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I, too, took Cytotec to induce a miscarriage, after being diagnosed with a blighted ovum at about 9.5 weeks. I was given the option of a D&C as well, but with my insurance it would have cost upwards of $3,500 (compared with the Cytotec at $7.50). I waited two weeks, hoping I would miscarry naturally, but it didn't happen. I took the day off work and at 6:30 am I inserted 4 200 mcg tablets vaginally. I took two Tylenol preventatively. Cramps didn't begin until 9:30 am, and I had no bleeding. At 11 am I took two more Tylenol and started to have light bleeding. From 12-2 I had moderate cramping, and at 2:30 pm I started to pass some small clots. At some point, one of the pills came out as well--I just pushed it back in. I took two more Tylenol at 3 pm. I had the worst pains for about an hour between 4:30-5:30 (about 10 hours after I inserted the pills). From 5-5:30 I passed the gestational sac and another large clot. I had been afraid that there was a possibility of a misdiagnosis, and that I might see an embryo, but it was very clearly not an embryo--it looked a lot like my placenta did when I had my son, and the larger clot was about the size of a shriveled-up lemon. I did have to "push" to get it out. I would say that for me, the pain was pretty bad, but not as bad as actual labor--about the level of pain right before it got really bad. It also helped that it was only about an hour long. It subsided almost immediately after I passed the large clots, but I had "afterpains" for about half an hour. All in all, the whole ordeal lasted about 12 hours. I continued to take two Tylenol every 4-6 hours. The next day, at 7 am, I took two 200 mcg tablets by mouth (as well as two Tylenol). I took the second two 200 mcg tablets approximately 12 hours later, and, other than a slightly queasy feeling, I didn't feel much. I took the day off from work, but I probably didn't have to.

I bled rather heavily for the first three days, then it lightened a bit, then got heavy again. That lasted about a week. I had a follow-up ultrasound around that time which showed that I had passed the sac, but still had some lining to pass. I spotted for about another week after that, all in all about 17 days. I believe I got my next "normal" period about 3 weeks after I took the first dose of Cytotec. It started with 3 days of spotting, then two days of very heavy bleeding. I wasn't sure if the amount of blood was normal, because I was using pads this time and I usually use tampons, but my doctor said that unless I was soaking through more than one pad an hour, it should be fine. I had one day of no bleeding after that, then three days of light spotting. (About 10 days total.) I continued to chart throughout it all, and I ovulated about 4-5 days later than usual (about 6 weeks after the first dose of Cytotec). My husband and I had decided to try again as soon as possible, and did indeed get pregnant the cycle immediately following the miscarriage. I am now almost 6 weeks pregnant, and praying for better results this time!

I hope that this posting has helped: this forum was literally my only source of information on what to expect upon taking Cytotec. My doctor was very unhelpful for the most part, not to mention that it's hard to remember a lot of details after you've received such bad news. If, God forbid, I ever have to go through this again, I would take Cytotec again. While the initial decision was made for financial reasons, I was glad that I was able to experience this at home and not have to go through a more invasive procedure. I want to echo what the others have said and strongly recommend that you have a support person with you, and arrange for childcare if you have young children. My doctor would not prescribe a narcotic for me (like Vicodin), but I would ask your doctor if that's a possibility. If not, I recommend taking pain medication regularly and before you start to feel pain. By the time it sets in, it takes that much longer for the medicine to take effect. I am sorry to say that the emotional difficulties for me really began *after* the physical experience, but I did start to feel more like myself about 4 weeks later.

A heartfelt thanks to all those who shared their experiences, and I hope that hearing mine will dispel some of your fears, should you choose this option.

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