Misdiagnoses

This is a post I made on Benzobuddies today which relates to the various diagnoses I've had from doctors over the years.....

Over my years of Benzo use I've been diagnosed with so many different illnesses that I now realise are highly likely to have been the benzos......lupus, third stage kidney failure, IBS, a degenerative disc in my spine, Hypertension, CFS, Fibromyalgia, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, generalised anxiety disorder, depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, leaky heart valve and I'm sure many more that I've forgotten. I'm still alive in spite of all this and improving slowly. I don't have Meniere's on the list but I have had chronic ear problems in the form of infections, rushing and some ringing in the ears.
It remains to be seen if I'm left with any of these once withdrawal clears. Somehow I doubt it.

While in withdrawal I have had blood tests for various other problems that could be the cause of such intense symptoms. All the results were negative and so I was left with it all being down to an underlying anxiety problem caused by my early, near death experience in childbirth. Doctors attempt to find anything else apart from their prescriptions to make sense of what is happening to us. Luckily I know my body and have now read sufficiently to have a some understanding of what I am suffering. Also, a good friend alongside me in all this is a GP herself! She has a much better and more reflectve view of the whole process due to suffering herself. She despairs of her profession. For some reason doctors want to believe their text books and drug company hype not the patients themselves. I know I am a reasonably intelligent woman who used to have a brain but I have been made to feel I'm an anxious, neurotic wreck! Believe me I most definitely am not and as days go by I get stronger and more determined to educate and help others in this. It's been happening ever since the mid seventies and must be acknowledged and centres set up to help those wanting to withdraw from their drugs. 

Today I am reasonable. I did have a mild wave for the last two days but this has not degenerated into the intensity of previous waves. I am hoping my baseline is improving and it will never be as bad again.