Restless Leg Syndrome Disability at Work act UK
Can anyone advise if RLS which has caused extreme sleep deprivation is classed as a disability under the disability of work act uk where a employer has to make reasonable adjustments?
Thank you in advance
Unfortunately not. The MAJOR hurdle is that it isn't even considered serious enough to be taught at medical school or during GP training. As a result doctors in the UK know zero about RLS and will he very unlikely to back up any claims. There are only about 3 diseases that are automatically covered by Disability legislation. I have Multiple Sclerosis and that is one of the diseases covered BUT I speak from experience when I say that severe refractory RLS is a far more serious, disabling disease than MS ( & I have highly aggressive MS which has caused permanent damage).
The only way you might get help is if you can see one of the few neurologists who specialise in RLS and ask them to prepare a report for work.
I'm so sorry there isn't a more positive answer.
What if the side effect is sleep deprivation which causes your day to day activities to be effected?I read that as a definition of disability in the workplace.
gov.uk/definition-of-disabi... can try to argue but you would need your GP to fully support the case. I haven't yet heard of a UK employer treating RLS as a disability.
Can I ask whether the Pramipexole is covering your RLS? I see in the other posts that you suggested it to someone else.
If it's working as it should, you should not be getting any sleep disruption.
I've tried a search for neurologists who specialise in RLS, but nothing found. Is there anywhere a list available?
There are very few neurologists in the UK who have any knowledge of RLS.Professor Chaudhuri and his team at King's College Hospital ,Professor Walker at Queen's Square and Dr. Guy Leschziner in London are the ones I know.
Hopefully there will in the future be a list of neurologists who have more than a basic understanding of the disease and how to treat it effectively.
It is working for me, my GP tried a different drug first which had a bad side effect so I had to come off it.I get very little disturbance at night now,
I have been going through a lot of stress which I am dealing with.
As I control my stress and improves but GP feels I can slowly come off the drug.
I don’t want to stay on medication if I don’t need it.
I appreciate your advice as I always had very mild RLS but got unbearable with my situation.
I just wish your doctor had not prescribed Pramipexole. If you have not been on it for longer than 6 months and have been in the lowest possible dose, I would suggest very slowly reducing it now.If you only had mild RLS before stress worsened it, it could have been dealt with by raising your ferritin and eliminating meds that trigger RLS like anti depressants and anti histamines.
Dopamine agonists are hell to get off.
Do keep us updated if you decide to reduce the Pramipexole.
Pregabalin may have been a better choice by your GP as it's now the first line treatment for RLS and is used to treat anxiety.
My understanding from reading the definition of disability is - it’s not so much the “condition / diagnosis”, it’s how you’re affected by it. For me, Insomnia is the effect of restless leg, along with depression, extreme anxiety at night, exhaustion ect.. have had difficulties in concentrating, and reoccurring cold sores from being run down and stressed. As the symptoms are all documented with the G.P, I therefore have evidence in dealing with work / reasonable adjustments. I have been successful in getting what I need in order to continue working. Good luck 🤞🏼
Thanks for the reply Lunatha.I suffer the same and my ex employer failed to take my condition seriously.
I have been ask twice if it is classed as a disability under the “discrimination at work act”.
From what I read it fits all of the criteria,. “Long term” and “effects daily tasks” ie sleep deprivation.
I am sad to say that everything Joolsg has said is correct and you can't claim RLS as a disability and doctors and many neurologists are ignorant of this condition.
I am a little confused and mean no disrespect but your information seems to be a little conflicted. You say that your RLS is so bad that it is affecting your work due to sleep deprivation and there's no doubt about that, I understand well. However, you say that the Pramipexole covers your RLS and you are sleeping well at night. Is this claim for disability retrospective, or a current employment issue? I don't want to be too nosey, I am just not quite sure how to respond better to your question. Stress and anxiety also cause massive problems at work, concentration, brain fog etc, maybe that is the root if the RLS is not troubling you.
As Joolsg said, get off Pramipexole, very, very gradually but do it asap and talk to your GP. It is not recommended as a first line treatment for RLS. Do get your ferritin checked, it is one of the first things that should have been addressed.
What the heck? Was all that just a wind up, or am just a destroyer of threads? LOL 😀
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