Misoprostol is the second type of abortion pill used during a medical abortion. A medical abortion (also known as abortion with pills) involves taking two types of medication to end a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol.
As long as you take the misoprostol tablets as directed by the nurse or midwife during your appointment, it is up to you at what time of the day you take misoprostol.
In this blog, we provide information on:
- Whether you can take misoprostol tablets at night or in the morning
- What to expect when taking misoprostol tablets
- How to get in touch with MSI UK should you have any questions when taking abortion pills
Taking misoprostol at night or in the morning
As long as you take the misoprostol tablets as directed by the nurse or midwife during your appointment, it is up to you at what time of the day you take misoprostol. You can take the tablets at any time of the day – at night, or in the morning – but you may start to experience bleeding and cramping pains within a few hours of taking the misoprostol, so you may want to consider this when choosing the right time for you.
The abortion is usually completed within 1-2 days, but occasionally, it can take up to 2 weeks to fully pass all the pregnancy tissue, and you may continue to bleed for up to 8 weeks.
For detailed instructions on how to take misoprostol by mouth or vaginally, including diagrams, read our Medical Abortion Treatment and Aftercare booklet. If you would like to talk to a nurse about taking the abortion pills, you can call our dedicated aftercare line on 0345 122 1441 – this is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to expect when taking misoprostol tablets
Most people will experience significant cramping pain and will find pain relief helpful. Pain relief should be taken before you take the misoprostol, or if preferred when you start to feel cramps building up. You can find detailed guidance on pain relief at our medical abortion aftercare page, and in our medical abortion treatment and aftercare booklet.
How to get in touch with us
We are here to support you should you have any questions when taking abortion pills. There are a number of ways you can contact us.
You can always get in touch should you have any questions about our services, would like to book an appointment or you have had treatment with us and want aftercare support.