Is persistent bleeding a sign of failed abortion pills?

Question

Hello doctor,

I took abortion pills to terminate my pregnancy at four weeks of pregnancy. I took three pills out of five. And I started bleeding. It has been eight days, and I am still bleeding. I did my pregnancy test two days ago, and the pregnancy card shows that I am still pregnant. What is the issue?

Kindly advise.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

A pregnancy test can remain positive for up to 14 days even after a complete abortion. Hence, a pregnancy test is not a clear indicator of whether the abortion is complete. The bleeding after the abortion pill will be heavy for 48 to 72 hours and will gradually come down and stop within the next two days, with minimal spotting for the next week.

If the amount of bleeding is the same as the first day, or if you are passing clots and have symptoms like tiredness or dizziness, it means that you are losing excess blood and can point towards an incomplete abortion. Hence, my advice would be to visit a gynecologist and get a scan done to rule out an incomplete abortion.

I hope this helps.

Thank you.