Dr. Richard Leo Stern, MD

Years ago I was an orthopedic patient in HSS. I was given boat loads of drugs for my severe pain and symptoms: Valium, flexeril, codeine, Percocet, etc. Nothing was really doing anything for me but making me tired and mentally useless. I had to take a leave of absence from my job. I was picked and poked and tested for every joint disease imaginable but nothing ever was diagnosed for my symptoms. So more prescription drugs treating some unknown illness. This was a dangerous recipe for failure. Dr Stern stepped in and became my rheumatologist and immediately put me in the hospital. He was a young doctor back then but he saw the very serious potential problem surrounding me. He said: “I’m not putting you in the hospital for your pain, I’m putting you there to get you off the Valium and all the other drugs they’ve been pumping you with for the past 6 mos. Weaning you off all of the medication entirely is my goal”. This was 1986 and I was in my 20’s. I had no idea my body was already… addicted to Valium but when I went into the hospital within a few days of stopping them, I was crying myself to sleep every night and I had no idea why. A nurse came in and said “that’s your body going through withdrawal of the Valium”. I couldn’t believe it! I never took another narcotic drug or anything else but NSADs for me severe pain again. Had Dr Stern not done this, I may have become one of those people we hear about in today’s opioid crisis! I never knew your body can become addicted so quickly to something that you don’t even feel you need or want to take on a conscious level. I know the outcome would have been very different and while 33 yrs later I still have pain but no diagnosis, I’m getting closer to realizing I do have an autoimmune disease that’s causing my very painful flare ups. But I manage it with eating certain foods - and avoiding other triggers and nutritional supplements; CBD oils also help along w/ anti-inflammatories. Thank you Dr Stern; I didn’t understand at the time nor think I was getting addicted but I know today that I was on that path. I am truly grateful for your insight long ago. I wish orthopedic doctors had followed your advice with their patients because then the opioid crisis may not have become so out of control like it is today. God bless!

I’m glad I read these reviews....had a lot of doubts! ...negatives,