Get Informed: Evista
Active Ingredient(s)
Raloxifene
What does it do?
This product is used primarily in the treatment of osteoporosis and in breast cancer prevention. It is an estrogen receptor modulator which inhibits bone resorption and turnover.
- Last Text Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 1:39 PM
- Last Data Update:
- 2009-Nov-20 6:52 PM
Other Names
- Evista
- Raloxifene
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- X
Black Box Warning
This product has a black box warning relating to its increased risk of potentially fatal strokes or blood clots.
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 09 Dec 1997
- Est US Patients*
- 481,200
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Evista or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Recent alerts for Evista
There have been no alerts regarding Evista during the past year.
Evista Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Evista interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Evista used for?
iGuard.org is currently tracking more than 2,800 patients that use Evista (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Osteoporosis | 88% | 
|
| Menopausal Symptoms | 10% |
|
| Breast Cancer | 4% |
|
| Other | 8% |
|
How well does Evista work?
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 2,800 users taking Evista (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 79%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Evista outweigh the bad things.
- 8%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Evista.
Common Side Effects of Evista
iGuard.org regularly polls our more than 2,800 users taking Evista (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
27% of patients experience side-effects on Evista
1% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Evista
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Hot Flushes
-
= 10%
Less than 1%: Abdominal Pain, Bone/Joint Pain, Heartburn/Reflux, Insomnia, Muscle Pain/Stiffness, Muscle Spasms, Sweating, Swelling/Edema
Global Patient Feedback for Evista (Raloxifene) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
Is there anyone having a problem with weight gain. I have just started taking Evista.
66 year old female
66 year old Female
Posted: 2009-10-21 17:00:10
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Swelling of the legs, hands and feet have been reported by patients who take Evista. This swelling could cause weight gain. If your weight gain is excessive or continues you should discuss it with your doctor.
Posted: 2009-10-29 22:21:57
Answer/Reply:
I have a weight gain of almost 20 pounds, and almost entirely in my stomach area. I feel constantly bloated and a lot of my clothes no longer fit comfortably. I have been taking Evista for about 5 months.
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-11-04 21:19:10
Question/Comment:
I have just been taking Evista for about 30 days and the only side effect that I have noticed is constipation. Never had the problem before taking this drug and have not changed anything else. I am pretty healthy overall, but have taken levoxyl for about 5 years with no problems. Workout 30 minutes a day on treadmill and with weights. Don't like taking drugs, but dont want osteoporosis either!
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-10-06 08:22:28
Question/Comment:
I have stopped taking Evista for about 2 months now only because I was without health insurance. I have noticed I sweat profusely, day & night. I now have hot flashes which had stopped when I started Evista. I even get hot & sweaty at work where I work in a meat cooler with the temperature at a constant 32 degrees. I can't wait to start taking Evista again it has really helped me, I am positiveof it now. No side effectsfor me. I was on it 2yrs.
53yr old female
52 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-23 15:07:33
Question/Comment:
I have osteopenia -- took Fosamax for years (finally realized when I stopped the pill was causing the leg cramps), Actonel (intense leg cramps that woke me up at night), Boniva (thought I was having a heart attack from the sudden intense chest pain). And now Estiva doesn't seem to be any different...leg cramps, more frequent/intense hot flashes and breast tenderness. I'm going to try taking it every other day and see if that helps, or every 3rd day...or do like other users and stop taking it.
63 year old Female
Posted: 2009-09-14 23:09:18
Question/Comment:
I have just read that you can take Evista for 5 years and the effectiveness of it lingers for as much as 10 years after discontinuing. Has anyone been advised to stop use after 5 years? Also, the info. I have received says that in rare cases, it can cause elevated liver enzymes; mine are elevated.
62 year old Female
Posted: 2009-08-31 15:58:06
Answer/Reply:
I'm 64 and had been using Evista for about 4 yrs. when I fractured my collar bone in October, 2008. Because of the risk of developing blood clots after a bone fracture and Evista also warning that it could be one of the side effects of the drug, I stopped taking it. My bone density test, ten months later, showed a very slight increase in density even though I had stopped taking Evista. This leads me to believe it does have some residual effect.
64 year old Female
Posted: 2009-11-19 13:50:12
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
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Patient Comments about
Evista