The European Restless Legs Study Group (EURLSSG) recommends that patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) be referred to a specialist if certain indications are present.
Indications for referral of a patient with RLS to a specialist:
(1) failure of apparently adequate therapy (drug choice, drug dose, duration) to achieve an appropriate response in a compliant patient
(2) maximum recommended medication dose is not effective in a compliant patient
(3) intolerable side effects to drug therapy
(4) development of augmentation
(5) pediatric patient AND being seen in primary care
Before referring the patient it would be prudent to exclude noncompliance and to make sure that other conditions that may contribute to RLS (iron deficiency, diabetes, renal failure) have been controlled first.
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