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I joined Pregnancy-info.net just so I could post on this board! I read every post on here with a fine-toothed comb, but I didn't find it until I had already inserted the mesoprostol vaginally.

I must say, these posts really freaked me out! I expected to end up writhing on the floor in pain within hours of taking the mesoprostol. That didn't happen. Here's my story.

At the time I took the mesoprostol I was supposed to be 9 weeks along. The ultrasound showed a tiny 1.1 cm gestational sac with a too-large yolk sac and a teeny, tiny fetus measuring under 5 weeks. Aneuploidy for sure!! My hcg had only limped its way up to 13,000 or so, it never doubled and from the start I knew that there was no hope for this pregnancy. I happiy took the mesoprostol so I could move on to a healthy pregnancy!

I inserted three 100 mcg tablets of mesoprostol at 7:25 a.m. By 9 the bleeding had started. Most of the tissue (and presumably the sac) came out between 10 and 11 a.m. At 1 p.m. I put the heating pad on my abdomen, not because I was cramping but because I expected to be cramping soon. It didn't happen. I had nothing but mild discomfort that day (last Sunday). I suppose the three beers I had over the afternoon might have helped... haha!

Since then I've had a heavy period, but absolutely no pain. Maybe the fact that the gestational sac and fetus were SO tiny (my cervix didn't have to open much to let them out) helped. Whatever the case, the mesoprostol worked like a charm. It was quick and painless, and I would do it again in a heartbeat! Hopefully I'll have no need for it, but it's good to know I can do it if I have to.

An update to yesterday's post: Urk! I had a follow-up u/s this morning - they found some left over "products of conception" in my uterus. *sigh*. I have to take the mesoprostol again, but this time orally - blech! Then another u/s next week to make sure it's all out. If not, then it's on to D & C. I expect the pills to finish the job though. I also went for a beta today to see if they're going down. I'll get the results tomorrow.

I'll update again in a few days. I hope to get the all-clear by next week.

Just thought I would share my experience in the hopes of helping someone else. It helped me greatly to read all of these experiences before my own medical miscarriage w/ Cytotec. I think sometimes "knowledge is power" and also that this experience, while heartbreaking in every sense, was made slightly easier for me in feeling like I knew what to expect. So hopefully my words will help someone else through this heartbreaking experience. I'm so sorry to anyone reading this, knowing that means you're going through a loss.

BACKGROUND: Missed miscarriage diagnosed at 10w,3d. Fetal pole only developed to about 6 weeks, per u/s. This was my 2nd consecutive m/c (my 1st one was 4 months earlier & was a spontaneous/ natural m/c at 5w6d). Was given option of Cytotec vs. D&C for this missed m/c and opted for Cytotec because after 2 consecutive pregnancy losses & no children yet, I didn't want to take even the admittedly very low risk of uterine perf or scarring w/ D&C. Cytotec was my physician's preference for me, assuming I could endure the physical & especially the emotional duress.

DAY 1
9:00 AM-- Took 800 mg of ibuprofen (on a full stomach)
10:00 AM-- Inserted 800 mg of Cytotec vaginally.
5:30 PM-- Nothing happening (no cramping, spotting, or bleeding) but repeated my 800 mg ibuprofen dose in the expectation that something WOULD occur soon.
6:00 PM-- Began to have cramping and took 1 Tylenol-3.
6:30 PM-- Felt a (non-painful) "pop" followed by a "whooshing" sensation in lower abdomen. Trickling of clearish fluid into pad-- assume this was my water breaking.
7:10 PM-- Began bleeding. Had minor cramping for next 2 hours or so. Pain was only a 2-3 on scale of 10, no worse than my standard AF cramping. Saturated a pad every 60-75 minutes for next 3 hours. Passed bright red blood & 4-5 large clots of very dark-red/ purplish material that seemed to me to be uterine lining or placenta. Did not pass anything that appeared to be fetal tissue.
10:30 PM-- Bleeding decreasing greatly & cramping almost absent.
12:00 AM-- Went to sleep. Woke myself a few times to change pad, but it never needed changing-- almost no bleeding.

DAY 2
8:30 AM-- Woke up. Pad still "clean." Minimal blood upon wiping, but no active bleeding.
9:45 AM-- Still no bleeding. Called doctor to confirm that I needed to repeat the Cytotec dose since I did not pass anything that looked like tissue & only had heavy bleeding for 3 hours last night. Doctor said yes to repeat Cytotec. If there is no further advancement & passage of fetal tissue after another 24 hours, I may need D&C, or it may be that the clots were truly all that I needed to pass.
9:55 AM-- 800 mg ibuprofen (w/ food)
10:35 AM-- Inserted 800 mg Cytotec vaginally. Broke pills in half along score lines this time on suggestion of doctor.
2:00 PM-- Began having intense cramping. Took 2 Tylenol-3s.
2:00 PM to 5:45 PM-- VERY intense cramping. Probably would rate pain as a 7 on scale of 1-10. Bleeding was moderate during this time.
5:45 PM-- While sitting on toilet, passed sac w/ fetus. Knew immediately this is what it was as it felt very different to pass than the blood clot-ish material I had previously passed. The fetal tissue was grayish-pinkish & about the size/shape of a breakfast sausage. I had to collect it from the toilet to bring in for testing. This was very hard emotionally, but I know that I wouldn't have felt right about flushing it down the toilet and since we are just renting (& in a major city, without a yard), there would have been no way for us to bury it either. Once the fetal tissue was passed, the pain decreased to pretty much nothing IMMEDIATELY.
5:45 to 6:30 PM-- Heavy bleeding but no pain. Passed 1 more large dark-red/ purple bloody clot like what I had been passing yesterday-- I presume more uterine lining &/or placenta.
6:30 PM-- Bleeding decreased to moderate, no pain.

I am writing this at 7:30 PM the same night & feeling physically totally fine. Obviously the emotions & grief process still need to be worked through & DH & I are heartbroken about losing another child we so badly wanted. I will have doctor's appt w/ u/s in 2 days to ensure that I have passed everything. I will update if I did NOT pass everything, but my instinct as of now is that I have. I really hope so. So far, based on my experience, I am very glad that I chose Cytotec vs. the D&C.

PIECES OF ADVICE: (1)Only do this if you can emotionally deal w/ seeing the fetal tissue. This was the scariest & worst part for me. If you can't, or if you're quite squeamish, this may not be the best option for you. (2)Expect some serious discomfort/ pain leading up to the passing of the tissue. (3) Make sure you monitor your bleeding. My doctor said if you're soaking more than 2 pads in 60 minutes, you need to go to ER. (4) Always Overnight Extra Heavy Flow pads worked great for me w/ no leakage at all, even during heaviest flow & when passing clots. I'm pretty impressed w/ those pads!

These posts helped me so much, I thought I'd share my experience. I was 6w 3d when I found out the pregnancy was not viable. A great ultrasound and handsome sac gave way to rapidly dropping hcg levels. No explanation, so sudden, so heartbreaking and just devastating.

My doctor gave me a prescription for Cytotec (Misoprostol) and Percocet for the pain. I went home early from work on Friday to get started.

My husband and I knew that there are risks included with taking these pills, so he was aware that we'd have to go to the ER if I began bleeding excessively, developed a fever or had very, very intense pain and side effects (vomiting, etc):

1:30 pm:
As directed, I took 3 Cytotec pills vaginally. Insertion was fairly difficult since I was so tense, and upset, but I did my best to relax, used a little lube and within 5 minutes it was over.
My husband and I went out for a quick lunch to get my mind off things.

2:30 pm:
At home, I began to feel cramps coming and going in waves. I took one Percocet.

3:30 pm:
The pain intensified, so I took a second Percocet.

4:30 pm:
Continued cramps, not too intense, but uncomfortable.

5:30 pm:
Still cramping.

6:30 pm:
I went to the bathroom to pee, and there was some pink on the toilet paper. I wiped again, more pink. I wiped again, and there it was... the "tissue" that I was supposed to expel during this process. It was about the size of a small grape - just grey and soft.
I just felt so, so relieved that it was now over.

The rest of the night I had some very slight cramping. No bleeding, no spotting, no real pain.

I never had any diarrhea or vomiting that others experienced.

The rest of the weekend (Sat and Sun) I had some very light spotting and some very minor cramps.

Monday morning (today) I went back to the doctor for an ultrasound to confirm that all the tissue had been expelled, and indeed it was. The whole ordeal is now official over... although I know in my heart and mind I'll never really get over it and it'll never really be completely over. Even today, I have off-and-on sudden twinges of cramps.

I plan to TTC again in 3 months - my Dr advised me to wait for three months.

My thoughts are with everyone who has to go through this. I am so sorry for what you have to endure and I wish that we all go on to have easy pregnancies, healthy babies and happy lives filled with good news and good health.

You're not alone, and as my doctor promised me - next time around, we have the same chances as anyone else at having a successful pregnancy. Crossing my fingers for everyone and sending you good vibes from the bottom of my heart.

Hello All :)
Sadly, I have suffered two miscarriages. The first time I was not very far along and didn't know I was pregnant. The last one was just this past week. I went in for my u/s and the doctor could find no heartbeat. I was 10 weeks along but the baby only measured 7.5 weeks. I am writing this post just to tell women not to be terrified of the Cytotec if you need it after you miscarry. I passed my baby naturally and it hurt more then words can say, physically and emotionally. The pain was awful and the doctor prescribed Tylenol with Codine and Motrin taken together. Two days later, I went in for a second u/s and the doctor prescribed the Cytotec to get rid of the rest of the tissue. I forced her into giving me another prescription for pain because of all the scary stories I read on these boards. The Cytotec caused mild to moderate cramping and bleeding. Nothing like the pain I had before. I ended up taking one pain pill before going to bed just so I could sleep. If you miscarry, the tissue will pass one way or another and it's going to hurt. The pain level depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy. Since I passed most of the tissue naturally, in my case the Cytotec didn't cause that much pain. To the posters on here who are blaming the Cytotec for the pain, you would have had it anyway if you passed your pregnancy naturally. To anyone who has not passed anything yet and is taking the Cytotec, ask for pain medication. Hugs and prayers to all of you. A miscarriage is a terrible thing to have to go through.

The previous posts in this forum helped me greatly in my own miscarriage with cytotec, so like many others I pledged to return and share my experience, which was not that unpleasant.

A little background -- I'm 28, my husband is 29, and this was our first pregnancy. I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries in August, and on my first cycle with provera/clomid (50 mg) I got pregnant. Of course, we were thrilled, but also apprehensive because we knew the statistics. I was diagnosed with a blighted ovum at what should have been 8 weeks pregnant, after the first ultrasound at 6 1/2 weeks showed a too-small gestational sac with minimal growth over the following two weeks and barely rising hCG levels. At this time, I'd started spotting brownish blood only when wiping, and my (wonderful!) OB suggested using cytotec to induce a miscarriage since I was so early and the sac was quite small (~1 cm).

She inserted 4 pills vaginally (after wetting them quickly with sterile saline) on a Tuesday at 11:30 am and prescribed 600 mg ibuprofen to be taken every 6 hours for the pain (she said she would get me something stronger if I needed it, but I never did). I went home and settled up on the couch to wait for the cramping. It started around 2pm. I don’t generally cramp much when on my period, so I can’t compare the pain to that – but it was not more than I could handle with the ibuprofen and a heating pad. The worst part was that there was no break from the pain – it was persistent for ~ 9 hrs. I found some relief using a yoga ball and stretching/"gyrating" on it to get some slow movement. I started bleeding red blood around 3pm only when on the toilet and actively “pushing” it out. For the next 8 hrs, I had persistent cramping and bled only when on the toilet (I’d try to go every 30 mins or so). The blood was never liquidy but kind of stringy, and I passed a few clots (none that were very big). I passed another small clot (sac? too small to tell) ~ 11pm and the cramping let up after that. I slept fine that night. That whole day and night I never once filled a pad – honestly, a pantyliner probably would have caught everything that happened when I wasn’t on the toilet.

The next morning, I was rather crampy again and spent another day on the couch with the heating pad, still bleeding thick blood but only when I went to the bathroom. This continued throughout the day, and I still never filled a pad.

By Thursday the cramping hat let up significantly but would come/go every so often, so I stayed home again but wasn’t bleeding too much. I had a follow-up dr visit on Friday when they did an ultrasound showing something small right at the opening of my cervix about to come out (probably just some blood, not the sac, according to my doc) and she said I should take it easy over the weekend and then it would be over.

It’s now been just over a week since I took the cytotec, and I haven’t had any bleeding (even when wiping) for a day, so I think it’s really over. My breasts are only slightly tender now and I don’t “feel” pregnant any longer. I tend to have really long cycles, and the dr has advised us to wait 2 cycles before trying again (2 calendar months, since I will use provera to induce a period, and then start the clomid after my second period). Overall, I’d say my experience was as positive as it could be, and I’d choose the cytotec if given the very unfortunate citcumstances again. I think going through this in the comfort of my home and with my husband was much better than a d&c or having the cramping/bleeding happen at work or somewhere else unfortunate.

My main tip is to use a heating pad!! It made such a difference for me. I just tucked it inside my pj pants & top of my undies and was attached to the cord for two days except for when I went to the bathroom, and it really helped with the pain. It’s also very important to have someone there with you – or at least very close (my husband was at work, but could make it home in 10 minutes if I needed him) in case the bleeding gets out of hand. I was fortunate not to have that problem. Hopefully none of us have to go through this heartwrenching experience again, but I must say that I’m so glad it’s finally all over. Hugs to everyone who had to make it through this difficult time!

This was my first pregnancy and experience with Misoprostol.I was 6 weeks along when I started spotting red and brown blood on and off. It started after a PAP test, so I didn't worry too much. I started to worry when I noticed it did not stop in 2-3 days, as the OB had told me.
I had 2 u/s done at 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 weeks confirming the baby and sac stopped growing at 6 weeks.
I was told I had chances to miscarry naturally as I spotted every day, with no exception. However, I waited until I was 10 weeks along and it did not happen. I was feeling very sick as I still had the pregnancy symptoms but I was carrying a dead baby instead. The whole story was heartbreaking for my husband and me. At 10 weeks, I decided to take Misoprostol. It took me a while to make the decision as I was afraid there could have been a misdiagnosis and I might kill my baby. But I could not take it any longer either.
The OB gave me 2 doses of Misoprostol of 3 x 200 mg each. I inserted the first 3 pills vaginally at 3 pm on a Friday . In about an hour, the contractions started. I took my first dose of Tylenol 3 and an hour later I took 2 Advil pills as the pain was getting worse.
I started bleeding 2 hours after. It was mainly thick red blood, but no clots. I bled a lot every time I used the washroom, but just a bit in between. Maybe because I spent most of the time on the sofa. I could do with 3-4 pads. I did not have any diarrhea and I was able to eat.
I watched a few movies with my husband - it was good as it distracted me.
After 4 hours, I took the second dose of Tylenol 3 and that was enough since the pain was going away.
I did not pass any tissue in the 1st night.
The next day I was OK and started to feel better as my nausea and all the pregnancy symptoms were going away.
I stopped bleeding almost completely and I was concerned that I had not passed the sac or any tissue. I inserted the second dose of Misoprostol on Saturday night (at midnight). This time I only took a Tylenol 3 for the pain and no Advil. I went to bed. After 1:30am, I woke up with extremely bad cramping. I realized I had done a mistake by not taking more painkillers. Took the second Tylenol 3, however, it took about 1 hour for the pain to finally go away. I woke my husband up and asked him to bring the heating pad and this was the only thing that kept me alive. The pain was so bad that I thought I’d die. On a scale of 1-10, it was about 8. I have very painful periods, however, this pain was way worse.
I was finally able to sleep at 3-4 am and I woke up the next morning with no pain and no bleeding. No tissue passed.
I was really concerned it did not work and I had to go through so much pain for nothing.
On Sunday, I finally passed a few clots. I tried to walk and stand all day so I can pass everything more quickly. I called the doctor and she called me in on Monday morning for an emergency ultrasound.
On Monday morning, I was finally able to pass the sac. It happened just as I was getting ready to go for the u/s. The tissue looked like chunks of meat. I could not distinguish what was the sac among the tissue. I had no pain when I passed it. I had my u/s the same day and they confirmed I did not require a d&c.
I did not have any other bleeding on Monday.
I was getting ready for work on Tuesday when I started bleeding again, really badly. I had to call in sick again. After 1 hour, I passed a HUGE clot . I was really stressed, as I did not expect any more blood or tissue. The same night, I passed another chunk of tissue. Then the bleeding stopped and now, 10 days after taking my first dose, I am only spotting very lightly.
As a conclusion, my experience with Misoprostol was quite good given the circumstances. However, I hope I won’t need to use it again. The pain was really bad, but I think that strong painkillers can help with that. The worst part is that you may see the baby. My pregnancy was not so far along, but I think it’s heartbreaking to see your dead baby. I don’t think I would be able to manage that. But Misoprostol is indeed an alternative to d&c and I think it poses fewer risks.
I am sorry for everybody here who had to go through this. I wish you all healthy pregnancies and babies in the future.