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Quick facts
- How it is given
- intramuscular
- Type
- human prescription drug
- RxNorm ID
- 238014
We do not publish dosing. How much of this medicine to take, how often, and for how long depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other conditions and other medicines. That is a decision for the person who prescribes or dispenses it. Follow the directions on your own pack and ask your pharmacist if anything is unclear.
What it is used to treat
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Carboprost tromethamine injection is indicated for aborting pregnancy between the 13th and 20th weeks of gestation as calculated from the first day of the last normal menstrual period and in the following conditions related to second trimester abortion: Failure of expulsion of the fetus during the course of treatment by another method; Premature rupture of membranes in intrauterine methods with loss of drug and insufficient or absent uterine activity; Requirement of a repeat intrauterine instillation of drug for expulsion of the fetus; Inadvertent or spontaneous rupture of membranes in the presence of a previable fetus and absence of adequate activity for expulsion. Carboprost tromethamine injection is indicated for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage due to uterine atony which has not responded to conventional methods of management. Prior treatment should include the use of intravenously administered oxytocin, manipulative techniques such as uterine massage and, unless contraindicated, intramuscular ergot preparations. Studies have shown that in such cases, the use of carboprost tromethamine injection has resulted in satisfactory control of hemorrhage, although it is unclear whether or not ongoing or delayed effects of previously administered ecbolic agents have contributed to the outcome. In a high proportion of cases, carboprost tromethamine injection used in this manner has resulted in the cessation of life-threatening bleeding and the avoidance of emergency surgical intervention.
About this medicine
DESCRIPTION Carboprost tromethamine injection, USP, an oxytocic, contains the tromethamine salt of the (15S)-15 methyl analogue of naturally occurring prostaglandin F2α in a solution suitable for intramuscular injection. Carboprost tromethamine is the established name for the active ingredient in carboprost tromethamine injection, USP. Four other chemical names are: (15S)-15-methyl prostaglandin F2α tromethamine salt 7-(3α,5α-dihydroxy-2ß-[(3S)-3-hydroxy-3-methyl-trans-1-octenyl]-1α-cyclopentyl]-cis-5-heptenoic acid compound with 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol (15S)-9α,11α,15-trihydroxy-15-methylprosta-cis-5, trans-13-dienoic acid tromethamine salt (15S)-15-methyl PGF2α-THAM The structural formula is represented below: The molecular formula is C 25 H 47 O 8 N. The molecular weight of carboprost tromethamine is 489.64. It is a white to slightly off-white crystalline powder. It generally melts between 95° and 105° C, depending on the rate of heating. Carboprost tromethamine dissolves readily in water at room temperature at a concentration greater than 75 mg/mL. Each mL of Carboprost tromethamine injection, USP contains carboprost tromethamine, USP equivalent to 250 mcg of carboprost, 83 mcg tromethamine, 9 mg sodium chloride, and 9.45 mg benzyl alcohol added as preservative.. When necessary, pH is adjusted with sodium hydroxide and/or hydrochloric acid. The solution is sterile. Structural Formula
Who should not take it
CONTRAINDICATIONS Hypersensitivity (including anaphylaxis and angioedema) to carboprost tromethamine injection [see ADVERSE REACTIONS, Post-marketing Experience ] Acute pelvic inflammatory disease Patients with active cardiac, pulmonary, renal or hepatic disease
Warnings
WARNINGS Carboprost tromethamine, like other potent oxytocic agents, should be used only with strict adherence to recommended dosages. Carboprost tromethamine should be used by medically trained personnel in a hospital which can provide immediate intensive care and acute surgical facilities. Carboprost tromethamine does not appear to directly affect the fetoplacental unit. Therefore, the possibility does exist that the previable fetus aborted by carboprost tromethamine could exhibit transient life signs. Carboprost tromethamine is not indicated if the fetus in utero has reached the stage of viability. Carboprost tromethamine should not be considered a feticidal agent. Evidence from animal studies has suggested that certain other prostaglandins have some teratogenic potential. Although these studies do not indicate that carboprost tromethamine is teratogenic, any pregnancy termination with carboprost tromethamine that fails should be completed by some other means. This product contains benzyl alcohol. Benzyl alcohol has been reported to be associated with a fatal "Gasping Syndrome" in premature infants.
Reported side effects
ADVERSE REACTIONS The adverse effects of carboprost tromethamine injection are generally transient and reversible when therapy ends. The most frequent adverse reactions observed are related to its contractile effect on smooth muscle. In patients studied, approximately two-thirds experienced vomiting and diarrhea, approximately one-third had nausea, one-eighth had a temperature increase greater than 2° F, and one-fourteenth experienced flushing. The pretreatment or concurrent administration of antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs decreases considerably the very high incidence of gastrointestinal effects common with all prostaglandins used for abortion. Their use should be considered an integral part of the management of patients undergoing abortion with carboprost tromethamine. Of those patients experiencing a temperature elevation, approximately one-sixteenth had a clinical diagnosis of endometritis. The remaining temperature elevations returned to normal within several hours after the last injection. Adverse effects observed during the use of carboprost tromethamine for abortion and for hemorrhage, not all of which are clearly drug related, in decreasing order of frequency include: Vomiting Nervousness Diarrhea Nosebleed Nausea Sleep disorders Flushing or hot flashes Dyspnea Chills or shivering Tightness in chest Coughing Wheezing Headaches Posterior cervical perforation Endometritis Weakness Hiccough Diaphoresis Dysmenorrhea-like pain Dizziness Paresthesia Blurred vision Backache Epigastric pain Muscular pain Excessive thirst Breast tenderness Twitching eyelids Eye pain Gagging, retching Drowsiness Dry throat Dystonia Sensation of choking Asthma Thyroid storm Injection site pain Syncope Tinnitus Palpitations Vertigo Rash Vaso-vagal syndrome Upper respiratory infection Dryness of mouth Leg cramps Hyperventilation Perforated uterus Respiratory distress Anxiety Hematemesis Chest pain Taste alterations Retained placental fragment Urinary tract infection Shortness of breath Septic shock Fullness of throat Torticollis Uterine sacculation Lethargy Faintness, light-headedness Hypertension Uterine rupture Tachycardia Pulmonary edema Endometritis from IUCD The most common […]
Interactions with other medicines
Drug Interactions Carboprost tromethamine may augment the activity of other oxytocic agents. Concomitant use with other oxytocic agents is not recommended.
Storing it safely
Carboprost tromethamine injection, USP must be refrigerated at 2° to 8° C (36° to 46° F).
Before you take anything new
Tell your pharmacist or doctor about every medicine you take — including ones bought without a prescription, herbal products and supplements. Interactions are one of the most common avoidable causes of harm from medicines, and a pharmacist can check your full list in a couple of minutes.
This page is built from the openFDA record of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approved labelling for this product, effective 8 December 2025. Label text has been shortened and reformatted for readability; safety wording has not been altered in meaning. FDA labelling describes products approved in the United States — brand names, strengths, formulations and approved uses may differ in your country. Always read the leaflet that comes with your own pack. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the FDA. Retrieved 2026-07-30.