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Somethingelsa Asked August 2020

Type of Doctor?

I’m curious see if anyone has chosen a geriatric physician over a neurologist to treat Alzheimer’s. What about a geriatric psychiatrist?
I am seeing a definite decline in my husband with AD with symptoms that we are not used to but cannot move up our regular November neurologist appt until late September and am not even getting a call back to discuss this.
Our primary care is wonderful and we are spoiled with the attention we get when needed but this is beyond him .
Luckily my husband was in an AD study with the first phase ending last March (hoping for a second phase but Covid has held it up) and the neurologist in charge, who is not on his insurance, did call me and advise and prescribe medication in his own time but needless to say I need to find a new Doctor .
Thanks everyone .

Grandma1954 Aug 2020
You have 2 good options that might help.
Contact your primary care doctor and see if he can refer you to one that is in your network. Have him give you a list of several.
Contact the doctor that was in charge of the study and ask him if he is aware of any that he could refer you to that are in your network. Have him also give you a list of several.
You hit the jackpot if one or more doctors are on both lists!
Your next hurdle would be getting an appointment!
There is a Neuropsychologist in our area that I wish I had known about earlier in my Husbands diagnosis. I think if I were talking to a friend that needed information I would tell them to consult with a Neuropsychologist.

Somethingelsa Aug 2020
Thanks so much AlvaDear . Yes we were so lucky to live in an area where they were doing this study and that is exactly who I turned to for help . Our primary was the one who recommended the current neurologist 4 1/2 years ago and before I reached out to the study he said he’d call the neurologist for me if I didn’t hear back from him . I didn’t pursue that option as medication was prescribed and I thought well if I need to rely on the primary to get to the neurologist it’s time for a change. I’m founding neurologists with great reviews but not so good reviews for geriatric doctors in my area . Some are even older than us 😂

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AlvaDeer Aug 2020
You love your primary MD here, so that person is the one to suggest the best way forward. Neurologists are great at diagnosis. I think geriatric is then best, and if there is any need for medication cocktails, then you definitely want the person who can prescribe. You can also throw yourself upon the mercy, for suggestions, of those involved in the Study you were so lucky as to be in.

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