Did you know statistics show that between 17-30 percent of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's are misdiagnosed.
Alzheimer's Reading Room
Raise your hand if your doctor did everything necessary to rule out all the possible causes of Alzheimer's disease like symptoms before diagnosing Alzheimer's.
If you raised your hand, you are in the minority. I started asking Alzheimer's caregivers years ago if their doctor had ruled out all the possible causes of dementia like behavior before diagnosing Alzheimer's. Frankly, most caregivers don't know what I am talking about.
Most tell me no, the doctor did not tell them he ruled out every other possible cause, and there are hundreds, of dementia like behavior or symptoms.
Did you know statistics show that between 17-30 percent of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's are misdiagnosed.
More than 100 health conditions can mimic Alzheimer’s disease. Some medications—such as drugs for diabetes, heart burn and high cholesterol—can cause symptoms like confusion, memory loss and personality changes that can masquerade as the disease (see the list below).
J.D. "Jasper" Cain was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Now, 13 years later, he is walking around, joking, and living his life to the fullest.
Read about Jasper Cain in the Wall Street Journal -- Detective Work: The False Alzheimer's Diagnosis.
Also see -- Is it really Alzheimer's Disease or Something Else?
______________________________________________
Related Content - Why Do Alzheimer's Caregivers Torture Themselves?
- Frightened, Bewildered, Apprehensive, Anxious, Angry
- What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Tests)
- Why I Invented Alzheimer's World and the Power of Positive Reinforcement
- Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer's Disease
______________________________________________
Meds that Mimic Alzheimer's
Over 100 different drugs have side effects that can mimic Alzheimer's in some people. Among the most common:
- Antihistimatines (Benadryl, diphenhydramine)
- Sleeping pills (Ambien, Sonata)
- Painkillers (Darvon, Toradol, Demerol, Naproxen, Aleve)
- Anti-anxiety drugs (Valium, Librium, Halcion, Xanax)
- Anti-psychotic drugs (Risperdal, Seroquel, Zyprexa)
- Cholesterol drugs (Lipitor and other statins)
- Older antidepressants (Elavil, Miltown, Tofranil)
- Incontinence drugs (Detrol, Ditropan, Toviaz)
- Acid-reflux drugs (Zantac)
- Blood pressure drugs (Procardia, Adalat)
- Tranquilizers (Serentil, Thorazine, Mellaril)
- Heart drugs (Norpace, Lanoxin, Aldoril, Vasodilan, Cardura, Aldomet)
- Stomach drugs (Bentyl, Levsin, Donnatal, Librax)
- Parkinson's drugs (benztropine, trihexyphenidyl)
Source: American Geriatrics Society, Public Citizen, FDA
Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room
