Posted by OldSchool on December 19, 2001, at 10:04:55
In reply to psychopharm consultation - NYC or NC, posted by Elizabeth on December 15, 2001, at 12:04:05
> I'm interested in getting a consultation with a psychopharmacologist who's well-known, respected, etc., who might have ideas that could help me (I've tried most conventional AD and augmentations with limited success). I'd prefer a person with a research background (since researchers are usually most likely to know about nontraditional techniques), but that's not an absolute must.
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> Does anyone know of any such people? I'm currently in NC and would be willing to travel within the state; I could also see someone in NYC or DC without much difficulty since I have relatives in both places.
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> This would be a one-time thing; the idea is to get some recommendations from someone who's well-known and well-respected to help me convince whatever doctor around here I end up seeing to try stuff that they wouldn't be willing to try otherwise.
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> Thanks!
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> -elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, as you already know you are located in a cesspool area as far as psychiatry goes. However there are a few decent options available to you in your area. There is a good psychopharmacologist right in your hometown of Winston Salem by the name of James D. Mattox. He has a reputation as an excellent and aggressive psychopharmacologist. He referred one of his patients to NIMH a year or so back...pretty impressive for a psychiatrist to do that. He is a psychiatrist at "New Directions Treatment Center" in Winston Salem. He is probably your best bet in the Triad area as far as aggressive and creative psychopharmacology goes.As far as Duke goes, Ive used Duke psychiatry and quite honestly, Duke is highly overrated. Duke psychiatry is a stodgy and very conservative place. There are a few good doctors there, but many of them are very stodgy and insolent. The best psychopharmacology guy there is someone named John Beyer, Dr. Beyer is head of the Duke mood disorders clinic. He is an excellent psychopharmacologist and also a nice guy. Another guy at Duke who Ive heard is good is someone named Gaddhi. He is a research oriented psychiatrist who used to work at NIMH with Dr. Mark George. However Gaddhi is focused mostly on research and doesnt take many patients. However you never know you might be able to get in with him if you called him directly. Dont try to hook up with Gaddhi thru the TRIAGE nurse at Duke, call Gaddhi's office yourself. You might click with him as he is research oriented.
One person at Duke I would recommend you not using is Susan Van Meter. She is head of the Duke mood disorders clinic. She doesnt exactly have the best personality in the world, I dont know how she ever got that position at Duke to begin with. I dont recommend her as she doesnt exactly have the best personality in the world. I found her to be very impersonal and kind of remote...cold acting.
Probably the best thing about Duke psychiatry is the Duke ECT unit run by Dr. Richard Weiner, its an excellent ECT unit if you are considering having that. Duke does have an excellent ECT unit, I will give Duke that. In fact thats probably the best thing about the Duke psychiatry program is its ECT program...its good.
Probably the best research oriented psychiatry outfit in the Carolinas is down at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. There are some outstanding research psychiatrists at MUSC. I found MUSC to be very much superior to Duke psychiatry. Dr. Mark George is there and he does a lot of really cool, unique neuropsychiatry research that is as good as any you'd find up in Boston or NYC. There is also a guy at MUSC named Zihad Nahas, he is George's assistant and Nahas is not a bad psychopharmacologist. Nahas has a good personality, he is friendly and knows his psychopharmacology. Nahas is openminded. James Ballenger was head of MUSC psychiatry until recently, he left I dont know where he went.
Since much of the research at MUSC is Neuropsychiatry related, it might be a good place to go since you have been diagnosed with epilepsy recently. Perhaps Dr. George and the like at MUSC could tie things together with your seizure problems and your depression.
Good luck,
Old School
poster:OldSchool
thread:86991
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011213/msgs/87395.html