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Are there any drug interactions with Evista?

The drug Evista (generic name raloxifene) acts like estrogen in certain places in the body, but is not a hormone. It helps prevent osteoporosis in women who’ve reached menopause. Osteoporosis causes bones to gradually grow thin, fragile, and more likely to break. Evista slows down the loss of bone mass that occurs with menopause, lowering the risk of spine fractures due to osteoporosis.

Cholestyramine (brand name Questran), a medicine used to treat high cholesterol, can keep Evista from being absorbed into the bloodstream. You should not take these two medications together. Also, do not take Evista with estrogen unless your doctor approves, since the effects of combined therapy haven’t been studied.

Sources:
Drug Facts and Comparisons, Facts & Comparisons, 2006.
Micromedex® Healthcare Series. Thomson Micromedex, 2006.
Evista product information, Eli Lilly And Company, 2006.
Drug Information Handbook. American Pharmaceutical Association, 1999.

This answer prepared 1/18/2001.
This information updated 12/5/2006.