Medication Abortion FAQs

While most people have a safe and smooth experience with medication abortion, you should contact your provider right away if you experience any of the following:

1) Heavy bleeding

• This means soaking 2 or more maxi pads an hour for 2 or more hours in a row.

2) Severe cramping that doesn't get better with pain medication like ibuprofen

3) Fever over 100.4° F (38° C) that lasts more than 24 hours

• A fever in the first 24 hours can be normal, but if it lasts longer, it may be a sign of infection.

4) Foul-smelling vaginal bleeding or discharge

5) No bleeding at all within 24 hours of taking the second pill (misoprostol)

6) Feeling faint, dizzy, or very weak

You should also reach out to your provider if you haven’t decided on a birth control method yet.

If you took misoprostol by mouth, it should have stayed in your cheek or under your tongue for 30 minutes. But it can still work even if you accidentally swallowed it early.

If you used misoprostol vaginally and it fell out before 30 minutes, rinse it off and insert it again.

In either case, if you don’t start bleeding within 24 hours, contact your provider for next steps.

If you vomited more than 30 minutes after taking either the first pill (mifepristone) or the second (misoprostol), your body likely absorbed enough of the medicine.  You do not need to take it again.

If you threw up within 30 minutes of taking either pill, contact your provider — you may need to take it again.

If you threw up misoprostol and were prescribed an additional dose, try placing the pills in your vagina instead, especially if you're really nauseous.

Yes. Even if you start bleeding after taking mifepristone (the first pill), you should still take the misoprostol (the second set of pills).

Bleeding is a sign the medication is working, but misoprostol helps your body finish the process.  It makes the uterus cramp and push out the pregnancy — an important part of completing the abortion.

Call your provider right away.

While not everyone starts bleeding right away, most people start cramping or bleeding within 24 hours after taking misoprostol. If you don't, your provider may check to make sure the abortion is progressing and see if you need more medicine.

It's normal to have heavy bleeding and clots for the first few hours to a couple of days after taking the second medication (misoprostol). That means it’s working.

You might pass clots as big as a lemon during this time.

But go to the emergency room if:

• You’re soaking through 2 pads an hour for 2 hours in a row
• You feel dizzy, lightheaded, or weak
• Bleeding doesn’t slow down after a few hours or gets heavier after 24 hours of bleeding

These could be signs you’re bleeding too much and need medical help.

Most people have heavy bleeding for a few hours to a few days. Bleeding usually lasts 9 to 14 days, though some people bleed for 4 weeks or longer.

Everyone is different. In the first few weeks, you may have:

• A few days of heavy bleeding, followed by spotting or no bleeding at all
• Bleeding that starts and stops for a few weeks
• Bleeding similar to a period that lasts several weeks

After the first few weeks:

• You may have light bleeding or spotting that lasts 4 to 6 weeks after the abortion.  It may be constant or come and go.
• Your first menstrual period after the abortion may be especially heavy.

This is all normal.

Contact a medical provider if:

• Bleeding suddenly gets heavier again after slowing down
• You notice bad-smelling discharge, have a fever, or feel very unwell
• You haven’t had any bleeding at all (this could mean the pills didn’t work)

Go to the emergency room if you’re soaking through 2 pads an hour for 2 hours in a row.

These are signs the abortion likely worked:

• Your pregnancy symptoms (nausea, sore breasts, etc.) have lessened.  Most symptoms go away within 1 week.
• You had cramping and bleeding after taking your pills.
• You had a negative home pregnancy test.  (Wait 4 to 6 weeks to test — before then, it may still be positive, even if the abortion worked.)
• A blood test shows your pregnancy hormone levels have dropped (if you had one before).

If you're not sure or want to confirm, follow up with your health care provider.

Most people get their period about 4 to 6 weeks after a medication abortion. But it can take several months.

If you don’t get your period after 6 weeks, take a pregnancy test and talk to your provider.

Your body starts a new cycle right after the abortion, meaning you can ovulate within 2 to 3 weeks and become pregnant again. Make sure to use birth control or another method right away if you want to prevent another pregnancy.

Your first period may be heavier, lighter, or longer than usual. If you had irregular periods before, they may stay that way.

Many people wait until the heavy bleeding and cramping have stopped, but there’s no hard and fast rule. You can use tampons or have sex whenever you feel ready and comfortable.

Remember, you can get pregnant right away, so use birth control if you want to prevent another pregnancy.