Recently, the results of a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) discovered that almost 11% of women using the abortion pill method experienced serious adverse effects.

Since you take the drugs in the privacy of your home, without direct medical oversight, how do you know whether you should seek emergency care or not?

The team at Lakes LifeCare Center wants to protect your health and safety. We’ve compiled a list of the symptoms you should watch for to determine if you need to visit your local emergency room.

Knowledge is power when it comes to abortion. The more you know, the better choices you can make. Visit Lakes LifeCare Center to talk about abortion procedures, side effects, and the potential complications that come with them. Schedule your appointment today.

What Is the Abortion Pill Method?

A medical abortion is also known as the abortion pill method. It uses two drugs to end a pregnancy. You would receive a surgical procedure in a clinic or hospital.

The abortion pill regimen begins with the drug mifepristone. This drug blocks the hormone progesterone. All pregnancies need progesterone to develop. Without it, the pregnancy ends.

The second drug, misoprostol, causes contractions and bleeding to expel the pregnancy from the body. It sounds simple enough, but there are risks you need to be aware of.

What Are the Complications I Should Watch For?

The FDA highly regulates mifepristone. Only certified providers can prescribe the drug. Additionally, the FDA only approves the use of the drug through 10 weeks of pregnancy.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, most women begin to experience symptoms after taking the second drug, misoprostol. Although bleeding and cramping occur with most abortions, you could experience heavy bleeding and cramping, as well as a low-grade fever, chills, nausea, dizziness, and diarrhea.

The symptoms that require contact with a healthcare provider include the following:

  • No bleeding 24 hours after taking misoprostol.
  • Severe bleeding. Soaking more than two thick pads within an hour.
  • Signs of an infection (fever that lasts more than 24 hours and foul-smelling vaginal discharge). Infection can occur when you have retained products of conception, meaning the pregnancy ended, but your body didn’t expel all of the tissue.
  • Severe abdominal or back pain.
  • You don’t get your period after two months.
  • You have symptoms of pregnancy. An ongoing pregnancy means the procedure didn’t work.

Here’s How to Get as Much Information as Possible

A positive pregnancy test may not provide all of the information you need to know about your pregnancy. Since the FDA does not approve the abortion drugs past 10 weeks, you need to know how many weeks and days you’ve been pregnant.

The best way to learn how far along you are is with an ultrasound. Additionally, you’ll learn if the location of your pregnancy is safe and if your pregnancy is developing or if you’ve had a miscarriage.

Schedule free, confidential pregnancy testing with Lakes LifeCare Center. If your test is positive, we’ll provide a free ultrasound and free STD testing.

Call us at 651-464-4340 or text us at 651-998-9066 to schedule your appointment. We’re always here for you.

Lakes LifeCare Center does not perform or refer for abortion.

All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.