Your story is all too common around here. Good news is that you live in a city in which you can find a skilled doc.
If at all possible, find a specialist. Even general neurologists have discouragingly poor training in this area.
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LOCATING HEADACHE SPECIALIST
1. Search the OUCH site (button on left) for a list of recommended M.D.s.
2. Yellow Pages phone book: look for "Headache Clinics" in the M.D. section and look under "neurologist" where some docs will list speciality areas of practice.
3. Call your hospital/medical center. They often have an office to assist in finding a physician. You may have to ask for the social worker/patient advocate.
4. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
On-line screen to find a physician.
5. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
Look for "Physician Finder" search box. They will send a list of M.D.s for your state.I suggest using this source for several reasons: first, we have read several messages from people who, even seeing neurologists, are unhappy with the quality of care and ATTITUDES they have encountered; second, the clinical director of the Jefferson (Philadelphia) Headache Clinic said, in late 1999, that upwards of 40%+ of U.S. doctors have poor training in treating headache and/or hold attitudes about headache ("hysterical female disorder") which block them from sympathetic and effective work with the patient; third, it's necessary to find a doctor who has experience, skill, and a set of attitudes which give hope of success. This is the best method I know of to find such a physician.
6. Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to
or
NEW certification program for "Headache Medicine" by the United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, an independent, non-profit, professional medical organization.
Since this is a new program, the initial listing is limited and so it should be checked each time you have an interest in locating a headache doctor.
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In addition to working on getting a doc you'll find it useful to do some basic learning. The second title is an easy read:
MANAGEMENT OF HEADACHE AND HEADACHE MEDICATIONS, 2nd ed. Lawrence D. Robbins, M.D.; pub. by Springer. $50 at Amazon.Com. It covers all types of headache and is primarily focused on medications. While the two chapters on CH total 42-pages, the actual relevant material is longer because of multiple references to material in chapters on migraine, reflecting the overlap in drugs used to treat. I'd suggest reading the chapters on migraine for three reasons: he makes references to CH & medications which are not in the index; there are "clinical pearls" about how to approach the treatment of headache; and, you gain better perspective on the nature of headache, in general, and the complexities of treatment (which need to be considered when we create expectations about what is possible). Finally, women will appreciate & benefit from his running information on hormones/menstrual cycles as they affect headache. Chapter on headache following head trauma, also. Obviously, I'm impressed with Robbins' work (even if the book needs the touch of a good editor!) (Somewhat longer review/content statement at 3/22/00, "Good book....")
HEADACHE HELP, Revised edition, 2000; Lawrence Robbins, M.D., Houghton Mifflin, $15. Written for a nonprofessional audience, it contains almost all the material in the preceding volume but it's much easier reading. Highly recommended.
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We don't want to get into specific treatments until you have the correct diagnosis. This is a complex area of medicine and it's no wise to try and self-diagnose/self-treat. There are a number of disorders which mimic Cluster and so you don't want to start down the wrong pathway of treating.
Explore the buttons, left, starting with the OUCH site.
Keep us informed.
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