Does Paxil Increase Risk Of Suicide?

Q. My 16-year-old daughter has had severe menstrual pain, missing two or three days of school each month. Her doctor recently prescribed birth control pills for this problem, and they seem to be helping the cramps as well as her acne.
What worries me is her mood. She has been depressed for some time and has even tried to harm herself. The birth control pills seem to be making things worse. She is more irritable and harder to get along with. Now her doctor wants her to take Paxil, but this drug makes me nervous. She does not want to take it. Should I insist?
A. The British equivalent of our FDA just issued a warning against the use of paroxetine, the ingredient in Paxil, in children and teenagers. A review of nine studies there showed that crying, mood swings and thoughts of suicide were twice as common among the youngsters taking Paxil as among those given a placebo.
The Department of Health concluded, “It has become clear that the benefits of [Paxil] in children for the treatment of depressive illness do not outweigh the risks.” Not all American experts agree, but it seems reasonable to ask your daughter’s doctor if a different treatment approach would be appropriate for her.
Some drugs increase the risk of depression. Progesterone, found in many birth control pills, is among them.
We are sending you our Guides to Psychological Side Effects and Antidepressant Pros and Cons with more information on drugs that cause depression and those used to treat it. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. MX-23, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. Whenever I read about calcium, only women’s needs are addressed. Little comment is made about whether men should be concerned about lack of calcium as they age, though they drink much less milk.
My husband thinks if he takes calcium supplements, he might get kidney stones. Is there any truth to this?
A. Although men are less susceptible to osteoporosis than women, they are not immune. Adequate calcium intake is just as important for men.
Your husband is correct that calcium pills may increase the risk of kidney stones, but calcium from food actually seems to protect against this painful condition. If your husband refuses to drink milk, perhaps you should put yogurt, sardines, canned salmon and other calcium-rich foods on the menu.
Q. You recently suggested that a scuba diver try ginger to control sea-sickness on the way to a dive. I am an ear, nose and throat doctor specializing in helping scuba divers. I recommend Emetrol for its anti-nausea effect. It has no side effects to interfere with diving.
I also tell people to stand up so that the boat motion seems more like the automobile stop-and-go motion they are used to. This and other information for divers is at my Web site: www.ent-consult.com
A. Thanks for the tip. Emetrol is available without a prescription and does not cause drowsiness or disorientation the way Dramamine or Transderm-Scop might.
Q. My doctor told me to take a baby aspirin daily. I’ve been told aspirin and vitamin C don’t mix. Is there any truth to this?
A. Aspirin may make it harder for vitamin C to get into cells. You may need a little more C to overcome this effect.