Doctors that Helped. . .and that didn't

[ViewsAskew]

Chicago Area:

Dr Trevor and Gary Marcotte (son and father team), DO's
Peotone, IL and Dyer, IN
They are GPs who listen, who are not afraid of narcotics and who will read reseach you bring in. Highly recommended for anything.

Dr Comella, neurologist
Chicago, IL
Very knowledgable and personable, but too busy and though she listens, it doesn't seem as if she is willing to change her course of action to what you might prefer. It took months to get an appointment each time. Also, afraid of narcotics, so pushed DAs even after they failed.

Dr Kompitiloteri (or some such) - neuro
Associate of Dr Comella's
Got in to see her in 1 1/2 months (5 month wait for Comella). She wasn't familiar with anything but minor RLS and seemed quite out of her element as I tried to talk about it and my situation. Spent a lot of time with me (an hour), but I was charged like $400 for that visit (not her fault, but the practice's I would think). She couldn't help me at all and immediately referred me to Dr Comella, whom I had tried to see first anyway, lol

Dr Bertrand, neuro
Frankfort and Joliet, IL
Wasn't as up to date as I was regarding the most current research, but much more than most doctors, including other neuros. Spent a lot of time with me at my first appt, but gave the impression of, "Yeah, you seem to know a lot, but I AM THE DOCTOR", lol. Definitely wouldn't prescribe narcotics - said he hadn't written a script for 20 years. Though I'd failed 3 DAs and 5 or 6 other meds, he wasn't ready to say that opioids could be effective.

Dr Burnstine, neuro
Northbrook, IL and Chicago, IL
This was 4 years ago, so not sure what still applies. He had no idea of augmentation and how to treat it. When I augmented in a week, he just had me take more. And more, And more, until I had 24/7 RLS that defied treatment. He did know other drugs to try, but after a horrid augmentation, he first tried Sinemet - can you say AWFUL? I had the worst augmentation and rebound - lasted like 30 hours. He did call me at home and call in scripts, but I just didn't get the feeling that he really "got" it. It was at this point that I got online, started doing research, found this group, went to the Long Beach meeting, and figured out how to get out of the hell I was in. He sounds like he knows his stuff, but I just really didn't think he did.

Interestingly, I just went to the online list at the main rls.org site and found it's been changed dramatically! Many of the doctors that were incorrect (I had gone through everyone in Chicago, called them all, etc.,) or who didn't seem to know much are all off the list. So, Kudos to the RLS Foundation's staff.