anyone have a Boston neuro?
 

my PN has worsened over the past year, caused by Plavix. i've been on it for a year and stopped it 2 weeks ago. Now that i'm finally free of it, the remission i thought was imminent has not happened. i'm sure that giving it more time will help. but i'm old & impatient!!

my daughter lives in Boston & i thought i'd combine a visit to her with a consult with a neuro at MGH or any other medical center.

Any recommendations for docs in the area?

Whatever you do do NOT go to St. Elizabeth's. My neurosurgeon there caused me nerve damage during surgery then kept lieing to me about it saying it wasn't really nerve damage. One of their doctors at the pain clinic also hit a nerve doing a nerve block injection, when I called to tell him I was in a lot of pain from the injection his response was to very casually say "Well that sometimes happens" and then he refused to prescribe me any medication for the increased pain he caused.

Sorry I don't have a positive recommendation for anyone in boston. I am currently going to a place in waltham that is right off 95 http://www.bostonpaincare.com/
So far they have been the most helpful for managing my pain.

thanks for the heads up! i'm sorry that st. elizabeth's was so uncaring & incompetent.

did you get a complete workup @ the pain center in waltham? any neuros there you think are competent?

I am in South Eastern Mass and I go to a Neuro at Brigham and Women's. I have had good treatment there. Also if your in South East Ma there is a nice neuro doctor at Hawthrorn Medical In Dartmouth.

i am very interested in learning more about your docs. a few family members have been treated @ brigham & women's (not neurological issues) and it has a great reputation. would you be ok with sharing the name(s). or maybe you could pm me? thanks so much!

I see Dr. Salajegheh at B&W's - he is GREAT

I don't think any of the doctors at the pain care center are neuros, the two I saw were Interventional Pain Specialist's and Anesthesiologists. Both doctor Silk and doctor Bazoberry were great. Doctor silk was the one who diagnosed me with nerve damage after ordering and EMG and he was able to prescribe me medication that was much more helpful than anything I was given previously. Dr. Bazoberry was the one who gave me an epidural injection. I told him about my previous negative experience with injections and he took the time to explain to me exactly what he was going to do which helped me feel better about it. He did the injection without hitting a nerve or causing me more pain.

thanks Kat & Karen
 

i'm going to look into appointments with the docs you like @ b&w & at the pain center.

i'll keep you posted as to the outcome.

btw, i researched about 11 nyc neuros listed on the PN association's website (primarily ratings by patients on Vitals, Health Grades & Rate MDs) and only 2 have a 3 star or better rating). certainly gives one pause! makes me think PN is a subspecialty favored by docs who possibly graduated way down in their class? i actually saw three of these neuros during my 15 year quest and reading the reviews showed me that i wasn't alone in my negative experience(s).

the best PN Doc I saw was @ johns hopkins but alas another trip to maryland would be a logistical minefield.

I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to answer, I do not check these boards as often as I should and it doesn't send notification of a reply so I forget (Thanks Lyrica)

Anyways I saw Dr. Thomas Walshe there. He was very good took a lot of time with me and diagnosed my SFN.

I have been to Brighams a lot for my heart. I call it my second home because I stay there so often. It is a great hospital I can not sing it's praises enough.

thanks for getting back to me
 

I see that you have heart issues too. It's been a year since my MI & I just stopped taking plavix, thank god! I hope that now I can begin to heal my PN since that drug worsened my numbness & balance.

Anyway, I will look into an appointment with Thomas Walshe. Has he rx'd anything that has helped you? I am currently phasing in my supplements which I had stopped when I got sidetracked by the heart attack.

Thanks again for your response!

I saw Dr. James Barry at MGH. He was very patient and thorough. I recall he spent almost a full hour with me my first visit. In the end he didn't take me in any new directions but then I had tried a whole bunch and saw quite a few other docs before seeing him. He did give me a great deal of piece of mind if nothing else.

He doesn't give me any meds. I have been sent to pain management now for meds. I was on Gabapentin and NucyntaER for pain with Hydrocodone for break through. It wasnt working so they switched me last month to Lyrica which is helping a lot. I also take Zanaflex and when I take the Lyrica, Zanaflex and Hydro together it actually works better than Nucynta.

i tried lyrica awhile back. it did not do much. my side effects on it included an "out of body" experience. after lyrica i planned to start cymbalta but i just lost interest in the whole business of trying this drug, stopping it, try another, yada yada yada.

i just read that the celexa i was recently rx'd is not suitable for cardiac patients so now i have to drop it & try zoloft which is more benign (?). yikes! it never ends!

glad to see you have found an effective drug combo. i used to take valium for muscle spasms but found it very addicting. i may try zanaflex instead. does the Hydro let you function normally? it's on my list of "what to try next."

thanks for your response & helpful information!

The Hydro is Ok, honestly feel I need something stronger but that whole asking pain management for drug increases is a pain in the tukus. I function fine on the meds I am on, no dopiness or anything but I may not be average in that case because one nurse told me if she was taking what I was she would be in a corner sucking her thumb lol.