Can someone recommend a good Neurologist on the east side of ATL somewhere? (Atlanta: live in)

[That_guy]

Hi all. I'm in need of a Neurologist. I live in Dacula, but unfortunately the only Neuro practice near me only has 1 doctor recommended by the reviews and he doesn't have anything open until late January. The other doctors in that same practice have some pretty horrifying reviews by current/ex patients.

Does anyone have some 1st hand experience with a good Neurologist within 20-30 miles of Gwinnett county? I'm not looking for somebody to sing me lullabies, but I do not want to work with a doc that has terrible bed side manners and makes me feel worse than I already do.

Thanks

[arjay57]

Can you say what the nature of the problem is? That can make a big difference.

[That_guy]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Can you say what the nature of the problem is? That can make a big difference.

Ugh, it's a laundry list unfortunately....

-Constant on/off dizziness that varies between each day...Not "room spinning" dizzy, more like I just got spun around and my equilibrium never fully balanced back out. Wooziness if you will.

-Headaches @ the back of my head

-Complete and total loss of short & long term memory. I now forget anything from where I put my cell phone 2 minutes ago, on up to forgetting how to spell words I've known how to spell my whole life.

-Inability to do complex tasks @ work without my brain trying to shut down on me. It's almost as though my brain says "Nope, not going to compute that" even though I'm telling it to.

-Chronic fatigue that does not go away, regardless of sleep or rest. Also accompanied by weakness


The list goes on, but those are the major ones. Earlier this year when the dizziness first happened I went to the ER because everyone was telling me it could be a stroke. They did a cat-scan on my head and there were no tumors, so at least I've got that going but something major is up. They blamed it on "vertigo"....I'm not going to except that, nor medicate myself to the point of being a zombie like the docs want.

I'm only 30 years old, drug/alcohol free, do not smoke and live a predominantly healthy life.


Any input is appreciated. Thanks

[Mirabella]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Can you say what the nature of the problem is? That can make a big difference.

A big difference to who? The OP asks for a recommendation for a neurologist. It is none of your business why he or she made the request.

[atltechdude]

Emory has a good neurology dept. I can't recommend any specific names though.

[ATLTJL]

I think Arjay meant well.

Certain neurologists specialize in certain things. If you have MS, you probably wouldn't go to a neurologist who sees mostly migraine patients.

It's true they should all be able to handle any neurologic disorder, but certain doctors are known for certain things.

To the OP, it sounds like there are going to be a bunch of tests that all come back negative and there will end up being some kind of clinical diagnosis. But you never know, they might find someting. And even if they don't, a good neurologist will be able to figure out what drugs to try to at least get the symptoms under control.

I would also recommend the possibility of seeing a good psychiatrist. I'm not saying that these symptoms are being imagined or that you are crazy, but the body and mind are so linked that a ton of symptoms can be caused by stress/anxiety/depression. It can aslo can be a chicken and egg syndrome where physical symptoms lead to depression and anxiety and that causes everything to worsen. I'm not saying that going on SSRIs is a good idea for everyone, especially long term, but sometimes being on a good drug, particularly an SNRI like Effexor that also has neurologic effects for a short period of say 6 months can really help get things under control. I woul wean off something like this as soon as possible, but sometimes it helps.

I sent you a private message with a good neurologist at Emory. He is a very good neurologist and he also seems to have a good grasp on the mind/body connection.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Mirabella

A big difference to who? The OP asks for a recommendation for a neurologist. It is none of your business why he or she made the request.

Well, as ATLTJL said, neurologists specialize in different areas. It's hard to make a recommendation without knowing what the condition is. Finding someone to treat for stroke or a cord injury or MS or RSD or a pediatric condition is not at all the same.

Obviously I don't know the identity of this poster and have no interest in invading their privacy. But when someone asks for a physician recommendation it's sort of helpful to know what they're looking for.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by That_guy

Ugh, it's a laundry list unfortunately....

Thanks, That_guy.

Neurological problems can take a little time to unravel. You might start with Dr. Ellis Hedaya.

Peachtree Neurological Clinic, PC - Neurologists - Atlanta, GA - Our Physicians

Best of luck -- you've got a long life ahead!

[Mirabella]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Thanks, That_guy.

Neurological problems can take a little time to unravel. You might start with Dr. Ellis Hedaya.

Peachtree Neurological Clinic, PC - Neurologists - Atlanta, GA - Our Physicians

Best of luck -- you've got a long life ahead!

So, based on the OP history, why did you recommend this neurologist? The website doesn't indicate that Dr. Hedaya has any special expertise in any of the conditions the OP mentioned.

I am sure you didn't mean any harm but try to think about what you are posting and if you really need to know the details to provide an answer.
Good luck to the OP.

[arjay57]

I recommended Hedaya because it's my impression he's a good diagnostician and a member of a well respected, multi-speciality neurology group.

You've gotta start somewhere and I can't imagine a consult with someone like this would do any harm.