EVISTA Reviews (RALOXIFENE HYDROCHLORIDE)Average Rating: 1.9 (377 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EVISTA with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on EVISTA: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EVISTA | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 2 | bone loss, breast cancer prevention | After three weeks on Evista I developed a major pain in my left thigh. It started at my hip, radiating to just above my knee. The center of the pain has moved down closer to my knee, but it is just as painful. I stopped taking it on the third day after the pain started, it's been two days since I took it, but the pain is just as intense. I hope it doesn't last much longer. I've been taking ibuprofen and darvocet for the pain but neither one helps much. | I have osteoporosis and I have a high risk for breast cancer and just had a non-cancerous lump removed from my breast so I wanted to be on a preventative medicine, but I know I can't tolerate this pain, so I will probably not resume taking it. | F | 52 | 23 days | 7/10/2006 | 2 | osteoporosis | After two weeks on this drug, minor leg cramps turned into huge pain from ankle to knee on right leg. Unable to walk. I am taking myself off it today. | F | 66 | 14 days | 7/2/2006 | 3 | osteopenia | Having some hip pain. But, I notice that my hair has become much thinner. Not sure if that is caused by Evista. Have been on it for three years. Would prefer a more natural method. | F | 60 | 3 years | 6/21/2006 | 3 | post-menopause osteopenia | I've been taking Evista for four years without problems, I thought. Weight gain, back/hip/leg pain, leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, joint stiffness, NO libido, and insomnia could all be attributed to menopause, worn out lumbar disk, or lousy luck. The hip pain has been severe at times but x-rays and MRI gave no cause...physical therapy didn't help. Four nights ago I borrowed a Darvocet for the hip pain but had coincidentally run out of Evista that day. After four days OFF Evista my hips are better, knees not stiff, feet don't hurt, and I fall asleep easily. Imagine my surprise after doing some research to find that I have MANY of the symptoms others have developed while taking Evista. Hmmm... could it really be this easy? | I plan to stay off Evista for a few weeks to see if these symptom changes are just coincidence and temporary, or causative and permanent. Hopefully I will walk more, take off the 20 lbs. I gained and sleep better. | F | 54 | 4 years | 6/9/2006 | 1 | osteoporosis | Heart burn worsened | My spine's bone density decreased more than 9 percent during 18 months on Evista! Lost all of the bone that had regrown while on Fosamax (for 30 months) plus more. | F | 49 | 18 months | 5/27/2006 | 4 | osteopenia after weight loss surger | Some hot flashes about an hour after I take it. Not severe. | I took Miacalcin for 6 months when the osteopenia was discovered, but Miacalcin is only effective for 6 month stretches. So I switched to Evista. I have annual dexa scans and my osteopenia has improved to the point that all areas of the scan are in the normal range. I also take high doses of calcium citrate, vitamin D and magnesium and watch my lab levels (every 6 months) for all these elements and along with my PTH. It is critical to watch these levels and keep both the serum calcium and the PTH levels in mid range rather than in the high range for either. I have found that this approach has been very successful, especially given that after weight loss surgery, we absorb very little calcium and often wls patients fall quickly into osteoporosis if they are not very aggressive with addressing the calcium loss. And personally, I think we have all been snowed by the milk producers big money campaign so that we thought milk was much more helpful calcium-wise than it truly is. | F | 53 | 1 years | 5/21/2006 | 2 | Premature Ovarian Failure (age 38) | I have taken evista for almost 2 years. Never considered it could be making my Fibromyalgia symptoms worse. I ache anyway but recently noticed my legs hurt more than usual, heart rate is much too high, today it was 133 when checked at the local pharmacy. Since 2001 I have gained over 100 lbs, about 25 of that since I started Evista. I feel like I am running a fever most of the time. Often I am running a low grade fever when it is checked at the doctor's office. My legs swell badly some days and I usually take a diuretic (prescribed) to keep the swelling from getting out of control. The only thing that realy helps the swelling is propping up my feet and sleeping. Walking makes it worse. I am a student and I work at a computer. None of my doctors told me about the dangers of sitting too long when taking this medicine. 2 years ago my bone density scans were good. I was put on this medicine to prevent bone loss since I will probably spend +/- 40 years in the post-menapause stage. | After reading the comments other women have posted about this medication, I am seriously considering stopping it. Sometimes, the fibromyalgia condition makes it hard for me to tell if a problem is related to a medicine or if it's part of the fibro. Sounds like there are many situations I already have problems with and evista could make them much worse. | F | 40 | 2 years | 5/18/2006 | 2 | osteoporosis | increase in hot flashes, sleep interruption, hip pain | I'm not sure if this is helping me as I've only been on it for a month. My concern is the warning to stop taking it 3 days before surgery or before going on a long trip to prevent clots. Do people on HRT have to take the same precautions? (I understand that's one of the risks with HRT) By the way, all of your comments and experiences have been helpful in my decision on whether to continue on this course of treatment or to switch to other meds. Thanks! | F | 55 | 30 days | 5/7/2006 | 2 | osteopenia | Until today, have been experiencing slight stiffness in my right leg and hip. Getting up after sitting on the floor was a little painful. Attributed this to age. Yesterday, extreme pain in my leg trying to get up from sitting on the floor. Took a while to stand up because of the pain. This morning, my hip locked and couldn't walk on leg. Shooting pains in the thigh. Now at work and feeling very sore. | My symptoms shouldn't be happening to someone my age. I've had no prior pain before taking Evista. Haven't taken it today and I plan to stop. Will see what happens. | F | 52 | 6 months | 4/24/2006 | 1 | osteopenia | After one week, started experiencing extreme joint and bone pain-hard to walk up or down stairs. Called pharmacist-this is a side effect. Stopped taking it and pain stopped. I am sceptacle about these drugs-too many adverse reactions. | F | 53 | 15 days | 3/30/2006 | 1 | Osteoporosis | Shooting muscle/bone pains started as soon as I started taking the drug and evolved into all of this! minor hot flashes, major bone/muscle pain, sore throat, loss of voice, sinus pain and drainage, cough, chills, aching all over. AND you are not supposed to spend time in bed because of the risk of blood clots. | I am not sure that all these are caused by Evista, but they are all included in the side effects for this drug. I took Fosamax for 5 years and Forteo for 18 months in a study that ended 2 weeks ago. The study doctor recommended that I take Evista. Nothing so far has increased my bone density. | F | 63 | 10 days | 3/12/2006 | 1 | osteopenia | I had an episode of cloudy urine and severe burning sensaton while urinating. Thought it was an UTI. Frequent urination, severe leg cramps. Took myself off the drug today. | Would not recommend taking. | F | 53 | 5 weeks | 3/1/2006 | 2 | prevent osteoporosis | After the first day, experienced leg pain radiating from hips downward. Each day the pain got worse. Got up this morning to research possible side effects and read other patients' experiences. I will not be taking it again. | F | 55 | 4 days | 2/18/2006 | 3 | prevention of osteoporosis | very increased libido!!!!! | I do not know yet if it is doing the job, however, I know for a fact it had a direct effect on my libido(increased) which was nice, but I also did notice some vision blurring which I had never had.......... I stopped it for a week and my vision seems clearer | F | 53 | 2 days | 1/19/2006 | 1 | osteopenia | Very bothersome hot flashes (ringing wet), insomnia, irritability. | This drug gave me the worst hot flashes ever! I would not recommend taking this unless you live on the tundra and are single. My husband would not put up with the way I treated him while on this drug for more than one week. | F | 47 | 4 days | 1/3/2006 | 3 | Osteopenia | Am now in my fifth week of taking this tablet, having tried and quickly dropped first Fosamax and then Actonel. So far, apart from hot flushes (flashes) in the first fortnight, have noticed no side-effects except maybe a slight increase in libido. I mentioned to my doctor my concerns about the possible side-effect of ovarian cancer so I am having a scan soon and then check-ups at two-yearly intervals. Is that often enough? | I hope to report back after a few months. | F | 67 | 5 weeks | 12/29/2005 | 2 | maintain bone density | Started Evista after 5 years of tamoxifen following breast cancer. On it to maintain bone density. Have had LOSS of bone in lower jaw w/ pieces of dead bone working their way out thru gum. Oral surgeon says he's seen it in other patients on evista. Dentist said article in Dec. 05 Journal of Am. Dental Assoc about this. Apparently just starting to hit the medical literature as the association of problem and drug identified. Drug company has not written about it. | Have lived w/ the hot flashes (much less than w/ tamoxifen). have pain in hips- hope all of this will go away now that I've stopped it. Don't know if bone will grow back in mouth. | F | 58 | 5 years | 12/21/2005 | 4 | osteopenia | I have been taking Fosamax for several years. When another bone density score showed no improvement, the doctor prescribed Evista daily along with the once-weekly Fosamax. I've been using it for about 5 days with no negative reaction. | Sure hope it works with no miserable side effects.... | F | 55 | 5 days | 12/19/2005 | 1 | OSTEOPOROSIS | HOT FLASHES AND EXTREME MOOD SWINGS, SINUS CONGESTION, OVERALL HATEFUL FEELING WHEN BEFORE FELT LIFE AS GREAT. ANYONE ELSE FEEL LIKE THIS// | F | 51 | 90 days | 12/7/2005 | 1 | for osteoporosis | Severe hot flashes throughout the dayand evening, and night sweats; plus severe leg cramps at night | After serious adverse side effects (internal bleeding) from taking Fosamax only twice, my doc switched me to Evista, stating that it is milder. He warned me that the side effects could be hot flashes. Then, upon reading the accompanying flyer from the pharmacist, I learned that additional possible side effects are blood clots (which can cause stroke and kill). Upon further esearch online, I learn that Eli Lilly, the drug company than makes Evista, admitted that the early trials demonstrated that Evista causes ovarian cancer in rats, but discounted this "not being applicable to humans." (You do the math.) Many other sources cite that Evista also causes an increased risk of ovarian cancer (one 2-year study cited an 8% increase) as well as other cancers. I suggest that you do a lot of research on this drug before taking it. | F | 54 | 3 days | 10/4/2005 |