Why don't GPS know more to help

[Whymelord]

Hi, since being on this forum I can see how knowledgeable you all are. I have never heard of a lot of the medication that I read about on here. I would usually Google the latest information concerning rls. When I talk to my doctor he cannot tell me anything about the other treatments probably because he can't and so glosses over the conversation by saying, there is nothing else he can give me. I'm much more in formed now so I will act on advice given.

[Hidden]

Your doctor should have at hand what other meds are available to treat RLS, he only has to look.! So i am sorry to hear he doesnt bother.

[Hidden]

As Elisse says, there is plenty of information there to guide UK doctors on how to treat RLS.

It's mainly all on one site, non-pharmacological treatments, pharmacological treatments, prescribing guides, about augmentation, how to treat it etc. It's all there.

cks.nice.org.uk/topics/rest...

I suspect some GPs simply can't be bothered looking, but I also suspect some may not have the time.

This doesn't necessarily make a poor doctor. For me a poor doctor is one who insists they know more than you, won't admit their ignorance and dismisses the guidance even when you point it out to them.

I have consulted several brilliant GPs who admitted they were clueless about RLS.

Unfortunately, my current "usual" doctor regularly shuts me up when I'm trying to tell her someything, tells me I'm wrong and generally appears impatient.

Luckily, I've never consulted her about RLS.

She may improve, but if she doesn't I'll ask for another one.

[Whymelord in reply to Hidden]

Hi, I hear what you're saying, it's just that I'm I'm my seventies now and have rls for a long time. My surgery has different GPS, so each time I visit or speak to one they don't seem to be informed or interested in the rls situation. I did suggest that I could be suffering from augmention but she hadn't a clue what it was and didn't bother to check it out on her computer.

[Hidden in reply to Whymelord]

Maybe you could give her some links to look at. No harm in asking, please look at this.

[involuntarydancer]

In fairness to GPs, it is a complicated condition and successful long-term treatment can be elusive. Also the state of information is advancing - seemingly imperceptibly but in fact I would say it has come on appreciably in the last 4 years. As Manerva says, the worst is when you encounter a GP who insists of denying his/her own ignorance, won't listen and in many cases actually makes the condition much worse often notwithstanding their patients' best efforts to refer them to the up to date information. However, there is also a commensurate responsibility on the sufferer to inform themselves and learn about their own condition and treatment options and attempt to work as a team with their GP.

[dlr222]

my opinion (and I would like to be wrong) is that no one knows about RLS unless they have it! my doctor said I didn't have it so I didn't argue with her. taking iron has helped.