Mifepristone (Systemic)

Brand Names : Mifeprex, RU 486

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For mifepristone, the following should be considered:

Allergies - Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to mifepristone, misoprostol or any other prostaglandins.

Pregnancy - Mifepristone is used to terminate an early pregnancy. Fetal deformities may result if a pregnancy is allowed to continue following a failed attempt at medical termination.

Breast-feeding - It is unknown whether mifepristone is distributed in the breast milk.

Other medicines - Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking mifepristone, it is especially important that your doctor and pharmacist know if you are taking any of the following:

• Carbamazepine (e.g., Tegretol) or
• Dexamethasone (e.g., Decadron) or
• Phenobarbital (e.g., Luminal) or
• Phenytoin (e.g., Dilantin) or
• Rifampin (e.g., Rifadin) or
• St. John's Wort - May decrease the concentration of mifepristone in the blood

• Erythromycin (e.g., E-Mycin) or
• Grapefruit juice or
• Itraconazole (e.g., Sporanox) or
• Ketoconazole (e.g., Nizoral) - May increase the concentration of mifepristone in the blood

• Anticoagulants, such as warfarin (e.g., Coumadin) - May increase the risk of bleeding

• Corticosteroids (cortisone-like medicine) - Mifepristone may not work as well

Other medical problems - The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of mifepristone. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Bleeding problems - May cause excessive vaginal bleeding

• Adrenal failure - Mifepristone may not work appropriately

• Ectopic pregnancy or
• Lower abdominal mass - Mifepristone will not terminate an ectopic pregnancy

• An intrauterine device (IUD) that is still in the uterus - Must be removed before mifepristone therapy is started

• Porphyria, inherited

• Anemia, severe or
• Poor blood circulation or
• Inability of blood to clot properly - Mifepristone causes heavy bleeding in a small portion of users, this may be intensified in patients with bleeding disorders