Headache Center at the UCSF Medical Center

I absolutely cannot understand the negative reviews for the UCSF Headache Centre.
I have chronic migraine and have had frequent migraines since childhood but daily intense migraines for about 2.5 years now, it’s stopped me working, exercising and doing just about anything.
I am a patient who came from the UK and was referred by a very prominent headache neurologist back home in London to his colleague at Stanford. Stanford was really poor, I had no issues with appointments due to my UK neurologist bumping me up the queue but the care from the neurologist was just bad– obnoxious, unconcerned, unresponsive in emergencies. the list goes on.
Since leaving Stanford I emailed Dr Goadsby, he referred me to his colleague Dr Riggins. I literally cannot praise Dr Riggins and her team enough. Headache departments are always busy– its a common problem and specific clinics are unfortunately relatively limited. I’m not surprised the wait lists are long for a reputable hospital like UCSF. Saying that, I have never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time to see Dr Riggins. Dr Riggins always emails (very efficiently), calls my insurance, has her team call me etc etc– I would say she goes above and beyond any Dr I have ever visited (and i’ve seen tons of neurologists in the past 2 years) The care has been exceptional, despite my condition I always leave the clinic feeling hopeful and assured that Dr Riggins is an expert who genuinely wants to help me get better. When I feel hopeless she has another treatment suggestion that we can try, she is investigative, progressive and extremely diligent. I’ve been making small steps with Dr Riggins but i’ve had more progress with her than with any other headache Dr.
I can’t recommend UCSF Headache Center enough, they’re a busy team but completely dedicated and passionate about headaches and helping people get back on track. I would urge anyone with a serious headache problem to go to UCSF. Yes, you might have a reasonably long wait for your first appointment but you won’t find better knowledge, research or dedication in many other places.

This is the worst place. My Dr is nice but the front is so unorganized. I have been calling and faxing since August, can’t get a call back. Since my 1^st apt, I have had issues with the front. Worst place. Go somewhere else and save yourself the headache

The first appointment was professional. The botox treatment was great. My migraines all but disappeared for two months…
That is the only thing good to say about this place. Don’t go there, find someone else to handle your health.
Setting up appointments is a nightmare. The people working the office are incompetent.

Dr. Morris Levin spent hours with my husband who has suffered from headaches for 8 months (after a series of neurosurgeries). For the first time since his surgeries, he felt seen, heard and cared for. The long list of possible interventions was impressive, and the very first one has worked so far. This doctor is skilled, empathetic, realistic and dedicated. We feel grateful for a new, better existence! Dr. Levin assured us that we are now in his care, indefinitely. I cannot say enough about the positive impact he has had on our family’s life.

An embarrassment on UCSF and San Francisco.
I left messages with Rosalea/​Michelle for over four weeks (16 messages) and only recently received a voicemail call back. Their phone system is unreliable.
I was told I’d have an appointment booked and to expect a call back, after two weeks of not hearing back I called in and was told they would book me an appointment in the next three months but wouldn’t inform me until the end of the month.
I’ve spent 9 weeks waiting for an appointment and still don’t have one. I get four migraines a week.

Utter incompetence is the only phrase that comes to mind when describing this institution. A good friend of mine who suffers from debilitating migraine headaches has been going to this center for months now. I’ve been helping him with trying to make appointments and driving him to the center to have face-​to-​face appointments.
The problems we’ve faced in the quest for treatment are numerous:
1. They have an absolutely atrocious phone system. Nearly 100% of the time you’ll be sent to voicemail, as the phone rings off the hook. This is in spite of there being no less than three staff members behind the desk inside of the office. When confronted as to why they never answer their phones, they’ve stated they are «busy» helping other people.
That «busy» behavior included much chit chat inside of the office about the SF Giants Game 7 victory, time that would have been better spent responding to the innumerable phone calls that were ignored by people in dire pain. Talk about absolutely shameful disregard for those most in need of assistance.
2. The nurse practitioner who saw my friend is a complete auto-​pilot robot without any discernible concern to patient feedback. He complained directly to her about the complete lack of communication from the front-​desk staff and was summarily dismissed and shuffled on to the next question on her checklist, as if he didn’t even ask her a question.
3. The headache center recently moved from one building to another. Upon arriving in the building where the headache center used to be located, nobody at the reception area where the center used to be located had the slightest idea where it had been moved to.
4. While traveling out of state, multiple phone calls to the UCSF headache center were never returned when my friend ran out of medication. He was over six hundred miles away and they didn’t find time to call the local pharmacy to renew his prescription. When he finally called them and got them on the phone, their response was, we’ll transfer your prescription up to your area, but after that you have to find your own doctor. No referrals, no links, no resources. You’re out on your own.
5. The above is just the suffering you endure after it takes a full year to get an initial appointment.
UCSF’s Headache center puts the ache in headache. Look elsewhere at all costs, as this place needs a house cleaning of the existing staff before it could ever be considered again.

Not only are the office staff incompetent but you can’t even get Dr Riggen’s to call you back for a urgent medical situation. I mean really, no call back after 48 hours?
This place is beyond useless. Go to Stanford and save yourself the headache.

Goadsby has little concern for his migraine patients and the office has no time for a patient in extreme pain. I witnessed both when visiting my daughter who was under his care for a year. She has since transferred and is receiving more responsible, more attentive and overall better care at Stanford Headache Center and has received excellent care in the past at Mt. Sinai. I don’t know what his reputation is based on because there was never any evidence of his talent or even competency. He is extremely egotistical and speaks to his patients with disdain. His staff with whom I had to deal with occasionally was uniformly arrogant and dismissive. Thankfully, we are out of there. Be careful staying with his associates as they appear to be inexperienced particularly in botox treatments.

I am shocked to see negative reviews of Dr. Goadsby. I have been going to him for 5 years now, and he has literally changed my life. I find his advice to be honest, practical, and effective and would recommend him to anyone who has the misfortune of suffering from migraines.

Took four months to get in, appointment was rescheduled by staff three times. Arrived 30 minutes early for a 5pm appointment and was told the doctor was running 15 — 20 minutes. Asked it it was okay to go across the street for coffee. They said they’d call on my phone when it was my turn. Fifteen minutes later, at 4:50 they called and said he’s ready to see you, rushed back over to be told he took another patient. Still early for my appointment, sat down and waited 55 minutes before I asked how much longer. Then told the appointment was over booked, I’m lucky to get in, they’re trying to see everybody, blah, blah, blah. Was told it would be another 30– 45 minutes. Left and was called while on the bridge at 6:15. The ineffectual office manager asks «what, you’re not coming in?» Um, actually we already were there for an hour and 15 minutes. I need to reschedule. He responds «hmm, I’ll have someone call you back». This MD may be great but his office staff isn’t informative, interested, or compassionate. Office manager is a lazy asswipe– so bored of the conversation I heard for 45 minutes. That gave me a headache!

I, like most people who find themselves at Dr. Goadby’s mercy was desperate. I’ve had migraines for 35 years (since the age of 5) I’ve had 18 different neurologists simply give up on me. I spent time at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, was hospitalized at the pain clinic at Stanford twice, and have been on over 75 different medications over the years. Despite all of that, I still get 3 – 4 migraines a week.
My current neurologist recommended me because he was once again out of ideas. It took me 6 months to even get an appointment. The office itself is extremely disorganized. They never answer their phones, and it doesn’t do any good to leave messages because they don’t return phone calls. Everytime I call and am fortunate to get a live person I have to call every 15 minutes for several days before I get a live person. If I didn’t have migraines before dealing with their bureaucracy, I would afterwards.
Dr. Goadsby is arrogant, and condescending and his bedside manner leaves much to be desired. He thinks he’s God and he insulted not only all my other doctors, but me as well. However, his nurse has her act together, and if you can get through to her, she’ll make things happen. Most importantly, Dr. Goadsby was honest with me. Over the years, doctor after doctor pushed pills on me, and promised they’d be able to cure me with a snap of the fingers. Dr. Goadsby appreciated everything I had been through, and told me he thought he could help me, but it wouldn’t happen over night – that it would take some time for me to see a true improvement in my condition. It is because of his honesty and the professionalism of his nurse that I give this a 2 and not a 1.
It is a hassle to get in, and he’s not the easiest to deal with, so if you have other options, I’d encourage you to try them, and see Goadsby as a last resort – especially since it is so hard to get an appointment.

I can understand waiting 6 months for an appointment with a UCSF doctor… but I’ve been calling for two months and they haven’t even SCHEDULED it yet!
Once it’s scheduled, I’ll have to wait 6 months for the appointment. I’d like to at least get it scheduled, but they have never called me. I’ve always called them. They always have excuses. «Our scheduling system is down for the next 5 days.» «We can’t schedule into next month yet.» The people that answer the phone are always nice, but it’s no help when you can’t even get on the books!
I’m hoping to find another place that accepts my insurance so I can stay away from this place. I give up on them. This is just too long to wait to even schedule an appointment when I’m in so much pain.

I just had my first visit with Dr. G and am feeling hopeful about migraines for first time in more than a decade. Getting an appointment at the center was not easy. Having another doc in the UCSF system put in a referral/​request (after no joy from a non UCSF doc trying to refer) seemed to make a difference. Same long history-​taking by assistant, then the surprisingly funny Dr. G made his appearance and, well, blew my mind with his acute observations. He immediately picked up on aspects of my case that few others have paid attention to and some that no one has noticed. He gave me extremely valuable new information about two of my current meds and is in process of working up a very different approach to treatment. I first saw a neurologist at UCSF nearly 20 years ago and have seen many others elsewhere. None of them is as informed or as perceptive as Goadsby. The stuff others see as his negatives pales in comparison to the benefits I received on this first visit. He and his assistant spent well over an hour with me. I find that, in itself, shocking in these days of 10 — 20 minute appointments. I was seen within minutes of my arrival. I consider my self fortunate to live less than an hour’s drive from UCSF and the Headache Center. Very grateful for the resource!

The Headache Center was the answer to many years frustration and hopelessness. I have a kind of migraine which masquerades as a seizure. Been treated by epilepsy specialists for years, got nowhere and ultimately had to leave my job. I heard about an epilepsy specialist at UCSF, Dr. Tina Shih who referred me to Dr. Goadsby and the Headache Center. She felt my symptoms were infact a form of migraine. I get typical migraine but other bizarre symptoms everyday which are incapacitating– those are seizure like symptoms.
Dr. Goadsby can be a challenge communicating with, but most of the communicating is done through the doctors whom he supervises. They take a looooong history, Dr. Goadsby comes in and wades through the information and makes decisions. He has a terrific sense of humor. I was very impressed, despite his gruff, sometimes flippant demeanor. His New Zealand accent makes him difficult to understand. But YOU KNOW your care is being treated/​managed by the best in the world. And having someone understand my symptoms and actually provide me with treatment that is actually doing something is well worth tolerating a little gruffness. Staff could not be more pleasant and accommodating. It is more than worth the wait to see Dr. Goadsby. I fly in out of state to get it, rather than see an instate «headache expert» who does not have the experience Dr. Goadsby has. It puts me in debt but to be a productive person again is well worth it.

Worth the wait. Yes it took 4 months to get an appointment but his approach to migraines from a neuroscience perspective is unique. He offered me hope after my general neurologist had few available options. His office staff and nurses and nurse practitoners are very knowledgeable. I read comments that it can be hard to get in touch but I think it is just because they are so busy. Clinic appointments do run late but he takes his time with his patients. I think he really is a true physician scientist who blends his research with excellent patient care. The are very few dedicated headache centers in the united states.

After several calls and emails to them regarding a follow up, they have not responded at all. This could be due to their moving to Mission Bay UCSF campus, but the phone number on the notice they sent about that move was for the wrong department. After some calls to their old number (which has their same message on it) and some fruitless attempts trying to find their actual phone, I’m giving up.
And don’t get me start on their HIPAA violations…(though when I experienced that, I certainly got faster service! 3 different people, within 2 days, contacted me trying to fix it!)

One of the best places to go for headaches.

Just say no. Dr. Goadsby should reconsider working with actual people and stick with research. He is arrogant, obnoxious and rude. Save yourself the aggravation — he isn’t worth it.

Dr. Peter Goadsby has a very huge ego with a horrible bed side manner! What a waste of our time! He certainly does not appreciate you asking any questions during his evaluation! And God forbid if you don’t understand what he is talking about! Very short! Very curt! «One» of the most arrogant doctors I have ever met in my life! His answer to a incorrect diagnosis would be to have a 17 year old on anti-​depressents! Next!

skip that, I have waited 9 months and still have not gotten in.