Misoprostol Not Working on Some Doses

Ending a pregnancy is not an easy decision to make. Misoprostol is the most common medication for early terminations yet having Misoprostol not working on some doses can prolong the agony. No matter the reason whether it’s medically advised or you have decided this is the best choice for you and others in your life each woman is unique in their journey.

Misoprostol Not Working on Some Doses – Facts and Answers

There is no clear cut reason why women find Misoprostol not working after first dose. Bleeding is one of the most prominent signs that your pregnancy is ending. Yet it doesn’t mean that the termination has been successful. The presence of pregnancy symptoms can point to a continuing pregnancy. Medical follow up should be sought after taking the medication to clarify its results.

Misoprostol

When prescribed Misoprostol you have already considered all impacts it can have yet at times our bodies can play a cruel trick especially if the first dose of misoprostol didn’t work. To understand what you should expect and what to do if you think it’s not working effectively we have researched the next steps to take.

What Does Misoprostol Do?

Typically Misoprostol is one of the two medications taken to end a pregnancy. The first pill, namely Mifepristone, prevents the continuation of the pregnancy by blocking your progesterone hormone. This will begin the breakdown of your uterus lining and stop the growth of an embryo.

The second pill (Misoprostol) causes your uterus to contract, indicating to your body that the pregnancy has ended. This is followed by bleeding and cramping which helps to expel the pregnancy.

Misoprostol can be taken immediately or within 48 hours of the first dosage. Your doctor will advise you on the best method for you.

What Happens After Taking Misoprostol?

After the second dose, it is considered common for you to pass the lining and all remains of the pregnancy within 4 hours but for some women, it can take a few days.

You can expect an array of emotions and physical feelings after taking the second dose. Whilst not everyone experiences the same after effects many of the common side effects are below.

Expected Feelings

The impact of having to end a pregnancy is unique for every woman. The emotional impact will determine what has led you to this decision. Support for anyone going through a termination is readily available without judgment. Just contact your healthcare provider if you need to talk or discuss your feelings. Keeping these emotions inside won’t help, talk to experts, family, or friends. You may also find solace in social media support groups where you can discuss with women who have been in your shoes how you feel.

Physically you can also expect varying side effects. Similar to an early miscarriage many women report:

Vomiting
Headaches
Diarrhoea
Feeling feverish
Loss of large/ small clots (depending on how far gone you were)
Bleeding
Cramping
Tiredness

If any of the above symptoms are too extreme then please contact your doctor. You should expect your symptoms to lessen as you come to the end of the abortion however the fatigue can linger, after all, you have just been through not only a physically exhausting process but emotionally you can feel drained.

You can expect your first period to return anywhere from 4-6 weeks after symptoms disappear but you must consider your fertility afterward. Ovulation can begin from 3 weeks after meaning that you have to take extra precautions if a pregnancy is not what you want.

Effectiveness

As this article is about the overall effectiveness of Misoprostol we directed our research to statistics of it failing.

Whilst this medication is highly effective there are rare occasions when Misoprostol may not work on some doses.

Planned Parenthood has discovered that using this form of termination is around 94-98% effective if you are under 8 weeks pregnant.

Further studies show that the further along you are the lower the statistics become. Look at the table below for more info:

Weeks of Gestation	Statistics of Misoprostol being successful
8-9 weeks	94 – 96%
9-10 weeks	91 – 93%
10 – 11 weeks	87%

As you can see the rates of using this medication are fairly high but if the first dose doesn’t work then you can take further pills or opt to have an in clinic abortion.

There are varying factors that can impede how the medication works. For instance, medical terminations won’t help end an ectopic pregnancy or if you miss administer the medication.

Ensure you have all the instructions and understand clearly the steps you need to take.

When To See a Doctor

You will have a follow up appointment scheduled with your doctor. But if you feel misoprostol not working after the second dose or third a quick visit or call to your clinician may be necessary.

If you have taken a second dose of misoprostol and have no bleeding you could be suffering from either an ectopic pregnancy or a continuing pregnancy.

If you find that the 2nd dose misoprostol is not working then you may be referred to an in-clinic surgical retrieval if a continuing pregnancy is diagnosed.

During this process, it may be necessary to consult a therapist to help you through your emotions. Keeping on top of your mental stability is as important as your physical health.

Continuing Pregnancy

If you find that misoprostol is not working after the third dose this can point to a failed termination.

Continuing pregnancies need to be addressed by a trained clinician, it is also important that even if you do suffer from bleeding this can still occur.

Typical pregnancy symptoms will resume, nausea, breast tenderness, morning sickness fatigue although these are very closely linked to some side effects of taking the medicines for the medical abortion.

To rule a continuing pregnancy out you will need an ultrasound sound to check your fallopian tubes and an examination including blood tests to check for the pregnancy hormone. It is advised to perform a pregnancy test 3 weeks after taking the medication to be sure the medication has worked.

To end the pregnancy many women may be advised to undertake a surgical abortion where all remains of the pregnancy will be surgically removed.

Wrapping Up

To conclude we have clearly identified that on rare occasions Misoprostol can fail to work. If misoprostol is not working on some dose you could consider taking a second to kick start the expelling process but your doctor will advise the best course of action.

You should expect cramping and bleeding to follow after taking this medication alongside the loss of the uterine lining. But this differs from woman to woman.

If you suspect your pregnancy has continued despite the medication then contact your doctor with your symptoms. Remember taking a pregnancy test any earlier than 3 weeks after the medication can provide a false positive as you will still have the hCG hormone within your system.

Seeking support through this process is paramount. Going through a termination alone can have detrimental effects on your mental health let alone if you are faced with a failed abortion. Reach out to family, friends and other support groups.

Misoprostol Not Working on Some Doses – Why & What to Do