> approved for use as a drug to prevent gastric ulcers--an oral med.  The
World
> Health Organization quotes Searle (the manufacturer--who was bought out by
> Monsanto) as stating in a August 23, 2000 letter that "misoprostol
> administration by any route is contraindicated in women who are pregnant
> because it can cause abortion
> Searle is already being sued by a man because of the death of his wife
> because cytotec was used to induce her labor

I realize that this veers off topic a bit here, but I personally have "met"
online 2 people in the past month who have lost their uterus to misoprostol
(Cytotec), due to uterine rupture.  Both had never had caesareans before, so
their uteruses were unscarred (I believe sometimes previous caesarean is
suspected as a cause of uterine rupture, but not in these 2 women's cases).

I have a copy of Searle's pamplet on its drug use (2 pages of small fine
print), which says, and I quote:  "Cytotec may cause the uterus to rupture
(tear) in pregnant women if it is used to bring on (induce) labor or to
cause an abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy.  Miscarriages or
rupture of the uterus may result in severe bleeding, hospitalization,
surgery, infertility or death."

I am not an MD and I don't know what all is learned in Med school...perhaps
MD's learn to use drugs in situations that they are not supposed to be
prescribed for sometimes...but it would seem to me that it is very unwise to
use a drug for a use that the drug manufactorer specifically says not only
may "cause abortion or miscarriage" (because if it does that, then what
better use than to use it as an induction agent?!), but specifically states
also that it should *not* be used to induce or abort during the 2nd and 3rd
trimesters and can cause fatal hemorrage by uterine rupture.  I personally
would not let anyone near me with a 10foot pole who was toting a cytotec
pill on them.  :-(

Fio.

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