Two more women die due to abortion pill RU-486

Two more women have died after using the abortion pill RU-486, regulators said Friday in a warning that brought renewed calls for pulling the controversial drug from the market.

The organization that provided the pill to the two women said it would immediately stop disregarding the approved instructions for the pill's use.

The Food and Drug Administration warned doctors to watch for a rare but deadly infection previously implicated in four deaths of women who had taken the drug. The drug, also called Mifeprex or mifepristone, has not been proved to be the cause in any of those cases.

Nor has the FDA confirmed the cause of the latest two deaths. However, in one of them, the woman's symptoms appeared to resemble those in the cluster of four cases in California where the women died from an infection of the bloodstream, or sepsis. Those women did not follow FDA-approved instructions for the pill-triggered abortion, which requires swallowing three tablets of one drug, followed by two of another two days later.

www.breitbart.com...

Read this article without the emotional reaction caused by the subject and then entire issue is unbelieveable. The "clinic" says it will stop administering the durgs "against" normal recommended ways. Any other drug or "clinic" would have been shut down immediately for malpractice if not murder.

Amazing this political correctness...........

mod edit: title correction.

[edit on 18-3-2006 by sanctum]

I guess if you throw away human life like it's not important, it can come back to get you...

Barring necessary abortions, tell what lady in her right mind looks back on her life, feeling happy about aborting her child? "Boy I'm glad I did that."

Troy

Originally posted by cybertroy
I guess if you throw away human life like it's not important, it can come back to get you...

Barring necessary abortions, tell what lady in her right mind looks back on her life, feeling happy about aborting her child? "Boy I'm glad I did that."

Troy

Please stay ON topic and if you wish to debate the right or wrongs regarding abortion please do so in the numerous other threads that already exist on that topic.

Back on topic: Using medications 'off lable" is a common practivcce just about everywhere. From Viagra for women to botox for migrane headaches.

From what i gathered, the cause of death is essentially the result of the embryo's decomposition. if so, then all that's needed to make it 'safe' again is a deadline at say, one week into pregnancy after which it's banned for use.

Afaik, this was initially conceived as a 'day after pill' or a treatment option for rape victims... i can't see why it should be banned in this role. smacks of drama usage to enforce a ban through the backdoor of 'compassion' to me.

This is an oral contreceptive. The FDA has approved it for this use only.
In all the cases that resulted in death the last two pills were inserted into the vagina.

Maybe people should follow the directions..........

The pill hasn't been the proven killer as the story states. Maybe just maybe some of those anti abortion people are killing these women some way so the pill will be stopped for use. It's proven that they will do anything for their agenda. It's a thought.

Originally posted by anxietydisorder
This is an oral contreceptive. The FDA has approved it for this use only.
In all the cases that resulted in death the last two pills were inserted into the vagina.

Maybe people should follow the directions..........

Mode of application is relatively irrelevant as long as you adapt the dosage, the reason they died is sepsis, neither a allergic reaction nor a toxic side effect. Sorry to break it to you, but standard abortion practice isn't any safer, and for the very same reasons - septic shock and infections.

Originally posted by FredT
Back on topic: Using medications 'off lable" is a common practivcce just about everywhere. From Viagra for women to botox for migrane headaches.

Agreed, but this premise is by no means an affirmative defense or excuse for shear stupidity.

More people died from lighting strikes than this pharmaceutical product… bringing attention regarding the FDA for ‘release’ is a legal ploy…litigation platform...nothing more. (unless you consider the pickets of human and financial waste)


mg

Originally posted by I See You
The pill hasn't been the proven killer as the story states. Maybe just maybe some of those anti abortion people are killing these women some way so the pill will be stopped for use. It's proven that they will do anything for their agenda. It's a thought.

And some pro murder will cover up the truth about this evil called abortion to keep the right to kill babies. Not manu more deaths from viox got it removed quickly. I find it a pretty good irony that these women wanted to kill their babies and ended up killing themselves.

It was their choice to have the abortion. At least they have that right. It's possible that these deaths will sway women from abortions out of fear. I wouldn't call abortion murder either.

Originally posted by Long Lance
From what i gathered, the cause of death is essentially the result of the embryo's decomposition. if so, then all that's needed to make it 'safe' again is a deadline at say, one week into pregnancy after which it's banned for use.

Do you have anymore on this?

From what I have heard the four women in Calif died from Clostridium sordellii (which normally isn't fatal) AND they are also seeing an increase in the bacterium in skin graft patients. I also don't recall if there has been a single death resulting from the correct usage of RU-486, deaths seem to have only occurred where there has been "off label" use - to me that is significant and an area that must be examined before the typical knee jerk reaction of pulling it from use happens.

Is it the drug, is the method of delivery or is it just that Clostridium sordellii is becoming more lethal considering the skin graft patients?


B.

Moderator, I made a fairly relative statement. While it might be slightly not on topic, it does show what happens when you mess around with the body like this. When you dump something in your body that kills a potential life, then perhaps that thing can kill you in the process. It comes back to haunt you.

Troy

Originally posted by Bleys

Originally posted by Long Lance
From what i gathered, the cause of death is essentially the result of the embryo's decomposition. if so, then all that's needed to make it 'safe' again is a deadline at say, one week into pregnancy after which it's banned for use.

Do you have anymore on this?
..

Just put two and two together:

same source as original
..
RU-486 is sold by Danco Laboratories and is approved to terminate pregnancy up to 49 days after the beginning of the latest menstrual cycle. It blocks a hormone required to sustain a pregnancy. When followed two days later by another medicine, misoprostol, to induce contractions, the pregnancy is terminated.

So, RU486 kills the embryo, but it needs to be 'flushed', too (by contractions) or else:

..
Nor has the FDA confirmed the cause of the latest two deaths. However, in one of them, the woman's symptoms appeared to resemble those in the cluster of four cases in California where the women died from an infection of the bloodstream, or sepsis]. Those women did not follow FDA-approved instructions for the pill-triggered abortion, which requires swallowing three tablets of one drug, followed by two of another two days later.
..

Personal comment, the second drug they're referring to is of course the one used to induce contractions.

any drug is dangerous. failure to follow the directions on how to use ANY drug can certainly cause a host of side effects INCLUDING death.

it appears to be incredibly bad judgement on the prescribing physician's part as well as the patient to NOT follow the directions on how to use this drug.

that is why i'm a huge advocate for being an EDUCATED PATIENT. i do my own leg work in conjuction with the dr. so when i go in for a visit of any kind and there are meds being prescribed i am able to make good decisions and ask the right questions.

again.................the prescribing physician AND the patient both have erred and the patient has paid the ULTIMATE price for not following directions.

a huge shame. a terrible tragedy..............but one that potentially could have been avoided.


angie

Originally posted by thermopolis
Any other drug or "clinic" would have been shut down immediately for malpractice if not murder.

Huh? No they wouldn't.

Around 6 people have probably died from RU-486. *shrugs* People die from taking aspirin. People die from taking alcohol.

Not manu more deaths from viox got it removed quickly.

Thats because there were problems with Viox, there are no problems with this drug, the people that have died have used it improperly or received improper care, the drug itself is safe, unlike viox, which was unsafe.

cybertroy
When you dump something in your body that kills a potential life, then perhaps that thing can kill you in the process

Except that they weren't killed by the drug.

long lance
this was initially conceived as a 'day after pill' or a treatment option for rape victims

You're thinking of a different pill. The day after pill is a large dose of female hormones that prevents a fertilized egg (a zygote) from attaching to the wall of the uterus (and thus undergoing the process of development). That pill is sometimes also called 'emergency contraception', because in a sense it prevents pregnancy. It must be taken very shortly after any incident, and presumably this means that the person taking it doens't even know if their egg has been fertilized or not. RU-486 is different. RU-486 is an abortion pill, it terminates existing pregancies.

This news article lists information which reminds us that we must look not only at the deaths of women, but also at the other complications that can occur with this drug.

www.lifesite.net...

Some of the stats outlined in the above article are:

At least 513 of the women required surgery, with 235 of the
surgeries deemed emergency.

42 women experienced life-threatening hemorrhages

68 had severe hemorrhage requiring blood transfusion

66 cases of infection including seven cases of septic shock

The FDA admits that only 10 percent of complications suffered by patients from drugs get reported. Over 800 complications due to RU-486 have been reported to the FDA.

I voted the last poster 'way above' because I am sick of one(death) sided arguments on ATS and it's great to see, the too rare truth, of life and death issues expressed so simply.

The, seemingly, few people who care for all life, and not just those 'quantified' "valuble to The Ecomomy" are out numbered on ATS, so please don't invalidate their views just because of that.

When it comes to medicine, you need MUCH more than a second opinion before you can say your 'choise' is 'informed'.

So, let me get somethign clear here, its unacceptable that there are complications that need to be attented to by a doctor from ru-486, but its acceptable to outlaw abortion and have women get 'back alley' abortions? And then prosectute them for it??

Is anyone against Ru-486 but pro-abortion, iow, feels that its a bad drug on its own, irregardless of what the women are actually taking it for?

The greatest fear is that those same 'unsupported', 'under-educated', GIRLS that sort back yard abortions will 'choose' this 'simple' option and well....

Drugs, alcohol, depression, guilt etc. can 'cause' women and girls to turn the 'simple' option against themselves.

Sure I'm anti abortion, but I'm also very anti killing desperate girls.

Originally posted by suzy ryan
The greatest fear is that those same 'unsupported', 'under-educated', GIRLS that sort back yard abortions will 'choose' this 'simple' option and well....

If they do, then they are far more likely to survive without complications. Given back alley illegal unregulated and unprotected abortions, versus RU-486.....

Sure I'm anti abortion, but I'm also very anti killing desperate girls.

So then you agree that abortion, regardless of it being right or wrong, should be available, no?