Locations
Alan J Cohen MD
Berkeley, CA
Office
Berkeley, CA
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.
Psychiatry
Languages spoken
English
Doctor Q&A
163 Answers
48 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Airways: Eucalyptus oil may help, in a vaporization steam.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Gastroparesis: You may find some benefit from a chinese herbal remedy: huo xiang. However, these herbs must be supervised and monitored by someone trained to admini... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Arthritis: Try omega 3 fatty acids or devil's claw. Check with your rheumatologist about what is safe for you.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
TSH IS USED TO:: Tsh is the primary lab test used to guide treatment and monitor the illness. Clinical signs and symptoms are equally important, some mds feel more imp... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Natural soporifics: Chamomile , valerian root, have been used, however, you first need to know why you are having insomnia. There are many causes. Symptomatic treatment ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Rotator: St. John's wort, devil's claw, white willow , comfey or lavender. Some are applied on the skin others infused as a tea or concoction or as an extracti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Work exam: It is difficult to say based on your question. The ada, americans with disabilities act, protects you from discrimination due to any disability. Many ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Sudden Psychosis: Acute psychosis would be the term. Insanity is actually a legal concept, but used in common parlance. Acute , or sudden , psychosis does occur, for va... 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. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Escitalopram: Yes, it's a very common side effect. Patients generally acclimate to it over time, sometimes by reducing the dose at first and going slowly up as tole... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Teeth: Diabetes may be more likely under certain circumstances. Abscesses, infection, tooth loss . This can affect your nutrition as your food choices lean t... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
1 comment
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
TB: Yes, it's called pott's disease. It is usually spread by the bloodstream from a source in the lungs(typically) or by ingestion orally.However, lung sy... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Bipolar: There are many different medications and combinations to try. If you are taking therapeutic doses( and have blood levels in range) , you should discus... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 53-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
ADD/opiate: They are compatible. Adderall (dextroamphetamine and racemic amphetamine) is a stimulant, Percocet an opiate/ narcotic. Both are strong drugs in their... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Epilepsy: This requires discussion with your nd. There are reasons for your fears which you don't stare- maybe a close friend or relative has it. It can be some... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years agoMerged
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Exam: Yes, it's the only way. There are serious conditions that have to be evaluated by physical exam to detect and diagnose. It can be difficult feeling vu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Std: Yes, it can scar the fallopian tubes and cause infertility.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Rash: Reactions to ssri withdrawal can occur, especially if done too rapidly. I've known of itching or hive-like reactions but not rash. Did you have a rash... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Pain: Doctors take care of thousands of patients in their careers. They learn to recognize and anticipate the patient's symptoms and responses. They aren't ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Amphetamine: A psychostimulant, controlled drug schedule ii, with abuse potential. It acts to enhance Dopamine and norepinephrine in the body, including the brain.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Mental Illness: Some conditions , like schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder, may be more easily detected due to hallucinations, delusional thought content or paranoia... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 16-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Pregnant: It's possible. Some women have a marked sensitivity to their body and hormone levels. I have observed this phenomenon first hand.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 54-year-old member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Stones. : Depends on the kind of stone. If its the most common, ca oxalate. And you have hyperoxaluria -high content of oxalate in urine, the natural methods in... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Uterine: Your may be referring to the uterine cavity, which is the hollow space inside the uterus. Fibroids encroach on this space at times.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
MDMA and MS: There is no clear correlation between mdma & ms. However, neurotoxicity from mdma has been shown, affecting nerves in the brain, particularly the glob... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Paxil (paroxetine): Yes, very common side effect of this class of antidepressants called ssris. I usually recommend reducing the dosage, adjusting gradually as tolerated... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Anemia: These values have to be assessed in the context of other tests and a history & physical. Anemia is more importantly diagnosed by the values of your h... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
ADD vs ADHD: The h is the difference. Hyperactivity , often over represented in boys, may require the addition of an nonstimulant to the regimen. These meds, such ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Sudafed: The likelihood is that you won't be bothered. People who are very sensitive to stimulants might have problems with overstimulation, agitation or palpi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Drip: Not a question that can answered with such minimal information. Age alone isn't an issue as long as he is conscious. We can't judge lifespan although ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Seizures: Yes. These infections can cause a post- infectious encephalitis . That is an inflammation of the brain due to antibodies generated by your immune syst... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Mumps v Goiter: There is no similarity at all. Goiter is a diffuse enlargement of the thyroid gland that may be due to hypothyroidism or dietary intake or lack of cer... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Shakes: Yes, it's a side effect. It can be helped with certain additional meds, or by backing down on dose , then more slowly to titrating up. This should go ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Nevis: My understanding is that they should be removed as they could become cancerous. Check with a dermatologist
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
DEPRESSION: This is a hard question to answer. Bipolar disorder may first present as depression, showing mania or hypo mania later on, sometimes years later. On... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Chest pain: First get a cardiology evaluation with ekg, and any other suggested tests. If negative, it could be costochondritis , inflamation of ribs joining the ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Pregnancy not: Pseudocyesis is false pregnancy. Hypochondriasis is always believing you have a disease that you don't. Somatization disorder is a newer name.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
MDPV: ^ watterson, l. R.; kufahl, p. R.; nemirovsky, n. E.; sewalia, k.; grabenauer, m.; thomas, b. F.; marusich, j. A.; wegner, s. Et al. (2012). "potent r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Acne: Very unlikely to be std. Unless she had active lesions and close contact with your face. Herpes doesn't manifest that way. If you have a history of ac... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Depression: Yes, it can be treated without meds. Psychotherapy can be very effective for some types of recurrent depression. Major depression with suicidal ideati... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Thc: It depends upon a few variables, such as potency, dose per day , body fat and weight, metabolism and other factors related to clearance vs storage in ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 26-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Out of meds: See if your md who rxs Gabapentin has samples they are willing to give you to tide you over. The md can request a supply from the drug company that ma... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Paxil (paroxetine): There are many ssris, a class of antidepressant. Depending on the reason you are taking it (used for anxiety, ocd, as well as depression), a good sub... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
MVP/GAD: They are different. Gad is a psychiatric condition and mvp is cardiac. There is an association between panic disorder, a different anxiety disorder , ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 52-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Suboxone: Maintenance on Suboxone or suburex can be done but is risky. You've been on this or the combo drug a long time already. If you are seeing a certified ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 29-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Caffeine: It has some temporary antagonistic effect on the sedation of antipsychotics. The agitation some of my patients get with lots of caffeine make it ill-... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Bleeding : In general, yes, though ssris. , zoloft, (sertraline) can promote easy bruising. Bleeding times should be periodically checked to be sure you have ade... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Migraine: It sounds like migraines, a severe type of headache that can be treated with specific, effective medications. Get evaluated by your md or a neurologis... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 28-year-old female asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Rosacea: It may be rosacea, sometimes called adult acne. It occurs generally in people with more vascularized skin, appear to blush frequently, have episodic a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
PE: Premature ejaculation, pe , is both physiological and psychological. There is tremendous pressure for makes to perform, leasing to anxiety which throw... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old male asked:
Dr. Alan Cohenanswered
41 years experience
Insomnia: Sleep deprivation has an acute mood elevating effect for a limited time , the following day. It has been observed in research settings. It can't be su... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >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.
4
Recommendations
372
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Jan 2, 2013
I appreciate your informed comments about topamax treatment. I will tell my psychiatrist about your findings.
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Cohen is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Cohen is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you. i m 28 yrs old guy and face the same issue.. my memory is not good enough. i forget names the person i meet. and alwaysv headache
HealthTap member
I take 60mg of adderall 4x's a day & still am having trouble concentrating.Plus I take intuniv. Do you have any suggestions on combo drugs?
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! I will definitely try these suggestions. Nothing seems to work thus far. BP meds make it plummet.
Awards
Top Doctor, Second Place, Alameda County, CA - Winter
2013
Most Influential, Third Place, Alameda County, CA - Winter
2013
Thought Leader, Second Place, Alameda County, CA - Winter
2013
Affiliations
Asst Clinical Professor of Psychiatry UCSF 1987-1990
Publications
“Psycho stimulants and AIDS Dementia”, with Dr. Mark Leary, Northern California Psychiatric Physician, (NCPS Bulletin), pp. 16-17, December 1991 “Pseu...
Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction with Ginkgo Biloba Extract
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