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Do More to Stay Healthy: View tips for healthy living past menopause

If you have recently been prescribed EVISTA, or even if you are already taking EVISTA, you may have many questions, including how it works, how and when to take it, possible interactions with other drugs, and more.

Select a question below to get started:

What is EVISTA?
How do I take EVISTA?
What are the side effects of EVISTA?
Can EVISTA help treat my osteoporosis?
Can EVISTA help reduce my risk of invasive breast cancer?
Is EVISTA an estrogen or hormone?
Why can I not take EVISTA with estrogen?
How many women have been in clinical trials with EVISTA?
Why is it important to keep taking EVISTA?

What is EVISTA?
EVISTA is a type of prescription medicine called a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM). EVISTA is for women after menopause, and has more than one use: Osteoporosis: EVISTA treats and prevents osteoporosis by helping make your bones strong and less likely to break. EVISTA can be taken with calcium and vitamin D. Invasive Breast Cancer: If you have osteoporosis or are at high risk for breast cancer, EVISTA can be used to lower your chance of getting invasive breast cancer. EVISTA will not totally get rid of your chance of getting breast cancer. Your doctor can estimate your risk of breast cancer by asking you about risk factors, such as: your age (getting older); family history of breast cancer in your mother, sister, or daughter; a history of any breast biopsy, especially an abnormal biopsy. You and your doctor should talk about whether the possible benefit of EVISTA in lowering your chance of getting invasive breast cancer is greater than its possible risks.

For women past menopause treating and preventing osteoporosis, EVISTA can be taken with calcium and vitamin D.

If you already have or have had breast cancer, EVISTA does not treat it or prevent its return, and it does not reduce the risk of all forms of breast cancer.

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You can take EVISTA any time of day, with or without food

How do I take EVISTA?
EVISTA is a daily pill that can be taken once a day, any time you wish, with food or without. If you are preventing or treating osteoporosis, EVISTA can also be taken along with supplemental calcium and vitamin D.

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What are the side effects of EVISTA?
Serious and life-threatening side effects can occur while taking EVISTA. These include blood clots and dying from stroke:

  • Increased risk of blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and lungs (pulmonary embolism) have been reported with EVISTA. Women who have or have had blood clots in the legs, lungs, or eyes should not take EVISTA.
  • Women who have had a heart attack or are at risk for a heart attack may have an increased risk of dying from stroke when taking EVISTA.

The most common side effects of EVISTA are hot flashes, leg cramps, swelling of the feet, ankles, and legs, flu syndrome, joint pain, and sweating. Hot flashes are more common during the first 6 months after starting treatment.

These are not all the side effects of EVISTA. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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Can EVISTA help treat my osteoporosis?
EVISTA has been prescribed for over 10 years to treat and prevent osteoporosis in women past menopause by helping to increase bone mineral density. EVISTA can be taken with calcium and vitamin D.

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Can EVISTA help reduce my risk of invasive breast cancer?
If you are a woman past menopause with osteoporosis, EVISTA can help lower your chance of getting invasive breast cancer. EVISTA will not totally get rid of your chance of getting breast cancer.

If you are a woman past menopause at high risk of invasive breast cancer, EVISTA can also help lower your chance of getting invasive breast cancer. Your doctor can estimate your risk of invasive breast cancer by asking you about risk factors, such as:

  • your age (getting older)
  • family history of breast cancer in your mother, sister, or daughter
  • a history of any breast biopsy, especially an abnormal biopsy

You and your doctor should talk about whether the possible benefit of EVISTA in lowering your chance of getting invasive breast cancer is greater than its possible risks.

If you already have or have had breast cancer, EVISTA does not treat it or prevent its return, and it does not reduce the risk of all forms of breast cancer.

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Is EVISTA an estrogen or hormone?
EVISTA is not a hormone like estrogen. EVISTA is a type of prescription medicine called an estrogen agonist/antagonist, commonly called a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM). This means it works 2 ways in your body. EVISTA acts like estrogen in some tissues, and blocks the effect of estrogen in other tissues:

  • in your bones, EVISTA appears to mimic the effect of estrogen
  • in your breasts, EVISTA blocks the effect of estrogen

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Why can I not take EVISTA with estrogen?
In clinical trials, EVISTA has not been studied in combination with any form of estrogen that comes in a pill, patch, or injection. EVISTA should not be taken with any of these forms of estrogen.

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How many women have been in clinical trials with EVISTA?
EVISTA has been studied extensively with more than 39,000 women involved in various clinical studies up to 8 years.

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Why is it important to keep taking EVISTA?
It's important to keep taking EVISTA every day and follow your doctor's dosing instruction in order to get the most benefit out of taking EVISTA.

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Next: How EVISTA Appears to Work

Indication for EVISTA® (raloxifene HCI tablets)
EVISTA treats osteoporosis in women past menopause and lowers the chance of getting invasive breast cancer. EVISTA will not totally get rid of your chance of getting breast cancer.

If you already have or have had breast cancer, EVISTA does not treat it or prevent its return, and it does not reduce the risk of all forms of breast cancer.

EVISTA can be taken with calcium and vitamin D.

Indication for EVISTA® (raloxifene HCI tablets)
EVISTA treats and prevents osteoporosis in women past menopause.

Indication for EVISTA® (raloxifene HCI tablets)
EVISTA can be used to lower your chance of getting invasive breast cancer in women past menopause at high risk for invasive breast cancer. EVISTA will not totally get rid of your chance of getting breast cancer. Your doctor can estimate your risk of breast cancer by asking you about risk factors, such as:

  • your age (getting older).
  • family history of breast cancer in your mother, sister, or daughter.
  • a history of any breast biopsy, especially an abnormal biopsy.

You and your doctor should talk about whether the possible benefit of EVISTA in lowering your chance of getting invasive breast cancer is greater than its possible risks.

If you already have or have had breast cancer, EVISTA does not treat it or prevent its return, and it does not reduce the risk of all forms of breast cancer.

Indications for EVISTA® (raloxifene HCI tablets)
EVISTA is a type of prescription medicine called a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM). EVISTA is for women after menopause, and has more than one use: Osteoporosis: EVISTA treats and prevents osteoporosis by helping make your bones strong and less likely to break. EVISTA can be taken with calcium and vitamin D. Invasive Breast Cancer: If you have osteoporosis or are at high risk for breast cancer, EVISTA can be used to lower your chance of getting invasive breast cancer. EVISTA will not totally get rid of your chance of getting breast cancer. Your doctor can estimate your risk of breast cancer by asking you about risk factors, such as: your age (getting older); family history of breast cancer in your mother, sister, or daughter; a history of any breast biopsy, especially an abnormal biopsy. You and your doctor should talk about whether the possible benefit of EVISTA in lowering your chance of getting invasive breast cancer is greater than its possible risks.

If you already have or have had breast cancer, EVISTA does not treat it or prevent its return, and it does not reduce the risk of all forms of breast cancer.

Important Safety Information About EVISTA® (raloxifene HCl tablets)

You should not take EVISTA if you have had or are at risk for getting blood clots in the legs, lungs or eyes, as it may increase the risk of blood clots. Stop taking EVISTA and call your doctor if you have leg pain or warmth, swelling of the legs, hands or feet, chest pain, shortness of breath or a sudden vision change, as these may be signs of a blood clot. Being unable to move around for long periods may increase this risk. If you will need to be still for a long time, talk to your doctor about ways to reduce the risk of blood clots.

EVISTA does not increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke in women who have had or are at risk for a heart attack; however; EVISTA increases the likelihood of dying from stroke in these women, should one occur. Before taking EVISTA tell your doctor if you have had a stroke, a mini-stroke, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, history of smoking, or believe you have other risk factors for stroke or a heart attack.

EVISTA is not right for everyone. Do not take EVISTA if you:

  • have had blood clots in your legs, lungs or eyes.
  • are pregnant, nursing or may become pregnant, as EVISTA may cause fetal harm.

What should I tell my doctor before taking EVISTA?

Talk to your doctor about all your medical conditions including:

  • If you have had blood clots in your legs, lungs or eyes.
  • If you have had a stroke, mini-stroke, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, history of smoking, or think you have other risk factors for stroke or heart attack.
  • EVISTA should not be used for prevention of heart disease.
  • If you are premenopausal. Only take prescription EVISTA if you are past menopause.
  • If you have liver or kidney disease. Women with liver or kidney disease should use EVISTA with caution.
  • EVISTA should not be taken with estrogens in the form of pills, patches or injections.
  • If you have taken estrogen in the past and had a high increase of triglycerides (a kind of fat in the blood).

What are the possible side effects of EVISTA?

  • Side effects may include hot flashes, leg cramps, swelling, flu-like symptoms, joint pain, and sweating. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

What are the possible drug interactions with EVISTA?

  • If you take warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) or other coumarin blood thinners, you may need to do a blood test (prothrombin time, pro-time or INR) when you first start or if you need to stop taking EVISTA. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose of your warfarin or other coumarin blood thinners.
  • EVISTA should not be taken with cholestyramine or estrogens.

See Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide, including Boxed Warning for increased risk of blood clots and death from stroke.

RA ISI CON 28Sept2011