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Thursday, June 2, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Can anxiety drug be addictive? DEAR DR. GOTT: My mother is 74 years old and has been taking lorazepam 0.5 mil- ligrams nightly to help her sleep for almost two months. She would like to continue taking it but is concerned about the side effects. She prefers this medica- tion over the other brand- name sleeping pills. Dr. Peter Gott Should she try to go without for a few days to see if she has become dependent? She doesn’t want to skip it for fear she won’t be able to sleep. Please advise, and thank you in advance. DEAR READER: Lorazepam is one in a group of drugs known as benzodiazepines and is commonly taken to treat anxiety and symptoms of depression. As with most drugs, it can also be used for other conditions, such as sleeplessness, as deter- mined by a personal physi- cian. Side effects are linked with dosing used but can include drowsiness, headache, weakness, unsteadiness and dizziness. Less common effects can include allergic reactions including hives and rash, difficulty breathing, memo- ry loss and mental changes. Paradoxical reactions can include sleep disturbances, insomnia, hallucinations, hypotension and a great deal more. When paradoxi- cal reactions occur, use of the drug should cease. The strength of each tablet is between 0.5 mil- ligrams and 2 milligrams. Studies performed on healthy volunteers reveal single high doses have a tranquilizing effect on the central nervous system, with no appreciable effect on either the cardiovascular or respiratory systems. Long-term use of more than four months has not been assessed by clinical studies, but it is known that continued use of benzodi- azepines may lead to physi- cal and psychological dependence. The potential for dependence is greatly reduced, however, with short-term treatment (between two to four weeks). Long-term use of this product is not recom- mended. Therefore, re- evaluation by a physician is necessary. Withdrawal has been known to present fol- lowing cessation of recom- mended doses following as little as seven days of thera- py. For people on an extended therapy plan, dosage tapering is recommend- ed, not abrupt discontinuation. Lorazepam should be used cautiously in patients with such conditions as COPD, sleep apnea, or renal and hepatic impairment. In summary, your moth- er is on the lowest possible dose; however, the potential for long-term effects such as dependence must be considered. I recommend that you accompany her (with her permission and approval, of course) to her next doctor’s appointment so you can determine whether she has remained on the drug for too long without a break. Perhaps a switch to melatonin or another over-the-counter might be appropriate for a short trial. Her physician is the best judge in this case. Readers who would like related information can order my Health Report “Sleep/Wake Disorders” by sending a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order made payable to Peter H. Gott, M.D., at P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039- 0433. Be sure to mention the title or print an order form off my website’s direct link at www.AskDr- GottMD.com/order_form.p df. DEAR DR. GOTT: I recently had an MRI done on my brain, and there were five or six white spots. The doctors are telling me this is nothing to worry about, but I worry. What do you think this is? What could the spots mean? DEAR READER: White spots can appear as a part of the natural process of aging. It could also be the beginning of hardening of the small arteries within the brain from hypertension or a neurological disorder. I believe you have to rely on your physician(s) who told you not to worry; however, were I the one involved, I would seek a second opinion with anoth- er neurologist for the (hopeful) peace of mind to follow. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com Cajun flare in Tehama The second annual R-Wild Horse Ranch Craw- dad Festival is set for June 17-19 at the Tehama District Fairground. Friday night is Family Night, which means chil- dren 12 and under are free and Saturday the public is invited to check out the car show. Sunday will have drawings for Father’s Day along with dads being able to ride for free at the carnival with a paying child. Tickets to the festival are $5 for adults and chil- dren 6 and under are free. Parking fee is $5, but proceeds will be given to a non-profit. Come witness the Crawdad eating contest and races or try your luck at the Carnival Midway. Treat your taste buds to authentic Cajun cuisine or learn to Zydeco with two left feet. Tickets are available in advance by calling 527- 5920 and the cost is $15 for advance sale ticket books that have 30 tickets. Only 1,000 ticket books will be sold and they will sell out fast so buy them early. For more information call Shirley at 352-4222. Salon Bella Dona Full Service Salon 3 per foil or Nicole Richardson May Highlight Special $ $ 60 for full highlights Call for appt. 527-4843 (exp. May 31, 2011) Showerless slob slacker Dear Annie: I am down to my last nerve with my hus- band of 30 years. He has turned into a lazy slob I can no longer tolerate. Last year, ‘‘Evan’’ worked a total of three weeks. It was the same the year before. He has taken one shower in the past four months, which was Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar also the only time he changed his clothes. I work a full-time job, and Evan sits in front of the TV all day long. He is unmotivated and does not care that I am struggling to pay the bills. He also appears to be a hypochondriac, but refuses to see a doctor for any of his supposed symptoms. I think my only option now is a divorce and to not worry about what happens to him after I leave. What are your thoughts? — Disgusted and Tired of Being Used Dear Disgusted: Healthy individu- als do not suddenly turn into unwashed lumps after 30 years. Is Evan depressed? Does he have anxiety issues? He needs medical attention. If he is too listless to arrange it, tell him you are going to make an appointment for him to see the doctor, and then accompany him. Make every effort to address this before walking out. It sounds like he needs help. A grand opening party for Frugal House, North State Symphony’s major fundraiser for the year, will be held on Thursday, June 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. The house will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11. Attendees at the preview party will have the first opportunity to purchase items in the home and enjoy food, drinks and dancing outdoors to the Fabulous Swing Kings. Tickets for the preview party and the tour can be purchased at local busi- ness outlets, including Dolce Home, Monk’s Wine Lounge, Wolfe Electric, Zucchini and Vine and Red Tavern. You can also purchase tickets online at http://www.nssspe- cialevents.myevent.com/3 /online payment.htm. Tickets for the preview party are $30, and general admission for the tour is $15. CSU, Chico and Butte College interior design students work with promi- nent professional design- ers to furnish and decorate a home, primarily using items donated or pur- chased from local thrift stores. The teams are now working on very tight budgets to decorate and furnish a 3,000-square- foot home on Vallombrosa Avenue, using a combina- tion of donated, re-pur- posed and renovated fur- nishings and decor items. Everything in the home is for sale for frugal prices. The home was donated for use by Bernie and Carole Farmer and is, by far, the largest of the homes that have been sued for this annual fundraiser that began in 2009. You can see actual pho- tos of the house as it is transformed by going to http://www.csuchico.edu/j our/frugalhouse/house.ht ml and clicking on “house.” You will then be able to go take a visual tour through the house, room by room. “One of the key differ- ences in this year’s event Dear Annie: Six months ago, my husband and I drove several hundred miles to attend his niece’s wedding. Our gift was a three-piece china serv- ing set bought at an antique shop dur- ing a visit to a small lakeside town. We were inspired by the quaint, artsy atmosphere, and we really liked the ivory color trimmed in gold and the holly design in the filigree border. We imagined it would be used during the holidays in years to come and would be a reminder of their wedding day. It was in perfect shape, and the cost was com- parable to what we have spent in the past for other nieces and nephews. However, instead of receiving a thank-you note, we received a box in the mail. Inside was our gift, broken, along with a letter written by my hus- band’s brother. The letter said that the bride and groom had no idea what the gift was and that a simple card of con- gratulations would have been more appropriate than the ‘‘yard sale item’’ we gave them. He accused us of being inconsiderate, tasteless and insulting. The bride and groom are college graduates, over 30 and own their own home. We sent letters to both of them and to my brother-in-law explaining that our good wishes were sincere and no offense was intended. Did we make a mistake by giving a pre-owned gift that we loved? — Wedding Gift Night- mare Dear Wedding Gift: No. Guests can give whatever they choose, although it is considerate to make it returnable. If the bridal couple doesn’t is the inclusion of fine art by local artists, said Ann Prater, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts director of advancement and board member of the North State Symphony (NSS). “Whether you use Frugal House to inspire your own decorating or appreciate work you’d never do yourself, this event is fantastic fun and an opportunity to support the rich musical culture of like it, they must still send a proper thank-you note and not chastise the giver. The father of the bride has no business getting involved at all. We assume the china arrived broken, and this may have been the source of the problem. But even so, your brother-in- law was unconscionably rude. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘At a Crossroad with a Broken Heart,’’ who adopted his wife’s daughter, ‘‘Janet,’’ who is now out of control. How could that mother not tell her child that she was adopted? I married when my daughter was 2, and our nightly ritual was to go over the story of how this great guy fell in love with us when we walked by his store. Later, when we had biological children together, my daughter was still absolutely sure that she was really his because he had ‘‘fallen in love with us.’’ My sister-in-law lied to her son about being adopted, and he discovered the truth when he was 16. It destroyed his relationship with his mother. Why not turn an important fact into a posi- tive truth rather than lie? — No Broken Hearts Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W.Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Grand Opening Preview Party for Frugal House this region.” "Frugal Friends" are especially wanted. For $99, a Frugal Friend receives two tickets to the opening night party on June 9, a partial tax deduc- tion and the satisfaction of helping NSS continue into 2012 and beyond. Call 898-6692. The North State Symphony, a program with the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at California State University, Chico, performs concerts in Chico, Redding and other communities. The music director is Kyle Wiley Pickett, and members include professional musicians as well as faculty and students from CSU, Chico. More information on the symphony is available at http://www.northstatesym phony.org/. COMPLETE AUTO REPAIR All makes and models. 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