Dr. Laura Tzlalit Banks, MD

Competent, compassionate, and experienced. I've been under Dr. Banks care since 2009. I've followed her from her private practice to the specialty clinic she currently practices. I have never felt this comfortable with any other doctor. She gave me my life back after years of debilitating chronic migraines. I trust her and all of her advice. I feel so fortunate to have found such an amazing doctor.

Went to Dr Banks because of pain from Trigeminal Neuralgia. She scheduled a brain MRI scan. At the followup appointment to go over MRI results, she said I had MS and must immediately start medication that cost $60,000 a year (not covered by insurance). One MRI, and a 3 blood tests, and she has decided I have MS. She got mad at my husband when he asked about the medication side effects and cost. In a very "huffy" manner, she said we could get a second opinion if we did not believe her. She spent no more than 10 minutes at first appointment ... and maybe 15-20 minutes at second appointment ... and from that she has decided I have MS. She never offered to do anything to help with the Trigeminal Neuralgia that I did have. We fortunately decided we needed a second opinion. We went to a second neurologist who said he could not confirm MS and recommended we go to UCSF MS Department ... after very thorough testing, and numerous doctors, they told me I did NOT have MS. If I had believed Dr.… Banks ... we would have used our life savings on not only unnecessary medication, but harmful as well. PLEASE ... if you go to Dr. Banks, make sure you get a second or even third opinion before believing her diagnosis ... especially if she is prescribing expensive medication that is not covered by insurance.

I saw Dr. Banks when I experienced very bad migraines and she was extremely helpful and kind. Easy to talk to and incredibly competent.

She's awesome!!!

Dr Banks is so helpful. Always trying to get to the root issues. She has helped me tremendously.

My mirgaines have reduced to a few a day instead of just one that lasts for days and weeks on end. Sorry to hear that she is leaving Monterey but Salinas is not that far.

Trusting Dr Banks was like entering the gates of ill: a dangerous doctor. Lousy character.

Beautiful is was my first impression, was unbelievably satisfied when she came back from looking at my CT scan and claimed to have been able to see the problem. Somehow she skirted around actually telling me what the problem was, I was a lot of pain all the time and I couldn't keep a straight head enough to pull it out of her. In her defense though, she seem to reserve diagnosis since we were looking at the results and not the cause. After an insane time giving her drug of choice (neurontin) a chance to do whatever she thought it would, I had spent thousands of dollars out of pocket and was left with my initial problems and the addition of the head aches neurontin can give you. I get the impression she is very friendly with the pharmaceuticals. When I finally acquired a lawyer for my situation, she was no help at all with her reports. According to SSDI, she told them I was fine to go back to work and could work a previous job which entailed lifting heavy buckets of water, when… I could barely lift a gallon of milk from the fridge. Right now (6 or 7 years later) I can barely get out of bed, sure wish I had taken that money elsewhere. To this day I regret wasting my money there. She might be good for someone that already has a diagnoses, or a clear cut issue like myolin tears on mri. But if you have any kind of troubleshooting to do, short of the obvious, I'd say steer far far away. Find an older and more experienced neurologist, and surely stay away from off label perscriptions!

Dr. Banks is unprofessional and rude.After seeing her for about six months for diagnosis for my migrines, she calls me into the office after an ER visit to tell me she simply "can't help." She is not proactive in treatment options, does not openly discuss a plan for the future, and prolongs treatment to suck more office visits (and more bills) out of you. Her staff, while initially courteous, was a huge hindrance in getting a ROUTINE prescription filled and subsequently made me feel like I was the problem. She then tried to refer me to a specialist who was really just a reason to get me out the door. I do not recommend going to see her if you have a migraine condition.

I had several other neurologists, they always seemed to too busy/stressed and never took the time to explain nor listen to symptoms. I was relieved and pleased to find Dr, Laura Banks. She takes the time to communicate with you and explain details and answer your questions. She gives good information on the choices you can make to keep your health, very important with my scary disease. She has gone out of her way to available to me, even offering email access and never rushing out of the office and evening calls when needed. Dr Laura Banks is responsive, careful and supportive physician.