Our Mountain View Office is moving to Los Altos. The last day in the current office will be Friday, January 17th. The first day in the new office will be Tuesday, January 21 (the day after the MLK holiday). The Los Altos office is newer, has convenient parking on site, and has two excellent coffee shops across the road. We …
Gateway Psychiatric was established with the belief that in order to give our patients the best care possible, it is necessary to invest heavily in training for the clinical staff. We particularly focus on evidence based practices that have been shown to address significant problems facing our patients. Since chronic depression is one of the most common problems seen in …
Lithium is usually considered the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder. However, at least 30% of lithium-treated patients do not have a clinically significant response; and only 30% have a long-lasting full response. Since close laboratory monitoring is required, and adverse effects are not uncommon, identifying predictors of lithium response is highly desirable. In this largest-ever study of lithium recipients …
People who develop hypothyroidism while using the mood stabilizer lithium may return to normal thyroid function after the drug is discontinued, according to a study in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. Hypothyroidism—a condition in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone—has long been known to be associated with the use of lithium. Recent studies have clarified the nature of this association. …
We are truly sorry. We are a small clinic and so at times we are not able to accept new patients. We don’t believe in waiting lists. We think that people should be seen when they need the help rather than being told to wait for a future appointment. Whenever we can accept new patients we are committed to offering …
A patient represented by an attorney obtained AETNA health insurance coverage for rTMS treatment of bipolar depression. The patient satisfied the insurer’s policy guidelines for rTMS treatment of major depression by demonstrating failed trials of 4 different medications. Reimbursement was based on the plan’s allowed percentage of the “covered amount”. The AETNA Appeals Decision stated – “TMS treatment is being …
Psychiatrists and patients alike are hungry for new antidepressants. Few new medications have been developed in the last 10 years that are effective antidepressants, and those that have come to the market have all been variants of existing medications. The only really novel treatments for depression in the last 15 years in psychiatry are ketamine and TMS, both of which …
One of the most perplexing things about our healthcare system is how complicated it can make even simple tasks. This is particularly true when the issue involves sharing information among providers of care. Elsewhere we have talked about the “silo” problem and why it has motivated us to develop a clinic that tries to provide integrated care. Here I want …
Sometimes our lives can become so full of the myriad items to manage and tend to that we lose track of what is most meaningful. Rarely do we afford ourselves the time to stop and ask, “How do I really want to be spending my time? What is it that I value?” The end-result of this way of functioning tends …
Colleagues at UCSF shared this list of resources for people in a crisis in the Bay Area. We share this here in the hope that it can be helpful. Please let us know if there are corrections or updates… Alameda National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK Substance Use Treatment & Referral Helpline: 1-844-682-7215 Crisis Support Services Suicide Prevention: (800) 309-2131 …
