PRINT THIS - if you GP does not understand Buprenorphine

[Shumbah]

I have posted this on the

RLS _stories

page on Instagram too

It’s a simple but good explanation

[Madlegs1]

Thanks, Shumbah.

[Shumbah in reply to Madlegs1]

Your welcome 🌸

[pennygates]

Thanks for the info.

[rls-insomniac]

Shumbah, could you let me know the origins of your buprenorphine explanation? It's only because my GP has questioned any evidence I've provided him in the past. He's said something like 'anyone can write anything and post it on the internet and pretend to be an expert' so as you can see he's not very helpful.

That said I am taking buprenorphine/Temgesic with reasonable success. But I'm always worried that my consultant/ GP will suddenly decide to stop my medication. I feel I'm at their mercy every month!

Thanks for all your hard work.

[Shumbah in reply to rls-insomniac]

It was an email I received from Dr Glen Brooks , happy to share it privately

[rls-insomniac in reply to Shumbah]

Thanks Shumbah for your quick response. I'd really appreciate it if you could share the email with me privately. I went through a very hard process trying to persuade my consultant/GP to prescribe it for me.

All the best.

[LanaCSR in reply to Shumbah]

Thank you for the excellent info, Shumbah! Is there any chance you could email me Dr. Brooks' info, as well? Although my neurologist can prescribe buprenorphine, my GP seems clueless when it comes to RLS and seems adverse to prescribing opioids, and my last neurologist who started me on buprenorphine retired unexpectedly with very little warning leaving me rushing to try to find another neurologist who can prescribe buprenorphine. It would be nice if my GP could have the ability to prescribe it since he knows me the longest in case I ever run into problems again and need his help. Thanks, my friend!

[Floordefleur in reply to Shumbah]

How can I get the letter? I see my GP tomorrow. Thanks

[Oscarcat63]

I was speaking to my old psychologist (who I have no needed to see for the last 3 years), from the Alcohol and Drug service in Tasmania.She was quite horrified to hear that I am on pregabalin. She asked what it was for andI told her it was for rls.

I was also informed that Tasmania is the strictest state in Australia when it comes to prescribing drugs that can be abused.

I saw her for many years as I have had panic disorder with agoraphobia for 42 years. Because I was never allowed to have tranquillisers, and was put on 200mg of imipramine instead for 12 years, I used to drink. I am certain the imipramine caused the rls !

I do not need buprenorphine (yet !), but because of my history, I will never be able to get it.

I now drink very rarely, but also need to hoard my 10 mg of valium per week so I can actually do things that a normal person does.

I know that I am straying off the subject of rls here, but stay with me.

The issue is, that WE know that doctors aren't really interested in elderly, annoying, post-menopausal women. It is a fact that this demographic is consistently misdiagnosed, medically gaslit, and given a disproportionate diagnosis of mental illness than any other group..then medical professionals are ignorant concerning rls. They WILL NOT give opiates, or if they do, it's rare. So the letter is fantastic, Shumbah, but if anyone took it into their gp, they would be considered to be a drug-seeker by default. My gp, if he bothered to read it would just say it doesn't work.

I am really not looking forward to being in my seventies in 10 years, as,I understand that rls is progressive

[Dougg]

Thanks, Shumbah. This says it really well.

[Hidden]

Thank you xx