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FEATURES Side effects of beta blockers can be controlled DEAR DOCTOR K: My doctor wants me to take a beta blocker for my high blood pressure. Can you tell me about these drugs? DEAR READER: Beta blockers are one of the most important classes of drugs invent- ed in the past half-centu- ry. In fact, they are so important that their inventor, Sir James Black, was honored with the Nobel Prize. They have saved many lives — but that does- n't mean they are for every- one, or without possible side effects. Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Beta blockers are primar- ily used to control high blood pressure (hyperten- sion) and abnormal heart rhythms. They are also used to prevent further heart prob- lems in patients who have had heart attacks or who have heart failure. It's not uncommon for a person to have hypertension and abnormal heart rhythms along with heart attacks or heart failure in the past. So some people get multiple simultaneous benefits from beta blockers. Beta blockers lower blood pressure primarily by slowing the rate and the force with which the heart pumps. They do this by blocking the hormones nor- epinephrine and epineph- rine. Both hormones can accelerate your heart rate. After being used for a long time, beta blockers also tend to relax blood vessels. There are three types of beta blockers. Some are longer-acting; some enter the brain more easily; and some are called cardioselec- tive and affect primarily the heart, not the lungs. The type of beta blocker your doctor prescribes will depend on your particular medical needs. (I have a list of the different types of beta block- ers on my website.) Since you're new to beta blockers, let your doctor know if you think you may ble side effect. Beta blockers can some- times cause wheezing, par- ticularly in people with asth- ma. In people with diabetes on blood sugar-lowering medicines, being on a beta blocker can sometimes mask the symptoms of low blood sugar. be having any side effects. Some people taking beta blockers com- plain of fatigue. Lightheaded- ness from a drop in blood pressure is also a risk. Erectile dysfunction is another possi- can go away with adjust- ments to the dose of the beta blocker or switching to another type. For example, if you have wheezing, you can be switched to a beta block- er that affects mainly the heart but not the lungs. We have more informa- tion on drugs that lower high blood pressure in our Special Health Report, "Hyperten- sion." (Learn more about this report at AskDoctorK.com, or call 877-649-9457 toll- free to order it.) Even if you experience These side effects often side effects, do not stop tak- ing beta blockers without first checking with your doc- tor. Suddenly stopping them might cause an unsafe rise in blood pressure or a worsen- ing of angina. Beta blockers were first introduced at about the time I started my medical prac- tice. I'm glad I have had these medicines available to help my patients throughout my whole career. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School.To send questions, go to AskDoctorK.com, or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 Shattuck St., Second Floor, Boston, MA 02115. Jonas' new reality show with his wife, Danielle, will see a different side of the 24-year-old singer. On ''Married to Jonas,'' Kevin jokes about sex and squab- bles with Danielle. The show, which premieres Sunday on E! (10 p.m. EDT), isn't about the Jonas brother who wore a purity ring and seemed too good to be true. This time, he seems more relatable. Kevin says he viewed the show, produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, as an opportunity to show the public that he and Danielle are a normal couple. ''Doing a show like this, you kind of have to take it in stride, and we looked at it as an opportunity to show who we are as a couple without them making that decision for us,'' he laughed during a recent interview. Danielle, 25, jokes the one thing that viewers will be sur- prised to see about her husband is ''how messy Kevin is.'' And unlike Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey and Jon and Kate Gosselin, Kevin and Danielle say filming the show didn't blow them apart but made their relationship stronger. ''We get to talk so much about things you might put aside Kevin Jonas premieres show NEW YORK (AP) — Viewers who tune into Kevin and not want to bring up ... and we talk through things more instead of yelling,'' she said. The show also follows Kevin and his brothers Nick and Joe as they go back to the studio as the Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers announced Friday that after three years, they will return to the stage for a one-night perfor- mance at Radio City Music Hall on Oct. 11. Membership Specials Student 3 Month $89 Couple $199 Family of 3 $249 Family of 4 $269 Family of 5 $299 Specials for new members only 3 months specials must be paid in full Children must be under 18 to be included to family memberships Tehama Family Fitness Center www.tehamafamilyfitness.com 2498 South Main St Red Bluff 528-8656 to Providing Essentials for the Tehama Shelter to benefit the Tehama County Animal Care Center make a $500 donation If we receive 1,500 "likers" on Facebook by Sept. 15 we will NOW AT $1,000+ LIKERS Go to www.facebook.com/rbdailynews in the look-up bar near the top of the page, then click to "Like" our Facebook page when you get there Dear Annie: What do you do with a sibling who has been enabled all of his life when Mom is no longer around to provide for him? Saturday, August 18, 2012 – Daily News 3C Estate planning with spoiled sibling My brother has had a house to live in, a car to drive, insurance, etc., for the past 25 years. He is an Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar alcoholic and a drug user. He doesn't work because he doesn't want to. He has an all-expenses- paid life. When my mother dies, how do we settle the estate? If the house is given to my brother, he would lose it because he has no concept of paying bills. My sister thinks we should sell the place, give my brother his share and move on. My mother is 82 years old and in poor health. She will be leav- ing us a huge mess when she passes, but she refuses to discuss it now. — Help Me Plan Dear Help: Your mother does- n't want to deal with this, so she's hiding her head in the sand. And it's difficult to make plans in advance if you don't know whether your mother has a will that leaves the house to your brother, in which case, he is free to let it collapse into ruin. You should consider all the possibilities, including how much responsibility you will take for your brother when the gravy train stops. Unless he gets help for his addictions, his behavior is invite the parents and hint to leave the little ones at home? I mean, wouldn't they rather have a good time than chase their kids all night? — Patti in Oregon Dear Patti: Invitations are intended only for the addressees, which means if the kids' names (or ''and family'') aren't included on the envelope, the kids are not invited. You also can pass the word to friends and relatives that this is an adults-only event. However, some people may not be able to attend if they can't find a sitter. There will also be those who bring the kids regard- less. If you anticipate that hap- pening, we suggest hiring a babysitter or two to keep an eye on their behavior. Also, have unlikely to change. Are you com- fortable throwing him out of the house? You can't force your mother to settle these questions, although please urge her to see a lawyer. Your best bet right now is to contact Al-Anon (al-anon.ala- teen.org) in order to deal with your brother. Dear Annie: My wedding is only four months away. The place where we are holding the recep- tion is not very large. I'm not a big fan of people bringing their kids to wedding receptions, espe- cially little ones who run around tripping up the waitstaff and get- ting under the guests' feet while they are trying to dance. This happened at a wedding I attended last month. Kids also were run- ning around blowing out the can- dles on the tables, screaming, crying and causing a fuss. Ugh! Annie, is there any way to things to occupy the younger set (paper and crayons, puzzles, games, art projects, etc.) and kid- friendly food for them to eat. If your reception hall has another room, you could set up the chil- dren's area there and perhaps include videos to keep them occupied. Dear Annie: This is in response to ''New Jersey,'' whose son's girlfriend didn't offer to help clean up after meals or show any indication that she had man- ners. My son's college-age girl- friend also had me worried. At first, I wondered how that girl had been raised and was con- cerned about our future relation- ship with her. However, we dis- covered that her manners are exceptional. It simply took some transition time while she changed from a guest in our home to a member of our family. We did put expectations on our son, however, to help out, as well. After all, he was already part of the family, and I'm sure that helped bring his girlfriend into the action and let her know how family members contribute. — Less Worried Future Mother-in-Law Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. and you could help pets that have been abandoned in our community