Customer Reviews

Clinical Management of Restless Legs Syndrome

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If you have RLS and are having difficulty getting the help you need from your doctor, this is for you - you can read it together. If you are a doctor and want to know more about RLS and how to treat it, buy this immediately. If you are someone who is not sure your RLS doc is doing the best by you, definitely buy this.

This is written for a medical audience, no question. But, a layperson should be able to read it without many difficulties. It clearly explains what RLS is, when it should be treated, and provides excellent treatment guidelines. It has treatment algorithms, dosage charts for drugs in all four categories, and includes information on working with patients.

It also covers the issue of augmentation in detail; augmentation is the supposedly uncommon side effect of dopaminergic drugs, such as Requip, Sinemet and Mirapex, that turns out to be extremely common. Many doctors didn't have any idea of what it was or how to treat it when they prescribed the newly approved dopaminergics for RLS. When their patients suddenly had worsened RLS, more severe RLS, or the RLS moved to other body parts, neither the patient of physician had any idea of what to do. With this book, now everyone knows.

This book also clearly makes the case for using opioids in RLS when other treatments fail. It provides clear guidance for when and how to use opioid therapy. It also discusses mimic diseases and the common primary diseases that can cause RLS.

Highly recommended for every primary care physician, sleep doctor, neurologist, psychiatrist and rheumatologist out there. While the PCPs may not want to learn the complexities of handling moderate to severe RLS, they should know how to identify it and what symptoms may suggest problems. Too many specialists are operating on old outdated or limited info. This will ensure that each of you provides the best treatment you can to your patients....who deserve it.

My only complaint would be that I don't remember any reference to celiac disease and RLS. RLS is related to iron. Many celiacs are not absorbing iron. An extremely common misdiagnosis in celiac disease is anemia. So, RLS can be an indicator of celiac. As can neuropathy. If anyone complains of RLS and is anemic, or has unexplained neuropathy warrants a celiac panel. Given that 97% of celiacs in the US are undiagnosed and that estimates are the 30-40% of celiacs complain of RLS before diagnosis, yet RLS only exists in 10% of the normal population, RLS, anemia and neuropathy may be a good indicator of celiac at least a percentage of the time.