Patient Information

What to Expect

Before Your Visit

Medication List

It is vital for us to know your current and past medication therapies.  You must bring this list to your new patient appointment.  Failure to do so will compromise our ability to provide the optimal recommendation. Please make certain this list makes note of the following:

  • The highest dose of the medication you used.
  • When the medication was started and for how long you used it.
  • If the medication helped the headache.
  • Any side effects from the medication.

Medical Records

Please bring a copy of your radiology imaging report or images and any pertinent medical information, including doctors’ notes, bloodwork, and other test results. In addition, please fax or mail this information to our office prior to your visit, so that we will have time to review your medical records in detail. 

During the appointment

Patients will always be seen by one of our headache specialists.  Initial appointments are scheduled for one hour and follow-up appointments are scheduled for 30 minutes.

As we are affiliated with a teaching hospital, you may be first seen by a resident, fellow, or a nurse practitioner (specializing in neurology and headache). Following the initial intake, you will be evaluated by the attending physician. 

The physician will evaluate your headache history and review past medical treatments in order to diagnose and provide treatment recommendations to your primary physician. 

After the appointment

We will send a letter of our recommendations to the referring and other physicians at your request.

Please work with your primary physician to follow-up on the recommendations provided by your headache specialist. The success of managing your headache is dependent on your proactive approach to your care.

Your headache specialist will let you know if a follow-up appointment is necessary. Follow-up visits may be either with a nurse practitioner or clinical fellow, overseen by an attending neurologist.

You may be provided with a headache diary. It is important for you to maintain this diary and bring it to any future appointment at the Columbia Headache Center. Failure to do so will significantly limit our ability to help your condition.

Prescription Refills

Please call the office at least one week prior to needing a prescription refill.  Leave detailed information with the staff, including your name, date of birth, medication name and dosage, quantity, and your pharmacy’s information. 

We will not be able to provide prescription refills over the phone if you do not adhere to follow-up visits on a medically appropriate basis, which will be discussed at each appointment.

Opioids/Narcotics

We do not prescribe opioids or narcotics for the treatment of chronic headache disorders, as such medications can render headaches more refractory to treatment.

We offer outpatient and inpatient protocols for supervised medication withdrawal (detoxification) from these and other medications when needed.  

Our Locations

We have two office locations for your convenience:

ColumbiaDoctors Neurology Midtown Office
51 West 51st Street
Suite 380
New York, NY 10019
United States
The Neurological Institute of New York
710 West 168th Street
Suite 246
New York, NY 10032
United States