Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/5739
Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) cus- tomers can expect average natural gas bills to be about nine percent lower this month than in January of 2009. Small increases in charges for transmission, distribution and mandated social programs are expect- ed to be offset by lower forecasted usage and a decline in gas prices. The price of the natural gas has been favorable due to high storage levels and lower demand. Natural gas costs can change quickly during the winter months depending on weather and market con- ditions. PG&E takes steps to protect its customers from severe price spikes, includ- ing smart purchasing deci- sions, financial hedging against potential price spikes and using its exten- sive pipeline and storage infrastructure to help mod- erate gas purchase costs. PG&E passes the wholesale price of gas through to cus- tomers without mark-up. Customers can also take steps to help reduce their gas bills, as well. Simply turning down your thermostat by just one or two degrees and installing weather stripping in your home, are two easy ways to save on winter heat- ing bills. .DEAR DR. GOTT: I am hoping that you can shed some light on the use of clinically dispensed methadone. I have several family members who have used this medication for more than 10 years. I understand that the use of methadone offsets the desire for hero- in by starting with a high dose and then eventually going down to a very low dose. I want to know about the side effects of long-term use. Do you think that methadone is just an excuse to get "high"? I have wit- nessed these people "nod- ding off" at the dinner table, which I find quite upsetting. One family member even continues to be on the high- est dose even after more than 10 years. Also, I have heard that methadone was originally named Adolophine (after Adolf Hitler) and wonder what it was used for during that time. DEAR READER: I will start with the easiest ques- tion. There is a popular urban legend that methadone was once called Adolophine. To the best of my knowledge, there is no truth to this. One of the brand names of methadone is Dolophine, which looks and sounds similar to the mistaken name, so it is easy to see how the misinforma- tion was put out and perpet- uated. Methadone is a synthetic opioid pain reliever. It is, as you stated, used in certain detox or maintenance pro- grams for people addicted to other opioids, such as heroin or other morphine- like drugs. When used in this way, the drug must be distributed by a specialized clinic certified by the Sub- stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis- tration and registered by the Drug Enforcement Agency. It must also be accompa- nied by appropriate social and medical services, which may include counseling and timely drug testing. The medication contains a black-box warning because of the risk of death (cardiac or respiratory), iatrogenic (physician- caused) overdose and respi- ratory depression. Other side effects include abuse, dependence, lightheaded- ness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dizziness, seda- tion, headache, weakness, swelling, various cardiac abnormalities, abdominal pain, dry mouth, weight gain, skin rashes, hallucina- tions and many more. Often, during the prolonged administration of a stabi- lized dose taken for a d d i c t i o n , the result is a gradual, progressive disappear- ance of side effects. This process may take several w e e k s ; however, if sweating or constipation is experienced, side effects may persist. Because I have never prescribed methadone either for pain relief or drug addiction, I cannot provide further information about whether it is typical for users to continue using it for many years. There are sev- eral online resources that I can refer you to so that you can read more in-depth on the subject. The first is www.drugs.com, which is essentially a drug database. It contains both patient and physician sources for addi- tional information on nearly every over-the-counter or prescription drug available. It provides information such as what forms the medica- tions are available in, side effects, dosages, how to take them, and what to do if a dose is skipped. The physician/professional information is more in- depth and typically uses complex medical and scien- tific terms. Information comes from the Physicians' Desk Reference, the Food and Drug Administration, Micromedex and others. The second source is the American Pain Society. Their Web site provides the history and recommenda- tions of the drug, when it was discovered, when it received FDA approval and more easy-to-understand information. The publica- tion is www.ampainsoc.org/pub/b ulletin/sep00/upda1.htm. The article was written by several pharmacists. I suggest you talk to your family members regarding the situation to express your concerns. They may even be your best resource for more information, since they have firsthand experi- ence. Dr. Peter Gott is a retired physician and the author of the book "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet," available at most chain and independent bookstores, and the recently published "Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook." Tuesday, January 5, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FAST RELIABLE SERVICE Junk Cars, Trucks & RV Removal. Large Selection Of Impound Autos For Sale Lockouts - Recovery Long Distance Tows All Insurance Welcome 24 HOUR TOWING Se Habla Expañol A A TOWING FLATBED SERVICE AVAILABLE Lic.#372081 1775 Airport Blvd., #B Red Bluff 529-3595• Corning 824-8869 AND Lic#381307 Clint Heiber & Russ Harman owners ALSCO, INC. 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Lincare accepts Medicare, Medicaid, & Private Insurances Distributed by: (530) 529-4141 (800) 281-4144 344 South Main Street Red Bluff, CA 96080 • ALL SPECIES CARE • AVAILABLE FOR FARM (House) CALLS We'll come to you! Cutting Edge Technology LASER SURGERY Less Pain, Quicker Healing LASER THERAPY Arthritis & Joint Pain Therapy For Your Pet 8202 Hwy 99E, Los Molinos • 384-1700 MARK WINNING D.V.M. 2150 N. Main St., Suite #1, Red Bluff, CA (530) 527-7951 General Dentistry Katrina Perdue D.M.D. Renee Dustie Tomi Dr. Perdue Dear Annie: How do you deal with a married 40-year-old daugh- ter with two children who is so jealous of her brothers that she causes family rifts? Right now, ''Claire'' isn't speaking to her father, her brothers or me. We don't understand it. We have always treated our children the same. Last May, Claire and her younger brother got into an argument over a birthday din- ner for me. She told him she wants to be left alone and has- n't spoken to any of us since. I sent her young son a check for his birthday in August, and it has yet to be cashed or acknowledged. Claire was never like this until she married, and I'm not sure how to deal with it. Please help. — Sad Sue Dear Sad Sue: Is Claire's husband influencing her relationships negatively or encouraging a family rift? Some husbands (and wives) isolate their spouses from family members in an effort to control them. It's also possible Claire has harbored ill will toward her brothers for years and finally let it out. Make an effort to mend fences in a neutral way. Call, write or e-mail and say you've missed her. Ask how the grandchildren are. If she replies and gets upset, offer to go with her for fam- ily counseling to see if you can find a way to make her happier. If you approach it in a way that indicates her feelings are valid, she is more likely to respond. If she doesn't answer your calls or messages, consider counseling for yourself. Having an estranged child can cause its own emotional problems. Dear Annie: For several years, I stored a few of my belongings in my parents' attic because I had a small apart- ment. This included a collec- tion of horse models that had become vintage and valuable. Unfortunately, I recently dis- covered that my mother often loaned pieces of my collection to other people's children with- out asking my permission. Mind you, it took effort for her to do this since she had to climb the attic stairs and crawl around up there. My mother is good at crossing boundaries, and this violation made me feel hurt and angry. Am I off base to believe nothing of mine should have been touched without my permission, or does the fact that my things were in their attic allow them to loan them without my knowledge? In other words, whose property is it? — Mem- phis Belle Dear Memphis: If your parents bought these items for you, they may feel proprietary toward them and assume they can loan them out as they please. However, the collection of models belongs to you, and your moth- er should not have allowed them to be used by others without asking you. We trust all the loaned items have been returned and you have since removed your things from her attic. Dear Annie: I agree with ''Doctor in California'' that the media definitely put their own spin on medications, making some people afraid to use them. Here's a different problem: My family was watching a movie Saturday night. My 3-year-old daugh- ter was playing around and jumping on the couch, and she ended up hurting herself. My husband picked her up and was consoling her when a commercial for Cymbalta came on, showing a young woman crying, sad and alone. It then shows the same woman taking Cymbalta and being full of energy and having fun with her family. My crying daughter turns around and tells her daddy she wants Cymbalta so she can be happy again. Two days later, when she didn't get her way, she threw a tantrum and start- ed screaming, ''Did my daddy get my Cymbalta? I'm very upset!'' This time I couldn't help but laugh. — Mom of an Unhappy Toddler Dear Mom: Funny, yes, but also a little disturbing. Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, long- time editors of the Ann Landers col- umn. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. To find out more about Annie's Mailbox, and read fea- tures by other Creators Syndicate writ- ers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.cre- ators.com. Daughter doesn't get along with siblings Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar FEATURES Shedding some light on methadone usage Dr. Peter Gott Forecast calls for lower January gas bills Blagojevich competing on 'Celebrity Apprentice' NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump boasted that the upcoming season of ''The Celebrity Appren- tice'' is the best ever and promised the star power of its cast ''blows 'Dancing With the Stars' away.'' Yes, it's a new cycle for the Trump-hosted competi- tion show, which won't pre- miere until March 14 but threw an introductory news conference way back last October, with sworn-to- secrecy members of the media meeting the con- tenders. Now NBC says it's time to unveil that roster of 14 participants, who will likely spur responses ranging from ''Wow!'' to ''Huh?'' Maybe the most interest- ing (to use Trump's pet adjective) participant is for- mer Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Vaulted to infamy by headlines and punch lines, he is charged with scheming to auction off President Barack Obama's former U.S. Sen- ate seat, campaign fundrais- ing abuses and other offens- es. He was removed from office last January, but has denied wrongdoing. Maybe not so interest- ing: the comedian-actor Sinbad and Australian TV chef Curtis Stone. ''I'm certainly not a household name,'' said comedian-author Carol Leifer, but she sounded con- fident. ''I'm not surprised that Joan Rivers won (last season), because, as a standup comic, you're a one-man band — it makes you very prepared for stressful situations to be able to react to a lot of pres- sure. Humor is a weapon anywhere and every- where!'' Former Poison vocalist Bret Michaels declared that, with a party-hearty rock singer's image, he would be assessed as the season's ''super-underdog.'' ''But I've been my own boss since I've been 19 years old,'' said the 46-year- old former star of the ''Rock of Love'' reality show. ''For better or worse, I've been on my own, I've learned to roll with the punches.'' Then the pro wrestler- actor who calls himself Goldberg issued fair warn- ing. ''I know I'm going to explode during this show at some point and say things I probably don't mean,'' he said. ''I realize that about myself. I'm human and have flaws.'' Baseball great Darryl Strawberry, rock-star wife and TV personality Sharon Osbourne, and Olympic gold-medal sprinter Michael Johnson will also be competing, along with singer Cyndi Lauper, actress Holly Robinson Peete and Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks. As they spoke, the con- testants were scheduled to begin taping ''Celebrity Apprentice'' the next day, and WWE wrestler-model Maria Kanellis was asked if they were already sizing up each other. ''Of course, we are!'' she replied. The celebrities won't be vying for a job with Trump, as in the old, civilian-cast ''Apprentice,'' but instead will compete in business- oriented tasks around Man- hattan to raise money for (and publicize) their favorite charities. ''I live a fairly normal life. I'm a mom with two kids,'' said Olympic swim- mer Summer Sanders, who is championing the Right to Play, an organization that uses sport and play to improve the lives of disad- vantaged children. ''But to have the opportunity to introduce my charity to the world is the reason I chose to do this.'' Blagojevich, whose cho- sen charity is the Children's Cancer Center (which assists kids with life-threat- ening diseases and their families), has tried before to land a role on a reality show.