Anyone take cytotec and what is your opinion on it?

[sue68]

Hi girls,

Its been over two weeks now, waiting for my natural m/c - no spotting or bleeding yet but, started more light cramping yesterday.  Just wondering your opinions on cytotec ?  I have a prescription ready but, not wanting to use it yet. My last m/c ( blighted ovum ) took over 3 weeks from diagnosis to m/c naturally.  

Also, what type of over-the-counter painkiller do you advise for when the more serious cramps hit ? Is it Advil or Midol ? Got a strong painkiller with the cytotec prescription but, I'm not big on medication so want to avoid using it if I can.  Figure, over the counter types are milder - just to ease some of the pain.

Thanks for your input !  

[usuk]

so sorry. but yes i've had cytotec twice. the first time i took it i already started bleeding but i had just come from a vaginal u/s so i think that is what got things going. the second time i took it, i never really bled enough to fill a pad a day. in the end i had a d&c. if you do cytotec are you inserting it? i do not like covering up pain too much either. never use painkillers. motrin should help, just take it before you cytotec so it has a chance to work. post me a message if you like.

[sue68]

Thanks for your reply. I don't know, I think the dr. said that it works faster ?   I suppose there's no difference in the pain though , huh ? What did you do ?  Thanks for the motrin tip - rarely take aspirin eg. when I have a headache I'll  wait hours before I give in.  So the painkillers he included with the cytotec prescription won't be filled.  Been through it before so I know what to expect this time - last time was more scared. I prefer to wait it out naturally - but, keeping cytotec as backup plan.  

[usuk]

The cytotec may work but to be honest my pills fell back out of me undissolved the second time. I do not remember pain/sweats/etc. but I needed to be near the bathroom for sure. If you are not scared, then go natural. But get scanned as soon as you can to make sure you pass all of it. I have had one D&E and one D&C and both were eventless. So if no real bleeding happens soon, I would get a D&C. It will clean you up and give the next embryo a fresh place to implant.

[mikaleen]

I would get the pills filled to have them just in case.  Everybody reacts differently to it, and I took Motrin and ended up vomiting and passing out on the bathroom floor from the pain.  The Dr. called in a pain prescription DH went to pick up and she said if that didn't help to go to the ER for some IV drugs.  You may have an easier time, but in the words of my Dr. it is a nasty drug, and it's better to have the pain killers and not need them than to not have them and suffer for 3 days  Iike I did, hoping it would get better.

[sue68]

Hi again,

Thanks again for your comments - I'm not scared now that I know what to expect but, I DO remember almost vomiting and passing out on the bathroom floor from the pain last time so now I miiiiiight just get the pain prescription filled - just in case my dh is not with me. I'm really hoping he'll be home again - he said "just keep your nails short !"

Uh, Mikaleen - when your Dr. said that it is a "nasty" drug - did you mean cytotec - or the painkiller ? What was your experience with cytotec ? Did you swallow or insert ? Did it work quickly ?  I can't read my doctor's handwriting but the painkiller starts with letter E......squinting here to decipher.....emprecef/ emprecet......???  He said that it was strong.    

[mikaleen]

Yeah...the cytotec.  I inserted 4 pills vaginally and it took 4 days of labor for everything to finish. It took about an hour for cramping to start, and the bleeding maybe an hour after that.  At first I thought it wasn't going to be so bad but at about 4 hours after the pills I couldn't get out of bed.  I didn't get out of bed until the 4th day when my FIL rushed me to the Dr.s office after I was vomiting and passed out.  I had a natural m/c 6 months before and it was a walk in the park compared to the pills.  It really causes labor pains because it is forcing your body to expel something it isn't ready to get rid of yet. Like I said everybody reacts differently, I had a terrible experience, lots of other women don't react as badly.  I was 12 weeks along with just a sac that measured slightly under 6 weeks.  I didn't have the Vicodin until the third night and then I was finally able to sleep.  

[sue68]

Oh boy, your experience sounds horrible - so sorry for your loss.  I hope my m/c doesn't take that long ( the pain part ).  Four cytotec sounds like quite the dose : my doctor told me to take one cytotec only and wait 6 hours before the next dose - my choice to swallow the pill or insert.  Did you have any cramps or spotting/bleeding before you took the cytotec ?  Had you been waiting a while before you took them ?
Also, did it take the same amount of time for you to start the m/c ? My last one took a little over 3 weeks from when I was diagnosed. Cramping was sporadic and then the spotting started.  Woke up to the worst pain which lasted 2 hours until sac was expelled.  Just wondering if it will take just as long this time ?  Anyone ? Thanks for your input. STill waiting patiently for m/c.....

[mikaleen]

My first m/c was a natural one that was diagnosed when it started.  With the cytotec my Dr. had been monitoring me for 5 weeks.  At 7 weeks I had brown spotting for a day and went for an u/s.  there was nothing there and she was worried about ectopic.  My levels were rising but not like they should.  She put me on progesterone supplements and I had another u/s a week later at 8 weeks that showed a 4 week sac.  She said it looked like I had my dates wrong (which I knew was impossible..not THAT wrong)  She had me wait almost 4 weeks for another u/s, and the night before I went I had the only other spotting I had.  I think that I would have m/c earlier and probably on my own if I hadn't been on the progesterone.  At the last u/s the sac didn't really grown in 3 weeks.  After the pills I passed giant clots for days until I passed the sac.  I wish I had been given the option to wait it out, but she never even talked about that.  I hope that you just start on your own while you are debating whether to use the pills, and you don't have to worry about them, and if you do have to use them I hope that you have a much better experience than I did!   Good luck and I'm sorry you have to make this decision at all.

[usuk]

if i recall being told when you swallow the pills it is worse on your body. does it say endocet for pain??? i had that.