How Effective is Evista & What are Its Side Effects?

Evista or can also put your life at a high risk of having stroke which can cause death. This risk is high in people with coronary heart problems or those with risk factors like diabetes, overweight, menopause, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and in those people who had hysterectomy or from families with history of coronary artery illnesses.

Evista which is also known as raloxifene works effectively by affecting bone formation cycle and breakdown within the body to minimize loss of bone tissues.

Evista or raloxifene medicine is effectively used for preventing or treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Evista or raloxifene medicine is also utilized in women at menopause stage, to minimize the risk of getting breast cancer as well as in women with osteoporosis condition.

Kindly note that evista or raloxifene is not a cancer medicine nor is it used in treating breast cancer. Evista or raloxifene medication can cause a risk of blood clot in your lung, eye or leg. Do not use evista or raloxifene if you have suffered any form of blood clot before.

Pregnant women or those planning to get pregnant should not use evista or raloxifene medicine. You should not breast feed your baby when using evista or raloxifene.

Do not use evista or raloxifene if you had any form of blood clot before. This medicine increases chances of having a blood clot in your eye, leg or lungs.

Evista or raloxifene can also put your life at a high risk of having stroke which can cause death. This risk is high in people with coronary heart problems or those with risk factors like diabetes, overweight, menopause, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and in those people who had hysterectomy or from families with history of coronary artery illnesses.

For you to be safe when taking evista or raloxifene, you should inform your physician if you have conditions such as high blood pressure, liver or kidney disease, heart disease, if you have any record of stroke, high triglycerides, if you suffered from breast cancer before, if you have not yet reached menopause, coronary artery disease like atherosclerosis or if you are using blood thinner medications like Coumadin, Jantoven and warfarin.

A woman at postmenopausal stage is not likely to conceive. Evista or raloxifene may cause birth complications and defects. Do not use evista or raloxifene if you are or planning to be pregnant. You should use effective birth control methods if you have not yet reached menopause stage. You should inform your doctor immediately if you conceive during treatment.

It is not yet proven medically whether raloxifene can harm a nursing baby or if it can pass into breast milk. Do not breast feed when taking Evista medicine.

Common side effects of evista or raloxifene include:

• Heavy sweating
• Cramps in the legs
• Hot flashes
• Signs of flu
• Painful joints
• Swelling on your ankles, feet and hands are also side effects of evista or raloxifene.

Seek immediate medical assistance if you suffer any symptoms of allergic reaction to evista or raloxifene, such as hives, breathing difficulty or swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue. Stop taking evista or raloxifene at once and inform your doctor if you have the following severe side effects of evista or raloxifene:

• Lumps or certain changes in your breathing.
• Coughing blood, chest pain, fast breathing, prompt cough, wheezing ( symptoms of lung blood clot)
• Symptoms of stroke such as sudden weakness or numbness in one side of your body, slurred speech, severe headache, eye problems or lack of balance.
• Symptoms of blood clot in the leg such as swelling, pain, warmth or redness on your legs.

The following drugs can affect the functioning of Evista. They include vitamins, herbal medicines and over the counter prescriptions. You must tell your pharmacist or doctor about all the medicines you are using or the ones you stopped using.