Misdiagnosis, 161 Medical Problems That Are Not ADHD
There are over 100 conditions that look like ADHD but are not.
People diagnosed with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD must be aware that there are many medical conditions that look like ADHD but that are actually caused by another medical problem.
ADHD misdiagnosis can be a problem if these conditions are missed.
It is imperative that a correct diagnosis is made before medicating a child or an adult for ADHD.
Medicating a person for ADHD when the problem is actually something different is not only a waste of time; it can be dangerous as well.
The list of medical problems that are ADHD-like is long.
The 161 problems included here are actually only the tip of the iceberg.
Before a diagnosis of ADHD can be made, clinicians must perform a thorough history and physical to rule out other medical issues that may be causing the ADHD like symptoms.
The diagnosis of ADHD can be difficult to pin down for other reasons as well.
Medical problems that co-exist with ADHD can be the primary diagnosis causing the ADHD.
A good example of this would be problems that cause sleep disorders.
Sleep disorder problems will cause ADHD like symptoms because fatigue and lack of sleep leads to inattention, disorganized thinking, working memory problems and a host of other psychological and medical problems but the appropriate treatment for sleep disorders is not ADHD medication.
The appropriate treatment is the treatment of the underlying sleep problem.
Pediatricians, Psychiatrists, Internist, and Neurologist can make a correct diagnosis of ADHD by ruling out these medical conditions that can look like ADHD but that is NOT ADHD.
The conditions list below can cause the same symptoms that are associated with ADHD.
They can look like ADHD.
Some of the conditions cause hyperactivity, some cause inattention, some cause impulsive behavior, some cause memory and cognitive deficits and some cause all of the above.
Based on the patient's history and physical examination, further workup with diagnostic and/or laboratory studies as well as a specialist evaluation may be required to avoid making an ADHD misdiagnosis.
This list is comprehensive and includes many ADHD-like symptom causing problems but I am certain that there are other ADHD misdiagnosis medical problems that I have left out.
The list is in alphabetical order by category, not by the frequency that these conditions are mistaken for ADHD.
I have placed an asterisk nest to the categories that have problems that are most commonly mistaken ADHD-like conditions.
*Academic/Learning Problems: 1.
Dyslexia 2.
Cognitive impairment 3.
Specific learning disability 4.
Giftedness 5.
Memory discrimination problems 6.
Mismatch of behavioral style and environmental expectations 7.
Inappropriate educational setting *Allergy Problems such as: 8.
Allergy induced Asthma 9.
Allergic bronchitis 10.
Allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis, allergic otitis 11.
Wheat, lactose, peanut and other food allergies 12.
Allergies to food dyes or preservatives 13.
Chronic antihistamine use Autoimmune disorders 14.
AIDS 15.
Pandas, Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders 16.
Disorders or Carbohydrate metabolism 17.
Autoimmune neurological disorders and encephalopathy *Anemias including: 18.
B vitamin deficiency anemia 19.
Iron Deficiency 20.
Sickle Cell Anemia Biomedical Problems such as: 21.
Lead poisoning 22.
Arsenic exposure during development 23.
Toluene exposure during development 24.
Mercury poisoning 25.
PCBs exposure 26.
Manganese Poisoning 27.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 28.
Prenatal Cocaine Exposure 29.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 30.
Organophosphates intoxication 31.
Asthma medication reactions 32.
Seizure medication reactions Chronic Illness 33.
Viral Infections 34.
Bacterial Infections 35.
Parasitic Infection 36.
Sequelae (symptoms resulting from) of acute infection/trauma 37.
Chronic Asthma 38.
Chronic Infections 39.
Seizure Disorders 40.
Sickle Cell Disease 41.
Multiple Sclerosis *Developmental Problems such as: 42.
Perceptual/processing disorders 43.
Pervasive Normal developmental variation 44.
developmental disorders 45.
Development Disorders, not otherwise classified Ear/Nose/Throat Problems such as: 46.
Tonsil and adenoid hyperplasia 47.
Chronic Ear Infection 48.
Chronic Sinusitis 49.
Chronic Upper Respiratory Infections *Emotional Problems such as: 50.
Separation anxiety 51.
Social Anxiety 52.
Generalized Anxiety 53.
Attachment disorders 54.
Social Skills Problems *Psychosocial 55.
Traumatic Events (house fires, major motor vehicle accidents) 56.
Abuse (sexual, physical or emotional) 57.
Loss by separation or death of a loved one 58.
Mismatch of behavioral style and expectations Genetic and or Chromosomal Problems such as: 59.
Fragile X syndrome 60.
Williams Syndrome 61.
Mental retardation 62.
Neurofibromatosis 63.
XXY syndrome 64.
Klinefelter Syndrome 65.
XYY Disorder 66.
Porphyria *Hearing Problems such as: 67.
Hearing deficits and Hearing loss 68.
Auditory Processing problems 69.
Auditory Discrimination problems Infections such as: 70.
Parasitic Infections (pinworms, roundworms, tapeworms and hookworm) 71.
Untreated or partially treated bacterial infections 72.
Viral infections 73.
Lingering symptoms of infections *Lifestyle 74.
Lack of exercise 75.
Lack of Green space exposure 76.
Poor diet 77.
Major life transition (move, change of school) Metabolic or Endocrine Problems such as: 78.
Hypothyroidism 79.
Hyperthyroidism 80.
Diabetes 81.
Hypoglycemia 82.
Menopause 83.
Hyperbilirubinimia (Gilbert's Disease, mildly high bilirubin, inattention?) 84.
PMS 85.
Post Partum Depression *Neurological Medical Problems Including: 86.
Tourette's Syndrome 87.
Autism Spectrum Disorder 88.
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease 89.
Temporal Lobe seizures 90.
Absence Seizures 91.
Post traumatic sub-clinical seizure disorder 92.
Other seizure disorders 93.
Neurodegenerative conditions 94.
Choreiform disorder 95.
Neurological infections 96.
Central Nervous System or Brain trauma 97.
Sensory Integration Disorders, Sensory defensiveness 98.
Migraine Headaches of all varieties 99.
Brain Tumors 100.
Brain Cyst 101.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) 102.
Disorders of the Spine (infection, tumors, trauma) Nutritional Problems such as: 103.
Iron Deficiencies 104.
Zinc Deficiencias 105.
Protein Deficiencies 106.
B vitamin Deficiency 107.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid deficiency 108.
Diets high if food colorings, flavorings and preservatives 109.
Malnutrition *Parenting Problems Such as: 110.
Inadequate Parenting 111.
Child abuse or neglect 112.
Inconsistent expectations 113.
Developmentally inappropriate parenting 114.
Chaotic home environment 115.
Stressful home environment 116.
Cultural factors 117.
Parental psychopathology 118.
Parental chemical dependency 119.
Parental Substance abuse 120.
Exposure to Domestic Violence Prescription Medication Problems caused by: 121.
Asthma Medication 122.
Allergies Medication 123.
Headache Medication 124.
Seizure Disorder Medication 125.
Other Medication *Psychiatric Problems such as: 126.
Depression 127.
Anxiety 128.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 129.
Bipolar Disorder 130.
Conduct Disorder 131.
Oppositional Defiance Disorder 132.
Childhood Mania-Juvenile Bipolar Disorder 133.
Dysthymia 134.
Psychosis 135.
Adjustment Disorder *Psychosocial Problems such as: 136.
Abuse (sexual, physical or emotional) 137.
Exposure to Traumatic Events (house fires, major motor vehicle accidents) 138.
Domestic Violence 139.
Loss by separation or death of a loved one *Speech and Language Problems such as: 140.
Expressive/Receptive language disorder 141.
Phonological disorder 142.
Dyslexia 143.
Dysfluency 144.
Apraxia 145.
Central auditory processing disorder *Sleep Disorders such as: 146.
Insomnia 147.
Breathing related sleep disorders and Sleep Apnea 148.
Night Terrors 149.
Delayed sleep Onset 150.
Sleep Motor Restlessness (Restless Leg Syndrome, Sleep Leg Discomfort) 151.
Sleep walking 152.
Confusional arousals 153.
Snoring Substance Abuse Disorders 154.
Illegal drug use 155.
Inadvertent drug intoxication (glue sniffing) 156.
Prescription drug abuse 157.
Ethanol abuse *Vision Problems such as: 158.
All Vision Impairments 159.
Near sightedness 160.
Convergence Insufficiency 161.
Visual discrimination problems This post was written because a reader commented here on having been diagnosed as having Gilbert's Disease and wondering if his fatigue and inattention could be related to that diagnosis.
I set out to find a comprehensive list of the 'Differential Diagnosis' of ADHD.
Differential Diagnosis is a medical term that refers to all the other medical conditions that a physician or health care provider should consider and rule out before deciding on the ultimate diagnosis.
I found in my research that most websites with a comprehensive differential diagnosis list make you pay to see the list and I thought this was preposterous.
Here it is for you, free of charge as always.
Let me know if I missed anything.
People diagnosed with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD must be aware that there are many medical conditions that look like ADHD but that are actually caused by another medical problem.
ADHD misdiagnosis can be a problem if these conditions are missed.
It is imperative that a correct diagnosis is made before medicating a child or an adult for ADHD.
Medicating a person for ADHD when the problem is actually something different is not only a waste of time; it can be dangerous as well.
The list of medical problems that are ADHD-like is long.
The 161 problems included here are actually only the tip of the iceberg.
Before a diagnosis of ADHD can be made, clinicians must perform a thorough history and physical to rule out other medical issues that may be causing the ADHD like symptoms.
The diagnosis of ADHD can be difficult to pin down for other reasons as well.
Medical problems that co-exist with ADHD can be the primary diagnosis causing the ADHD.
A good example of this would be problems that cause sleep disorders.
Sleep disorder problems will cause ADHD like symptoms because fatigue and lack of sleep leads to inattention, disorganized thinking, working memory problems and a host of other psychological and medical problems but the appropriate treatment for sleep disorders is not ADHD medication.
The appropriate treatment is the treatment of the underlying sleep problem.
Pediatricians, Psychiatrists, Internist, and Neurologist can make a correct diagnosis of ADHD by ruling out these medical conditions that can look like ADHD but that is NOT ADHD.
The conditions list below can cause the same symptoms that are associated with ADHD.
They can look like ADHD.
Some of the conditions cause hyperactivity, some cause inattention, some cause impulsive behavior, some cause memory and cognitive deficits and some cause all of the above.
Based on the patient's history and physical examination, further workup with diagnostic and/or laboratory studies as well as a specialist evaluation may be required to avoid making an ADHD misdiagnosis.
This list is comprehensive and includes many ADHD-like symptom causing problems but I am certain that there are other ADHD misdiagnosis medical problems that I have left out.
The list is in alphabetical order by category, not by the frequency that these conditions are mistaken for ADHD.
I have placed an asterisk nest to the categories that have problems that are most commonly mistaken ADHD-like conditions.
*Academic/Learning Problems: 1.
Dyslexia 2.
Cognitive impairment 3.
Specific learning disability 4.
Giftedness 5.
Memory discrimination problems 6.
Mismatch of behavioral style and environmental expectations 7.
Inappropriate educational setting *Allergy Problems such as: 8.
Allergy induced Asthma 9.
Allergic bronchitis 10.
Allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis, allergic otitis 11.
Wheat, lactose, peanut and other food allergies 12.
Allergies to food dyes or preservatives 13.
Chronic antihistamine use Autoimmune disorders 14.
AIDS 15.
Pandas, Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders 16.
Disorders or Carbohydrate metabolism 17.
Autoimmune neurological disorders and encephalopathy *Anemias including: 18.
B vitamin deficiency anemia 19.
Iron Deficiency 20.
Sickle Cell Anemia Biomedical Problems such as: 21.
Lead poisoning 22.
Arsenic exposure during development 23.
Toluene exposure during development 24.
Mercury poisoning 25.
PCBs exposure 26.
Manganese Poisoning 27.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 28.
Prenatal Cocaine Exposure 29.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome 30.
Organophosphates intoxication 31.
Asthma medication reactions 32.
Seizure medication reactions Chronic Illness 33.
Viral Infections 34.
Bacterial Infections 35.
Parasitic Infection 36.
Sequelae (symptoms resulting from) of acute infection/trauma 37.
Chronic Asthma 38.
Chronic Infections 39.
Seizure Disorders 40.
Sickle Cell Disease 41.
Multiple Sclerosis *Developmental Problems such as: 42.
Perceptual/processing disorders 43.
Pervasive Normal developmental variation 44.
developmental disorders 45.
Development Disorders, not otherwise classified Ear/Nose/Throat Problems such as: 46.
Tonsil and adenoid hyperplasia 47.
Chronic Ear Infection 48.
Chronic Sinusitis 49.
Chronic Upper Respiratory Infections *Emotional Problems such as: 50.
Separation anxiety 51.
Social Anxiety 52.
Generalized Anxiety 53.
Attachment disorders 54.
Social Skills Problems *Psychosocial 55.
Traumatic Events (house fires, major motor vehicle accidents) 56.
Abuse (sexual, physical or emotional) 57.
Loss by separation or death of a loved one 58.
Mismatch of behavioral style and expectations Genetic and or Chromosomal Problems such as: 59.
Fragile X syndrome 60.
Williams Syndrome 61.
Mental retardation 62.
Neurofibromatosis 63.
XXY syndrome 64.
Klinefelter Syndrome 65.
XYY Disorder 66.
Porphyria *Hearing Problems such as: 67.
Hearing deficits and Hearing loss 68.
Auditory Processing problems 69.
Auditory Discrimination problems Infections such as: 70.
Parasitic Infections (pinworms, roundworms, tapeworms and hookworm) 71.
Untreated or partially treated bacterial infections 72.
Viral infections 73.
Lingering symptoms of infections *Lifestyle 74.
Lack of exercise 75.
Lack of Green space exposure 76.
Poor diet 77.
Major life transition (move, change of school) Metabolic or Endocrine Problems such as: 78.
Hypothyroidism 79.
Hyperthyroidism 80.
Diabetes 81.
Hypoglycemia 82.
Menopause 83.
Hyperbilirubinimia (Gilbert's Disease, mildly high bilirubin, inattention?) 84.
PMS 85.
Post Partum Depression *Neurological Medical Problems Including: 86.
Tourette's Syndrome 87.
Autism Spectrum Disorder 88.
Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease 89.
Temporal Lobe seizures 90.
Absence Seizures 91.
Post traumatic sub-clinical seizure disorder 92.
Other seizure disorders 93.
Neurodegenerative conditions 94.
Choreiform disorder 95.
Neurological infections 96.
Central Nervous System or Brain trauma 97.
Sensory Integration Disorders, Sensory defensiveness 98.
Migraine Headaches of all varieties 99.
Brain Tumors 100.
Brain Cyst 101.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) 102.
Disorders of the Spine (infection, tumors, trauma) Nutritional Problems such as: 103.
Iron Deficiencies 104.
Zinc Deficiencias 105.
Protein Deficiencies 106.
B vitamin Deficiency 107.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid deficiency 108.
Diets high if food colorings, flavorings and preservatives 109.
Malnutrition *Parenting Problems Such as: 110.
Inadequate Parenting 111.
Child abuse or neglect 112.
Inconsistent expectations 113.
Developmentally inappropriate parenting 114.
Chaotic home environment 115.
Stressful home environment 116.
Cultural factors 117.
Parental psychopathology 118.
Parental chemical dependency 119.
Parental Substance abuse 120.
Exposure to Domestic Violence Prescription Medication Problems caused by: 121.
Asthma Medication 122.
Allergies Medication 123.
Headache Medication 124.
Seizure Disorder Medication 125.
Other Medication *Psychiatric Problems such as: 126.
Depression 127.
Anxiety 128.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 129.
Bipolar Disorder 130.
Conduct Disorder 131.
Oppositional Defiance Disorder 132.
Childhood Mania-Juvenile Bipolar Disorder 133.
Dysthymia 134.
Psychosis 135.
Adjustment Disorder *Psychosocial Problems such as: 136.
Abuse (sexual, physical or emotional) 137.
Exposure to Traumatic Events (house fires, major motor vehicle accidents) 138.
Domestic Violence 139.
Loss by separation or death of a loved one *Speech and Language Problems such as: 140.
Expressive/Receptive language disorder 141.
Phonological disorder 142.
Dyslexia 143.
Dysfluency 144.
Apraxia 145.
Central auditory processing disorder *Sleep Disorders such as: 146.
Insomnia 147.
Breathing related sleep disorders and Sleep Apnea 148.
Night Terrors 149.
Delayed sleep Onset 150.
Sleep Motor Restlessness (Restless Leg Syndrome, Sleep Leg Discomfort) 151.
Sleep walking 152.
Confusional arousals 153.
Snoring Substance Abuse Disorders 154.
Illegal drug use 155.
Inadvertent drug intoxication (glue sniffing) 156.
Prescription drug abuse 157.
Ethanol abuse *Vision Problems such as: 158.
All Vision Impairments 159.
Near sightedness 160.
Convergence Insufficiency 161.
Visual discrimination problems This post was written because a reader commented here on having been diagnosed as having Gilbert's Disease and wondering if his fatigue and inattention could be related to that diagnosis.
I set out to find a comprehensive list of the 'Differential Diagnosis' of ADHD.
Differential Diagnosis is a medical term that refers to all the other medical conditions that a physician or health care provider should consider and rule out before deciding on the ultimate diagnosis.
I found in my research that most websites with a comprehensive differential diagnosis list make you pay to see the list and I thought this was preposterous.
Here it is for you, free of charge as always.
Let me know if I missed anything.
Source...