Cytotec (misoprostol) a medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of ulcers, has also been utilized for a variety of off-label uses including inducing labor. The drug has been linked to the following side effects: infantile jaundice, fetal distress secondary to uterine hyper-stimulation, fluid overload and electrolyte imbalance from IV use, increased post-partum blood loss, amniotic fluid embolism, uterine rupture and a significantly increased risk of surgical or instrumental delivery.
In some cases, patients have died from these side effects.
As the increased use of Cytotec as a labor inducing drug was noted, the manufacturer, Searle, has stated that Cytotec "is not approved for the induction of labor or abortion." Searle has never even applied for FDA approval for Cytotec as a labor inducing medication, nor has the company conducted any clinical trials to study the medication for such utilization.
The fact is Cytotec is often used by health professionals to induce labor because it is significantly less expensive than other FDA medications approved specifically for this purpose, despite these known and serious side effects.
Delivering mothers seldom die as a result of uterine ruptures, but the babies being delivered often do. Adding further insult to injury, most Obstetricians react to a uterine rupture by performing a complete hysterectomy, thereby eliminating the possibility of bearing future children.
If you or a loved one experienced significant health issues and side effects similar to those noted above during the delivery of a child during an induced pregnancy, or lost a child during labor induced by medication - please click on the link below.
Please note that unless you know exactly what medication was utilized to induce labor, you do not know if the problematic delivery was related to the use of Cytotec. Clearly, most medical professionals would not make a point of telling a patient, or a patient's family that the drug being used to induce a labor was in fact an ulcer medication being used in an off label procedure to save money. You would be even less likely to be informed of Cytotec use if serious side effects, surgery and death were the result of the use of an off label medication. Especially if one with known serious side effects like Cytotec was utilized to simply help the improve institution's "bottom line." Especially if it happened after the manufacturer publicly declared it unsafe for such use. If you do not know exactly what medication was used to induce labor, and these kinds of serious side effects occurred, please complete the form below.
Cytotec Articles
Cytotec: Used by Doctors Off-Label to Induce LaborTammey Dickerson is a Registered Nurse who works in the delivery room. Although she has never personally used Cytotec, she has seen it administered by doctors for off-label use in order to induce labor. Dickerson says that she has seen Cytotec cause uterine rupture, placental abruption, and "violent, rapid labors with poor fetal heart tracing," when used to induce labor. Unfortunately, she also says that doctors will not admit that they have used the drug, or that it can cause such serious problems for mothers and their babies.
