Q: I had two abortions. The doctor has now advised me to take letoval and maintane. Is it alright to take these medicines to conceive?

A:It is not clear if the cause of two miscarriages has been determined. On the face of it, the diagnosis appears to be habitual abortion. Maintane is indicated, approved and internationally used for threatened habitual abortion. Letoval is the brand name of a medicine called letrozole. It is an anti-cancer medicine and is indicated, approved and internationally used for Breast Cancer in Post-Menopausal Women. Using it for any other purpose is illegal and dangerous. The manufacturer was unethically and illegally promoting its use in young women suffering from infertility to gynaecologists. The Company was warned by Drugs Controller General, India (DCGI) in writing to desist from such activities. The Company apologised and promised not to do so again. The side effects of Letoval include: heart attack, hot flushes, vaginal bleeding, weight gain, ovarian tumours, sexual inactivity, angina, brain stroke, paralysis and life threatening lung clots (pulmonary embolism). These side effects have been documented by the innovator company, Novartis, and submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).