What pills are prescribed to terminate pregnancy?

IMPORTANT! OUR CLINIC DOES NOT SELL TAKEAWAY TABLETS LIKE IN A PHARMACY! AND WE DO NOT SEND THEM TO OTHER CITIES! IF YOU NEED TO HAVE A MEDICAL ABORTION, YOU CAN MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A GYNECOLOGIST AND RECEIVE THE MEDICATION ONLY IN THE CLINIC AT A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT at the address: St. Petersburg, Shuvalovsky 37 bldg. 1.

Medical abortion is a gentle, gentle way to terminate an unplanned pregnancy during early gestation. This method is the most relatively safe for a woman’s body, does not require surgical operations, since medical abortion does not provoke heavy bleeding and eliminates the risk of infertility in the future, and is especially recommended for women who do not yet have children, so that the subsequent pregnancy is full-term. The drug blocks the normal production of progesterone, which is responsible for preserving the fetus, and causes uterine contractions, embryo rejection and termination of pregnancy.

You can get a medical abortion in early pregnancy in St. Petersburg at the Women's Health Center at Shuvalovsky 37, building 1.

What are the benefits of abortion pills?

• The tablets do not cause serious negative complications due to the use of other methods of termination of pregnancy - curettage or aspiration (obstruction of the fallopian tubes, endometritis, etc.);
• Taking the drug eliminates the risk of infertility, reproductive function is preserved, the restoration of which occurs within 2 weeks after a medical abortion;
• There is no need to go to the hospital to have a medical abortion. The procedure for expulsion of the fetus - taking medication - occurs on an outpatient basis. Bleeding, similar to moderate or heavy menstruation, which allows you to keep the abortion secret and lead a normal lifestyle;
• Medical abortion without pain. Termination of pregnancy does not cause acute pain, the patient feels familiar cramps, as during normal menstruation;
• Taking the pill leads to rapid rejection of the embryo and in most cases, even without minimal side effects, termination of pregnancy can occur.
• Using special contraceptives is the best easy method for early abortion.

What to do after a pill abortion

• Do not lift weights, do not play sports, do not subject the body to physical stress.
• Refuse intimate life until your next menstruation.
• Don't overheat. Staying in the bathhouse, sauna, on the beach and in the heat is prohibited.
• Do not swim in ponds, bathtubs or pools. Water ingress can cause infection of the genital tract and lead to severe inflammation of the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. During this period, you can only wash in the shower.
• Do not use tampons or douche.
• Do not take medications not recommended by your doctor. Even the most common medications - aspirin, analgin, ibuprofen, paracetamol can lead to bleeding.

Classification

Early pregnancy termination pills used in the Russian Federation are classified depending on the period of use:

What pills to buy for self-termination of pregnancy?

The content of the article

Woman drinking pills

Some women are convinced that if an abortion is performed using pills, they can perform it on their own, without contacting a gynecologist. This is a mistake that can cost the patient her health.

The only thing a woman can do on her own is to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. In addition to standard methods of contraception, emergency contraception, which is sold in pharmacies, can be used for this purpose. These drugs should not be confused with medication abortion pills. Emergency contraception does not cause abortion, but only prevents possible fertilization.

No abortion pills should be used without consulting a gynecologist. This can lead to the following consequences:

• incomplete removal of the fertilized egg from the uterus, requiring surgical intervention;
• the opening of severe uterine bleeding, with the risk of large blood loss;
• development of an infectious-inflammatory process against the background of suppression of the normal microflora of the genital tract;
• ineffective abortion due to the attachment of the fertilized egg outside the uterus;
• development of life-threatening toxic shock syndrome;
• menstrual irregularities due to hormonal imbalance;
• disorders of the thyroid gland;
• serious disorders of the digestive system - nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.

A comprehensive diagnosis of the body before an abortion can reduce the risk of developing negative consequences. You can take any medications only after eliminating contraindications.

Escapelle

Refers to emergency contraception. One unit contains 1.5 mg levonorgestrel.

Experience has shown the effectiveness of the product after:

• Unprotected sexual contact;
• Ineffective adoption of barrier methods of contraception;
• Spontaneous sexual intercourse;
• Rape.

Action of the product

The drug Escapelle completely blocks the activity of estrogen and prevents the possible fertilization of a woman’s egg. If the terms of use are observed, the product provides a proven effectiveness of 97%.

Terms of use

The tablet should be taken within 72 hours after sexual intercourse, regardless of food intake or day of the menstrual cycle.

Contraindications to the use of the drug

• Individual intolerance to components;
• Liver or kidney failure;
• Lactose intolerance;
• Impaired intestinal absorption;
• Age up to 16 years.

Possible health effects after using the product

• Will cause headache;
• Discomfort in the lower abdomen;
• Digestive disorders develop;
• Allergic reactions;
• Bloody vaginal discharge not associated with the onset of menstrual bleeding;
• Failure of the menstrual cycle for 5-7 days.

Pregnant girls under 16 years of age are allowed to take Escapelle in case of rape. Escapelle tablets are not recommended for use twice in the same menstrual cycle. You can purchase the drug only with a doctor's prescription. The price of the medicine is about 500 rubles.

Discharge after pill abortion

After the expulsion of the fertilized egg, the woman continues to have spotting, which usually lasts 3-5 days.

Under the influence of hormonal substances used to terminate pregnancy, a disruption in the production of hormones may occur, accompanied by periodic reddish or brown discharge throughout the first menstrual cycle. This situation is not dangerous - the bloody “smudge” will gradually disappear.

In case of any discharge you should consult a doctor:

• Too much discharge after a pill abortion that panty liners are unable to absorb. This situation is caused by bleeding and requires the use of hemostatic agents.
• The discharge acquired an unpleasant odor and became yellowish or greenish. It is especially dangerous if this condition is accompanied by fever, headache, and worsening general condition. The situation often indicates the occurrence of an infection and requires the prescription of antibiotics.
• The flow of blood after the pill abortion suddenly stopped, but there was severe pain in the lower abdomen. These symptoms may be caused by a blood clot blocking the cervical canal inside the cervix. In this case, you will need medical help - a specialist will remove the clot and the blood flow will be normalized.
• There was no bleeding at all or it was very weak - spotting. This indicates a failed or incomplete abortion. In this case, the embryo may die but remain inside the uterus. The situation requires removal of the fertilized egg.

Genale

These are synthetic pills for emergency contraception, which contain an active ingredient such as mifepristone (available at 10 mg per unit).

The instructions indicate the pharmacological action of the drug

• Blocks the action of progesterone at the receptor level;
• Prevents ovulation;
• Prevents the attachment of the fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus.

How to use the drug

The tablet must be taken once 2 hours after a meal and no later than 72 hours after unprotected sexual intercourse.

Contraindications to the use of Zhenale

• Diseases of the adrenal glands;
• Chronic kidney disease or liver failure;
• Long-term therapy with corticosteroids;
• Impaired hemostasis, anemia;
• The presence of severe extragenital pathologies.

Side effects from the drug

• Cramps in the lower abdomen;
• Diarrhea and other stool disorders;
• Conditions of nausea, vomiting;
• Headache.

The price of a package of the medicine is about 450 rubles and it can only be purchased with a doctor’s prescription.

Types of drugs for medical abortion

The active component of medications for medical abortion is mifegin, an artificial steroid drug that has the ability to block the receptors responsible for the absorption of progesterone. This hormone is also called the pregnancy hormone, since it is responsible for its normal development.

At the moment, several drugs for medical abortion are approved for use in Russia. They differ by company and country of origin:

• Mifegin. Made in France. The highest quality and most reliable drug, which is most often used in modern clinics.
• Mifepristone and Pencrofton. An analogue of mifegin produced by Russian pharmaceutical companies. Mifegin is also used as an active ingredient. It has slightly lower efficiency, but is much more affordable financially.
• Mytholian. The Chinese analogue of Mifegin works on the same principle.

But in addition to drugs containing mifegin, a so-called support drug containing prostaglandin is also used for medical abortion. This substance provokes uterine spasms, expelling the fertilized egg. This group includes drugs such as misoprostol, Cytotec and some others.

Mifegin

Mifegin contains about 20 mg of micronized mifepristone, and is used to terminate early pregnancy.

Action of Mifegin

• This French drug stops the process of progesterone production in humans by blocking receptors;
• Mefigin provokes active contraction of the myometrium;
• Promotes embryo rejection in a woman’s early pregnancy.

Contraindications to the use of Mefigin are:

• Liver or kidney dysfunction;
• Patients with adrenal gland problems;
• Inflammatory processes of the genital organs;
• Porferia;
• Poor blood clotting;
• Low hemoglobin level
• Asthma.

Possible side effects after using Mefigin

• Drowsiness;
• Nausea;
• Diarrhea;
• Vomit;
• Headache.

The use of the drug is permissible only in specialized gynecological institutions. The procedure is carried out as prescribed and under the supervision of a doctor. Use is possible only if there is no threat of developing an ectopic pregnancy.

Contraindications to medical abortion

• Suspicion of an ectopic pregnancy - to exclude it, an ultrasound is performed, showing that the embryo is in the uterine cavity.
• Exceeding the permissible interruption periods.
• Severe hormonal imbalance caused by dysfunction of the adrenal glands. Medical abortion is not performed during long-term therapy with drugs containing hormones.
• Severe dysfunction of the liver, kidneys, heart.
• High degree of hypertension
• Blood clotting disorders - in this case, tablet abortion is not performed due to the risk of bleeding.
• Porphyrias are diseases accompanied by impaired hemoglobin formation. With this disease, taking abortion drugs can significantly worsen the patient's condition.

Agesta

This is a drug used to terminate early pregnancy. The tablets contain synthetic antigestagens, mifepristone at a dosage of 10 mg/1 unit.

Action of the medicine

• Destruction of the fetal egg shell and its rejection;
• Stimulation of uterine contractions;
• Opening the cervix to cleanse it.

This drug has a number of medical contraindications

• Kidney or liver diseases;
• Heart pathologies;
• Poor blood clotting;
• Iron deficiency;
• Porphyria;
• Individual intolerance to components.

Rare side effects from the procedure

• Vomiting;
• Diarrhea;
• Headache;
• Painful sensations in the lower abdomen.

Agesta price from 870 rub.

Until what time is a pill abortion performed?

The timing of an abortion is determined by the properties of the drugs used for its implementation. According to the instructions for the medications, this period is 42 days of amenorrhea, i.e. 6 weeks.

At a later stage, terminating a pregnancy using medications is risky, since the medications may not work and the woman will have an incomplete miscarriage. The fertilized egg will die, but will remain inside the uterus.

Therefore, in order to have time to make an interruption, you need to consult a doctor immediately after a delay occurs. Numerous scientific studies have found that the earlier an abortion is performed, the simpler and easier it is.

Therefore, to the question of how many weeks to perform a pill abortion, there is only one answer - the sooner it is performed, the better for the woman. With a slight delay, abortion resembles a normal delay in menstruation and does not cause significant discomfort.

Pencrofton

The main function of the composition is to suppress progesterone due to the content of about 200 mg of mifepristone in 1 unit.

Pencrofton action

• Prevents the production of progesterone at the receptor level;
• Activates fetal rejection by the myometrium;
• Causes uterine contractions.

Under the influence of a dose of Pencrofton, an abortion occurs - miscarriage and removal of the fetal egg.

The drug has individual contraindications

• Individual intolerance;
• Chronic renal or liver failure;
• Anemia;
• Porphyria;
• Uterine fibroids;
• Infectious disease of the genital organs;
• Ectopic pregnancy.

Side effects in some patients

• Nausea;
• Dizziness;
• Chills;
• Diarrhea.

Pencrofton tablets can only be purchased at a healthcare facility directly from a healthcare professional or doctor.

The drug Ginestril

Contains 50 mg mifepristone per unit.

Method of action

• Blocks the production of progesterone;
• Promotes spontaneous miscarriage, under its influence abortion occurs.

The drug has medical contraindications

• Endometrial hyperplasia;
• Uterine fibroids;
• Neoplasms on the genitals;
• Anemia;
• Individual intolerance;
• Problems with the liver or kidneys.

Side effects after using the product

• Migraine;
• Pain in the lower abdomen;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Stool disorders;
• General weakness.

Dispensed in pharmacies strictly according to a doctor's prescription.

How to do a pill abortion

Abortion is performed on an outpatient basis, without placing the woman in a hospital. First, the patient comes to the doctor’s clinic, where she is given the antigestagenic (antihormonal) drug mifepristone or its analogues. After this, the woman goes home, having the doctor’s phone number in her hands for communication.

Antigestagenic drugs block the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for the development of pregnancy and lead to its fading. This stage of interruption is painless and may not be accompanied by any sensations. In some cases, spotting and nagging pain in the lower abdomen appear.

After 24-48 hours, the patient will return to the clinic to take the hormonal drug Misoprostol, or one of its analogues. The drugs cause contraction of the uterus, which rejects the fertilized egg, pushing it out. At this stage, pain in the lower abdomen is observed, reminiscent of menstrual pain, and bleeding develops. This means that the pill abortion is successful.

If the drugs do not work, the woman needs to return to the clinic, where she will be given an additional dose of medication. This also needs to be done if vomiting occurs, which often appears in patients suffering from toxicosis. In this case, along with drugs for abortion, antiemetics are prescribed. For severe pain, painkillers are used.

During a pill abortion, you can only take medications prescribed by your doctor. Otherwise, bleeding may occur or the abortion pills may stop working. It is also not recommended to drink alcohol, as it causes vasodilation and increases bleeding.

Approximately 6 hours after the last dose of abortion pills, in 80% of cases a miscarriage occurs, but sometimes it occurs within 24 hours or later. The released fertilized egg has a spherical shape, and its size depends on the stage of pregnancy. After this, the discomfort in the lower abdomen decreases, the bleeding subsides, and the woman feels much better.

Some time after the interruption, you need to see a doctor to undergo an ultrasound. During the ultrasound examination, the doctor will make sure that there are no remnants of the fertilized egg in the uterus. The thickness of the endometrium is also measured, which after a tablet abortion is usually 15 mm or less, but generally ranges from 6.9-9.0 mm. After undergoing ultrasound diagnostics, you can be sure that everything went well.

Mytholian

Mifolian tablets are a progesterone antagonist; they contain mifepristone in an amount of 200 mg.

Action of the product

• Increases uterine contractility;
• It provokes abortion - rejection and release of the fertilized egg from the uterine cavity.

A day after treatment with this medication, the patient is additionally prescribed to take proglandins.

Admission has contraindications

• Age less than 18 years;
• Kidney or liver dysfunction in a woman;
• Blood clotting disorder;
• Iron deficiency in the blood;
• The presence of inflammatory diseases in the reproductive organs;
• Individual intolerance to components.

Side effects

• General weakness;
• Dizziness;
• Nausea;
• Headache;
• Cramps in the lower abdomen.

The drug can be purchased with a doctor's prescription, its price ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 rubles.

How is a medical abortion performed?

1 Visit . At the first appointment, the gynecologist initially performs an ultrasound to determine the duration of pregnancy. If a woman insists on the decision to terminate the pregnancy, the doctor talks in detail about the risks, consequences, and symptoms that will accompany the procedure. At the same visit, an initial consultation on contraceptive methods is carried out. If the patient’s mood has not changed, blood and smear tests are taken to perform a medical abortion.

2 Visit. Before the procedure, you will need to sign the informed consent form established in the Russian Federation for artificial termination of pregnancy. After that, abortive pills are taken, which the woman must take in front of a doctor. The woman remains in the clinic for some time under the supervision of a doctor, after which she can leave the medical center. The second drugs to expel the fertilized egg will need to be taken after 36-48 hours. It is after the second tablets that the process of expulsion of the products of conception from the uterus begins.

3 Visit. Post-abortion examination to assess the effectiveness of the procedure. During an ultrasound, a specialist examines the uterine cavity and its contents to make sure that there are no blood clots or fetal elements. Repeated consultation on contraceptive methods is carried out and hormonal contraceptive pills are prescribed for at least 3 months in order to restore the body after “hormonal shock”.

Cytotech

It is an abortifacient drug containing about 0.2 mg of misoprostol.

Action

• Stimulates myometrial contraction;
• Promotes the opening of the cervix and the removal of the fertilized egg.

Contraindications

• Impaired kidney or liver function in a woman;
• Individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
• Presence of cardiovascular pathologies;
• Hypersensitivity to components;
• Endocrine system disorders;
• Anemia;
• The presence of hormone-dependent tumors;
• Age up to 18 years;
• Ectopic pregnancy;
• Intrauterine device.

Side effects

• Headache;
• Diarrhea;
• Drowsiness;
• Mild clouding of consciousness;
• Vomit.

Tablets should only be used in combination with Mifepristone, exclusively in inpatient medical conditions under the supervision of a physician. The drug can only be purchased with a doctor's prescription, its price starts from 1,300 rubles.

Rules for using emergency contraceptive pills

Do I have to wait 72 hours to take emergency contraception?

In no case! The sooner you take the pill, the higher the chance of confirming the effect and preventing pregnancy. Emergency contraceptive medications can be used immediately or up to 72 hours after unprotected sex. Modern contraceptives allow you to save yourself from the subsequent need to have an abortion with just one pill.

How effective are medications to prevent pregnancy?

The effectiveness of emergency contraception depends on the number of hours and days that have passed since unprotected sex:

• Within 24 hours - 95%;
• Between 25-48 hours - 85%;
• Between 49-72 hours - 58%.

How often can you use emergency contraception?

Emergency contraception cannot be used as a permanent method of contraception and should be used as rarely as possible (no more than once per menstrual cycle).

Rules for using pills to terminate early pregnancy

The most effective regimen for using abortifacient drugs is as follows:

1. Use of products containing Mifepristone;
2. Prostaglandin use.

The first stage of the regimen consists of taking tablets containing 600 mg of the active substance - Mifepristone. The second stage begins after 48 hours, and the patient must take 2 prostaglandin tablets, each containing 0.4 mg of the active substance - Misoprostol.

Most women, after using this regimen of pills, experience a medical abortion - termination of an early pregnancy, accompanied by symptoms of heavy menstruation. In most cases, a woman begins bleeding the very next day after taking the pills during the first stage of an abortion.

Almost all medical institutions allow the patient to drink prostaglandin at home.

A medical abortion can be performed only after an ultrasound examination confirming the presence of pregnancy and the permissible period.

How can you be sure that a miscarriage has occurred?

Sometimes bleeding is not a guarantee that a medical abortion has occurred and the pregnancy has been terminated. You need to take a pregnancy test in the first 2-3 weeks after taking the drugs.

Usually, after an abortion, blood clots remain in the uterine cavity. They are not considered dangerous to the body if there are no accompanying symptoms in the form of fever, etc., and come out along with menstruation that occurs after termination of pregnancy.

Medical termination of pregnancy. Abortion without surgery

Until the end of the 80s of the last century, the choice of methods for terminating an unwanted pregnancy

was, to put it mildly, small and the question suggested an unambiguous answer - abortion or, in everyday life, “cleansing”. With the introduction of vacuum aspiration (“mini-abortion”) into medical practice in the 90s, women had the opportunity to avoid the traumatic procedure of a traditional abortion and, if time allowed, get by with “little blood.” At the same time, a method of non-surgical abortion appears in the West, which quickly gained great popularity. Suffice it to say that in France, the birthplace of the drug Mifegin, about 80% of women prefer this method.

Current clinical experience with medical abortion

accumulated in France, England, Germany, Sweden, USA, India. Now Russian women can use this method.

Indications and benefits of medical abortion

1. Termination of short term pregnancies (up to 6-7 weeks)

• is characterized by high efficiency, reaching in some cases up to 95%;
• avoids the risks associated with anesthesia and surgery;
• eliminates the risk of infection, development of adhesions, and obstruction of the fallopian tubes;
• preserves the uterine cavity;
• eliminates the possibility of infection with hepatitis B virus, HIV;
• allows for voluntary termination of pregnancy at a very early stage;
• is very well psychologically accepted by patients who have very ambivalent perceptions of abortion;
• causes moderate pain and uterine contractions.
• is the drug of choice for abortion in primigravidas and at a young age.

2. Preparation for later termination of pregnancy

• simplifies a number of operations that must be performed surgically, making them easier and causing less injury;
• allows the use of local anesthesia instead of general;
• reduces the duration of the operation due to increased contractility of the uterine muscle, leading to a decrease in blood loss during surgery;
• relaxation of the cervix facilitates the expansion of the cervical canal and reduces the risk of damage to the muscular apparatus of the cervix and, as a consequence, the development of cervical insufficiency during subsequent pregnancy and childbirth.
• relaxation of the cervix with increased uterine tone reduces the possibility of developing the accumulation of blood clots in the uterine cavity and inflammatory diseases in the postoperative period.

3. Urgent (postcoital) contraception

• prevention of unwanted pregnancy within 72 hours after “unprotected” sexual intercourse.

Possible complications of medical abortion

The main complication is the complete or partial absence of an abortifacient effect. The number of unsatisfactory outcomes, according to various authors, ranges from 5% to 12.5% ​​and depends on the patient’s individual response to the drug and is directly dependent on the duration of pregnancy. With a longer period, the number of unsatisfactory outcomes increases.

Of these: from 1 to 2.5% - cases of ongoing pregnancy, from 3 to 7.5% - interrupted pregnancy, but without expulsion of the ovum, or incomplete expulsion from 1 to 2.5% - increased bleeding requiring intrauterine intervention

If the fact of an unsuccessful attempt is established and the pregnancy continues to progress, the patient may be offered another method of termination.

Contraindications to medical abortion

• suspected ectopic pregnancy;
• chronic adrenal insufficiency;
• long-term therapy with corticosteroids;
• individual intolerance to mifepristone;
• hemorrhagic disorders (hemophilia, grade II-III anemia, hemorrhagic syndromes);
• use of anticoagulants (heparin);
• pregnancy that occurred while using intrauterine contraception;
• infectious, inflammatory processes of the genitals in the acute stage;
• severe forms of bronchial asthma and obstructive pulmonary diseases;
• inflammatory bowel diseases (enteritis, colitis, gastritis, cholecystopancreatitis);
• liver failure;
• prosthetic heart valves, infective endocarditis in the past;

With caution it is possible to:

• smoking women over 35 years of age (more than 10 cigarettes per day) - after consulting a therapist;
• asymptomatic uterine fibroids;
• sutures on the uterus after surgery;
• arterial hypertension (hypertension);
• lactation - breastfeeding should be stopped for 14 days after taking the drug

Stages of medical abortion

Stage 1

• After the patient indicates the presence of an unwanted pregnancy and the desire to terminate it, possible solutions to the problem are discussed. If you choose this method, information is provided about the essence of the method, contraindications, possible side effects, symptoms and possible options for the course of the abortion.
• Necessary examination: medical history, initial examination, CHG (if indicated).
• Providing time for the final decision to terminate pregnancy in general and by medical method

Stage 2

• Confirmation by the patient of the desire to terminate the pregnancy using this method. Filling out the patient's informed consent sheet for the use of the drug.
• Taking the drug "Mifegin" R (Pencrofton) and dynamic observation for 1-2 hours.
• If vomiting occurs during this time, the desired result will probably not be achieved and termination of the pregnancy will need to be accomplished in another way. After taking Mifegin (Pencrofton) for 36 to 48 hours, the appearance of cramping pain and bleeding from the genital tract is expected and possible.

Stage 3

• After 36-48 hours, support drugs (prostaglandins) are prescribed. In most cases, abortion occurs within 4-8 hours. Pain and the degree of bleeding can vary in intensity and duration, and with a longer period they are more pronounced.
• Bleeding and pain are not a guarantee that an abortion has occurred. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to carry out a follow-up examination using appropriate methods 8-14 days after taking Mifegin (Pencrofton).

Stage 4

• Follow-up consultation - based on follow-up studies (ultrasound or examination), the result is determined. If the pregnancy continues or there are residual fertilized eggs in the uterine cavity, appropriate intervention may be recommended. If the outcome is positive, contraception must be used, since fertilization can occur before the start of the menstrual cycle.