I will be visiting Thailand soon for health checkup at BKK Chulalongkorn Hospital. My head is feeling dizzy any time I walk, and I have tried Serc tablets twice a day with no change. My local doctor says it is not vertigo, and he recommends seeing a neurologist and getting an MRI brain scan.

Can anyone recommend a good neurologist at BKK Chulalongkorn? And do I make an appointment on 13th floor at Chula?

It is a little hard to suggest which neurologist nto knowing what the differential diagnosis is, as the neurologists at Chula and elsewhere  are sort of divided by clinical focus e.g. movement disorders, epilepsy, stroke etc

 

I suggest to start with you consult Prof.Dr. Roongroj Bhidayasiri. He is a very senior, US trained neurologist who specializes in movement disorders.

 

yes, make appointment on 13th floor

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It is a little hard to suggest which neurologist nto knowing what the differential diagnosis is,

 

Thank you Sheryl. My local doctor (not in Thailand) has suggested I have an MRI brain scan to see if I have a brain tumor, which he thinks could be a possible cause of my dizziness when I am walking.

 

I want to get a second opinion on this from a Bangkok specialist... and perhaps have the MRI done at Chula. So I will try Prof.Dr. Roongroj first and see what happens.

 

 

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6 hours ago, Ganador said:

 

 

Thank you Sheryl. My local doctor (not in Thailand) has suggested I have an MRI brain scan to see if I have a brain tumor, which he thinks could be a possible cause of my dizziness when I am walking.

 

I want to get a second opinion on this from a Bangkok specialist... and perhaps have the MRI done at Chula. So I will try Prof.Dr. Roongroj first and see what happens.

 

 

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I doubt you will be able to get an appointment there quickly.

I went there once in 2017, as their semi-private "afterhours-clinic" was recommended by several people, and the earliest appointment with the Doctor (neurologist) of my choice would have been roughly three months later.

Also, you better have a good grasp of Thai as very little English is spoken there

 

The doctor will speak English well. But  indeed the admin staff and nurses do not, and signs and forms are all in Thai.

 

Also true that there is often a wait -- sometimes a very long one -- for specialist appointments.

 

Both of these things making it not such a good source of care form people who don't live in Thailand. However OP specified that this is where he wishes to go.

 

Lastly forget about getting MRI done at Chula even most Thai patients in the public channel go to private imaging centers for that as the wait is very, very long. You can go direct to an imaging center, without doctor order, and get an MRI and this is often best when the scan does nto require contrast.  However, if contrast is required (usually is for detecting tumors) this is not without risk. A small percentage of people have serious adverse reactions to the contrast media making it risky to do in Thailand outside of a hospital setting. 

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You can go direct to an imaging center,

 

Can you recommend any good imaging center near to Chula or in lower Sukhumvit area... hopefully near a BTS or MRT station?

 

What would be the average waiting time to get this done at an imaging center... and what sort of fee do they charge for this?

 

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http://www.mrithailand.com/index.php?lang=en

Not in the area you mention and not within walking distance of MRT or BTS. Go to Morchit station and take cab from there.

Usually no wait, immediate service

MRI of brain with contrast 10,800

 

However please note prior caution. While of a serious reaction to the contrast material  occurring are low (between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1,000 depending on type of media used),  the consequences could be catastrophic (as in, you could unnecessarily die). Complications can include anaphylactic shock and respiratory arrest, and a stand alone imaging center is NOT where you want to be if that happens. Neither is stuck in traffic in an ambulance while being transferred fro man imaging center to a hospital.