Locations
Robert L. Berkowitz, MD
Natick, MA
Phone
Practice website
About
Bio
I am a board certified psychiatrist practicing in the MetroWest suburb of Boston. My practice is limited to adults. I provide both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. My training fostered a deep integration of these disparate specialties, and I also work to integrate complementary and alternative practices as well.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Psychiatry
Licenses
United States: Massachusetts
Doctor Q&A
155 Answers
154 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: Increased sweating is a very common side effect of all the SSRIs. I'm glad to hear it wasn't happening to you on 20 mg daily, but it is not uncommon ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Not sure: Your experience could simply be due to your anxiety, but you could also be depleting yourself of fluid and/or important electrolytes with the laxative... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 64-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: You can expect a little more sedation and potentially some side effects from the amitriptyline that you didn't have from mirtazapine. For example, yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Probably : There's debate in the field, but Prozac (fluoxetine) appears to be relatively safe. If you had been on it much longer, my recommendation to continue i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Probably not, but...: There is something we call sub-clinical hypothyroidism in which the usual blood tests don't show a thyroid problem. A TRH stimulation test is helpful,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Withdrawal: Technically, we use the term discontinuation syndrome to describe what happens on sudden withdrawal from sertraline or other ssri. Symptoms include i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Depends: On what you mean by "icky". It is not uncommon for patients to describe initial side effects to a medication that eventually subside. Common examples ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Not certain: No one is certain as to what causes weight gain on Effexor (venlafaxine) in some patients. For some, Effexor (venlafaxine) might decrease the sense of... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Alcohol: There are probably many reasons, but one common reason is alcohol consumption. Even a small amount of alcohol in the day can have a disruptive effect ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
No: I prescribe Gabapentin frequently and have never been concerned with whether or not my patients are allergic to sulfa when i prescribe it. Most patie... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
3 weeks: This is complicated. Zoloft (sertraline) has a half-life of about 26 hours, so it takes 4.5 half-lives (5 days) for the level to be less than 5% of i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Probably not: Indications for psychiatric hospitalization are much different today than they used to be. Today, one gets hospitalized if there is no adequate treat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Not a bad choice: I don't know why your doctor prescribed medication when you told him you wanted a referral to a chiropractor. Mds and chiropractors operate from diff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Depends: I presume you were given xanax (alprazolam) for treatment of anxiety. If you have an anxiety disorder, it will still be there after the xanax (alprazo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: That's not too unusual a combination. You might be excessively sedated, but then you can pull back the dose on one of them.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
You can do without: Adderall (dextroamphetamine and racemic amphetamine) withdrawal causes just a little excessive sedation. If i were sick with a flu and requiring rest,... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Maybe: Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine, so it shares properties with all the other benzodiazepines, which include producing sedation and muscle relaxation. T... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
No: Many people take much higher doses of Amitriptyline on a daily basis. The highest daily dose i've ever prescribed is 300 mg. Nevertheless, please be c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Tianeptine: Until you asked this question, i had never heard of this drug. There is a wikipedia entry for it here: http://en.Wikipedia.Org/wiki/tianeptine
and it... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Unrelated. : I think you are saying you have been suffering with lhermitte's sign, and there are no findings on brain and c-spine mris to justify your symptoms. Yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Restless legs?: Some patients describe an uncomfortable aching sensation in their legs, accompanied by the need to move them around or get up and walk around in order... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Loose stools: As a class of medications, the ssri antidepressants tend to produce loose stools as an initial side effect. Paxil (paroxetine) is an ssri, but it is p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Good : Niacin has clearly been proven to help with high cholesterol. Your current dose of 1000 mg is a good one, and will likely increase your HDL ("good" c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Good question: Presumably you were given psychiatric medication for a condition that required treatment. Stopping the medication will expose the underlying condition... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: The actual shelf life of a medication is usually longer than the expiration date suggests. They will likely be a little less potent, but they should n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: I presume that someone is currently prescribing your amitriptyline. You should talk about your interest in getting off of it with the person who presc... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Maybe: But i doubt they'll find anything beyond its effectiveness as a sleep aid. Zolpidem (ambien) is designed to work through its action on a subset of ben... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Wrong question: What you really want to know is whether you can expect the same life expectancy as someone who never smoked by stopping smoking now. For most smoking-... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 20-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Depends: Talk to your doctor. The sudden loss of effectiveness of a drug is called tachyphylaxis, and Prozac (fluoxetine) tachyphylaxis in a young person with ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: Sleep can be a fragile venture, so withdrawal from these potent psychoactive agents can certainly disrupt it. Someone thought you needed to be on the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Dose or expectation: You might need more. In my experience, some patients are frustrated by Gabapentin because it doesn't completely remove pain. If your pain was at a "... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Depression?: She might have depression, and she should be seen by a doctor. There is help available.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Maybe: Ssris can sometimes decrease sperm count. One of my patients was once told by a fertity specialist to get off citalopram (another ssri) because it cou... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: Though there is no cure for autism, recognition can lead to appropriate treatment planning, behavioral management and the recruitment of resources tha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
I can't, but...: There is an on-line program for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia that is worth looking into. It can be found at this website:
http://cbtf... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Circulation changes: Anxiety has many physiological consequences including increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, dry mouth, increased frequency of urination an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Tough question: Weight gain is a potential side effect of every antidepressant, although some are clearly worse offenders than others (mirtazapine, paroxetine are amo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Common complaint: It is a not uncommon complaint with Effexor (venlafaxine) that people can feel tired or fatigued from it. Similar complaint with cymbalta. Both Effexo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Side effects: If the dose of vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is too high, i would expect complaints of insomnia and excessive activation (like too much caffeine). If yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Probably shouldn't. : I would not prescribe it for you given your past history with it. There are other options. Zyban (also known as bupropion) is a little less effective ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Talk to your doctor: If you are taking zoloft (sertraline) for depression or anxiety and do not have an adequate response to it alone, there are other things that can be a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: Sometimes symptoms emerge when it is safe enough for them to emerge. Now that you are out of the abusive situation, you are capable of viewing it diff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes, but ...: I would recommend treating cold symptoms more conservatively. The active ingredients of DayQuil are acetaminophen (Tylenol), dextromethorphan (a cough... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Yes: It is a not uncommon combination. Mirtazapine can help with sleep, and sometimes that's important because -- even though Zoloft (sertraline) will hel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.8k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
A lot and a little : This is too big a question to answer in such a small space. What is more interesting is what makes them similar. Bd is a mood disorder with discrete m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Probably: Co-codamol is a combination of Codeine and acetaminophen. Neither of those medications are absolutely contraindicated with the use of amitriptyline. Y... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Indefinitely: The meds only work while they are being taken. Cbt (cognitive-behavioral therapy) can help ocd, and the benefit lasts after treatment has been comple... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Discontinuation : Withdrawal symptoms vary depending on the type of antidepressant. The ssris like Prozac and snris (effexor (venlafaxine) and cymbalta) all cause the s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Not usual: Glad to hear that your xanax (alprazolam) taper has generally gone smoothly. I gather from your question that you are sensing a bad smell now, and no ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Robert Berkowitzanswered
Psychiatry 36 years experience
Why not?: Please tell your doctor. He or she can't help if he or she doesn't know what's going on with you. You might require a different medication, either in ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
3
Recommendations
338
Thank you notes
May 11, 2013
I recommend Dr. Berkowitz. He has a keen knowledge of psychiatry and medicine in general. His responses are helpful, informative & understandable. He is providing an excellent public service through H...Read More
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Berkowitz is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Berkowitz is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Were in therapy. She had severe issues with feeling unloved because her dad is unloving and she was sexually abused at 15 by his friend.
HealthTap member
Thank you. My partner is an OBGYN, and doesn't want me to take those. He has recommended I go see a sex therapist. How can she help?
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I am hoping that with my DBT for the BPD I may lead a normal life
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
UC Davis School of Medicine, CA
Graduated 1987MD
Residency
Harvard - Massachusetts Mental Health Center
Completed 1991
Awards
Thought Leader, First Place, Boston, MA - Winter
2013
Top Psychiatrist , First Place, Massachusetts - Winter
2013
Top Psychiatrist , Second Place, Massachusetts - Summer
2013
Affiliations
American Psychiatric Association
American Academy Of Psychoanalysis & Dynamic Psychiatry
Massachusetts Psychiatric Society
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