Patient leaflet - RALOXIFENE HYDROCHLORIDE 60 MG FILM-COATED TABLETS, OSTIRAL 60 MG FILM-COATED TABLETS
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them,
even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
- If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side
effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
What is in this leaflet
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1. What Ostiral is and what it is used for
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2. What you need to know before you take Ostiral
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3. How to take Ostiral
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4. Possible side effects
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5. How to store Ostiral
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6. Contents of the pack and other information
1. what ostiral is and what it is used for
Ostiral contains the active substance raloxifene hydrochloride.
Ostiral is used to treat and prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Ostiral reduces the risk of vertebral fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. A reduction in the risk of hip fractures has not been shown.
How Ostiral works
Ostiral belongs to a group of non-hormonal medicines called Selective Oestrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs). When a woman reaches the menopause, the level of the female sex hormone oestrogen goes down. Ostiral mimics some of the helpful effects of oestrogen after the menopause.
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes your bones to become thin and fragile – this disease is especially common in women after the menopause. Although it may have no symptoms at first, osteoporosis makes you more likely to break bones, especially in your spine, hips and wrists and may cause back pain, loss of height and a curved back.
2. what you need to know before you take ostiral if you are being treated or have been treated for blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis),
in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) or in the eyes (retinal vein thrombosis).
- If you are allergic to raloxifene or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section
6).
- If there is still a possibility that you can get pregnant, Ostiral could harm your unborn child.
- If you have liver disease (examples of liver disease include cirrhosis, mild hepatic impairment
or cholestatic jaundice).
- If you have severe kidney problems.
- If you have any unexplained vaginal bleeding. This must be investigated by your doctor.
- If you have active uterine cancer, as there is insufficient experience of Ostiral use in women
with this disease.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Ostiral.
- If you are immobilised for some time such as being wheel-chair bound, needing to be admitted
to a hospital or having to stay in bed while recovering from an operation or an unexpected illness as these may increase your risk of blood clots (deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or retinal vein thrombosis).
- If you have had a cerebrovascular accident (e.g. stroke), or if your doctor has told you that you
are at high risk of having one.
- If you have liver disease.
- If you are suffering from breast cancer, as there is insufficient experience of raloxifene use in
women with this disease.
- If you are receiving oral oestrogen therapy.
It is unlikely that Ostiral will cause vaginal bleeding. So any vaginal bleeding while you take Ostiral is unexpected. You should have this investigated by your doctor.
Ostiral does not treat postmenopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes.
Ostiral lowers total cholesterol and LDL („bad“) cholesterol. In general, it does not change triglycerides or HDL („good“) cholesterol. However, if you have taken oestrogen in the past and had extreme elevations in triglycerides, you should talk to your doctor before taking Ostiral.
Other medicines and Ostiral
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
If you are taking digitalis medicines for your heart or anticoagulants like warfarin to thin your blood, your doctor may need to adjust your dose of these medicines.
Tell your doctor if you are taking cholestyramine which is mainly used as lipid-lowering medicine, because Ostiral may not work as well.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Ostiral is for use only by postmenopausal women and must not be taken by women who could still have a baby. Ostiral could harm your unborn child.
Do not take Ostiral if you are breast-feeding as it might be excreted in mother's milk.
Driving and using machines
Ostiral has no or negligible effects on driving or using machines.
Ostiral contains lactose
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
Ostiral contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. how to take ostiral
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The dose is one tablet a day. It does not matter what time of day you take your tablet but taking the tablet at the same time each day will help you remember to take it. You may take it with or without food.
The tablets are for oral use.
Swallow the tablet whole. If you wish you may take a glass of water with it. Do not break or crush the tablet before taking it. A broken or crushed tablet may taste bad and there is a possibility that you will receive an incorrect dose.
Your doctor will tell you how long you should continue to take Ostiral. The doctor may also advise you to take calcium and vitamin D supplements.
If you take more Ostiral than you should
Tell your doctor or pharmacist. If you take more Ostiral than you should, you could have leg cramps and dizziness.
If you forget to take Ostiral
Take a tablet as soon as you remember and then continue as before. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet dose.
If you stop taking Ostiral
You should talk to your doctor first.
It is important that you continue taking Ostiral for as long as your doctor prescribes the medicine. Ostiral can treat or prevent your osteoporosis only if you continue to take the tablets.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The majority of side effects seen with raloxifene have been mild.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
- Hot flushes (vasodilation)
- Flu syndrome
- Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and stomach upset
- Increased blood pressure
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
- Headache including migraine
- Leg cramps
- Swelling of hands, feet and legs (peripheral oedema)
- Gallstones
- Rash
- Mild breast symptoms such as pain, enlargement and tenderness
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
- Increased risk of blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis)
- Increased risk of blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
- Increased risk of blood clots in the eyes (retinal vein thrombosis)
- Skin around the vein is red and painful (superficial vein thrombophlebitis)
- Blood clot in an artery (for example stroke, including an increased risk of dying from stroke)
- Decrease in the number of the platelets in the blood
In rare cases, blood levels of liver enzymes may increase during treatment with Ostiral.
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. how to store ostiral
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the outer carton and blister after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Keep the blister in the outer carton in order to protect from light and moisture. Do not freeze.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
6. contents of the pack and other information the active substance is raloxifene hydrochloride. each tablet contains 60 mg of raloxifene
hydrochloride, which is equivalent to 56 mg raloxifene.
- The other ingredients are:
What Ostiral looks like and contents of the pack
Ostiral are white, elliptical, film-coated tablets. They are packed in blisters. The blister boxes contain 14, 28, 30, 84, or 90 tablets. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder and Manufacturer
Pharmathen S.A.
6, Dervenakion Str., 153 51
Pallini, Attikis
Greece
This leaflet was last revised in: 04/2018
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