Raloxifene

Side effects tend to occur at the beginning of treatment and goes away as the treatment goes. Inform your doctor if these side effects become bothersome.

• Hot flushes
• Wear loose fitting clothes or go to areas with air conditioner.
• Flu-like symptoms such as stuffy or runny nose and sore throat
• Leg cramps
• Swelling of hands, feet and legs
• Nausea and vomiting
• Take the medication after food to reduce these side effects
• Headache
• You may take Paracetamol to manage headaches
• Mild breast discomfort such as pain, enlargement and tenderness

This medication may cause blood clots to form. However, this is rare and the doctor would have evaluated and weighed its benefits over risks before prescribing the medication for you.

The symptoms of blood clot include one or more of the following:

• Any unusual sudden cough, breathlessness or difficulty in breathing
• Severe pain in the chest which may reach the left arm
• Severe pain in legs or swelling in either of your legs
• Weakness or numbness in any part of your body
• Change in your speech, including slurring of words
• Change in your senses of hearing, smell or taste
• Vision changes such as loss of vision/ blurred vision

The symptoms of a drug allergy include one or more of the following:

• Swollen face/eyes/lips/tongue
• Difficulty in breathing
• Itchy skin rashes over your whole body

If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop your medication and see your healthcare professional immediately.

​Inform your healthcare professional if:

• You are allergic to this medication or any of the other ingredients of this medication
• You have not been through menopause yet
• You are taking any other medications, including supplements, traditional medications and herbal remedies.
• You have a history of or current medical conditions such as liver problems, kidney problems, stroke, heart disease, blood clots or cancer
• You have any unexplained vaginal bleeding
• You are, or know you will be unable to move around for some time, e.g., being wheel-chair bound or having to stay in bed while recovering from an operation or illness.

​Some medications may affect how Raloxifene works or be affected by Raloxifene. These include blood thinners such as warfarin, cholesterol medications such as cholestyramine and hormone-replacement therapy (HRT).  Please inform other healthcare professionals that you are taking Raloxifene if you are seeing them for other medical conditions.