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Drug side effects

raloxifene Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for raloxifene (also sold as Evista), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

2,311
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2004 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of raloxifene come from 2,311 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 2,311 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for raloxifene (Evista): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

2,311

Reports Mentioning Death

155

6.7% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

632

27.3% of reports

Top Indication

Product Used For Unknown Indication

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

FATIGUE
143
ARTHRALGIA
109
DIARRHOEA
109
FALL
107
NAUSEA
106
HEADACHE
97
DIZZINESS
88
PAIN
85
DYSPNOEA
82
BACK PAIN
80
PRURITUS
76
PAIN IN EXTREMITY
73
ASTHENIA
69
DEATH
69
RASH
65
COUGH
60
MUSCLE SPASMS
56
GAIT DISTURBANCE
54

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 2,091 (98%)
Male 34 (2%)

Age Distribution

0-17 8 (1%)
18-44 21 (1%)
45-64 338 (24%)
65-74 540 (38%)
75+ 500 (36%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2004 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 155 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
DEATH 69
CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST 9
DYSPNOEA 9
PNEUMONIA 9
DIARRHOEA 8
ASTHENIA 7
COMPLETED SUICIDE 7
FATIGUE 7
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 6
NAUSEA 6
RESPIRATORY FAILURE 6
SEPSIS 6
ANAEMIA 5
HEADACHE 5
PAIN 5
ASCITES 4
BACTERAEMIA 4
CARDIAC DISORDER 4
DEHYDRATION 4
DRUG-INDUCED LIVER INJURY 4

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 632 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
FALL 44
PNEUMONIA 39
DIARRHOEA 32
DYSPNOEA 29
NAUSEA 27
PULMONARY EMBOLISM 25
FATIGUE 23
DIZZINESS 22
URINARY TRACT INFECTION 22
ASTHENIA 21
PAIN 21
PYREXIA 19
BACK PAIN 18
DECREASED APPETITE 18
VOMITING 18
ABDOMINAL PAIN 17
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION 17
CONSTIPATION 17
COUGH 17

Compare raloxifene vs abiraterone →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About raloxifene Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,311 voluntary reports linked to raloxifene and its brand equivalents (Evista), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 155 (6.7%) listed death as an outcome and 632 (27.3%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 98% were female and 2% male; age distribution skews toward 65-74, with 540 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 143 submissions, followed by arthralgia and diarrhoea.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.

Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume

Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to raloxifene's 2,311.