Description

Evista ( Raloxifene ) is used to help reduce calcium loss from bones.

Manufacturer: Dr. Reddy		Average Delivery Time: 12 Days
Brand Name:		Exp. Date: Approx. March 2009

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Description

Raloxifene is used to help prevent and treat thinning of the bones (osteoporosis) only in postmenopausal women.

It works like an estrogen to stop the bone loss that can develop in women after menopause, but it does not increase the bone density as much as daily 0.625 mg doses of conjugated estrogens. Raloxifene will not treat hot flashes of menopause and may cause hot flashes to occur. Also, raloxifene does not stimulate the breast or uterus as estrogen does.

Raloxifene lowers the blood concentrations of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the bad cholesterols, but it does not increase concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the good cholesterol, in your blood.

Raloxifene is also used to lower chances of having invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or at high risk of having invasive breast cancer .

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, raloxifene is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
Breast cancer prevention in high-risk women who have already gone through menopause .

This product is available in the following dosage forms:
Tablet

What Is Raloxifene Used For? -- An Overview
Raloxifene hydrochloride (Evista®) is a prescription medication that is part of a group of medications known as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMS). It is approved for the following uses:

Treating or preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women
Lowering the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who are at high risk for breast cancer or in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Why Is Raloxifene Used for Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis, which means "porous bone," is a disease characterized by low bone mass (bone thinning) that leads to fragile bones and an increased risk of fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. Men as well as women are affected by this condition. Fortunately, osteoporosis is a disease that can be prevented and treated.

Common causes of osteoporosis include:

Age-related bone loss
Smoking
Alcohol abuse
Long-term corticosteroid use
Certain diseases.

Race and ethnicity may play a role in developing osteoporosis as well, but more research is needed to determine the connection.

Often, osteoporosis treatment is not started until a bone is broken, as there are usually no symptoms. However, treatment may be started earlier if the disease is detected using a test (see Diagnosing Osteoporosis). In fact, some osteoporosis medications (including raloxifene) can be used for osteoporosis prevention in postmenopausal women, especially those who are at high risk for developing it (see Risk Factors for Osteoporosis). The drug can also be used to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.