“Dr. Brian Shaffer is very skilled, experienced and devoted to his patients. I have been continually impressed with his accurate diagnoses, treatment plans and plain sense approach. He really, really cares about each of his patients. How do I know this?? Very simple. He has been our doctor for more than 25 years!!! That really says it all.”
“Dr Shaffer has been my primary care physician and health coach for almost 30 years. I come from a family with a history of diabetes, kidney disease and heart problems. It was a major victory for me when he helped me get to the point that I
no longer needed Metformin as a part of my daily medicinal regimen. His Segundo Karen and his staff are pleasant and always accommodating.Thanks for your health help, Coach. God Bless.”
“Brian Shaffer MD has been very important to our family for many years, leading several members on a journey to good health. He is kind, gentle, knowledgeable and caring… a fine physician.”
“Thank you so much for providing the wonderful and compassionate medical care and advice you have given me. I feel so grateful and blessed to have found you. In addition, I am hopeful to find the relief I need to make life a more pleasant and joyful experience once again”.
“I went to see Dr. Shaffer on a recommendation from my neurologist. I have epilepsy and have small complex seizures. I heard there were many benefits from medical cannabis. Since I have started, the intensity of my episodes are much lower. I also feel the episodes are much shorter in duration. I was having a lot anxiety, and had a very hard sleeping. Since I have started, I now sleep a solid 8/9 hours a night. I definitely feel medical cannabis has benefited me and my epilepsy.
From the 1st visit, I knew I was in the spot. The staff are courteous and professional. I was seen in a timely manner. Dr. Shaffer is great and his bedside manner is terrific. I never felt rushed. He takes the time to get to know you, and explained all the the strains that could benefit you. I highly recommend Dr. Shaffer and feel lucky to have found him.”
“I just wanted to thank you for all the help and support you’ve given me over the past few years. I know I may not be the easiest patient to deal with at times but you’ve always found a way to have me leave your office a satisfied patient. Dr. Shaffer, I want to thank your professionalism and for that I can honestly say you are one of the most respectable doctors that I know.”
“I’ve been a patient of Dr. Shaffer for 23 years now and have received superior medical care for each and every year of the twenty three years. Dr. Shaffer has always been extremely professional in each and every area of his practice. He is physician who takes his time and listens thoroughly to all of your comments and concerns while reaching a medical decision that you both agree with. Dr. Shaffer is an excellent physician.”
“My family and I have known Dr. Brian Shaffer for nearly twenty years. Over those years he has treated three generations of our family with the best of care, whether it was an elderly parent or one of our children. Dr Shaffer is a thoughtful, gentle and concerned health professional who takes all the time needed to treat his patients, while listening to their issues or complaints.
Likewise, his friendly and caring staff provide a fine compliment to Dr Shaffer’s medical practice.”
“Just a note to thank you for the excellent treatment you have given to my father not only medically but the way you have treated him as a man, realizing his pride has been woefully hurt due to his strokes and many other medical problems. You have always shown him respect, never treating him as someone “who was” but someone who still is. I can’t tell you how much very much this has meant to me. It is very difficult to be the sole care-taker of someone you love because not only are you looking out for anything that may be wrong medically, you’re always attempting to lift their spirits and attempting to help them never feel ashamed because their body just doesn’t work how it had.
There are very few doctors out there today who are as you are. You are modest and down to earth. Feel good about the way you treat your patients!
You are also my doctor and know my many faults. Addiction is ugly – yet you treat me with respect and I feel you do your best to help me get it together. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for these things!You’re a mench! We need many more doctors such as yourself. Feel proud Dr. Shaffer and continue to do what you do!”
Patient Case Reports
Derek M.
Derek served in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps for one year. Six months after coming home from Iraq, he started having nightmares and woke up in sweats, unable to remember the contents of his dream. He was always on edge with chronic irritability, intrusive thoughts and frequent headaches. He started drinking alcohol regularly to the point where it was uncomfortable for him to be around his family. His previous physician placed him on benzodiazepines to calm him down and other medicines for mood disorder. Derek decided that he didn’t want to keep taking these medications so he came to see Dr. Shaffer for medicinal cannabis (MJ).
In just 3 weeks after starting the MJ, Derek was able to cut down on his alcohol consumption, stop his benzodiazepines and his meds for mood disorder. He is now happier and more upbeat at home, more functional at work and his headaches have been significantly reduced from 3-4 times/month to once every 3 months. In addition, his nightmares have been reduced from 2x/week to monthly. He is now able to sleep through the night and he has an “overall calmness” to him.
Robert Alton
Robert had a skin lesion to his forehead that was removed with 3 surgeries and several reconstructive grafting procedures that left him in crippling pain since the wound was left to heal mostly on its own. He had a headache 85% of each day at a level of 8/10. He described the pain as “something crawling on his scalp” and found it difficult to sleep. He didn’t get any relief from opiates and he was suffering for months with the pain before he was referred to Dr. Shaffer by his primary care physician – Dr. Kim Levitt.
Dr. Shaffer advised Robert to apply medicinal cannabis in an oil form to his scalp as well as ingesting. After a short period of time using the cannabis Robert described the pain being reduced as if “someone threw off the light switch”. He was finally able to sleep the entire night and he was able to stop taking several medications such as Lyrica and opiates that only gave minimal relief from his pain. “It changed my life”. Now his pain level rarely goes above 2/10 and after applying the cannabis oil the pain is gone in 5 minutes.
George F.
George F was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia that gave him joint pains to his knees, legs and ankles resulting from the chronic inflammatory state of the disease. His energy was always very low requiring IV vitamin C and B12 infusions. He has been to several holistic physicians but he never got
complete relief of his pain.
After being referred to Dr. Shaffer for medicinal cannabis, George was started on a few different strains and within a short period of time “the whole inflammation state calmed down in my body” He feels as good as he has in years with more energy after dealing with 10 years of chronic pain.
Curtis R.
Curtis R. has endured emotional and physical abuse from his mom’s boyfriend since the age of three to eighteen years old, leaving him with PTSD symptoms . He has said that he was depressed almost daily. He isolated and cried. His motivation, grooming, sleeping and appetite were decreased. He had a loss of interest and felt hopeless, helpless, and worthless. He was having nightmares two to three times a week for over a year. He has been in therapy for years and traditional medications haven’t been helpful.
His therapist referred Curtis to Dr. Shaffer for a trial of medicinal cannabis. After using the cannabis for at least a month, Curtis can’t recall the last nightmare or outburst that he has had. He is now able to focus during the daytime and his ability to handle stress is much better.
Nestor Santiago
Nestor had an achilles tendon lengthening procedure to his right leg with complications of a wound infection that required 2 other surgical procedures to be performed. The result left his foot badly scarred and he was unable to fully flex and extend his foot. He walked with a significant limp requiring a cane to walk. He developed “lightening bolt” like pain down his right leg that kept him up at night and gave him chronic daily pain. Opiates did not fully relieve his pain so he sought help with Dr. Shaffer.
Dr. Shaffer started him on the medicinal cannabis program and within a few months Nestor was able to eliminate the opiates entirely and he no longer walks with a cane. His pain level is no longer constant and never reaches the same severity as before. Nestor is now able to sleep through the night uninterrupted.
Robert Donoher
Robert has a history of degenerative arthritis to the lumbar spine called spinal stenosis. It started over 30 years ago after having undergone a surgical laminectomy to his back for a ruptured disc. He has had constant pain since then due to the failed procedure and has lived with it daily for good portion of his life.
The pain would radiate to his legs and he would have to use a cane to walk. He was unable to take anti-inflammatory medications since he was taking a blood thinner. The injections that he received to his back gave him just temporary relief.
He was referred to Dr. Shaffer by his primary care physician, Dr. Byrnes to see if medicinal cannabis would be of help to him. In just a few months Robert had excellent results. His pain level dropped from an 8 out of 10 to zero. He is
mostly pain free, walking faster, longer and takes no medications.
Ward Sampino
Mr. Sampino was diagnosed with glaucoma ten years ago. “For the first two years I suffered with pain, headaches, and swelling behind the eye. I was receiving injections into my eye every other month at that time. Eight years ago I received my medical Marijuana card from Dr. Shaffer. After discussing a plan on how to proceed. I started smoking the Marijuana. One year later I went from every other month having injections to three times a year. After that I continued to lessen my injections to twice a year and then once a year. Now I haven’t had an injection in over a year and a half. My pressure is fine, the pain is pretty much gone. I truly believe that Marijuana is good for patients that are in need because I’m living proof of it”.
– Ward Sampino
Julie T.
Julie was diagnosed with a non-specific connective tissue disease leaving the joints to her hands and elbow very stiff and swollen. It was an effort for her to get out of bed in the morning and her movement was slow and painful. Opening a jar would be a struggle and she would have to put her hands in ice water to make them feel better. Secondly she would also get migraine headaches 15 days/month that would be at times debilitating, keeping her in bed for most of the day unable to function. She was receiving botox injections with only partial relief. Her rheumatologist referred her to see Dr. Shaffer for both of these problems.
“I have found substantial relief for my arthritis type pain and migraines over the past year using medical cannabis. Prior to starting I could barely get out of bed on some days. My migraines would leave me in a dark room with ice packs for over 15 days in a month. I would average 1-2 ER visits per month for rescue meds. Until now! I am pleased to say I have not been to the ER in well over a year, I can wear rings that I could not get on my fingers for months at a time and seem to have much more energy without the debilitating migraines. I use CBD about 3 times per day and then something to sleep at night. If I feel a migraine starting I will vape and can usually abort the migraine before it turns into something that would normally last several days. This truly has been a miracle for me.”
– Julie T.
Linda D.
“I will start by saying several of my physical symptoms have thankfully led me to Dr. Brian Shaffer:
Thirty years ago, I was broadsided at a red light. It has left me with a spinal cord injury; a paralyzed leg, chronic back pain, and nocturnal leg cramps. Let me say that these are not the garden variety charley horse. These cramps enveloped the entire foot and leg and last for hours on end – night after night of intractable pain. Frequently sleeping one to three hours per night, made tolerating the pain nearly impossible.
With the guidance of Dr. Shaffer and his wonderful staff, my life is immeasurably better. His recommendations to use a decarboxylator has increased the effects of the strains of marijuana used which allows superior pain control while using less product. I was fearful of going to sleep at night, knowing what was in store for me. Although I still have the same medical conditions, I am armed with an amazingly effective way to alleviate most of the pain.
I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Shaffer for truly listening and for his expertise.
With much appreciation,”
Linda D.
Shawn Reynolds
“2020 was a year unlike any other for most people throughout the world. For me, it was my first time experiencing real anxiety and reoccurring panic attacks. Panic attacks got so bad for me they even knocked me out of work for a little over a month. Not knowing fully what was going on or what to do about it, I did the basics: went to my doctor, got on prescription anxiety meds, saw a therapist, etc… I had started to accept the fact that this was just who I was now, an anxiety filled person who would never live a normal life again and would forever be on prescription medication. Then I decided to try NJ’s medical marijuana program and it has truly changed my life for the better.
Since starting the program with Dr. Brian Shaffer, I have not had a serious panic attack at all, I sleep better than I did even before the anxiety, I am able to do things and go places that previously anxiety was holding me back from. I even was able to stop taking the prescription medication I was on. Medical Marijuana has immensely changed my life for the better and I believe it can help countless others as well.”
– Shawn Reynolds