Evelyn Oteng-Bediako's Online Review Report Card

One star, is honestly too generous for this “doctor”. I am truly disappointed in this “pain management” physician. I have been on permanent disability since the 1990’s. I have NUMEROUS issues with my spine; cervical and lumbar. “Several” herniated/bulging discs, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, osteo, etc. It is and has been quite painful and at times, debilitating. I’ve been to and seen NUMEROUS physicians/specialists. (My physicians, my works physicians, S.S. physicians, without any real “fix-it” solution. Basically, it is something to live with and tolerate as best as I can.) I’ve tried NUMEROUS pain relievers, including Norco, OxyContin, Fentynal patches 75’s, etc. I ended up choosing Darvocet as my main and only pain reliever since the early 2000’s. I’ve seen and went to appointments occasionally for pain management physicians who “giggled” that I was forced to see these specialists for refills of my prescription Darvocet. (Especially since I “returned” or flushed my unused prescriptions of Fentynal patches, OxyContin, Norco, etc.) I was prescribed 2 Darvocet’s up to 4x/day, as needed. I had “that” prescription for about 20+ years, until Darvocet was pulled from the market in late 2010. In ALL those 20+ years I was prescribed those, I NEVER ran out of a prescription early. I NEVER asked for anything stronger. I never, EVER abused, sold or took anything other than that and EXACTLY how it was prescribed. I rarely, IF EVER, took 2 pills at a time or more than 1 pill 4x/day or less. When it was pulled from the market, I’ve struggled to find something to work as well as Darvocet. I tried NUMEROUS things once again, resolving on a half of a Vicoden as needed for a few months. I honestly don’t care much for those as they are really too strong if you want to have any kind of a life. So I stopped them. Meanwhile, my lifelong physician was retiring and I was kind-of left, high and dry to find a new, competent physician to fill his shoes. I went from year 2012 to 2016 without ANY KIND of pain reliever for my back except O.T.C. Tylenol. Obviously over time, you get older and diagnosis’s such as mine worsen yet NO DOCTOR OR SPECIALIST WOULD PRESCRIBE ANYTHING AT ALL FOR PAIN... Until I FINALLY couldn’t stand it any longer and ended up in the ER where I saw a TERRIFIC (retired) physician who said, “Honestly, I would have to say that Tylenol #3 is similar to your Darvocets.” And HE AND ONLY HE prescribed Tylenol #3 for my pain for a few weeks. He was right. They worked perfectly. No side-effects at all! No lethargy, constipation, dizziness, etc. They honestly worked as well as Darvocet. But... My newer general practitioner would NOT refill them. He said “I HAD” to go to pain management if I wanted “NARCOTICS LIKE THOSE”. Unbelievable! So, I had to see a pain management specialist, Dr. Evelyn Oteng at Rockford Memorial Hospital once a month for a paper prescription of Tylenol #3. I saw her every 30 days and she would just hand me a prescription. For 10 month, she handed me a piece of paper, absolutely nothing else before she said she would “NO LONGER BE REFILLING MY PRESCRIPTION” anymore... At all! Now, she did offer Tramadol/Ultram, which I had tried several times in the past but it didn’t work as well and it gave me horrible stomachaches and indigestion. I told her about that and was offered NOTHING ELSE AT ALL! (And she charged $HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS$ for EACH AND EVERY VISIT with NO OTHER TESTS OTHER THAN THEIR FIRST MONTHS URINALYSIS DRUG SCREENINGS, which was in the $THOUSANDS$.) She said, “Since I ‘refused’ the Tramadol, there was nothing more she could do.” I was left HIGH AND DRY, ONCE AGAIN. That was August 2017, and I haven’t had any pain relief since. My quality of life is really, nonexistent now. Never mind that they ALL treat patients, such as myself, like a “junkie”. And they charged my Medicare Insurance an $ENORMOUS MONTHLY FEE$ (just to hand me a piece of paper, the whole process may have taken 3 minutes total) just to hand me a written prescription, “nothing” more. Sometimes my visits there lasted less than 2 minutes once the “specialist” walked-in. Not to mention, she contradicted herself on NUMEROUS visits where she was going to make my appointments every 3 months for a while, then every 6 months. She just flat-out denied me any help what-so-ever and really I have no where to turn. What or where do I go from here now? This is TRULY... HORRIBLE! I cry, every single day. (I have to have ALL of my teeth pulled because I grind my teeth from pain and the entire top row is without enamel and ALL of my fillings fell out.) I’ve gained a LOT of weight due to being unable to do hardly anything at all. I am left with Over-The-Counter Tylenol once again, which I was taking by the 3’s & 4’s prior to seeing pain management. I’ve never seen her again and ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE WILL PRESCRIBE ME ANYTHING AT ALL FOR PAIN. Nothing. Nada. I ask anyone who has had constant pain, real pain, what kind of quality of life would you have if your pain was CONSTANT and it interfered with EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE? I sleep in a recliner. I’ve done that for 4+ years now. I walk very slow and carefully (very short distances) so I don’t re-injure or do more damage to myself. I have DAILY headaches which turn into migraines about twice+ a month. It interferes with my sleep, social life (which is and has been nonexistent for many years) relationships of any kind, activity level and without ANY relief, my will to live. I have read article after article that stated that Tylenol #2 & #3 are the LEAST opioid prescription with the shortest life, 4-6 hours per dose. Why am I CONSTANTLY treated like a drug addict? I find that TRULY INSULTING! I’ve yet to find ANYTHING O.T.C. compatible. So I spend 23+ hours per day in my recliner once again. I understand the opioid crisis. I get it. But do you know what I did when Darvocet was pulled from the market in November 2010, I flushed them, that day! No addiction. No withdrawal. No excuses. Gone. It’s that simple. And even when I was offered other pain medications such as Vicoden, I refused them. I wanted something lighter without as many side-effects. I NEVER ONCE, EVER asked for anything stronger or more frequently once the right prescription of Tylenol #3 was prescribed. Even in the ER, they said I could take 2 pills at a time, I REFUSED. They offered me Vicoden. I refused them. Now, I feel like my life has came to a screeching halt since my pain medication was stopped, without anything at all to replace it. It is awful to be in your late 40’s and my life is basically over. I can’t stand for any duration over 3-5 minutes before I begin to shake uncontrollably and then come the sweats from the pain. I can’t sit in a normal chair more than 5 minutes because my feet and calves turn purple and swell. I can no longer feel the bottoms of my feet for the most part. I cannot lift more than 10 pounds without struggling. All because I can never get any kind of relief, at all... Ever! I am insulted to be treated so very poorly by so many doctors stemming from 2012 through the present. I will just continue my life alone, doing nothing at all just to avoid the embarrassing pain symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, and additional pain from usage, etc. I live alone so doing the very least so I don’t make matters worse is truly no life I wish upon anyone else. I STILL & ONCE AGAIN, hurt. Thanks for NOTHING, Dr. Evelyn Oteng, “Pain management specialist.” “...What a joke.”

I went to see her for my knee pain and neck pain. I was given a medication to try. After taking the medication for a couple weeks and suffering from side effects I stopped taking it. I called Dr. Oteng to see if there was something else we could try and I am still waiting for a call back. That was a month ago. She seemed to be in a hurry and didn't even take the time to listen to what I had to say. Needless to say I am still having a large amount of pain in my knee and the pain in my neck is getting worse every day. I have left messages for this doctor to call back and they have been ignored. I will definitely be looking elsewhere for my pain management. I would not recommend her to anyone!!

I went to see her for my knee pain and neck pain. I was given a medication to try. After taking the medication for a couple weeks and suffering from side effects I stopped taking it. I called Dr. Oteng to see if there was something else we could try and I am still waiting for a call back. That was a month ago. She seemed to be in a hurry and didn't even take the time to listen to what I had to say. Needless to say I am still having a large amount of pain in my knee and the pain in my neck is getting worse every day. I have left messages for this doctor to call back and they have been ignored. I will definitely be looking elsewhere for my pain management. I would not recommend her to anyone!!

I started seeing Dr Oteng-Bediako at the Pain Management at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, PA. I have had several cortisone epidural shot/injections for chr ...

I started seeing Dr Oteng-Bediako at the Pain Management at Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, PA. I have had several cortisone epidural shot/injections for chr ...

Dr Oteng-Bediako,has been handling my pain management for a few years now. With medication and epidurals, she has keep me on my feet. I would recommend DR Oteng to anyone who seeks help with managing there pain,she is thoughtful, kind,concerned,and a pleasure to work with. I am saddened she is leaving NY ,to expand her horizon. She will be missed,by me ,and I'm sure many other of her patients.

Dr Oteng-Bediako,has been handling my pain management for a few years now. With medication and epidurals, she has keep me on my feet. I would recommend DR Oteng to anyone who seeks help with managing there pain,she is thoughtful, kind,concerned,and a pleasure to work with. I am saddened she is leaving NY ,to expand her horizon. She will be missed,by me ,and I'm sure many other of her patients.

Worst experience I've ever had with a doctor!!

Worst experience I've ever had with a doctor!!

Dr. Oteng-Bediako is an amazing Physician. She has a great sense of humor and is very caring. I have been to her several times and I speak very highly of her to my friends and will continue. I will definitely recommend her to anyone who I think she could help. She is very sweet and kind hearted.