Disappointing visit to new GP

[stulaine]

My wife is up in bed at the moment after a terrible night with legs and arms, she had taken amitriptyline 75mg and dyhydrocodene in the night, finally in the night, she took half a Requip. She had gone to the GP on Wed to ask for help coming off the Requip as she has augmentation. All she got was "No that's addictive, no you can't have that. Just take more Amytriptylene." She even asked, looking at her past prescriptions, if she had built up a stash of Dyhydrocodene as if she was taking it for pleasure.

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stulaine how long has your wife been taken the amitriptyline..? That med is a anti-depressant which doctors use for pain sometimes, and uninformed doctors give it also for RLS. But the amitriptyline makes RLS worse for most RLSers. Her doctor doesnt sound like she knows anything about RLS. She is asking for help to get off the Requip and thats all the answer she got.! ? What dose is the requip your wife has been taking.. ? I would make another appointment to see a different doctor in the practice. Requip is not addictive in the sense of addiction, but yes it causes augmentation where it turns against you and starts to make RLS symptoms worse which then you feel you have to take more. Your wife obviously knows she is augmenting. I hope your wife can see a different doctor who will listen and help her.

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hello stulaine,

I am sorry to hear about your wife and her bad GP appointment on Wednesday. Most RLS sufferer find that amitriptyline makes their symptoms much worse. It is listed as one of the medications to avoid. See here: rls-uk.org/treating-rls

It sounds as if this GP does not know much about RLS and how badly it can affect one's quality of life. On the RLS-UK website there is a section entitled For Professionals. Perhaps this GP should take a look at it. See here: rls-uk.org/for-professionals

[Kaarina Administrator]

Perhaps your wife's GP should be given a copy of this to read:

sleepreviewmag.com/2015/02/...

[Madlegs1 in reply to Kaarina]

I despair.!

[stulaine]

Thanks for all the replies - a genuine empathy comes through in all your helpful answers. Filling out forms to change both of us to another GP. I usually choose the youngest!

[Kaarina Administrator]

Hi stulaine,

All good wishes to you both in changing GPS. Most GPS do not know much about RLS but if the GP will at least listen to his RLS patient (who usually knows so much more about it because it has a huge impact on his/her life) and is willing to work together as a team to find ways to help, that is a way forward. Taking RLS literature to the GP may well help if the GP will take the time to read it or point them in the direction of rls-uk.org

Do let us know how your wife gets on.