Customer Reviews

The Doctor's Guide To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Understanding, Treating, And Living With Cfids

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A marvelous, humane, comprehensive look at the mysteries of chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Bell, perhaps the best medical writer I have ever encountered, takes on an immensely complex subject and sets forth in clear and concise terms what is known about CFS, what still isn't, what theories and treatments have been rejected and what theories and treatments are still under exploration, and where he thinks the future is headed. Most importantly, Dr. Bell clearly and decisively rejects the misguided notions that this disease is somehow the product of malingering or just a fancy word for depression, and offers encouragment to those who suffer not only from the disease but from the frustration of not being understood by their families or their physicians. I cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone with an interest in CFS.

Buy two copies of this book: one for you and one for your doctor.

Dr. Bell repeatedly makes the point that if the symptoms "don't make sense" it's because the doctor doesn't recognize what he's seeing, and not because the patient is imagining things.

He tells you (and your doctor) how to differentiate between CFS and look-alikes, such as depression, and goes into great detail about what *subtle* things the doctor should be looking for in a physical exam, things that might otherwise be overlooked because they're almost normal.

I've been quoting from this book since it was written, and expect to still be quoting from it (and using it to bash recalcitrant doctors over the head!) for another 20 years.

This book is great and I would recommend it to anyone with CFIDS or anyone who cares about someone with CFIDS. Great background on the upstate NY epidemic of CFIDS and info about the latest treatments. A must read!!

This is by far the best book I've read on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I've suffered with it for 30 years. Anyone who has it or knows someone who has it would benefit from reading what Dr. Bell has to say.

This book helped me find the answer to a 3 year search for what was going on. After reading it, we made an appointment to meet Dr. Bell. now, i know what is going on!

A good grounding in Chronic Fatigue Syndromes with a comprehensive guide into the syndrome. Suitable for medical practitioners and also the general public.
I would recommend it
Dr Adrian Winbow
Consultant Psychiatrist

This book contains a mix of information about M.E. and about 'CFS.'

That is very problematic but even so parts of the book could be considered useful reading to some extent for patients with M.E. (The books by Dr Hyde are far superior however, in every way. I can't express how much!)

But right at the end he writes "In regard to CFIDS, the need is simple. It is not billions of dollars for medical research, for those billions have more urgent needs; CFIDS is a horrible illness, but it is not as dangerous as AIDS or cancer."

What a shame to include such an ignorant and dismissive statement in such a book. It shows his appalling ignorance of genuine M.E. and most especially severe M.E. which leaves many patients far more disabled than AIDS patients (and with far less support, making it even worse in soem ways).

This book may in part be about M.E. but only the most mild or maybe moderate cases. The previous statement does kind of back up the idea he may not have seen too many OR ANY really severe patients in his time though perhaps.

This may be a controversial statement, but in some ways Bell very much seems be getting further and further away from describing and discussing pure neurological M.E. as time goes on. More and more his work is muddied by 'fatigue' and by the bogus definitions of 'CFS' and does not relate to actual pure neurological M.E. whatsoever these days.

This book is good in parts, very bad in others. Politically it is terrible.

What patients need to know politically is that:

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M.E. patients were treated appropriately and correctly diagnosed until around 1988, when there was an increase in the number of M.E. patients and outbreaks in the US. Some medical insurance companies (and others) decided that they would prefer not to lose many millions of dollars on so many new claims and so they created a new vague fictional disease category called 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' to try to confuse the issue of M.E. and to hide M.E. in plain sight.

Under the cover of 'CFS' certain vested interest groups have assiduously attempted to obliterate recorded medical history of M.E.; even though the existing evidence has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals around the world and spans over 70 years.

M.E. is a distinct, scientifically verifiable and measurable, acute onset, organic neurological disease. 'CFS' in contrast, is not a distinct disease. 'CFS' doesn't exist. Every diagnosis of CFS - based on any of the CFS definitions - can only ever be a misdiagnosis. A watebasket diagnosis.

The fact that a person qualifies for a diagnosis of 'CFS' (a) does not mean that the patient has M.E., and (b) does not mean that the patient has any other distinct illness named CFS.' M.E. and 'CFS' are not the same.

Far fewer than 0.5% of the population has the distinct neurological disease known since 1956 as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an artificial construct created in the US in 1988 for the benefit of various political and financial vested interest groups. It is a mere diagnosis of exclusion based on the presence of gradual or acute onset fatigue lasting 6 months. If tests show serious abnormalities, a person no longer qualifies for the diagnosis, as 'CFS' is 'medically unexplained.' A diagnosis of 'CFS' does not mean that a person has any distinct disease (including M.E.). According to the latest CDC estimates, 2.54% of the population qualify for a 'CFS' (mis)diagnosis.

The patient population diagnosed with 'CFS' is made up of people with a vast array of unrelated illnesses, or with no detectable illness. However, while 'CFS' is not a genuine diagnosis, those given this misdiagnosis are in many cases significantly or even severely ill and disabled. 'CFS' is made up of people with cancer, MS, Lyme disease, depression and hundreds of other unrelated conditions.

Sub-grouping different types of 'CFS,' refining the bogus 'CFS' definitions further or renaming 'CFS' with some variation on the term M.E. (such as 'ME/CFS') would achieve nothing and only create yet more confusion and help to continue and further entrench the mistreatment and abuse.

The problem is not that 'CFS' patients are being mistreated as psychiatric patients; some of those patients misdiagnosed with CFS actually do have psychological illnesses. There is no such distinct disease/s as 'CFS' - that is the entire issue.

Due to outrageous political influences on medicine and govermnent policy, the vast majority of M.E. patients will not be able to be correctly diagnosed with M.E. Most M.E. patients will unfortunately be misdiagnosed with 'CFS.' It is extremely important to note, however, that only a very tiny percentage of those told they have 'CFS' will be M.E. patients. The overwhelming majority of those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' do NOT have M.E. 'CFS' is NOT just another term for M.E.

The name Myalgic Encephalomyelitis must be fully restored (to the exclusion of all others) and the World Health Organization classification of M.E. (as a distinct neurological disease) must be accepted and adhered to in all official documentations and government policy. M.E. patients must again be diagnosed with M.E. and treated appropriately for M.E. based on actual M.E. research. For this to happen, there is a real need for patients (and others) to participate in genuine advocacy and activism.

The bogus disease category of 'CFS' must be abandoned. All those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' must immediately reject this harmful misdiagnosis and begin the search to find their correct diagnosis whether this be M.E., PVFS, depression, cancer, or any other disease. Correct diagnosis is vital in obtaining the correct treatment.

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Quote: "While patients suffering the despair of CFIDS may disagree, I do not feel that CFIDS is our greatest enemy. Our enemy is the apathy that has allowed CFIDS to go unrecognized, the same apathy that has allowed our society to fall to the present dangerous level"

Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.

This is the best CFS book I have read. It dispels all the myths that try to make CFS into a psychiatric illness. Most of us with CFS have been branded as head cases for a long time before we were diagnosed. Some with CFS have still not been diagnosed. This book proves you are not crazy and that your symptoms are real, and shows how all the symptoms fit together to make the CFS diagnosis. Throughout reading this book, I can't tell you haw many times I said to myself "That's me!" or "That's what I went through, too!" Get a copy for yourself, and one for your doctor if you haven't been diagnosed yet. Many doctors don't understand CFS, and some don't believe in it. I found this out myself the hard way, as I was not properly diagnosed until seeing my ninth different doctor in 8 months. This book is written by one of the first doctors to take an active role in understanding CFS when there was an outbreak in his community in the 80's. He has hundreds of patients with CFS and has done several small studies (there isn't enough funding available for nearly adequate research) that have been corroborated by other independent studies. If you are a CFS sufferer like me, get it!

Dr. Bell is WONDERFUL!!! For years I was going from doctor to doctor trying to get a CORRECT diagnosis for what I had and then I found him. The man had just met me and it was like he had been my doctor all my life! He was able to describe health issues and symptoms I had been experiencing from childhood into my adult life. What a relief to FINALLY understand what it is that I have. His books are the next best thing to him being your doctor and I would recommend anything that he has written.

I have CFIDS and so have read many books on this subject. This is the very best one IMO. I wish all doctors would read it but it is mostly read by those who have it.