PREGNANCY-BIRTH Messages for January, 2001: Re: Risks of Cytotec?

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Re: Risks of Cytotec?

From: Kelly Shanahan, MD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sun, 28 Jan 2001 16:28:59 -0600 (CST)

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In reply to: Michelle: "Risks of Cytotec?"

At Fri, 26 Jan 2001, Michelle wrote: >
>Hello - I would like to get your advice please. I was due yesterday
>(1/25 and today was my weekly appointment. I am 1 - 2 cm dilated and
>50% effaced. I have been the same for the last 3 weekly appointments.
>
>I told my doctor today that I would like to wait another week before we
>induced on the condition that I had another u/s and a non-stress test
>just to be sure the baby is okay in there. We did both right away in
>his office. He says the baby has plenty of amniotic fluid and although
>the baby was sleepy, my doctor was satisfied with the heart rate
>accelerations during the non-stress test.
>
>He feels there is an 80% chance that I will go into labor on my own
>before my next appointment on Wednesday. But if I don't, we decided
>that I would be induced on Thursday (2/1). I asked my doctor about his
>method of induction. He said I would be admitted early Thursday morning
>and would be given Cytotec to help dilate and thin my cervix. Once my
>cervix was about 2 - 3 centimeters dilated he would rupture my water and
>hopefully the contractions would start. If not then he would give me
>Pitocin to help them along. I could have an epidural when I was 3 - 4
>cm dilated.
>
>I am really nervous about using Cytotec. My doctor told my husband and
>I that it was NOT approved by the FDA for use in labor and that I would
>actually need to sign a waiver to use it. This makes me very concerned.
>I did a bit of research on the internet and there are some frightening
>stories (uterine rupture, maternal and fetal distress/death etc.)
>
>Can you tell me your opinion of Cytotec as a method of dilating the
>cervix? Are the occurrences of problems common? I just need to decide
>whether or not to put my foot down and insist that we use something else
>to help dilate my cervix.
>
>Any advice or information that you can share would be greatly
>appreciated!
>
>Thank you,
>Michelle

Cytotec, appropriately used, is both safe and effective. The uterine ruptures that have occurred have, for the most part, been in women who have had a c/section before -- and these women should not be given cytotec! I had a cytotec induced labor for my daughter, had no problems whatsoever, and it only took about 14 hours to get from long/closed to delivered!

--
M. Kelly Shanahan, MD
S. Lake Tahoe, CA

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Next message: Kelly Shanahan, MD: "Re: Conceiving after the Pill"
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