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Students receive improper ADHD testing from doctors, misdiagnosis |
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007 |
by BRANDON BROWN
Lifestyles Reporter
Students on campuses across the country have different methods of combating the pressures of the college workload.
While some students can get away with simply studying on their own accord, students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) often seek aid from medication to succeed in the classroom.
However, some students and governmental studies have found stimulant-medication to be ineffective and potentially hazardous to the patient’s health.
The National Institute of Mental Health identifies the principle
characteristics of ADHD as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Formally segmented into ADD and ADHD, ADD is now an outdated term, as
all attention disorder cases are categorized as ADHD regardless if an
individual lacks the hyperactive symptom.
While most cases of ADHD are identified at a young age, Robert C.
Wilson, a junior economics major, wasn’t diagnosed until his freshman
year of college.
Wilson visited his family doctor and told the physician that his mind
would wander in class, and he had a tough time concentrating while
studying.
No test was administered, and the doctor signed off a prescription for Ritalin.
“All you have to do is tell them you can’t concentrate in class,” said
Wilson. “Then you are pretty much going to get prescribed.”
As Wilson’s body built a tolerance to the medication, the effects started to diminish.
When Wilson revisited the physician, he was prescribed with a more potent dosage of Adderall.
The medication increase worked initially, but Wilson found himself back
at the doctor’s office the following year when the medicine lost its
effectiveness.
By the beginning of his junior year, Wilson was taking 40 mg pills of
Adderall, four times the dosage he was taking a year and a half prior.
Wilson started feeling uncomfortable in social settings and was having
trouble studying, was only getting three hours of sleep a night and
consequently was doing poorly in his classes.
Wilson was forced to withdraw from Appalachian State last year, a decision he attributes to a misdiagnosis.
Wilson took a psychological evaluation that determined he, in fact, did
not have ADHD and was fed unnecessary medication for two and a half
years.
“You trust that the doctor would know what he’s talking about,” Wilson said. “Obviously, he did not.”
Wilson lost 25 pounds over the two years he was prescribed to ADHD medication.
He also found his personality was altered while on the prescription.
“I noticed last year I was more to myself,” said Wilson. “I wasn’t as open in my social life.”
Wilson has overcome his misdiagnosis and is back at Appalachian State to finish his degree without medication.
James M. Owens, a sophomore construction management major, was diagnosed with ADD as a sophomore in high school.
Owens’s doctor also failed to administer a test to see if he had the disorder.
“I was on it for years and they never questioned it at all,” said
Owens. “I would just go to a different doctor and say ‘I was on this
medicine and I have ADD’ and they would give me a different medicine.”
Owens said all of the pills were ineffective, and the ever-increasing
dosage made him overanalyze rudimentary tasks like driving.
Owens said he remembers telling the doctor who prescribed him with
Adderall that he still couldn’t concentrate, but he didn’t want to take
any more pills.
To this, the doctor laughed and replied, “What do you want me to do about it?” said Owens.
Owens quit taking the medication after three years and said he is better on his own with development and maturity.
“I’m not different than any other kid,” said Owens. “I’ve just got to try harder. You have to figure out what works for you.”
While these students have found ADHD medication to be detrimental,
Caroline D. Minges, a senior Advertising major, said that it has helped
her in college.
“I don’t think I would have made it this far in college without it,”
said Minges, whom has had a prescription to ADHD medication since she
was 11 years old.
Unlike Wilson and Owens, Minges had to take thorough tests every few years to ensure the medication was appropriate.
Although, she said she has experienced the same side effects as the others.
“When it’s really working, you have no appetite,” said Minges. “It’s like you know you need to eat, but you can’t.”
Minges said the medication made her feel like a “zombie” in high school, and she felt awkward in social situations.
While the medication is intended to help the individual concentrate on
his or her studies or work, patients can become easily enthralled by
video games or any task that requires attention, Wilson said.
“Sometimes you take it and want to study,” said Minges. “Instead, I’ll just go on a cleaning binge.”
According to fda.gov, the Food and Drug Administration has directed the
manufacturers of all drug products approved for the treatment of ADHD
to alert the patient of possible cardiovascular risks and risks of
adverse psychiatric symptoms associated with the medicines.
Canada suspended the sale of Adderall XR in 2005 due to cases of sudden
deaths, heart-related deaths and strokes in children and adults taking
the recommended dosage. Recently, Health Canada has abolished the
suspension but now requires the drug to have a label warning about the
risk of heart problems and hazards of misusing amphetamines.
According to a study by Dr. Fred Baughman, 500,000 children were
diagnosed with ADHD in 1985 compared to between 5 and 7 million today.
According to a study by Harvard University, ADHD costs patients about
$77 billion every year, which is, more than the total costs of drug
abuse and depression.
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