Please be aware that the information provided herein is meant only as a resource to be used in conjunction with proper medical care. Nothing in this site should be construed as medical advice or a substitution for proper medical care and attention by a patient's own physician, neurologist, or other health care practitioner.

As I have expressed to those patients who have sent me email over the past two years, and as I will continue to express, it is my firm belief that anyone who believes they may be suffering from Basilar Artery Migraine (or any migraine variant, complicated migraine--or any form of migraine, for that matter, as well as any stroke symptoms or transient ischemia or TIA, etc.) seek prompt medical attention and advice from a qualified neurologist, neuro-opthamologist, or other qualified practitioner. No information herein should therefore be construed as medical advice.

The Basilar Artery Migraine Page proper is only a resource and a source of information. If a patient suspects they have symptoms that are characteristic of BAM or another form of complicated migraine, or if they are otherwise concerned by head pain or neurologic symptoms, it is my hope that this site might in some way encourage them to approach their physician or neurologist with their concerns--or seek one out if they do not have one.

Another reason for this page and community is to enable BAM and complicated migraine patients to meet one another and share their joys and sorrows and know that they are not alone. The alleviation of the feeling that one is "all alone" can greatly reduce stress, fear, and anxiety, and therefore can be a great help to a patient and their state of health and well-being.

I also do what I can to encourage a physician and neurologist referral network, and it has proven quite helpful in enabling new patients to find neurologists in their area who are experienced with diagnosing and treating a relatively rare form of complicated migraine. At the same time, it provides an increasing experience base for these specialists in this rare disorder, and provides sometimes desperate and despondent patients and their families with a new source of hope and a new lease on life.

Neurological disorders should be taken seriously by any patient experiencing them. Diagnosis is often a difficult and arduous process, and should only be undertaken by a practitioner who has had the opportunity to personally see the patient, take the patient's history, and conduct appropriate tests.

Self-diagnosis and mis-diagnosis can be dangerous, as can the lack of proper neurological examination, testing, and history-taking in association with any neurological disorder. This site is not sponsored by a medical organization, hospital, or physician; even if it were, it would be unethical to attempt to offer any diagnosis or "medical services" to any patient online.

Examinations, diagnosis, and treatment of a patient--especially one with a potentially dangerous condition--should always be done by a patient's physician, neurologist, or other licensed health care practitioner and should be based upon sound medical practices, history, tests, and diagnostic procedures.