Maybe Dr. Oveian is a good neurologist; she was not one for me.
I had an episode with temporary memory loss in December, 2014, I went to my primary in Jan. 2015 and was sent for an MRI in Feb, 2015. I had my first appointment with Dr. Oveian 3/17/15. Dr. Oveian scheduled my first EEG in her office 3/23/15. She had an assistant call me to discuss the results of the EEG and to prescribe medication. I insisted upon an appointment with her to give me the results, she told me about how safe the meds were and that they were necessary to control the seizures which the EEG showed I was having. I insisted on another EEG a month and a half later to evaluate the meds effectiveness. In the interim I had stomach flu and called because I was worried that I could not keep the mediations down - I heard from Dr. Oveian 48 hrs later. Additionally, my appointment was re-scheduled giving the impression of a disorganized practice. I also experienced terrible inaccurate billing practices.
I had the 2nd EEG on May 11th and her advice was to increase the medication. At NO TIME did Dr. Oveian suggest any option other than medication as a treatment; at NO TIME did she suggest that I could be experiencing the extreme side effects of the medication prescribed or how long it would take for my body to assimilate them. She related, how much of the drug her other patients were taking and how "clean" it was. I assumed I was feeling so bad because these were the symptoms of seizures not my body's reaction to the meds. Due to my own efforts I started researching the drug and found that the extreme fatigue, the depression, the loss of motor control (typing, exercising etc.), loss of memory, and my disrupted speech patterns could all be attributed to the medication. On June 24, I called the Dr. because I was experiencing a BIG headache and extreme lethargy. She called me back 2 days later - at which point I had started to wean myself (I knew not to go cold turkey from what I was reading about these medications). She prescribed another drug - the pharmacist helped me transition. I knew I could not just quit the meds without causing myself harm. My last appointment with Dr. Oveian was July 22, 2015 which I was asked to reschedule - I refused. When I asked Dr. Oveian questions at this meeting she was defensive. Dr .Oveian talked to me extensively about the first medication prescribed not realizing she had changed my prescription at the end of June.
This medication has repeated the same awful side effects. My friends could not believe the in articulate, confused person I had become. At the end of our appointment Dr. Oveian sent me a letter terminating our relationship due to a "lack of trust". She also gave me a procedure for weaning myself from my current prescribed meds that ended with "then can stop if no unusual symptoms".
I already had an appointment with a recommended neurologist, Dr. Wm Sutherling , at the Epilepsy and Brain Mapping Program in Pasadena. My first appointment with him lasted longer than all of Dr. Oveian's appointments combined, or maybe it just felt like that because he was so obviously present and she wasn't. He reviewed all my records and ordered a 6 hour EEG. Based on this EEG Dr. Sutherlng finds that I am not now nor have I ever been having seizures and he's weaning me from the medication.
As I said, Dr.Oveian might be a good neurologist. I found her inattentive, hurried, defensive, and prone to prescribing, too cavalierly, dangerous mind altering drugs. She needs to revisit the maxim "first, do no harm." read more