What Is Pitocin?and Who Needs Pitocin?

What Is Pitocin?

A hormone commonly used to induce or continue labor pains or even control the bleeding after labor is known as pitocin. Occasionally it is also used to trigger the milk secretion for breast feeding. It may also be used for other health conditions based on the advice of the doctor.

Inducing labor through pitocin is not advised unless there is some specific medical reason behind it. It is essential to thoroughly discuss with the doctor before taking pitocin. Pitocin is only available to patients with a doctor’s prescription.

Dosage

Through the use of intravenous injections with a dosage of 0.5 to 1 milliunit/minute, labor pains can be induced. The dosage is then gradually increased by a unit of 1 to 2 milliunits/minute after every 15 to 60 minutes till a pattern of normal contractions is observed.

Who Needs Pitocin?

The three general occasions when induction of labor may be necessary for an expecting mother are mentioned below:

• The induction may be necessary if the delivery does not occur when the 42 weeks are almost over.
• In a situation when augmentation is required because the membrane is broken, but contractions do not start.
 

Do NOT use Pitocin if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Pitocin
• your birth canal is too small compared with the fetus's head
• the fetus is in a difficult position within the womb or is in distress and delivery is not progressing
• you have other complications that require medical intervention for birth
• you have bacteria in the blood
• you cannot have a child through vaginal delivery because of certain conditions (eg, genital herpes, cervical cancer)

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Before using Pitocin:

Some medical conditions may interact with Pitocin. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:

• if you are breast-feeding
• if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
• if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
• if you are having a cesarean section or have a history of difficult labor or uterine surgery
• if you are having labor complications, traumatic delivery, severe vaginal bleeding, or placenta previa (abnormal placement of the placenta in the uterus)

Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Pitocin. Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:

• Droxidopa because its actions and side effects may be increased by Pitocin, possibly resulting in high blood pressure

This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Pitocin may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.

Possible side effects of Pitocin:

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:

Nausea; vomiting; more intense or abrupt contractions of the uterus.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); blood clotting problems; changes in heart rate; heavy or continued bleeding after childbirth; irregular heartbeat; pooling of blood in the pelvis; ruptured uterus.

Fetus: Bleeding in the eye; irregular heartbeat; seizures; slow heartbeat.

This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, contact your health care provider

 

Source