Neil Raskin, MD

For those people who aren’t happy with Dr. Raskin’s straight forward answers, well, too bad! He’ll tell you what it is without sugar coating it. For other people who went to see him for non-​migraine related neurological illness, he is the migraine specialist, not a head trauma or Parkinson specialist. There are plenty other doctors in Neurology department to treat those illness. Do your homework! It’s funny how polarizing the reviews are, either the patients don’t like him or they love him! I know there are plenty of patients that have been seeing him for 15+ years and counting! I still pray that he’ll never retire because he’s one of my favorite doctor at UCSF!

The worst Doctor I have ever encountered!!! I should’ve read the reviews first before going to this appointment. I’m losing vision on my left eye, numbness on my left leg and hand. Apparently this is related to MIGRAINES! I don’t think so! I got up and left telling him I disagreed and he went to say he wrote two books, who CARES! Please do not treat with this doctor

One of the most unprofessional, condescending, patronizing, insulting doctors I’ve ever encountered. No warmth. No compassion. No listening. No genuine desire to be of assistance. Just arrogance and a totally closed mind. He was incredibly rude and disrespectful during my entire visit. It was a complete waste of my time. Run, don’t walk to another neurologist. Dr. Raskin is absolutely awful.

Wonderful Dr. He gave me my life back! I had seen 9 doctors before him. I could hardly walk when I came to him. My migraines were causing temporary paralysis. I’ve been his patient for 5 years. I drive 4 hours to see him. I hug him after e ery appoinment. He is an investigative doctor. Much like a cop. Being that I’m retired female cop I know jerks. He is a great man. He is current with new medications coming out and we have tried experimental tactics to try and keep my migraines at bay. If you want to solve your problem be apart of the solution. Just give him the facts not your sob story!!! See a therapist if you need to vent. He really is incredible! Be punctual! Tell him the guts of your story and expect him to stop you when he needs to redirect you. He is extracting information… just the way an investigator does. He feels like my Grandpa. I adore him.

If you are looking for someone to comfort you after a head injury then this is probably not the right doctor. However, if you’re looking for a professional that really knows and understands how to diagnosis and treat traumatic brain injury then he’s your guy.
My husband suffered a severe head injury a year ago. After several unsuccessful trips to Stanford Neurology Department, we transferred to Dr. Raskin at UCSF for treatment. Although he is gruff, his experience and knowledge make up for his directness. Thanks, Dr. Raskin, for helping my husband get better!

Nice Fake reviews all coming from the same date and area.
So i went through a car windshield as a passenger in a car accident,
broke a bone in my neck and in my back as well as received a head injury and was referred to UCSF neurology /​Neil Raskin.
I made my appointment and was told that if I was even one minute late that the doctor would cancel my appointment and the doctor would never see me again… point taken, I came about 30 minutes early and still ended up waiting at least 20 minutes passed my appointment time… whatever, no big deal.
I am escorted into the room where the doctor is already present sitting down, he takes one look at me and says «Ugh…and what do you want?»
I started to tell him I had been in a car accident, which cut me off and said,” I mean what is your problem?” So I say, «I think I have a concussion» and he then rolls his eyes and basically starts screaming at me telling me Im not a doctor and how do I think Im qualified enough to go about diagnosing myself… so I say to him «My primary care doctor, the UCSF Spine Center, my parents and my lawyer are all concerned about me and some of the problems Im having like facial twitches, muscle spasms, pain, and fainting» He then glares at me and says «So you have a concussion, what do you want me to do about it? Are you trying to get drugs» I say no and that its just my family is really concerned about my memory loss and his reply is «Your family is stupid, they arent doctors its not their job to diagnose you» at this point I dont know what Ive done to set the guy off and ask him what I did to upset him and have him start yelling at me. He then just proceeds to stare me down and then chuckle and mutter to himself so I walked out of his office. I called the reception desk about 30 minutes later and his staff apologized for his behavior and refunded the money for my appointment so apparently they too thought it was out of line or else why would they be giving me my money back at an establishment like UCSF? Its now six months later and Im still having problems and am very sad I was denied basic health care by this ass.

Dr. Raskin was very helpful with diagnosis and he created two plans for the time being to help treat my condition with medication. I feel very comfortable after talking with him about these plans, and he is very knowledgeable about my condition. He listened to all my questions and answered them without hesitation. I have seen countless doctors in the last 7 years trying to find answers about my condition and Dr. Raskin has given me something no one else could give me. He gave me answers, a plan, and hope for the future that I could live a normal life again.
I would highly recommend Dr. Raskin to anyone. Both my mother and I left his office excited about everything he had the opportunity to talk to us about. I appreciate how thorough he was and personable he was. After almost of hour of his one on one time, I truly believe he is the best at what he does. He is very direct and has very strong opinions. I can see how others would consider this rude, but I didn’t drive 2 and a half hours to be seen by him to have him hold my hand, and fluff his opinion. I came for answers. He was extremely knowledgeable. I will forever be grateful for what he has given me after many years of doctors visits and never having answers. I truly believe Dr. Raskin is worth every minute.

I heard he retired. Which I hope is true! He is the WORST doctor ever! I spent years going back to him hoping he may help because I was told is the best. HAHA.

Dr. Raskin provides terrible care. I met with him 3 times and left every appointment in tears. Not because he was rude (though he definitely was) but because I did not feel listened to, and ultimately left feeling helpless about my pain. He frequently asked me about my plans for getting pregnant (I’m currently single) and told me that getting pregnant is my best shot at reducing my migraines. He then told me to marry a rich tech guy so I could afford all the children. Great suggestion DOCTOR! I found him to be condescending, sexist, and flippant. I also came to him with questions about alternative care (since none of his prescriptions were working) and he was very dismissive. His perspective and treatment is outdated and lacking in any kind of innovation. No one should have to tolerate this kind of medical care — especially in a place like the Bay Area where we have other great doctors. Do yourself a favor and go to Stanford instead.

I was under the care of Doc Raskin for many years when I lived in SF (probably somewhere about 10 years). He is not rude– he is just straight forward and expects the patient to have done his/​her homework. I have suffered since I was 11 years old. After seeing numerous doctors in SF my last neologist suggested I see him and got the appointment for me. Within 2 months my headaches were «basally» under control. In 2004 I moved to AZ and continued flying up to SF 2 a year until he finally suggested that I hook up w/​the director of the Mayo Clinic headache department which I now do. Anyone who says he is rude, mean, etc– look at it turned around. People walk in there all day assuming he is a miracle worker and expect him to cure them immediately. Sometimes it can takes months of trying combinations of different drugs until something works. My doctor at Mayo Clinic knows him very well and agrees the man is a genus albeit he is known for is lack of personality.

No migraines or any headaches in five months so the medication obviously works for me. Still agree he is not the most sympathetic doctor and rude but if you steel yourself going in knowing this – my advice is again, give it a go. Worst case scenio, you join the other posters with a one-​star review. He did help me – hence four stars.

He is a terrible doctor. He was extremely rude and irritated with me. He told me that my headaches were hereditary and didn’t even want to consider other causes. He said that my migraines will never stop. WOW! THIS IS JUST SO HELPFUL!!! How can he be so sure that this is hereditary even? He didn’t do any tests or exams. The whole appointment lasted like 5 minutes and then I left in tears because he didn’t help at all! Please don’t waist your time like I did!

Disregard the negative reviews? At your own risk my friend. Dr. Neil Raskin is an angry, hostile man. I have chronic migraines, a terrible disease which has robbed me of my life. I do not need interacting with my doctor, a person who is supposed to be helping me, to be a stressful, anxiety-​ridden experience. But that’s exactly what it is with Dr. Raskin, whose unpredictable temper makes every office visit a dreaded event. Yes, Neil Raskin is an expert in the field of headache medicine. You know what I say? Save me from the experts. I’m very happy that Neil Raskin is permanently out of my life. He is a wretched human being.

I’ve had chronic migraines for over three years. When I started seeing Dr. Raskin 18 months ago, I was having migraines all day, every day with very little relief. At that point, I had been to two other neurologists and visited the ER upward of 50 times. Dr. Raskin expects you to be on time. He expects your questions to be well-​thought out and he expects you to do your research. After reading the reviews, I was nervous to meet with him. However, he is nothing like described. He is brilliant when it comes to determining your particular type of migraine. Further, he is willing to think «out of the box» in prescribing medications, which is a necessity when dealing with complex headaches. Thanks to his perseverance, I have some functionality back. I can drive myself to my appointments (from Sacramento to San Francisco) most of the time and I don’t suffer from pain 24 hours a day. I have no doubt that continuing to work with him will help me eventually get my life back. Disregard the reviews. If you do your homework and have a business-​like attitude toward your illness, he is the doctor for you. He will answer your questions honestly and succinctly. Frankly, I have had neurologists who held my hand and babied me through the process… and they gave up on my treatment and referred me to Dr. Raskin. He is kind and efficient and I’m thankful he took my case. If you’re looking for a psychologist or pill-​pusher, he is not your guy. If you’re looking for someone who will come up with a plan to make you well, and who knows the nuances of migraines and migraine treatment better than ANYONE, he is the doctor for you.

I can’t agree more with all the one star reviews, although there should be an option for negative star. I just saw Raskin in December 2012. I read the reviews beforehand, but thought I would take a chance. BAD MISTAKE! I don’t like paying someone to humiliate me and speak down to me in a condescending manner. I knew from the moment he called my name in the waiting area that he was a total arrogant ass. I was sitting on the opposite side of the room and it took me a whole 15 seconds to get to the front. He had a scowl on his face when I greeted him treating me as if I were late and wasting his time! I actually arrived an hour early just to make sure that I wouldn’t be late. Well, to sum it up, I felt like I was being interrogated and he was trying to get me to admit to symptomsI didn’t have and that I have headaches (which I don’t). He even tried to trick me into saying I had headaches because I have taken Advil before. He clearly knew what he was going to diagnose me with before he met me. He wouldn’t let me finish sentences and would cut me off if I tried to do so. He was actually reciting my symptoms for me (which did not exist) so he could conveniently diagnose me with migranes (which I may or may not have). I have zero confidence in this man as he has such a closed mind. His diagnosis may be right, but I want it to come out of another MD’s mouth.

Do not listen to what others say about Dr. Raskin.
I am on my 6^th day of a monster headache that my general doctor gave me Norco for, and another Neurologist (whom I will not call out), after a 2 hour appointment, told me I had a family history of migraines, and would feel better with Excedrin (nevermind the fact I can’t have caffeine).
Upon meeting Dr. Raskin, he immediately looked me in the eyes and noticed my eye was drooping. He was kind, wanted honest answers, and asked pointed questions. 30 minutes later, he diagnosed me with cluster headaches — which is what I suspected all along, and I think he did too after seeing my eye.
We came up with an immediate plan to kill the attack I am having. We discussed possible side effects, and the chance that the medicine won’t work, or I could have a rebound attack after the medication is completed. There is a plan if anything goes wrong. I have his assistant’s direct phone number, I have an appointment (did I mention he sets aside a portion of his morning to see returning cases to ensure they are okay?) in one week to check on my status, and felt truly cared for.
If you are looking for hippy San Francisco homeopathic treatments that may or may not work, or a pill pusher, Dr. Raskin is not your man. If you are looking for a real doctor, who cares about his patients and wants to bring you back to a functioning point in life — go see Dr. Raskin.
As his assistant said to me when I told her I was nervous about the appointment due to Unilocal: consider Dr. Raskin your extremely intelligent grandfather teddy bear, that you can share your problems with who will take time to listen, and to fix your problem!

Dr. Raskin saved me. He truly gave me my life back. I had daily migraines for years and was seeing three neurologists before him. Nobody could help me. Now I’m down to one migraine a month. I can’t express how grateful I am.
Please disregard the bad reviews. He is an excellent doctor!

Excuse me, do not disregard the negative reviews. This man is rude, intimidating and dismissive. I was shocked how cold and condescending he was! If you want to leave your appointment with a boatload of prescriptions, he is the doctor for you. Don’t expect any kind of dialogue or even a glimpse of a discussion on migraine headache causes and, God forbid, any type of holistic prevention. Basically… this guy is a jerk. And I don’t say that lightly. And I’m not a wimp and I dont need my hand held, but listening to me and not raising his voice to me would have been polite.

Dr Raskin is an awesome doctor. He is the first doctor to really go through the cause of my migraines and to create a plan of action for solving the problem.
The multiple prescriptions is FANTASTIC. They are clearly labeled plan A, B etc and enable you to advocate for yourself and get to a solution as quickly as possible.
As for a his bed side manner, he is direct. He isn’t rude, he just doesn’t beat about the bush and waste everyone’s time with pointless platitudes.
If you want to get your migraines sorted out, go see him. His depth of knowledge and experience is unsurpassed in this area. I’ve been to see a lot of neurologist for my migraines and he is the one who has and the difference.

Disregard all the negative reviews.
Dr. Neil Raskin is «THE» Migraine doctor.
You don’t believe me? Google Search. Do your Homework & Research.
One of many *actual* credentials:
Who cares about bedside demeanor. Sometimes San Franciscans are sissies. From an East Coast brat (myself), I’m telling you, plan & simple: Go see Dr. Raskin if you have migraine matters.
That is all.

I have to seriously doubt the professionalism, and even more so the compassion, for a doctor who refuses to see a patient with 10 years of severe migraines (me) because I was forced to cancel my first appointment. I found out the day before my first appointment with Dr. Raskin that my insurance had been canceled. I realized that night that I had my first appointment with Dr. Raskin the next day, and I would have to pay out of pocket. I called at 8:30 the next the morning to explain the situation and regretfully cancel my appointment.
Now my insurance has been reinstated and I’ve called several times and he won’t let me come see him. I’ve explained the situation every time I call — I work from home and have a flexible schedule so it’s not like I cancel appointments all the time, but he wont do it.
I’m baffled. But I’m thinking maybe I’m lucky that I’m not going to put a lot of my time and trust into a doctor with a lack of humanity, that maybe thinks a little more about himself other than his patients.

I am writing this on behalf of my friend. She just visited this so called «DOCTOR» today. He asked her about her families’ medical history and she replies that her family members get regular headaches, not severe migraines like she experiences. He then made the comment that the average person gets ONE HEADACHE A YEAR! That’s insane. Everyone must be abnormal by his standards!
He then wrote her three different perscriptions of 20 – 45 pills a bottle, with 5 refills. Just incase the prior one didnt work.
He seemed very rude and insensitive. Not helpful at all.
DO NOT GO SEE THIS GUY!