Common Misdiagnoses Associated with Benzo Withdrawal

Due to the lack of benzodiazepine awareness and education among medical professionals, frequently, when patients present with increasing mental and physical issues from the adverse effects of the drugs, they are instead given separate, additional diagnoses. This may lead to increasing dosages and/or additional prescriptions. All the while medical professionals are completely missing the root problem and what is actually the true cause of the mental and physical deterioration – the benzodiazepine.

It is important to note that sometimes illnesses may co-occur; however, it is not uncommon for the condition the patient was medicated for to be worsened in time by the benzodiazepine.

In many cases, the drug itself is the direct cause of increasing or additional symptoms, systemic illnesses or particular subsequent diagnoses manifesting, and the health issues improve or fully resolve when the patient’s central nervous system and body recovers from the drug neurotoxicity and damage. For example, some patients may test as having thyroid abnormalities while on benzodiazepines and in withdrawal, which then test “normal” upon coming off the drug and healing. Of course, the presence of conclusive diagnostic clinical laboratory evidence of true autoimmune thyroid disease, such as high titers of anti-thyroidal autoantibodies suggests that this would be a separate issue from BWS. However, many people have reported to have developed diseases such as these after experiencing adverse effects from BZs, and BWS makes coping with these types of illnesses exponentially harder.

Please familiarize yourself with the long list of symptoms that can manifest from benzodiazepine use and withdrawal and be aware of potential diagnoses/misdiagnoses that can come in the midst of benzodiazepine-induced illness.

Diagnoses/Misdiagnoses Patients Received While Experiencing Serious Adverse Effects on Benzodiazepines and in Withdrawal:

*Note: while someone can have concomitant illnesses, many people suffering BWS have received these common misdiagnoses without clinical testing, and many of these diagnoses cleared after successful recovery from BWS.

Acoustic neuroma

Adrenal Fatigue, Other Adrenal Disorders, Adrenal Tumor

Akathisia

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease)

Anemia

Arthritis

Autoimmune Disorders/Diseases – Lupus, Thyroid conditions, Psoriasis, etc.

Benign Fasciculations Syndrome

Bladder – Cystitis Cystica, Interstitial Cystitis, Urinary Incontinence, Recurring Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Celiac Disease (diagnosed despite no proof in tests)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Crohn’s Disease

Colitis

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Cushing’s

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)

Degenerative Disc

Diabetes/Type 2 Diabetes

Dysautonomia/Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Endometriosis

Essential/Kinetic Tremor

Fibromyalgia

Gallbladder Disease

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroparesis

Heart Disease

Hyperventilation

Insomnia

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Kidney Disease

Liver Dysfunction

Lupus

Lyme Disease

Migraine

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Osteoporosis

Peripheral Nerve Hyperexcitability Syndrome (PNH)

Peripheral Neuropathy

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Seizure Disorders

Subclinical thyroid abnormalities

Stiff Person Syndrome

Tardive Dyskinesia

Vasovagal Syncope

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Urticaria (Hives)

Vulvodynia

Source:  W-bad.org