Hey PR! Wondering input between Dr. Levine vs. Dr. Kaufman/Chheda

[Dakota15]

Hey PR Community!

I was wondering any input/experiences between Dr. Susan Levine in NYC (tests administered, treatment options, etc.) and Dr. Kaufman or Dr. Chheda at the Center of Complex Diseases in Mountain View, CA (again - tests administered, treatment options, etc.).

I currently have an appointment scheduled for Dr. Levine in early May, while Dr. Chheda's first availability is in May as well - Dr. Kaufman's first available is in June/July. While I know there's no "magic bullet", i'm just trying to weigh which option may suit me best but I know very little between each option (I've roughly gathered that Dr. Levine uses Dr. Lerner's antiviral approach).

I greatly respect the PR community's input and advice - thank you in advance! I can provide any additional information too if needed (symptoms etc.).

Cheers,

Dakota

 

[Cort]

I'm sure they are all good doctors. I haven't seen any of them. I do know that Kaufman is regularly meeting with Ron Davis's working group and Ron Davis is impressed with him.

He comes from the HIV field - which wasn't enough of a challenge for him I believe - so he took on ME/CFS! That's what I heard...

 

[Dakota15]

Thanks @Cort! Much appreciated

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Dakota15 I have never seen Dr. Levine (and I have never seen Dr. Chheda either) but I have seen Dr. Kaufman since mid 2014 and I literally credit him with giving me my life back. He is the best doctor, and one of the best human beings, I have ever met. I cannot recommend him highly enough, there are not words.

He will never promise to "cure" you b/c we are working with illnesses that at this point in time do not have cures. But he will take an extensive history, do very thorough testing, and create a treatment plan based on your individual case. And if your symptoms change, or new info is learned (which happened in my case), he will shift course. And if you ask him something he does not know, he is not afraid to say, "I don't know".

He is not afraid to try new things, but to try them as safely as possible. He will also coordinate with your other doctors, with disability application (if part of your case), with your insurance company, or whatever is needed. No matter how weird or obscure your symptoms are, he will try everything to figure them out. My case is not the typical ME/CFS case (if there even is such a thing!) and he treats all aspects of the immune system (Immune deficiency or Autoimmunity, POTS & Dysautonomia, MCAS, Lyme Disease, SIBO, etc).

I first saw him at OMI but when he left to start his own practice with Dr. Chheda and some of the other OMI staff, I transferred to his new practice called "Center for Complex Diseases". Since I am not local, it did not really change anything for me and his new practice is literally just a few doors down from the old one on the same street.

If you really want to see him, I would ask if there is a cancelation list for new patients to get in sooner than June/July. There is no harm in asking. Best wishes whatever you decide.

 

[ScottTriGuy]

Hey PR Community!

I was wondering any input/experiences between Dr. Susan Levine in NYC (tests administered, treatment options, etc.) and Dr. Kaufman or Dr. Chheda at the Center of Complex Diseases in Mountain View, CA (again - tests administered, treatment options, etc.).

I have a friend who just saw Dr Chheda and couldn't say enough good things about her experience with the entire staff and process. Had no complaints at all (except that she had to fly to Cali from Canada and pay for a bunch of tests, but that's against the Canadian health care system, not Dr Chheda.)

Mind you, her home doctor thinks she has a personality disorder and forced her prove her mental fitness in front of a panel of 3 psychiatrists who merely deemed her with some sort of somatization label, the lesser of 2 evils she thinks, so any half way good doctor / experience would seem wonderful compared to what she's endured.

 

[Dakota15]

Thank you @Gingergrrl!

 

[Learner1]

I am a patient of Dr. Kaufman's. Like Gingergrrl, I have been very happy with his help. I have seen lab work that Dr. Levine did on a patient, and it was similar to what Dr. K has done and the treatments she was suggesting were similar. I have also heard great things about Dr. Chedda. They are all good.

So, travel time and expense and cost might be factors as well. And, it is challenging to manage intensive treatment with an out of state doctor, so having local help is needed, too.