound up needing to go to the ER or have an emergency D&C, etc. it would be helpful for the medical staff to know what medicine (and amount) I had taken and when, when bleeding or symptoms had started, or what I had eaten and when, etc. Also, if you are eating something, you should probably make sure you aren't ingesting something red in large quantities (i.e. red gatorade, red jello, tomato soup, etc.) so that if you have an adverse reaction and/or experience vomiting, there is no confusion on red being blood or ingested food/liquid. 

lilylover27

I wanted to share my experience on here just as the other brave women have before me. I am very sorry to anyone reading this as it means you have experienced or probably are experiencing a loss. I am sharing my story here along with the others in hopes that you will know what can happen and what to expect after taking Cytotec for a miscarriage. I feel it is important to be informed and see all the vast experiences out there as no doubt yours will either be a mix of them all or complete unique to you. Here is my story.

I had experienced some light bleeding so I went in to be check out. During the ultrasound it turns out the baby stopped growing around 8 weeks (I should of been 12) and there was no heartbeat. Luckily my husband was there with me because this was a lot to process. We then sat down with the doctor to discuss options. Since it had already been 4 weeks and my body did not naturally miscarry the doctor said I could wait another week or so but shouldn't wait much longer past that because it could lead to infection. I figured since it already didn't happen on it's own that it wasn't going to so I would go with another option. She then told me I could have a D&C or take Cytotec to induce the miscarriage. She of course told me the pros and cons of both but she seemed to favor the Cytotec. After sitting there for a few minutes I decided to take the Cytotec as the D&C even though very rare posed some risk of scaring and I didn't want to take that risk as we would like to try again someday. She wrote me a prescription for the Cytotec as well as one for pain medication.

I went home and to work the next day to let my boss know I would be taking the next two days off, I told him the reason as we are a very small company and I did not want him to think I was just leaving them high and dry. I inserted the pill, mine was prescribed vaginally but I know some are taken orally, the night after we found out. I woke up in the morning to find the pill had come out overnight. I called my OB and they said to take another that evening. I inserted the pill again around 6PM. This time I cut the pill in half and put some water on them before inserting as I read that may help them dissolve quicker and since it had come out the day before I didn't want that to happen again. I went to bed feeling some cramping but nothing different than PMS. I woke at around 4AM with some stronger cramps and figured it was starting so I went to the bathroom. In the less than a minute to make it from my bed to the bathroom I had completely soaked an entire overnight extra heavy bad. Since there was a lot of bleeding, I couldn't even stand up from the toilet with out it going every where, I figured I would stay in the bathroom and ride it out. My husband sat outside the entire time supporting me and getting whatever I needed. I kept passing large clots and bleeding profusely. My husband was worried about dehydration and electrolytes because of the bleeding so he got me Gatorade, which I believe helped so it may be useful to have nearby. I was still having really strong cramps, manageable but strong, and my lower back was starting to hurt. After a while the pain became too much and I had to take the prescribed pain medication. Now I am not sure if it was the blood loss or the pain medication but this is where the whole thing got a little scary. I felt nauseous so my husband brought in a bucket in case I needed to throw up. Then I noticed the edges of my vision were going black and everything started to sound muffled. My husband then came into the bathroom with me at that point because I felt like I was going to pass out and he knew I was having a panic attack on top of it. My vision went almost completely black and all I could hear was ringing. My husband stood there and forced me to even out my breaths and keep drinking Gatorade and after several minutes my vision and hearing started to gradually come back. After that I believe I passed the sac because I felt something down there and it was more solid then a clot and seemed almost egg shaped. It took a few little pushes to get it out and then a rush of blood and the intense cramping subsided. I was able to go back to sleep for a little while, even though I was still bleeding heavily. That entire experience was probably an hour and a half to two hours but felt like a lifetime. The next day I felt extremely weak and very tired and spent most of it in and out of sleep. I recommend having someone there for at least two days as you will be exhausted both physically and emotionally.

While I did experience a scary moment I still believe that Cytotec was the best option for me. I feel somehow having experienced it physically made it more real and helped me accept that it had happened. I would say to definitely have Gatorade, water, pads, wipes, pain meds, heating pad, a bucket in case of nausea and someone there to help you. I have no idea if I passed everything during this experience but I will find out at my follow up. Once again I hope my story helps you and I am very sorry for your loss.

new_ivf

I wanted to add my recent & horrible experience with Cytotec.

I had a MMC at 10 weeks (baby stopped growing at 7 weeks, but I had no symptoms). I did not want to "wait it out" because I knew the natural process could take weeks, I'd be bleeding/cramping for weeks and the MC could happen unexpectedly anywhere when I'm out in public, etc....

The doctor actually recommended I do a D&C (due to the fact that many people take the Cytotec and can lose too much blood, have it not work or have leftover tissue that doesn't get expelled then have to do a D&C afterall...) However, she gave me 1 Cytotec (200mg I think) pill to insert the night before the procedure, in order to dilate my cervix beforehand.

She said since it was such a low dose, I should only expect "mild menstruation-type cramps" and a small amount of bleeding. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain (tattoos, surgeries, broken bones) and thought, no big deal. I am extremely angry with her for not telling me the amount of pain I might possibly experience! I didn't do any research on this med and was very unprepared for the trauma.

I took the pill at 11pm before getting into bed (I had not taken any pain medication). At 3AM, I jolted awake completely covered in sweat (the bed was soaked in sweat) with a fever and the most severe, stabbing pains and contractions running through my abdomen, back and entire midsection. I could not move!! I barely made it out of bed, buckled over in pain (couldn't stand up straight) and went to the bathroom where I immediately had more violent knife-like contractions, and lost some blood, then horrible diarrhea ensued...(sorry TMI) It was a low-dose, the med must have induced a full miscarriage!!

Never have I been in sooooo much bloody pain. I vomited and shortly after passed a clot, then two and more pouring blood, practically fainting. I downed about 1,000mg of Ibuprofen (the only pain relief I had at home) and proceeded to put a hot pack on my stomach curled up in fetal position, sobbing. The pain did not let up for 2-3 HOURS. This was 10/10 intense-level pain that was constant for the 2 hours. I kept monitoring my fever and had some ginger root, after the fever and dizziness slightly went down, i was extremely scared, wondering if I should call emergency....if I had an infection...

The D&C was CAKE compared to the Cytotech nightmare. I had general anesthesia where I was completely out within 2 minutes, then felt NOTHING during or after the 20 minute procedure! The nurses covered me in nice warm blankets and administered fluids, checked my vitals constantly, etc. I felt well taken care of. Had a wonderful sleep for about an hour afterward and woke up to hear that the procedure was a success. They removed & thoroughly cleaned everything inside. RELIEF!!! I've had NO BLEEDING since the procedure and the leftover pain/soreness has subsided and much relief because I know they got everything (which is the huge risk with just taking the pill - it doesn't always work!!!)

I just wanted to share my experience in case anyone is on the fence on which to do. I wish I had known about the Cytotec pain and could've had Codeine on hand!  The emotional pain of this loss is hard enough - to have to deal with extreme physical pain and visual bloodbath (on top of all of that) is not something I would wish on my worst enemy....plus I can't imagine anyone wanting to actually experience the Horrorshow of natural miscarriage. Seeing bloody clots and toilet full of blood & tissue (all while having severe contractions, vomiting, fever that make you feel like being knived/gutted) doesn't bring any closure. IMO, It's very traumatic!!!

I'm sorry for everyone's loss here...I hope my experience helps you decide what is best for you!! Wishing you PEACE and HEALING!!

KelseaK4

How long did you bleed for and then spot for? Do you recall when you got your period? Your experience with the meds sounds similar to my experience.

Redpuma119

I found out at 9 weeks that I had a blighted ovum. We decided to go the medical route and were prescribed misopristol. My dr used, or so I felt, a very conservative dose. 400 mg every four hours, alternating orally and vaginally. I went through 10 doses, refilled for another 20 and completed those as well. No bleeding or cramping but I did have nausea, incredible diarrhea, fever, chills and a rash. Together we decided to do a second round. First 20 pills.. Nothing. As I was finishing out my refill I told the dr I thought I was done and ready for a d&c- I had been So sick for nearly 2 weeks with nothing happening. She said to do one more dose- a bigger dose- and see if anything happened. I took the large dose thinking I'd see progress in several hours like other women i had read about.  That day I was so ill and started to develop a high fever. About 24 hours later I started to bleed. It's too early to tell if everything has passed yet and I honestly can't say if I am okay with the meds or if I wish I'd had a d&c. I read so many things about each woman having different experiences and it couldn't be more true. My intuition told me that my doses were too low and if I ever have to do this again I will push for larger doses.