o u t d o o r s
FEBRUARY GARDENER
H o w soon
can I p la n t
cool-Season
flowers?
Pansies,
right,
can handle hard freezes, though
they won’t grow much until
the weather warms. Other
cool-season flowers such as
snapdragon and calendula
are less hardy but can tolerate
light frost. If the danger of a
hard freeze has passed and
the soil has thawed, it’s safe
to plant cool-season annuals.
Do you have a gardening
question? We’ll answer it!
Go to BHG.com/gardendoctor.
TALKING POINTS
Some vegetables are worth
growing just because they’re
conversation starters. ‘Striped
Toga’ eggplant,
above,
is one
example—it’s edible, but more
useful as a decoration. Find
many more unusual varieties at
rareseeds.com, tomatogrowers
.com, heirloomseeds.com, and
seedsavers.org (where we
found ‘Striped Toga’).
112
FEBRUARY 2010 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
I m
p o r t a n t P a t i e n t I n f o r m
a t i o n
(R e-clast)
WHAT IS RECLAST?
Reclast is a prescription medication used to treat
osteoporosis in women after menopause.
If your doctor prescribes Reclast, you will be
given one intravenous (IV) treatment of Reclast
for at least 15 minutes to help reduce the risk of
osteoporosis-related fractures for twelve months.
WHO SHOULD NOT USE RECLAST?
Anyone who has low blood calcium, is allergic
to Reclast, or takes Zometa® (zoledronic acid)
Injection should not take Reclast.
WHAT SHOULD I BE AWARE OF
BEFORE TAKING RECLAST?
• Rarely, jaw bone problems have been reported
in patients treated with drugs in this class,
including Reclast. Ybur doctor should give
you a routine oral exam prior to prescribing
Reclast.
• If you are pregnant, Reclast may cause harm
to your baby. Therefore, you should not take
Reclast if you are pregnant, plan to become
pregnant or nursing.
• Infrequently, severe incapacitating bone,
joint,
or muscle pain may occur. Tell your doctor if
you experience any of these symptoms.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW
ABOUT TAKING RECLAST WITH
OTHER MEDICATION?
• Ybu should not take Reclast if you are taking
Zometa.
• Tell your doctor about any antibiotics that
you are currently taking. Certain antibiotics
called aminoglycosides may lower your
blood calcium for a long period of time.
• Ybu should tell your doctor if you take
diuretics.
WHAT SHOULD I BE AWARE OF
BEFORE TAKING RECLAST?
• Reclast contains the same active ingredient
found in Zometa. Therefore, if you are being
treated with Zometa, you should not take
Reclast.
• Ybu should take calcium and vitamin D daily
as directed by your doctor.
• If you have low blood calcium, have had
parathyroid, thyroid, or intestinal surgery, or have
malabsorption syndrome, talk to your doctor.
• Patients with kidney problems should not take
Reclast. Ybur doctor may perform a simple
blood test to check your kidney function before
administering Reclast.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON
SIDE EFFECTS OF RECLAST?
The most common side effects include:
• flu-like illness
• fever
• muscle or joint pain
• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
Most occur in the days following treatment.
A mild pain reliever such as acetaminophen
may reduce these symptoms.
For a complete list of Reclast’s possible side
effects, ask your doctor.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
This is only a summary of important information.
Ask your doctor for more complete product
information, or
• Call 1-866-RECLAST, or
• Visit www.reclast.com.
L b
NOVARTIS
©2009 Novartis.
Printed in U.S.A. April 2009
RST-900625
PHOTOS (PANSY) BLAINE MOATS;
(EGGPLANT AND “SPRING") PETE KRUMHARDT; (WEEDER AND “SUMMER") KRITSADA
