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On Oct. 20th,2017 the Centers for Comprehensive Pain Care/Dr. Jerome Yokiel was shut down with zero notice to patients.
Every single Cleveland Clinic Dr refused to help those who had been on pain meds for a decade or more.
As soon as they heard who our Dr was,every single one of Dr. Yokiels patients was told they didn’t need pain meds.
The Dr. who runs Cleveland Clinic’s pain management at Euclid hospital denied every one of Dr. Yokiel’s patients any help at all. Their position was and is-“no one dies from opiate withdrawls”.
I know for a fact-because I was his patient myself-that Dr. Yokiel obtained my medical records,ordered new MRI,and documented the multiple reasons that long term opiate pain meds were the only way to control my chronic pain. He did the same for every patient.
We were subjected to random urine testing,had to abide by the rules set forth in the contract we all had to sign,and we had all our prescriptions filled at the same pharmacy.
I went to a Cleveland Clinic ER when I was about 70 hours into withdrawls-I wussed out and couldn’t take the pain any longer.
That was a bad idea-I got maybe 8 hours of relief,then the withdrawls came back even worse.
The asshole ER Dr outright lied in the paperwork concerning my ER visit.
The piece of shit-and that’s what he is-lied and claimed I was getting prescritptions from multiple Dr’s.
Ohio has a statewide computer database that tracks every prescription for controlled substances-(OARRS)-for the entire 11 1/2 years I was a pain mgt patient-every prescription came from Dr. Yokiels office-with the exception of post surgical meds which Dr Yokiel was aware of and agreed was the proper med to add to what I was already taking,and one prescription for an acute injury from falling on ice-which was also written with prior approval from Dr. Yokiel’s office.
The whole point of the pain mgt contract and the urine tests is to weed out the drug seekers-it works I saw a whole lot of people get kicked out of the pain mgt program over the years. I never had a bad urine test over those 11+ years.
So,due to lying piece of shit Dr-and I can prove he’s lying-it is or will be entered in the state database that I am a drug seeker.
Then,there’s the whole issue of how the practice was shut down.
Thousands of us were just cut off of meds we had been on for over a decade-because we had documented medical reasons to be put on long term opiate pain meds- with no notice,no warning-the NE Ohio medical community’s response was “fuck you,you don’t need any pain medication”.
The pain mgt Dr at Euclid hospital-where Cleveland Clinic shut down a level I trauma center-is the biggest asshole I’ve ever met in the medical field-and I’ve met a whole lot of Dr’s over the years.
Had my wife not been in the room with me-I woulda dumped the bottle of piss I filled for the guy over his head before I told him to go fuck himself-sideways-with a rusty chainsaw. I still told him he could go fuck himself.
I can’t prove it-but after a couple weeks of digging for info- I’m 99% sure the DEA shut the practice down using the sleazy policy they enacted to lower the number of prescriptions written for pain meds.
Every pain mgt Dr writes 2 meds for patients,one time release,the other instant release to take in between the time release med,when pain “breaks through”.
The DEA decided that docs writing prescriptions for opiates for breakthrough pain was how they were going to shut down Dr’s prescribing pain meds-assholes.
DEA claims that by writing prescriptions for opiates for “breakthrough pain” pain mgt Dr’s were prescribing the meds for “off label” use. WTF?
This is our government at work-people overdosing and dying from heroin and fentanyl-but hey,we’re taking pain meds away from those who actually need them,so we are fighting the overhyped by the media”opioid epidemic”
Whoever came up with this bullshit deserves prison at the minimum,preferably,they get tossed out of a helicopter from 1,000 feet up.
Every Dr. in the Cleveland Clinic hospital system deserves to be sued,along with Dr. Yokiel,and the freaking DEA.
Tossing a few out of helicopters would probably cause the rest to recall that the Hippocratic oath Dr’s take starts with the words-“First Do No Harm”.
I’ve been trying for weeks to get enough people together to file a class action lawsuit-I have around 12 people so far.
I have a lawyer who will take the case-he agrees it was way beyond unethical the way were were and are being treated.
The DEA is so freakin clueless that they don’t even comprehend that prescriptions for opiates have been decreasing in Ohio since 2010-morons.
It’s none of the fucking DEA’s business what a Dr. prescribes for his or her patients-as long as the Dr documents the reason-the DEA needs to stay the fuck out of people’s health care.
Starvin Larry 
Why become a pain management sensation if you are going to have no sympathy app and you are not willing to budge judge mental views I hope it’s a side and do what’s best for the patient ? This was not those patients fault and I’m reading that some of them are being blacklisted because they were doctor real kills patients and they’re having a terrible time finding another pain management doctor . Where is the compassion and again what are you doing in the Pain Management field if you’re not going to do what is best for that patient take a look at their records and and you’ll see nope you just want to judge because they have probably done every other therapy like I have in the 17 years I have been in pain management and medication is all that’s left that controls their pain. where is the compassion and again what are you doing in the pain management field if you’re not going to do what is best for that patient take a look at their records and and you’ll see nope you just want to judge because they have probably done every other therapy like I have in the 17 years I have been in pain management and medication is all that’s left that controls their pain I went into Pain Management at 24 years old I’m 42 now I’ve had to have my left hip completely replaced I have severe osteoarthritis in my right knee I have degenerative disc disease in my neck and it took me a while to find a doctor that did not say to me oh you’re too you’re just too young for this well obviously not. I went in the pain management at 24 years old I’m 42 now I’ve had to have my left hip completely replaced I have severe osteoarthritis in my right knee I have degenerative disc disease in my neck and it took me a while to find a doctor that did not say to me oh you’re too you just too young for this well obviously not My mother was Dr. Allen’s patient for 10 years and he was a God and he looked over my MRIs and early doctors notes for my mom because that’s how good a relationship they had. My mother was Dr. Allen’s patient for 10 years and he was a God and he looked over my MRIs and early doctors notes for my mom because that’s how good a relationship they had if he knew that referring my mom to Dr. you heal and now what doctor you kill has pulled he would feel terrible . In my opinion there’s just not enough Dr. Mark Allen’s in the anesthesiology Pain Management world. in my opinion there’s just not enough Dr. Mark Allen’s in the anesthesiology Pain Management world And if you don’t want the DEA banging down your door you over prescribe but you have an obligation to control that patient’s pain with what ever works for them. And if you don’t want the DEA banging down your door you over prescribe but you have an obligation to control that patient’s pain with what ever works for them unfortunately Dr. Mark Allen longer practices in Ohio and I am getting a hold of him to let him know that my mom passed away last year which he he deserves to know because they did have such a good relationship. When he hears what other pain physicians did when Dr. Yorkiel you’ll have abanded them and they needed to be helped, he will be so angry . And other pain physicians should be A palled at what they hear. The patients are the last people who should be scrutinized .
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Hi I am one of those patients my apt was for the day after office closed ! I called so many Dr everyone told me no they could not help me to withdrawal I would be fine! I was on fentanyl 100 along with Paxil and topamax No Dr to Treat so had to cold turkey withdrawal from all ! By myself ! after in March I finally got to see neurologist at CC as he put in last scs for me I have RSD/CRPS for 15 yrs plus. I talked with this Dr and asked what he could offer or suggest for me ! He told me there Day Program for this disease to teach me to live with it without medications! I asked about the program and what he told me I would learn I already knew , it is 8 to 5 everyday 5 days a week for 2 to 12 weeks No way could I do that plus insurance didn’t cover out pt program! I told him what else after he had told me I see anxiety, depression, desperation, disabled, I said you don’t see pain hear it ? I had just went through my exam and he agreed with dx and spread. I had told him I was on a ledge I was scared of myself . He said I don’t prescribe medications. I walked out with no hope nothing . I recently looked at chart online and seen where he marked I was interested in resuming Fentanyl 😡 My husband was with me I asked did you ever hear this no he did not in fact we did talk about how I was on fentanyl and how I was now ! I had talked about how proud I was that I did the withdrawals myself ! Now this is on my record! I currently am not able to find a Dr to treat me or my disease which if you look it up it is called the suicide disease! I haven’t been able to locate my medical records from Dr office because closed ! I’m frustrated and hanging on by Only God knows ? Do you have any information how to get records? How did you get a Dr ? Thank you
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I didn’t get a new doc- no one would take me as new patient.
Still no medical records- I sent form in day I got it in mail.
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Try calling Metrohealth in Cleveland. I’m sure they have heard about the situation and I see Dr. Brandon Astley there so you can try and get in with him he is who I would suggest I hope this helps
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I have been A pain we Ledgement patient for 17 years now and the fact that my mother had seen Dr. he’ll he’ll even though she was no longer his patient obviously when this happened she very well could’ve been . And I have had a few doctors be like that with me and it was such a turn off so if there’s anything I can do to help please let me know . The patients that take pain medicines are the ones who are getting blamed and the doctors any doctor has a responsibility to keep a patient comfortable and to help them anyway and if they don’t then they’re just as guilty as Dr. Yokiel. I sure wish Dr. Mark Allen we’re still practicing here in Ohio . He was my mom’s doctor for 10 years and it was just a godsend .
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Oh my God!!!! These patient accounts get worse and worse the more that they’re coming in . My mother was referred to Dr. you heal after she had been with Dr. Mark Allen for 10 years and he had got suspended for a very minor violation. my mother was referred to Dr. you heal after she had been with Dr. Mark Allen for 10 years and he had got suspended for a very minor violation If there if my mother was still alive and still seeing y’all Keel when this happened and another doctor had told her that there definitely would be a lawsuit . Other Pain physicians need to take a look at your stories and say OK this was not the patient’s fault and it is making all of us who are in the pain med management side of of medicine look horrible. pain physicians need to take a look at your stories and say OK this was not the patient’s fault and it is making all of us who are in the payment management side of of medicine look horrible!!! And I don’t know who these doctors specifically are I am just glad that I go to the doctor that I go to . His name is Brenden Astley And he is a and he is at Metro health. If you still have not found another doctor I would suggest him .
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[…] The Cleveland Clinic’s Abhorrent Treatment of Chronic Pain Patients After Pain Management Practice… – November 24, 2017 […]
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Hi Larry!
I’ve been in contact with you in the past. I have several comments and questions to run past you. Please be patient with me.
First, I hope you have been able to find some relief. If you have, and can share that info with me, I will be forever grateful! I have tried two pain management doctors since our untimely release from Dr. Yokiel’s practice. The first one was the doctor that was referred to us that took over Dr. Yokiel’s patients that wanted to stay at the Beachwood office. He actually is a very nice guy, and knowledgeable in his area of expertise as well as others. The only problem was the fact that he would not prescribe any opioid, only Lyrics. That wasn’t working for me, and really never had in the past.
The second doctor was actually one of Dr. Yokiel’s associates. He is out of network for me and wants $150 for the first visit, and $100 for every visit following the initial visit. I gave him a copy of my records that Dr. Yokiel’s office sent to me, plus copies of all the info in regards to my tests.
Well, that was a nightmare! He would only prescribe Tramadol 50mg for me. I asked him if he read in my old chart what I was taking. He acknowledged that he noticed, but made the comment “you must be in a lot of pain”. Exactly moron! That was the reason I made an appointment! I told him that I have been taking Tramadol 50mg for 1 1/2 months and it wasn’t helping my pain. He suggested for me to take it with Tylenol. My PCP can order Tramadol 50mg for me, so why would I pay him $150 for him to prescribe the same thing?! He stated to me that “we need to be careful”. I wasn’t a new patient walking off the street requesting him to prescribe opioids that would begin an addiction for me! Jerk! He wouldn’t budge even when his nurse told him of my risk for falling, etc. After following his orders and marking a path in my carpeting from dragging my foot because I can’t lift it when I’m in so much pain, I reread my contract. Low and behold, line #13, patient is NOT permitted to call the office to discuss a “treatment plan” until their office visit. What kind of bullshit is that. My next visit isn’t for 3 months! I can’t handle that!
So, I’ve recently had to visit the ER due to the excruciating pain from kidney stones. The doctor would only prescribe Percocet 5mg for 5 days. I asked for 10mg because that is what I had been taking for 2 1/2 years. He just laughed and walked away. Again, just plain bullshit!
Anyway, to change the subject, I’m all in for a class action lawsuit, but excuse me for asking (maybe I’m not seeing it), why against Dr. Yokiel’s? Wasn’t he out there trying to help us? Maybe he had no choice closing his practice so abruptly because he was forced to. Please enlighten me what you are seeing differently then what I am. Some people felt it wasn’t done the right way. I agree with that to a certain extent. There should have been someone assigned to helping his patients come off their opioid in a controlled environment so we didn’t have to go through the agony of withdrawal. Maybe the nurse practioners could have done that for us under the supervision of an assigned doctor or agency.
Also, I came to a conclusion that leaves me with several questions and needed explanations in regards to the horrible “opioid crisis”! I would love to share my thoughts with you and someone who could be a “voice” for us. Please let me know if you are interested. I’ve taken up a lot of your time here as I complain of my struggle. It’s been life altering for many pain suffers. Thank you for listening. Please let me know how you are doing.
Stephanie Singer
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Stephanie
Send me an e-mail and I’ll answer as many of your questions as I can.
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GamegetterII@yahoo.com
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Hi Larry!
Thank you for your rapid response to my bullshit session. This whole ordeal is very frustrating for all of us.
I will email you about some of my thoughts in regard to our situation. I’m one of those people who like to analyze things before jumping into something and blowing steam out of my butt.
And yes, class action suits can take years to finally get resolved. I was part of one before, and it took about 4 years from start to finish. It was pretty big. People throughout the county were involved.
Anyway, I will email you. Maybe we can get some more thoughts together, a different perspective. I worked in the medical field for almost 35 years. I also have a friend that worked as a paralegal for an attorney’s office and is familiar with medical lawsuits. I’ll try to talk with her. I hope everything at home settles down for you. It’s exhausting trying to handle life’s it’s it’s and dawn’s when all of you energy has been sucked out of you. Thank you for your time.
Stephanie Singer
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Stephanie-
I know lawsuits take time.
If the attorney I’m using doesn’t start moving things along faster, I know another very good attorney with years of experience in workers comp and personal injury lawsuits. I’m going to meet with him as soon as we find a day when we both have the time. I believe in always having a plan B.
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Husband Tom was a Dr. Yokiel patient for 16 years. Would like to be included in class action lawsuit. Please advise. Thanks
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I’ll send you e-mail tomorrow.
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My mother was wheelchair bound for years from pain and couldn’t use her hands. She saw Dr. Yokiel for 20 years until she died at 87 y/o. God bless Dr. Yokiel for improving her quality of life and lessening her suffering. Once her pain was controlled she could walk and take part in activities and enjoy her last 20 years.
My best friend had been seeing him for 15 years for chronic pain. She went to get her prescription and the office was closed and empty. Within 24 hours of no pain medication she was in agony. Within 48 hours in opiate withdrawl and hospitalized for two weeks. Lost her apartment and had to move to a nursing home at 62 y/o permanently in order to get the pain medication she needs. Now they want her to go to an outside Pain Management Doctor. The nursing home doctor is afraid the DEA will revoke his license if he continues to prescribe her pain medication.
In the 35 years I knew Dr. Yokiel he was competent,honest, kind, followed the law and provided a humanitarian service. He made his patients follow the law or he discharged them from his practice.
He dedicated his practice to helping people with chronic pain and improving their quality of life.
How many of his patients wound up in the hospital in withdrawl or got placed in a nursing home to get their medication?
This whole approach is crazy, unethical, expensive and inhumane.
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Interested. Care he set up for us was abhorrent
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Did I send you an e-mail?
My sleep schedule is messed up due to snowplowing,clearing sidewalks and spreading salt.
Along with repairing trucks and equipment- so I’m kinda scatterbrained for now.
I need about 2 straight days of sleep.
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I was on pain meds with Dr. Yokiel for over 10 years. I did the same as everyone else – called 30 pain-managment doctors. I went to 3. None of them would help me. The first was incredibly rude.
I was told that Cleveland Clinic, UH, Metro and everyone else are no longer prescribing long-term opiates for anything but terminal cancer. Ohio has changed its laws drastically because of the opiate crisis. All of these doctors are afraid of losing their licenses.
But that doesn’t make this right – how we have been treated.
I saw the writing on the wall. If I had to get off the opiates – at least I had a 2-week supply when Dr. Yokiel closed. I never imagined he would just close without warning one day. I weaned myself down over the last several weaks. I will never depend on a doctor for something so critical to my very life again!!!
I was bedridden with pain until I found Kratom – a south-american plant related to coffee. It is very good for pain and very good for opiate withdrawal. It can be habit-forming. If you stop suddenly, you’ll feel crappy for a couple of days – like stopping coffee – but nothing like opiate withdrawal. Right now it helped me through the withdrawal and is better for the pain than anything else I’ve tried.
I know you’ll read really scary stuff about it if you google it. 15 people died from a tainted batch from china with real opiates in it. So you have to find a reliable source. In my case, it is the only thing that has allowed me to spend a significant portion of my days vertical instead of bedridden.
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I take kratom now- I knew about it but my mind wasn’t right during withdrawls so I suffered through.
I had only 4 days worth of meds left when I called for refills and found out CCPC Beachwood closed.
Cleveland Clinic lied to all of Yokiels patients. I know at least a half dozen people who are still prescribed opiates for chronic pain through the Cleve. Clinic.
That and I know several clinic employees who all said the clinic just refused to write scripts for any opiate for Yokiels patients.
The way we were treated violates every published standard of care.
All those involved need sued so they never do this crap to chronic pain patients again.
Check out americankratom.org if you haven’t- they show studies proving kratom is safe.
Larry
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I’m with you Larry. My wife sent you an email. I had been Dr yokel pt. 13 YR. I HAVE RSD.IM ON THIRD PAIN pump. My pump empetied 2 weeks ago.from a Columbus er to every pain Dr. In the state that I contacted over40 of em every one said it wasn’t their problem. I could of died no one cared . when did ohio drs. LOSE THEIR COLLECTIVE BALLS? dpne for now. okla dude out
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After just finding this site Iv had similar struggles and withdrawals! I have not found a Dr to take my case ! I would have to lie and I’m not going to do that . I agree with allot of what you stated ! This was wrong I’m close to 60 and am no addict but felt like I am being treated this way ! I have been unable to get my medical records have you ?
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how do get in touch with you to talk about this
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GamegetterII@yahoo.com
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I would like to discuss this with you or the attorney that may file a class action suit.
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GamegetterII@yahoo.com
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