Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well (Collins)) [Paperback]

Mary J. Shomon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Living Well (Collins) | Publication Date: March 2, 2004

From the author of Living Well With Hypothyroidism, a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia--vital help for the millions of people suffering from pain, fatigue, and sleep problems.

Recent studies indicate that 3 to 6 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia--a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and multiple tender points. This terrible condition is often accompanied by chronic fatigue syndrome, a persistent and debilitating sense of exhaustion that is estimated to affect 800,000 Americans--twice the number of people with multiple sclerosis. Yet there are no official blood tests of diagnostic procedures that can confirm that yes, you definitely have these conditions, and in fact, a whole segment of the medical world doesn't even believe these two diseases actually exist. In addition, the few books that are on the market tend to focus on single solutions or eschew conventional and pharmaceutical approaches, which could alienate readers who use conventional medicine in whole or part. In her trademark accessible, easy-to-follow style, patient advocate Mary J. Shomon integrates the latest findings regarding these misunderstood conditions. Highlighting the pros and cons of the antibiotic, metabolic/endocrine, hormonal, musculoskeletal, and many other approaches to treatment, Shomon explores the fads and viable alternatives--both conventional and alternative--and provides helpful, clear solutions to help sufferers of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

At various points since 1995, Mary J. Shomon has been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Since then, she has transformed her health challenges into a mission as a nationally-known patient advocate. She has worked for more than 20 years in writing, advertising, public relations, and communications and is the founder and editor-in-chief of several thyroid, autoimmune, and nutrition newsletters, as well as the internet's most popular thyroid disease website, www.thyroid-info.com.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diagnosed with a thyroid disease in 1995, Mary J. Shomon has transformed her health challenges into a mission as an internationally known patient advocate. She is the founder and editor in chief of several thyroid, autoimmune, and nutrition newsletters, as well as the Internet’s most popular thyroid disease website, www.thyroid-info.com. She lives in Kensington, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060521252
• ISBN-13: 978-0060521257
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm Mary Shomon, and I'm a patient advocate, author, communications consultant, wife and mother. I've tried to transform my own struggle with thyroid disease into an advocacy campaign on behalf of patients with chronic diseases such as thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, chronic fatigue, among others.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis in 1995, and now research and write about these conditions and their impact on health and weight. Since early 1997, I have served as founder and Guide for the award-winning About.com Thyroid website, and as editor of my popular patient thyroid news report, Sticking Out Our Necks.

In my patient advocacy role, I try yto bring much-needed attention to underdiagnosed and often overlooked health issues. My desire to cut through medical jargon and deliver information to my fellow patients in a form they can understand resulted in my first health-related book, Living Well With Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You . . . That You Need to Know, which was first published in 2000 by HarperCollins, and has gone to more than 20 printings before a 2nd Revised Edition was published in 2005. The book was a Prevention Book Club Selection, and Amazon Top-Selling health book, and its popularity launched a new series of consumer health books for publisher HarperCollins.

I am also author of the New York Times best-selling book The Thyroid Diet: Manage Your Metabolism for Lasting Weight Loss. (2004) "Thyroid Diet" was also a semi-finalist for the prestigious Quills Awards in 2005.

I am also author of Living Well With Graves' Disease and Hyperthyroidism" (2005) Living Well With Autoimmune Disease"(2003) Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia," (2004) and the The Thyroid Guide to Fertility, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Success" (2005). My newsletter for thyroid patients, "Sticking Out Our Necks," was founded in 1997, and has become a popular resource for patients in both its email and print form.

I have served as the Guide for the popular About.com Thyroid site -- now part of the New York Times Company -- launching the site in early 1997, and managing the site and working as its sole researcher/writer since that time. That site, Thyroid.about.com, along with my advocacy site Thyroid-info.com, are the Internet's most popular and visited sites dedicated to thyroid disease.

I've been featured in hundreds of television, radio, newspaper, magazine and web interviews, including appearances on ABC World News Tonight and CBS Radio Networks, and interviews in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Ladies Home Journal, Health, Cooking Light, Elle Magazine, Woman's World, and the Los Angeles Times, to name just a few.

In my decade of consumer advocacy, I have never hesitated to take a stand on behalf of patients, and my independence from drug companies and medical/patient organizations that are funded by the pharmaceutical industry has allowed me to maintain an unbiased, truly patient-first advocacy effort.

In the past, my experience focused on grassroots outreach, and developing consumer marketing and public information campaigns while working in the social outreach, advertising and public relations industry -- designing campaigns for clients as diverse as furniture retailer IKEA, the World Bank, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Before I began writing in the health area, I also published several humor books. I co-authored the humor book, Scratching the Net: Web Sites for Cats published by Andrews McMeel in 1998, and wrote the Washington, DC bestseller, The Single Woman's Guide to the Available Men of Washington, published in 1993.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Terrific and Comprehensive Book I Wish I'd Had From Day 1!, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well (Collins)) (Paperback)

I got my copy and sat down and read every word right away (not having a fibro-fog day today!), and had to come over here right now to write this. All I can say is, "WOW!" But I really wish I had this book 4 years ago when I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It only took me 3 doctors over 2 years to get diagnosed...hah...I'm one of the lucky ones I guess. I wish I had this book, because the overview of symptoms would have already helped me cut to the chase and go right to a doctor who would figure this out more quickly. As it was, I went to my primary care doctor, and an infectious disease guy, and an orthopedics doctor, and even a chiropracter, before I finally saw a holistic doctor who specialized in fibromyalgia. Even then, I was so tired, and everything hurt really bad, and the last thing in the world I could stand was the idea of having to start surfing a hundred different web sites and books trying to figure out what I should be doing. Even though I had a good doctor, he didn't have much time to explain everything.

Mary Shoman did all the homework that I would like to have done when I was so sick, but when you're flat on your back on the couch and you can barely move, it's kind of hard to do much. She talks about regular drugs, vitamins, herbs, diet, alternative things you can do, and includes a list of experts from around the country who specialize in treating fibromyalgia and CFIDS. There's a long list of web sites -- I'm going to start checking them out as soon as I finish writing this review -- and suport groups even.

I've read a few of the books on fibromyalgia and they were pretty good, but this one really made sense to me. It doesn't tell me that one particular thing will cure me, but it goes through how I can find out what's going to work best for me. And it was really good to see that I'm already doing some of the things she talks about in the book, so that tells me that my doctor and I aren't totally off base. I'm about 75% back to where I was before I got fibro, but I want to feel 100%.

I can't wait to bring it in to my doctor to talk about some more things we might be able to try that I read about!

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Broad coverage of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, March 5, 2005

By 

Dr. Jeffrey O. Katz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well (Collins)) (Paperback)

This book is definitely worth reading for its broad coverage. It begins with an overview of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia (FM). Risk factors and symptoms are discussed, a checklist is presented, and the issues of diagnosis (including the need to rule out other conditions that present with similar symptoms) are addressed.

The author then turns her attention to aetiology and treatment options. As far as aetiology is concerned, all the usual suspects (and then some) are covered: infections (mycoplasma, chlamydia, borrelia burgdorferi [Lymes], herpesviruses [e.g., HHV-6], "stealth" viruses, candida albicans ["yeast'], even Q-fever), immune dysfunction (autoimmunity, Th1/Th2 imbalance, low NK levels), endocrine and HPA disorders (hypoadrenalism, hypothyroidism, "thyroid resistance", HGH [growth hormone] deficiency), CNS and ANS dysfunction, allergies and chemical sensitivities (food allergies, airborne allergens, neurotoxins, heavy metals, mercury), musculoskeletal factors (trigger points, post-traumatic FM) and sleep disorders.

Among the treatments discussed are antibiotics (ciprofloxacin [Cipro], erythromycin, acyclovir, fluconazole [Diflucan]) and botanicals (garlic, olive leaf extract, echinechia, caprylic acid) for infections, hormone supplementation (HGH, thyroid [Armour, Cytomel], adrenal [Cortef, prednisone]) for endocrine and HPA disorders, immune modulators and allergen avoidance or desensitization for problems involving the immune system, detoxification treatments (removal of dental amalgams, chelation), trigger-point massage for musculoskeletal problems, and the use of mineral and vitamin supplements (magnesium, B-12, and ascorbic acid, to mention the more important ones) for improving overall metabolic function.

The book concludes with chapters on finding (and working with) a knowledgeable doctor, and on creating a comprehensive plan for improved health.

Although coverage in this book is very broad, it is not particularly deep; do not expect penetrating discussions concerning the ins and outs of specific treatments. However, if you are seeking interesting and useful tidbits that can be followed up in greater depth elsewhere, this book is an excellent source with the flavor of good journalism or of an informative and useful website. It should, perhaps, be noted that "Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia" is one of three "Living Well" books written by Mary J. Shomon.

Jeffrey Owen Katz, Ph.D.

P.S. My wife has fibromyalgia and so I read almost every book on the subject that I can find as well as engage in original research.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Want to Live Well, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Living Well with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know (Living Well (Collins)) (Paperback)

Just finished reading the book and feel very charged up. The information provided is well organized and well reasoned and it makes sense! I'm actually believing again that it is possible to live well with fibromyalgia.