
User Reviews \| Add Review \| Search Reviews	Drug Search

You have entered 0 Drug(s) and 0 Symptom(s)

Click Evaluate for a complete analysis of your drugs and symptoms

Evista (raloxifene)

Side Effect Search

Underlined words or phrases provide helpful links to information in wikipedia.org

Generic Name : raloxifene (oral)
Pronounced : ra LOX i feen

What is raloxifene?

Raloxifene affects the cycle of bone formation and breakdown in the body, and reduces loss of bone tissue.

Raloxifene is used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Raloxifene is also used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have osteoporosis or who are otherwise at risk of invasive breast cancer.

Raloxifene may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about raloxifene?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to raloxifene, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have ever had a blood clot. Although it is not likely that a postmenopausal woman would be pregnant, raloxifene can cause birth defects and should not be used during pregnancy. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Before taking raloxifene, tell your doctor if you smoke or if you have coronary artery disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, a history of stroke or TIA, high triglycerides, if you have not gone through menopause, or if you have had breast cancer in the past.

If you need to have any type of surgery or will be on bed rest, you will need to stop taking raloxifene for at least 72 hours before your surgery or before you plan to be immobile. Any doctor or surgeon who treats you should know that you are taking raloxifene. Avoid sitting still for long periods of time during travel while you are taking raloxifene.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking raloxifene?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to raloxifene, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have ever had a blood clot. FDA pregnancy category X. Although it is not likely that a postmenopausal woman would be pregnant, raloxifene can cause birth defects and should not be used during pregnancy. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether raloxifene passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take raloxifene?

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take it in larger amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Raloxifene can be taken with or without food.

You may take raloxifene at any time of the day, but try to take it at the same time each day.

If your raloxifene tablets are packaged on blister cards, take the medication as follows:

If you need to have any type of surgery or will be on bed rest, you will need to stop taking raloxifene for at least 72 hours before your surgery or before you plan to be immobile. Any doctor or surgeon who treats you should know that you are taking raloxifene. Raloxifene is only part of a complete program of treatment that may also include diet, exercise, calcium or vitamin D supplements, and weight control. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely.

Store raloxifene at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, wait until then to take the medicine and skip the missed dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine.

Overdose symptoms may include leg cramps and dizziness.

What should I avoid while taking raloxifene?

If you take calcium supplements, do not take more than your doctor has prescribed. Taking more calcium than recommended will not provide extra protection for your bones, and may cause serious side effects including kidney stones. Avoid sitting still for long periods of time during travel while you are taking raloxifene.

What are the possible side effects of raloxifene?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;
chest pain, sudden cough, wheezing, rapid breathing, fast heart rate;
pain or swelling in one or both legs;
swelling in your hands or feet;
fever, chills, sore throat, body aches, flu symptoms;
unusual vaginal bleeding;
breast pain, tenderness, or lump;
pain or burning when you urinate; or
severe pain in your lower back.

Less serious side effects may include:

hot flashes;
headache, dizziness, spinning sensation;
leg pain;
joint pain;
increased sweating;
nausea, vomiting, stomach pain; or
runny or stuffy nose.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect raloxifene?

Before taking raloxifene, talk to your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:

cholestyramine (Questran, Prevalite);
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin); or
diazepam (Valium);
diazoxide (Proglycem); or
birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with raloxifene. Tell your doctor about all your prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

Where can I get more information?

Your pharmacist can provide more information about raloxifene.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Multum version: 146.0 (Oct 22, 2009)

Add a User Review

To add a User Review fill out the fields below. A drug name is required to post. You will be asked to enter the dosage, which is listed on the bottle/container, along with units such as mg, ounces, etc; as well as how often you take the drug. When you enter a possible side effect, you will be asked about its severity. In the comment field, please describe your experiences or any comment that you will think help other users understand what they can expect from their drug treatment. We also welcome comments and suggestions about our site through feedback.

* Enter drug name- enter one drug at a time, by typing at least 3 letters of the drug name and select the appropriate drug from the list, then proceed to entering the next drug. Google

* Enter condition name - the "condition" is the reason you are taking the drug, which could be a disease such as "diabetes" or a symptom such as "joint aches". Enter a condition and select from the list shown, then enter the next condition if you are experiencing more than one.

* Enter side effects - these are any undesirable effects you might be experiencing from the drug(s). Enter your side effect and select from the list shown, then enter the next side effect if you are experiencing more than one. If you are not experiencing any side effects check the box below, No Side Effects.

No Side Effects

Enter comments - tell the community about your experiences and any information you may have about taking these drugs.

Age Gender:

Thank you for adding your review.

Return to Current Page

To help protect against automated posting, please enter the words that appear in the box below (more info).
Words should be separated by space.

Unable to see the image? (get another image)

* Required fields

NOTE: Just because a drug or combination of drugs can cause a symptom does not mean it is actually causing your symptom. Symptoms can be caused by medical conditions as well. Make sure that your physician is aware of any symptoms you are experiencing so he/she can work with you to determine the cause. Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information DoubleCheckMD.com provides is intended to help individuals to work with their medical professionals and is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or healthcare advice and serves to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of a healthcare professional. In all cases individuals should consult with a physician before taking any action based on DoubleCheckMD feedback including, but not limited to ceasing taking any drug, changing diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. The information provided by DoubleCheckMD.com is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that the use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective.