Moistened 600-[micro]g Vaginal Tablet of Misoprostol Is Best

OB/GYN News, April 15, 2001 by Mary Ann Moon

Moistened 600-[micro]g vaginal tablets of misoprostol offer the best combination of fast action and limited side effects in women undergoing medical abortion, according to Dr. Ellen R. Wiebe of the department of family practice at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

She compared three regimens of vaginal misoprostol in a study of 430 women undergoing induced abortion with either misoprostol alone or misoprostol plus methotrexate at less than 7 weeks' gestation.

Ninety-nine women used moistened 600-[micro]g tablets, 134 used dry 800-[micro]g tablets, and 197 used moistened 800-[micro]g tablets, Dr. Wiebe said (J. Reprod. Med. 46[2]:125-29, 2001).

In women who used either dose of moistened tablets, the abortion was completed significantly faster than in those who used the dry tablets. By day 8, it was completed in approximately 70% of those using wet tablets, compared with 55% of those using dry tablets.

However, the moistened 800-[micro]g tablet produced more side effects--principally fever, chills, and vomiting--than the 600-[micro]g tablet, the investigator said.