The Side Affect

A rush of apple-juice scented energy tears through a New Orleans elementary school. Screams of
settle down and pay attention ricochet off the terrible fifth grader like pebbles thrown against a steel
wall. While his fellow classmates and friends bask in the entertainment, his weary teachers demand that
something be done.
Since being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder when he was 10, Travis
Parent, now 19, has juggled the positive and negative aspects surrounding his diagnosis and of the
medications he has been prescribed to control it.
I couldnt keep still, Parent exclaimed. Id always be doing something that I shouldnt be
doing and my teacher was just like he needs to be tested.
Medicating children and teens for AD/HD has been a heavily debated issue over the past few
years. While some professionals highly recommend medicating those diagnosed with AD/HD, others do
not believe the side effects of the medications are outweighed by its benefits.
Parent is currently an LSU engineering freshman and taking the AD/HD medicine Vyvanse.
During the nine years he has been diagnosed with AD/HD, Parent said that he has been prescribed three
different medicinal treatments. He was first prescribed Concerta, followed by dosages of Adderall.
I went through like every single dosage they had for each, Parent added.
Parents said that he experienced various changes and side effects while on each of the AD/HD
medications. He described side effects including loss of appetite, trouble sleeping and being anti-social.
The AD/HD freshman said that his family and friends noticed changes in him as well. His friends saw
him as being more boring while on his medication and his mother told him that he has an attitude.

-moreIm just not myself when Im on it, Parent explained. It makes you think a lot about your life
and makes you feel a little bit depressed.

Experts featured in Kevin Millers documentary Generation Rx listed suicidal thoughts,

possible mental disabilities, heart attacks and brain atrophy, or cerebral damage, as additional side
effects of AD/HD medications.
Dr. Timothy Honigman, chief of staff at the Student Health Center, works with AD/HD students
at LSU. The doctor acknowledged that there are side effects in taking AD/HD medications. He added
cardiovascular problems and tremors to the list of possible effects.
How individuals are diagnosed with AD/HD is another controversial issue surrounding the
disorder and it is one of the most debated.
Parent explained that after his teachers recommendation his mother took him to see his
pediatrician. His doctor then diagnosed him with AD/HD. However, Parent said that he does not
remember the procedures that led to his diagnosis.
Honigman further explained the process. The doctor said that after a child is recommended for
testing their primary care physician will either do the testing themselves or refer their patient to a
psychologist. The testing for AD/HD generally includes scoring several inventories and questionnaires
to make a determination. The patients history is also taken into consideration.
However, in Generation Rx various experts implied that the entire diagnostic process is
backed more by corrupt relationships than actual science.
The experts discussed the financial ties between the pharmaceutical companies who create
AD/HD medications, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders panel who write the
manuals to diagnose AD/HD and the FDA who approves the AD/HD drugs. These ties caused them to
question: Who do AD/HD medications actually benefit?

-moreHonigman said that if someone truly has the disorder then the benefits and improvements
experienced while on the medication are remarkable.

Theres no question in my mind thatthe medication makes a tremendous difference in those

patients, said Honigman.
For Parent, the freshman said that he does benefit from using the medication, but that he prefers
not to take it.
I mean it helpsbut I just dont like it, Parent said. I talked to a lot of other people who take
it and they say it helps them focus and all but it makes them really anti-social.
The abuse of AD/HD medications has become another debated issue. Parent said that he himself
knows people who are not diagnosed with the disorder that like to use AD/HD medications. This
becomes an issue when friends ask Parent for his medication.
Other people like to take it because it helps them, Parent explained. It helps you like focus in
class.
Honigman acknowledged that the health center is aware of AD/HD medication misuse at LSU.
The doctor said side effects associated with those misusing AD/HD medications are the same as the side
effects faced by those who are prescribed them. However, using an un-prescribed AD/HD medication
carries a larger risk because prescriptions are tailored based on individual needs.
These potential side effects are ignored by students lusting for a quick fix to studying woes.
Students generally credit AD/HD medications for helping them pull all-nighters and to study for
longer periods of time.
Honigman explained that all patients receiving their AD/HD medications from the LSU health
center must sign a contract promising not to share their prescription with anyone else. The doctor added
that he encourages students to hide the fact that they have the medication at all.
-moreDespite the side effects and controversy surrounding AD/HD medications and diagnosis, Parent
said that he recognizes the ways taking his medication helps him. He would even recommend anyone
who thinks they may have the disorder to get tested.

It helps you educationally, in that way Im better on it, Parent said. It is just that socially I am
better off of it and more of myself.
Parent acknowledged that he does not take his AD/HD medications daily as he was forced to in
grade school. He said that he only takes Vyvanse when he has a big test to study for or when he really
needs to focus. On average, Parent said that he uses the prescription once or twice a week.
Having ADHD is a part of who I am, Parent explained. The pills are there just to help out
when I need it.
###

Contact and Source Information

Travis Parent
(504) 319-5498
Dr. Timothy Honigman
Student Health Center
tshonig@lsu.edu
(225) 578-6271
Kevin Miller
Generation Rx
http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=70120653&trkid=2450709&t=Generation+RX