Side effects of medicines used to complete a miscarriage
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Side effects of medicines used to complete a miscarriage
While medication treatment for miscarriage offers an alternative to surgical treatment, it can cause greater blood loss than surgical treatment, and side effects can be severe.1, 2
- Mifepristone can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.2
- Misoprostol can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and chills.3
- Methergine that is used to decrease bleeding can cause sudden high blood pressure, so it is used carefully.
References
Citations
Geyman JP, et al. (1999). Expectant, medical, or surgical treatment of spontaneous abortion in first trimester of pregnancy? A pooled quantitative literature evaluation. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 12(1): 55–64.
Ankum WM, et al. (2001). Management of spontaneous miscarriage in the first trimester: An example of putting informed shared decision-making into practice. BMJ, 322(7298): 1343–1346.
Goldberg AB, et al. (2001). Misoprostol and pregnancy. New England Journal of Medicine, 344(1): 38–47.
Credits
| Author | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Last Updated | May 9, 2007 |
| Last updated: | May 09, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Reviewed By: | Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology |
| Editors: | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman |
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