Mineral water, juice or other beverages or food may decrease the medication's effectiveness. It is not a type of estrogen, but has been shown to act like estrogen with respect to increasing bone density. Unlike estrogen, raloxifene was not shown to affect breast tissue or the uterus in clinical trials. It is not yet known whether raloxifene reduces bone fractures in women with osteporosis, although this is being evaluated in ongoing clinical trials. Raloxifene is associated with a risk of problems due to blood clots, and women with a history of blood clots in their veins should not use it.
All drugs have the potential for adverse effects.
Your doctor can give you more information about the potential risks and benefits of drug therapy for osteoporosis. Further study is needed to establish the best way to treat men who are diagnosed with osteoporosis. If a male patient has low testosterone levels, doctors are likely to prescribe replacement hormone, to correct the problem and in an effort to prevent further bone loss. Whether this step can reverse bone loss is unknown. Smoking and alcohol use increase the risk of bone loss, and should be addressed by the patient to minimize this risk.