Symptoms & Side Effects of Abortion Pills

Mifepristone is the first medicine you’ll take for your medication abortion. Most people have no symptoms or side effects of mifepristone. Some people do have some symptoms.

Many people feel nothing at all after taking mifepristone. When people do have mifepristone side effects, they can include:

• Feeling nauseous or sick to your stomach (you’ll get anti-nausea medicine in your package to help prevent this)

• Bleeding or light spotting

• Headache

• Feeling dizzy

• Weakness or feeling tired

Misoprostol, the second medicine you take for your medication abortion, causes your uterus to cramp and push the pregnancy out. For this reason, cramping and bleeding are normal during your abortion. It means the medicine is working. Common side effects of misoprostol include nausea, diarrhea, and low fever. Sometimes symptoms are mild, sometimes they're more intense. Everyone is different. The more weeks pregnant you are, the more misoprostol side effects you'll probably have.

If you're less than 5 weeks pregnant, it may take longer to start bleeding. This is because it's harder for your uterus to squeeze out a tiny pregnancy.

You’ll probably start feeling symptoms and side effects about 2-4 hours after taking misoprostol. Sometimes they start sooner. Sometimes they take up to 6 hours to start. If you’re less than 5 weeks pregnant, it may take longer to start bleeding. This is because it’s harder for your uterus to squeeze out a tiny pregnancy.

Whenever your symptoms start, here are common side effects to expect during your abortion:

• Cramping: This can be mild or more painful, everyone is different. Abortion pill cramping usually feels stronger than period cramps.

• Bleeding: It’s normal to have heavy bleeding and clots. But if you soak through 2 pads per hour, 2 hours in a row, contact us.

• If you’re more than 12 weeks pregnant, you will see a small fetus and a placenta.

• Nausea after abortion pills is common, so we’ll give you anti-nausea medicine in your package. This will help prevent abortion pill nausea.

• Diarrhea

• Throwing up (vomiting)

• Fever: A low-grade fever (under 100.4°F) that lasts less than 24 hours is normal.

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded

• Headache

• Chills

The side effects of misoprostol are most strong for the first 4-6 hours once they start. Symptoms like heavy bleeding and cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and fever should go away within 24 hours of taking misoprostol. Mild symptoms like light bleeding or spotting can last for several days or even weeks after your abortion. This is normal.

Keeping track of your symptoms can help you feel more in control of your abortion. It can also be helpful if you’re worried about anything. If you write down what’s happening, you can tell a doctor or nurse exactly what happened, if needed. You can write down things like:

• When you took each medicine

• How often you’re filling and changing pads

• Symptoms and side effects

• Questions or concerns you have

Contact us for any worries about any symptoms or side effects you’re having during or after your abortion. Also you can contact the M+A Hotline (833-246-2632) or Reprocare Helpline (833-226-7821)

Abortion pill pain management means using over the counter pain medicine to help with cramping during your abortion. There are a few options for how to manage abortion pain. They include:

• 800mg of ibuprofen (4 of the 200mg over the counter pills) every 6 hours as needed.

• 1000mg acetaminophen (2 of the 500mg over the counter pills) every 6 hours as needed.

• 440mg of naproxen (2 of the 220mg over the counter pills) every 12 hours as needed.

Use ibuprofen OR naproxen. Then add Tylenol if you’re still in pain.

If you have any concerns during your abortion, call us first.

There is a wide range of normal when it comes to abortion pill side effects. But some symptoms are warning signs. Here’s what to look out for:

• Heavy bleeding: Soaking through 2 or more maxi pads per hour for 2 hours in a row, especially if you also feel dizzy or lightheaded.

• High fever that doesn’t go away: Fever above 100.4°F that lasts more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol, or fever above 102°F at any time.

• Extreme belly pain: Pain that doesn't get better with pain medicine or keeps getting worse.

• Allergic reaction to the medicine: Having trouble breathing, a sudden bad rash, or a swollen face or throat (extremely rare).

If you have any of these symptoms, call us right away using the number we emailed you, or contact the M+A Hotline (833-246-2632). A doctor or nurse can help you decide if you need to go to a hospital.

Abortion pills are very safe. It’s really rare that someone needs to see a doctor or nurse after their abortion. But if you do, you might be wondering how to protect your privacy. Especially if you live in a state with an abortion ban.

Having an abortion is medically identical to having a miscarriage. This means that there’s no way for a doctor or nurse to know whether or not you took abortion pills. There is no test or exam that can look for abortion pills once they’ve dissolved.

You have a right to privacy. You can simply say to hospital staff what’s happening with your body: that you’re pregnant and have heavy bleeding. That is all the information a doctor or nurse needs to treat you.

Your health and safety is the top priority. If you need medical care after your abortion, please get it, even if you’re worried about privacy.