If you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, avoid using misoprostol to prevent ulcers. Misoprostol has the potential to result in miscarriages, early labour, or birth abnormalities.

If you are a woman of reproductive age, you should only use a reliable form of birth control while taking misoprostol if you have had a negative pregnancy test within the last two weeks. Misoprostol must be started on the second or third day of your menstrual cycle. If you become pregnant while using misoprostol, stop using it right once and contact your doctor.

A copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient should be obtained from your pharmacist or doctor before to taking misoprostol, and it should be carefully read. The dangers of misoprostol use should be discussed with your doctor.

Do not share your medication with anybody, especially a woman who is pregnant or who might become pregnant.

When a person takes certain painkillers or arthritis medications, such as aspirin, which can result in ulcers, misoprostol is used to prevent ulcers. It lessens stomach acid secretion and safeguards the stomach lining.

Misoprostol is available as a pill to be swallowed. It is often taken with food four times a day, after meals and before night. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Follow the misoprostol directions exactly. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

To be successful, misoprostol must be taken frequently. Women should wait until the second or third day of their period to take their first dose (to be sure that they are not pregnant). Without consulting your doctor, do not discontinue taking misoprostol.

Additionally, misoprostol is occasionally used to treat ulcers and to start labour. To end an early pregnancy, misoprostol and mifepristone are combined. Discuss the potential dangers of using this medication for your illness with your doctor.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking misoprostol,

• If you have an allergy to misoprostol or any other medication, tell your doctor and pharmacist right away.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter drugs you are taking, including antacids, aspirin, rheumatoid arthritis drugs, and vitamins.
• Inform your doctor if you are nursing a baby.

If you miss a dosage, take it as soon as you recall. If the next dose is soon due, skip the missed one and carry on with your regular dosing plan. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

Side effects are possible with misoprostol. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Uneasy stomach
• Gas
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Indigestion

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Throwing up blood
• Dark, tarry, or bloody stools

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Store it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

As many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Additionally, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments.

Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.