Docs in NJ?

[lilbanana]

Does anyone know of any doctors in Northern NJ that know about POTS and treat it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

[MightyMouse]

I know a few docs who know how to treat POTS in Northern NJ. I have not recommended the placement of these docs on our physicians page for a variety of reasons which I will state are my personal opinions based on my personal experiences.

Dr. Michael Gutkin, Renal and Hypertension Group. I think that he is in Short Hills...when I saw him he was affiliated with St Barnabas. I just check the St. B website...he's still listed as on staff in the hypetension division.

http://www.sbhcs.com/education/intmed/department.htm

I saw him at his private practice right down the road. I felt he was a capable physician, however, after a number of difficult interactions with his office staff, including one where they scheduled me for a Saturday appointment, called and confirmed it, and then failed to tell me they scheduled me on a day when he wasn't there until I actually got to the office, I just gave up on going there--I live pretty far South, close to Philly, so I just felt it wasn't worth the trek more than an hour and a half one way.

Another is Dr. Richard Podell. I found him knowledgeable and very willing to work with complicated patients. His staff were pretty nice too. However, he didn't take any kind of insurance, and I didn't (and still don't) have the cash flow to pay several hundred up front and then wait to be reimbursed by my insurance company, which is dicey at best.

http://www.drpodell.org/

Dr. Richard Podell

53 Kossuth St., Somerset, NJ 08873 Tel: 732-565-9224

and

105 Morris Avenue, Suite 200,Springfield, NJ 07081 Tel: 973-218-9191

Additionally, there is a doctor up at UMDNJ-Newark. I've never seen him and cannot give you any information other than the fact that several of my friends have seen him. Only one of them continues to go to him.

Dr. Benjamin Natelson

Head of the CFS Research Center located in University Hospital

also, you can check out the Co-Cure Good Doctor list

http://www.co-cure.org/USA_NJ.htm

Most of the folks on that list will be likely to work with a patient with complicated or unusual conditions. Nina

Newark NJ.

Edited May 17, 2004 by MightyMouse

[lilbanana]

thanks sooo much!

[scamelo]

My neighbor told me about dr Podell. He is more of an alternative natural/holistic Dr. from what I heard. Has a website, and his first visit is about 650.00 or so from what I remember. He has a radio show and she heard him on that. I would have tried him, but thought 650.00 or so was a bit too much.

http://www.drpodell.org/

[MightyMouse]

When I went, it was 300$ for a first visit. He does use holistic approaches if nothing else works...however, he was the first to do all the traditional stuff with me, including florinef and midodrine. He was doing clinical trials with epogen (procrit) while I was going there. I was referred to Dr. Podell by Dr. Gutkin, my hypertension specialist.

Nina

[scamelo]

I was just going by what the website has, the 650.00 is on as the initial fee. I did not know how much conventional he does. Good to know. Not sure why he does not take any insurance however.

[MightyMouse]

Many doctors have stopped taking insurance because it costs them more to process the claims than they actually get back from the insurance company. Instead, he'll give you a print out that you can send in yourself for direct reimbursement to the patient...of course, the insurance company will only give you their "usual and customary charge" amount, which is typically much less than you will have paid.

Nina