by a contributor
What is supposed to be the happiest day of a woman's life can turn into a catastrophe and a nightmare!
The drug Cytotec is used in the Bahamas to induce labour. This drug is responsible for many fetal and maternal deaths, as well as fluid embolisms, uterine ruptures, placenta abruptions, uterine hyper stimulation and more.
This drug has caused numerous medical complications, something you would never know unless you researched it. Women would never know that Cytotec, a little white pill that can be taken orally or inserted into the vagina to soften the cervix, has a specific warning against this sort of use on its label. It warns that pregnant women should not use this drug to induce labour.
So why are doctors using this drug on pregnant women in the Bahamas?
Cytotec is used to cure ulcers and is not FDA-approved for the induction of labour. It is being used for this purpose by Bahamian doctors even although the makers of the drug and the label on the drug warn against it.
Why are we being given such drugs without any informed consent? If doctors were to read the warning label to us, what woman in her right mind would ever allow such a drug to be administered? Could they give us a good reason for using this drug versus the alternatives? Would a good doctor recommend a drug that has not been tested and has no dosage guidelines?
Imagine, a 100mg pill that has to be broken into pieces because it is not produced in the dose that some doctors suggest for the induction of labour. How scary to think that there is no guarantee you will get the right dosage or that this pill could kill you and your baby.
In many cases, the complications associated with Cytotec can prevent your baby from getting enough oxygen, leading to brain damage. I know women whose lives were affected in this way. Their precious babies will never walk, talk or eat on their own. All because of this drug that no one ever warned them about.
The manufacturer - Searle - wrote the FDA to protect itself against potential lawsuits. In order to avoid responsibility, they warned about the dangers of this drug’s use on pregnant women for induction of labour:
"Serious adverse events reported following off-label use of Cytotec in pregnant women to include maternal or fetal death, uterine hyper-stimulation, rupture or perforation requiring uterine surgical repair, hysterectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy, amniotic fluid embolism, severe vaginal bleeding, retained placenta, shock, fetal bradycardia and pelvic pain."
We are not talking about a headache, dizziness or diarrhea. Everything stated on the warning label is life threatening for both mother and baby. This is serious, and I believe that many women here in the Bahamas are not aware of the drug or its risks. They could have been affected by the use of Cytotec during their labour and not even know it.
One of the most common complications of this drug is a rupture, which can be very dangerous during delivery. The uterus becomes hyper-stimulated and contracts so quickly and violently that the placenta can be detatched from the uterine wall and the womb itself can tear as a result. When this occurs, some women are simply told that ‘this rarely happens.’ They are made to believe that, somehow, their own bodies failed them, never knowing that the improper use of Cytotec was the cause.
I was given Cytotec. I had a uterine rupture. I had an unscarred uterus meaning that there should be no reason at all why my uterus would rupture unless I had been given such a drug. I had contractions that were so violent and painful, words could never express the pain, fear and trauma I experienced. I still suffer from the trauma every day. My baby died and I almost died. The label said this was possible. To this day, my 5-year old talks about the death of our baby. Only yesterday as an ambulance passed us, my child imagining that someone was hurt began to speak of that day saying,
‘Mommy, did you almost die?’
He went on to ask as he always does, ‘Why did our baby die?’
I live with a deep pain and sadness that will stay with me forever. I am determined to see changes made with regards to the use of this drug here in the Bahamas. I have traveled around the states meeting with specialists and men and women whose lives were affected by the use of Cytotec. I am against the use of Cytotec for the induction of labour and outraged that doctors have the audacity to use this drug on us. We are not guinea pigs. We are human beings with feelings. I ask, where are the feelings of doctors who use this drug knowing what it is capable of, and never telling the patient?
Has birthing become a business that has made doctors lose their feelings? I am outraged every time I hear of another case of Cytotec ruining lives. I am disgusted with doctors who choose to use this drug every time I hear of a new death associated with it
Women, please take matters into your own hands. If doctors tell us, we must learn and educate ourselves. Educate yourselves on why doctors sometimes induce and what the dangers are. While it may be necessary sometimes, often there is no good reason and the chances of a c-section may be more probable. And a c-section caries its own set of risks.
Know why Cytotec is associated with the nickname, daylight obstetrics, and how this drug is a drug of cheap convenience for many doctors. Know that there are indeed many safer alternatives that may be an inconvenience for the doctor in that he/she cannot properly control when the baby is born which may interfere with their sleep or practice. These alternatives are safer for you and your baby. Cytotec when given in the morning will almost always guarantee a baby 12 hours later. How convenient!
Dr. Marsden Wagner, perinatologist and the man responsible for maternal and child health in the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization for 14 years, has written numerous articles and books on Cytotec, including ‘The Birthing Machine’, and ‘Born In The USA’. The information is out there. Read the following article:
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/cytotec.asp
Organizations that do not support the use of Cytotec for induction of labour include the US Food and Drug Administration, Best Scientific Opinion-Cochrane database, Searle (the drug's manufacturer), the Canadian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, the British Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, all obstetrics organizations in Scandinavia, the International Federation of Gynecologists, and the World Health Organization.
So why are we using this drug in the Bahamas?
Anyone who has had complications that they believe may have been associated with the use of Cytotec during labour, is invited to e-mail me at:
motheragainstcytotec@gmail.com <mailto:motheragainstcytotec@gmail.com>
And remember that your medical records are rightfully yours, and that it is illegal for any doctor or hospital to withhold or destroy them without your consent. Your records of nurses notes and doctors notes as well as your fetal monitor strips will tell the story of how and where things went wrong during labour. It will be obvious to a specialist if Cytotec caused a complication or death of mother and/or child.
Thank you for allowing my voice to be heard.
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