ATLANTA — Details continue to come out about Deion Patterson, the 24-year-old accused of opening fire inside a midtown Atlanta doctor’s office.
His mother previously went on record telling the Associated Press that her son was having a mental break and was seeking a prescription for a drug called Ativan.
11Alive did some digging and found out the drug is used for anxiety and it’s believed Patterson went to Northside Medical seeking a prescription for the medication. But medical experts like pharmacist Ira Katz said Ativan is highly addictive and can have major side effects.
“All medications can be very beneficial when prescribe properly, but on the other hand, most medications, including the over-the-counter medications, could potentially have adverse effects,” Katz said.
And Ativan is no exception, as Katz went on to list the long list of side effects.
“Nervousness anxiety, hallucinations even reports of the suicidal tendencies,” Katz said.
11 Alive was unable to confirm if Deion Patterson was already taking Ativan or any derivatives of the drug. However, during a phone conversation with the Associated Press, Patterson’s mother said her son, who was a former coast guardsman, had some sort of a mental instability going on.
She told the Associated Press his instability was due to a medication he recently began taking.
Patterson’s Public defender Shawn Hoover echoed a similar sentiment, saying in a statement sent to 11Alive.
“He is a veteran and suffers from apparent mental health issues,” Hoover's statement read. "They are investigating the details and circumstances of the charges."
As for Katz, he said anyone on the drug Ativan should be mindful of the side effect.
“Typically you don’t take this drug and if you’re on it for a long period time for anxiety, stress disorders, it’s even use for seizures. If you’re on it for a long period time and then all of a sudden you stop it, that can potentially make things even worst, when it comes to the adverse effects,” he said.