Meaning & use
misoprostol
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
a drug used to treat stomach ulcers and to cause abortion or induce labor.
Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or 'an'. Often followed by 'for' to indicate the condition: misoprostol for ulcers.
Patterns
- misoprostol for something
- take misoprostol
- a dose of misoprostol
Misoprostol is sometimes prescribed to prevent ulcers in people taking arthritis medication.
The doctor explained that misoprostol can be used to induce labor.
In some countries, misoprostol is available over the counter.
Common combinations
- take misoprostol
- Patients should take misoprostol exactly as prescribed.
- misoprostol for ulcers
- Misoprostol for ulcers is usually taken four times a day.
- a dose of misoprostol
- She was given a dose of misoprostol to start labor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Cytotec
- Cytotec is a brand name for misoprostol; use the generic term 'misoprostol' in medical writing unless referring to the brand specifically.
Commonly confused: misoprostol or mifepristone?
misoprostol vs mifepristone
Mifepristone is a different drug often used together with misoprostol for medical abortion. They are not the same.
Practice
What is misoprostol primarily used for?
Choose one answer.
Misoprostol is a prostaglandin analog used to protect the stomach lining and for obstetric purposes. It is not an antibiotic, antihypertensive, or analgesic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “misoprostol”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.