Locations
Portland Pain and Spine
Portland, OR
My office hours
Thursday: 8:30am - 5:00pm
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About
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.
Pain Management
Anesthesiology
Languages spoken
Hungarian, Russian
Doctor Q&A
42 Answers
6 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
GERD or ulcer: Consider seeing your doctor. Things to consider include acid reflux, a hernia, esophageal sphincter spasm, gallbladder disease or even angina. There ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
It's possible, yes: Norco (hydrocodone and acetaminophen) is a hydrocodone/acetaminophen combination. The hydrocodone is the opiate portion which metabolizes into morphi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Yes, : Yes, but its more complicated than that. First and foremost, if you have any leg weakness associated with it, you need to have it evaluated quickly. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
3 Options: 1. See an orthopedist
2. See a pain specialist
3. Find another family doctor.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Call Pain Specialist: There are several well qualified pain specialists in your area. That might get you started. They can help coordinate your pain care and get other con... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Gastric reflux: Reflux of acid from your stomach can be a source of headaches. You answered your own question with your improvement with antacids. Tell your primary c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old male asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Be careful: There are many reasons gums bleed. I noticed you take ibuprofen--are you over doing it? Taking it for headaches or something else? There's a differen... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Migraine: This sounds a lot like a common migraine. If you don't have a fever or have another known illness, this should be evaluated by your doctor once you fe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 49-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Technically both: Sedation uses medications that first cause a decrease in your responsiveness, then affect your memory so you don't remember the events around you, the... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Could be anything: You describe constitutional symptoms that suggest stress is a part, but certainly hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism come to mind. I would urge yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Do you snore?: Cluster, migraine and tension-type headaches may produce a headache that awakens an individual in the early morning hours (usually after 4 AM), or is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
About 4 hours: Depending on your general health, use of other medications that can affect the way it is metabolized, your level of tolerance and length of time (week... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
It's possible: The innervation of the SI joint and the pelvis share common pathways. Inflammation of the bladder could sensitize the nerves and cause "referred" pai... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Yes, you'll be OK: Depends on your dose. Even if you are on 8 mg films, the worse that can happen is you feel more withdrawal symptoms from the added naloxone. These gen... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
6-8 hours: The clinical effects, meaning sedation and pain relief, may not be apparent but the metabolites and their effects are still in your bloodstream. Othe... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old male asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
You : You did not specify what type of hernia or repair, however the most important thing to know is that hernias can recur. You may have developed another... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Stress?: Autoimmune disorders like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, or Lupus also predispose to recurrent shingles. Some people are just more prone t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Yes: Depending on the anti-nausea medication, it can cause more sedation, constipation, and dry mouth. Zofran (ondansetron) (odanestron) doesn't but it can... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Treat your PCOS: It's possible that your pcos is causing Insulin resistance, which causes you to eat more and gain weight. Some medications, like metformin, are given ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Good question: Migraine is such a huge topic, that giving you general suggestions is all i can do. Causes are diverse; from stress, diet, hormones, meds, to genetic... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Restless legs: It's called restless leg syndrome (rls) and can have many causes. It is relatively easy to treat. The knee pain may or may not be related. See a docto... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Very unlikely: If she is in addisonian crisis, this alone would explain the pain and kidney problems. This is a very serious condition, and needs close medical moni... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Think Gatorade: You'll need hydration and replacement of fluids due to either vomiting, sweating, or diarrhea. Muscle cramps can be treated with calcium and magnesiu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
A : A new definitive treatment option was recently introduced to pain specialists a few years ago called lumbar facet fusion. Patients who continue to suf... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old male asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Second opinion ?: Unless you have another medical condition that increases your risks for surgery, I would not expect this answer. If you have had previous back surgery... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Tell your doctor: Blood is irritating to the central nervous system. Your body has set off an inflammatory cascade in response to the introduced blood, meant to seal t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
No: Demerol (meperidine hydrochloride) has been going out of favor as an oral pain medication for more than a decade. It has more potential side effects ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Pain in the ....: Coccygodynia, tailbone pain, has many causes. The most common are trauma while delivering a baby, or falling onto it. It is a joint, so any process t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Decrease more slowly: You sound like you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms from tramadol. It happens when your body gets used to seeing it in your system and then sudde... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Get evaluated: Pain that is regionally specific is usually easier to work up by a doctor. If you have your appendix, then this may be a warning sign of inflammation... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Both are migraines: The difference is the symptoms and frequency of headaches. Migraine is typically a throbbing pain that involves the whole head. A cluster headache is... 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. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Depends: Best to review with your doctor, depends on the indication. It's used for many different illnesses and conditions. Here's a link:
http://www.Jansse... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Prescription only: Other otc patches are available that don't utilize lidocaine, they use either menthol or anti-histamines. Both types have local anesthetic properties... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Nope: You are thinking of the combination of procaine (local anesthetic) and benzylpenicillin, meant to decrease the discomfort associated with intramuscul... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Wait longer: It takes time to clear from your system, depending on how long and often you use it. It builds up in fat tissue and is slowly released, sometimes taki... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Good question: Recently it was shown that sickle-cells can actually "infect" Plasmodium falciparum (common cause of malaria) with a microRNA segment that inhibits th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 30-year-old male asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Get evaluated: Chronic diarrhea for years implies an underlying medical condition. Best way to stop it is to find out what is causing it!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
3.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Absolutely: The sciatic nerve is a collection of smaller nerves, each one divides and covers a part of the lower leg. We can tell which nerve in the spine is aff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Let surgeon know: Surgeons give routine prophylactic antibiotics before these procedures (cephazolin) that can cause diarrhea by killing off the good bacteria in the gu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Are "cluster headaches" (migraineous neuralgia) one of the three components of trigeminal neuralgia?
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
They're different: Although the symptoms may seem the same, they are not related. Cluster headaches are more severe and last longer than trigeminal neuralgia symptoms. ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 37-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
See an orthopedist: Depending on the cause, frozen shoulder usually develops with decreased movement. Inactivity can cause the build up of adhesions that make it harder a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 43-year-old female asked:
Dr. Carl Baloganswered
Pain Management 41 years experience
Allergies?: The fluttering you describe in your ear may be a sign of fluid build up. Frontal headaches can be migraine or sinusitis. Allergy season can make it ha... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k 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.
7
Recommendations
129
Thank you notes
Nov 27, 2012
Dr. Carl Csaba Balog has excellent working knowledge of pain management and pain mechanisms, as is seen by his answers on this site. His insight into the disease process gives him the skills to be ab...Read More
Nov 27, 2012
I very much endorse this doctor. He has provided exceptional care for his patients over the years. He continues to give compassionate care for chronic pain patients in the greater Portland area.
Nov 27, 2012
I endorse this doctor. Dr Balog is providing a great public service on AVVO.Com. His responses demonstrate knowledge, common sense and sensitivity. Bravo!
HealthTap member
Yes I have tried non opiods as well. What is a discography. I am supposed to be having an ablation but I am very nervous about it
HealthTap member
Thanks for your quick reply! Thank you very much, i've been stuck for advice being a sunday!
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Thsnks. You answer was very helpful.
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Semmelweis University Faculty of Medicine
Graduated 1988MD
Medical/Graduate school
Williams College
Graduated 1982MD
Residency
UC San Francisco Medical Center
Residency
Greenwich Hospital Association
Residency
Berkshire Medical Center Inc.
Awards
Superb Rating, AVVO
150 Pain Physicians to Know, Becker's Spine Review
Most Compassionate Doctor, People's Choice Award
Affiliations
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
Cornell Surgery Center
Publications
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