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        New Message Board Archives >> 2006 General Board Posts >> Diamond Headache Clinic?
        
(Message started by: pfunk on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:14pm)
Title: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by pfunk on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:14pm
Guys one of my professors here in Chucktown is from Chicago and one of her friends has CHs.  He was treated at Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago and said that he had some success.  My brother lives there also so I was thinking about contacting them. Just wante to know if anyone here knew anything about them.

Pfunk ;)
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by kissmyglass on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:24pm
word around clusterville is they are all about soaking you for all the $$$ possible.

Good Luck!
Kev
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by chewy on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:24pm
Is your credit card paid up?
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by E-Double on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:26pm
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
do not take Insurance to my knowledge$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by chewy on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:47pm
It would be one thing if they coulkd guarantee you relief with some secret method...............but they cant.

Just find a good local neuro.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by kimmiedawn81 on Feb 6th, 2006, 9:55pm
I've heard they run tons of tests on you, and 9 times out of 10 there is nothing that they can do for you.  And you end up spending tons of money for nothing.  
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by jon019 on Feb 6th, 2006, 10:20pm
OK guys, trash the clinic if you want, I have no personal experience with it so can't comment. However, back in the 80"s when I was scared spitless about this condition and had nothing and nowhere to turn I found the National Headache Foundation (previously National Migraine Foundation, there, I said the M word). Seymour Diamond was (and I think still is) a founding member. Through them I found out about O2, verapamil, predisone, and all the stuff that aint worth crap.

I am forever grateful and I don't care who thinks otherwise.

Regards

Jon
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by chewy on Feb 6th, 2006, 10:27pm
Seymour the founder was a pioneer in the field and we owe a lot to him. But now his kids run the show and the bank account. BIG bank account accrued through sufferers.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by pfunk on Feb 6th, 2006, 11:00pm
Thanks guys for the info.  I thought it might be something along those lines.  Everyone seems to think that just because it's in a big city that it's gonnna be better.  I'm gonna take your advice and find a local neuro at MUSC(Medical University of South Carolina) in downtown Chucktown.  Much luv and  HA free days for all. 8)

Pfunk
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Lizzie2 on Feb 7th, 2006, 1:21am
Doesn't Michael (un_solved1) go through Diamond for his histamine treatments?  Or did he go through Diamond and now through a locacl neuro?  I forget...  He's probably one of the only people I've ever heard have something positive to say about the place.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Mikey on Feb 7th, 2006, 3:57am
Guys, One of my Neuro's, the one at UNC Chapel Hill, had told me that the FDA would only allow the manufacturer of the histamine to use it on patients, and to my Neuros knowledge, Diamond was the only place in the US that done that anymore, because the success rate was not all that good. My Neuro suggested it anyway as a last ditch effort in treating my chronic ch that not much of anything seemed to help.  My Neuro and I fought like hell with the insurance company, and he had stated many times in the past, and with the insurance company, that in his opinion CH was a deadly disease, and that held a lot of weight because he is the head of Neurology and the headache center at UNC Chapel Hill.  The reason he says this, is beacuse of the suicide rate among us, and thus, UNC Chapel Hill considers CH to be a "Very Deadly Disease" to quote Dr. Alan G Finkle.  The insurance company gave in and we tried the histamines at Diamond, and when they didn't work, they put me through every test, treatment and lots of hell for nothing.........In regards to what Jon said, yeah if I didn't already know about Verapamil, O2, predisone, and armed with all the knowledge I've acquired from here over many years, then the trip may have been worth it, so Jon I'm glad you got some help there. I do have one question...........Jon, other than learning about meds that a lot of Neuros worth thier salt could tell ya about, did Diamond really give ya some real help? ;)  In talking with some of the patients while i was there, they had the same opinion I was forming about the place, that they really knew nothing more than we already knew! :(

I'm glad for the people that get help there in some way or another, and I found that most of those people had migraines, tension type headaches, Baisalor (sp) migraines, and maybe some other types of headaches like CPH.  :)

Mikey............. ;;D

P.S. Modified....That has been quite a while ago, and they may not even take Ins. now. :-/
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Bob P on Feb 7th, 2006, 7:51am
Over in the Meds & treat section, Pinkfloyd has posted that Doc Sewell is presenting his shroom paper at Diamond's  NHF program.  Can't be all bad.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Kevin_M on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:07am

on 02/07/06 at 01:21:46, Lizzie2 wrote:
Doesn't Michael (un_solved1) go through Diamond for his histamine treatments?  Or did he go through Diamond and now through a locacl neuro?



Mike (un_solved1) could give a good present day opinion.  Dollar wise and results wise.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by chewy on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:10am
He already has. Its in the archives somewhere.

Basically he now has less dollars and still has CH. I think he gets the hist. treatment locally now.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by unsolved1 on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:16am
I've been to Diamond 5 or 6 times in the last year or so. Dr. Merle Diamond was/is my doc. I really didn't like staying in the hospital up there because it was so far from home, the food sucked, and it seemed like they wanted me to stay for so long. But, other than that, I don't have anything bad to say about Diamond. They did turn me onto Histamine, which I now do locally, and it has helped out tremendously.


UNsolved
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Kevin_M on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:23am

on 02/07/06 at 08:16:08, unsolved1 wrote:
UNsolved


Unsolved, unsolved1, un_solved1, unsolved.   Sorry I couldn't remember your name Mike.   :)

You were able to use insurance too Mike?
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by unsolved1 on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:59am
Yes, they take insurance.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by jon019 on Feb 7th, 2006, 11:15am
Hi Mikey,

Never been to the Diamond clinic, live in Seattle. In 1981-82 when this crap started my Doc had no idea what it was, my dentist eventually diagnosed because he got frustrated trying to deal with this funky tooth pain and I suspect did some research.

I was still alone and in the dark and really scared. Don't know how or where I heard of the Natl Headache Foundation but the feeling when I did was similar to the feeling when I found CH.com. Relief, tears, and finally the knowlege that I was not alone and there were treatments available. Armed with the info I found there I started educating my doctors (sound familiar).

The newsletter was geared toward migraine but they did not ignore cluster and a bunch more. There was diet advice, lifestyle advice, a version of the cluster quiz, q & a, reference material, mind blowing artwork from sufferers and on and on.

The NHF saved my sanity until I got strong enough to
recognize that CH did not define me, that it was MY choice how I lived in between clusters.

So, did NHF and Seymour Diamond help me? Absolutely!
(and at a pittance cost of $15 a year). Again, I have never been to the clinic and I do not doubt what you and others have said. My point is that a whole lot of good has been done by Dr Diamond's organization and it pains me that that might not be recognized or get tossed aside based on reviews of his clinic.

Regards

Jon
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by chewy on Feb 7th, 2006, 11:57am
I think Diamond gets canned more for their business practices than there theraputic contributions. I dont think there is any question that Seymour was a leader in the field of headache research.

The NHF has come a long way since the 80(s) in addressing clusters. Pretty admirable that they recognized CH back then when few were.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Mikey on Feb 7th, 2006, 6:53pm

Quote:
Posted by: unsolved1 Posted on: Today at 8:16am
I've been to Diamond 5 or 6 times in the last year or so. Dr. Merle Diamond was/is my doc. I really didn't like staying in the hospital up there because it was so far from home, the food sucked, and it seemed like they wanted me to stay for so long. But, other than that, I don't have anything bad to say about Diamond. They did turn me onto Histamine, which I now do locally, and it has helped out tremendously.


UNsolved  
 I agree one hundred percent Mike, with the exception of the histamines helping me.  Dr. Merle Diamond was my Doc there as well, and he was straight up with me and told me that the histamine treatment was only about 50% effective.  I just regret that it didn't help me, but I hope that it helps a lot more people like yourself Mike!!.........Bob, I'm not saying that Diamond is a bad place, I just had a bad experience there, but that dosen't mean that everyone will or will not get help.  Diamond is a fine Institution with a lot of knowledge about our condition, but I just didn't learn anything new there.  Maybe if I were to go back there today, they might would have a little better conditions there, like the nurses there were just horrible at the time I was there, or maybe it just happen to be the ones I had, or maybe it was just me [smiley=laugh.gif] could be so.....

I look at the whole thing like this,  if you need help, and you can get help at Diamond, and you think there's a chance that they can help you, then I would go if I could because we suffer so bad that many of us will try anything once!!!!

I'm glad you got the help you needed Jon, because that's all that matters anyway!!!! :) :)

Mikey......... ;;D
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by vig on Feb 7th, 2006, 7:38pm

on 02/07/06 at 18:53:48, Mikey wrote:
Dr. Merle Diamond was my Doc there as well, and he was straight up with me and told me that the histamine treatment was only about 50% effective.
Mikey......... ;;D

um...
http://headaches.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.diamondheadache.com
Merle's a girl.....
;;D
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Mikey on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:14pm
Yeah, yer right Vig, but I also seen Dr. Seymour Diamond and just got the words backwards I did mean she! ;)......It was a while ago....The mind is slipping with all these drugs flowing through it!! [smiley=laugh.gif]
Sorry for any mix up....

Mikey........... ;;D
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by BlueMeanie on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:33pm

on 02/06/06 at 22:20:57, jon019 wrote:
Through them I found out about O2, verapamil, predisone, and all the stuff that aint worth crap. Jon


Too bad you didn't find this site first.  ;;D
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by Jonny on Feb 7th, 2006, 8:46pm
Pfunk,

Save your money, between the info here and a knowledgeable neuro you will be better off.

Just my opinion.
Title: Re: Diamond Headache Clinic?
Post by jon019 on Feb 7th, 2006, 11:03pm
Yeah BlueMeanie, no sh**, no sh**, I wish, I wish.

Jon


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