Evista vs. Nolvadex

• Are Evista and Nolvadex the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Evista?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Nolvadex?
• What is Evista?
• What is Nolvadex?
• What Drugs Interact with Evista?
• What Drugs Interact with Nolvadex?
• How Should Evista Be Taken?
• How Should Nolvadex Be Taken?

Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride) and Nolvadex (tamoxifen) are used to reduce the chances of breast cancer in high-risk patients.

Evista is also used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Nolvadex is also used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer) and to treat breast cancer in certain patients after surgery and radiation therapy.

Evista and Nolvadex belong to different drug classes. Evista is an estrogen agonist/antagonist and Nolvadex is a nonsteroidal antiestrogen.

Side effects of Evista and Nolvadex that are similar include hot flashes, leg cramps or leg pain, headache, and nausea.

Side effects of Evista that are different from Nolvadex include increased sweating, dizziness, spinning sensation, vomiting, stomach pain, joint pain, or runny or stuffy nose.

Side effects of Nolvadex that are different from Evista include flushing, changes in menstrual periods, abdominal cramps, muscle pain, bone pain, cough, swelling, fatigue, depression, thinning hair, and loss of sexual ability/interest (in men).

Both Evista and Nolvadex may interact with blood thinners.

Evista may also interact with cholestyramine, diazepam, diazoxide, and birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

Nolvadex may also interact with SSRI antidepressants, aminoglutethimide, anastrozole, letrozole, rifampin, phenobarbital, bromocriptine, and cimeditdine.

Common side effects of Evista include:

• hot flashes,
• increased sweating,
• headache,
• dizziness,
• spinning sensation,
• leg cramps or leg pain,
• joint pain,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach pain, or
• runny or stuffy nose.
• Evista may infrequently cause stroke or serious blood clots to form in the legs, lungs, or eyes.

Seek medical attention if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Evista including:

• leg swelling or pain,
• trouble breathing,
• chest pain,
• sudden vision changes,
• severe headache,
• weakness on one side of the body, or
• confusion.

Common side effects of Nolvadex include:

• hot flashes,
• flushing,
• changes in menstrual periods,
• nausea,
• leg cramps,
• abdominal cramps,
• bone pain,
• muscle pain,
• cough,
• swelling,
• fatigue,
• hair thinning,
• headache,
• depression, and
• loss of sexual ability/interest (in men).

Tell your doctor if you have unlikely but serious side effects of Nolvadex including:

• vision changes (e.g., blurred vision),
• eye pain,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• mental/mood changes,
• swelling of ankles or feet, or
• unusual tiredness.

Evista (raloxifene hydrochloride) is an estrogen agonist/antagonist used to treat or prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Evista is also used to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have osteoporosis or who are otherwise at risk of invasive breast cancer.

Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate) is a nonsteroidal antiestrogen used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic breast cancer), to treat breast cancer in certain patients after surgery and radiation therapy, and to reduce the chances of breast cancer in high-risk patients.

Evista may interact with cholestyramine, blood thinners, diazepam, diazoxide, birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

Nolvadex may interact with coumarin-type anticoagulants, anastrozole, letrozole, rifampin, aminoglutethimide, phenobarbital, rifampin, bromocriptine, SSRI antidepressants, and cimeditdine.

The recommended dosage is one 60 mg Evista tablet daily, taken any time of day without regard to meals.

The recommended daily dose of Nolvadex for patients with breast cancer is 20-40 mg per day, in tablet form.