Doctors and RLS

[nightdancer]

We all have our doctor stories about RLS, and being given the wrong meds, etc. To defend SOME of them, a GP only gets about 6 and 1/2 hours of instruction on sleep disorders, which includes RLS, in a regular medical school setting. Unless they take extra studies, or are specializing in sleep disorders or neurology, they do not get much info at all. To me, years ago, that was a valid excuse. Now, in the age of the internet, that is NO excuse to me. These things can be easily searched and any doctor who refuses to do a simple search is not interested in treating something like RLS. For example, my GP takes care of ALL my meds. She farms me out to specialists when needed, but she is the one who prescribes all my meds. So, she is an exception, and always asks ME "What do YOU want to do?" I wish everyone here could have her for a doctor.

[Madlegs1]

When my own doctor recently retired (the one I had been trainng in for many years) - I had a choice of four drs in the practice. I just picked the first one available - (the one who prescribes Benylin and Amytriptoline for rls sleep difficulties )

Anyways- at the first consultation, she almost immediately greeted me with "oh! I'm so glad to have a patient who does their own research"

I'd love to know what the retired GP wrote on my notes!!! Can just imagine!

I've now moved on to the senior doctor in the group- so far so good. Time will tell.

Keep up the good work.

[nightdancer in reply to Madlegs1]

I got lucky when I picked my new doc 14 yrs ago. Mine had retired, so I had a list of 7 to pick from, and I luckily picked my angel of a GP. I have told her many times that she cannot retire or move out of town! She said she is not going anywhere. She is my security blanket!

[Smiler53]

My new doctor will always read the info I take to her from this site. She freely admits to knowing very little about RLS and was quite shocked at how it effected me and others on this site and is now very supportive and open to my research, so we are learning together.