Drug Uses
Evista is a prescription medicine used by women after menopause to treat or prevent a condition called osteoporosis. You should take calcium and vitamin D along with this medication if you do not get enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet.
How Taken
The recommended dosage is one 60-mg tablet daily, which may be administered any time of day without regard to meals.
Warnings/Precautions
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have a history of blood clots; stroke; cancer; increased triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood); or liver disease.
You may not be able to take this medication, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Evista is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not take this medication if you are pregnant or if you could become pregnant during treatment.
It is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Missed Dose
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose of this medication.
Possible Side Effects
An infrequent but serious side effect of taking this medication is the development of blood clots in the veins. These blood clots can stop blood flow and cause serious medical problems, disability or death. Call your doctor right away if you have or have had any of the following signs of blood clots in the legs, lungs or eyes: leg pain or a feeling of warmth in the calves, swelling of the legs, hands or feet, sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or coughing up blood, sudden change in your vision, such as loss of vision or blurred vision.
Most of the side effects are mild and usually do not cause women to stop taking it. The most common side effects are hot flashes and leg cramps. Hot flashes are more common during the first 6 months after starting treatment.
If you have any problems or questions that concern you while taking this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Overdose
Incidents of overdose in humans have not been reported. There is no specific antidote for Evista.
