Customer Reviews

Women and Autoimmune Disease: The Mysterious Ways Your Body Betrays Itself

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

 

 

I find the book to be very reader friendly (very nice, useable set up) and some of the information can be useful. Overall I don't think this book acts as a good reference, though it's an interesting read. I found the section on multiple sclerosis to be inconsistent with information given by reputable multiple sclerosis resources (such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society) - for example: saying there are three types of MS: remitting, progressive and benign. There are actually four types: relapsing-remitting, primary-progressive, secondary-progressive and primary-remitting (people with what he calls benign account for an extremely small percentage of MS patients). His overview of diagnosis seems a little too general as well (his case studies aren't the best examples either. Forgetting information for a test is not unusual and memory loss, like forgetting where you put your keys, is not an exaggerated senior moment, I'm sure that most people have had that happen a few times). I don't know whether his views on the disease, diagnosis and treatments are outdated or just different, but I would not recommend this as a resource - at least not for MS (maybe it's better for some of the others), even if you are just family and friends wanting to get an idea. I think there are many other books that would give a clearer more detailed view of the disease. It is an interesting read though and it's nice to see a book geared toward women and autoimmune diseases. I think he's on to something there, but I think he has more general knowledge than specific with some of the disorders.

I would have rated this book 4 stars had it not been for the rather puzzling and glaring inaccuracies in the section on the treatment of Graves' disease.
To quote: "Treatment for Graves' disease includes drugs designed to block the runaway production of hormones. I generally prescribe LEVOTHYROXINE, as L-thyroxine, for this purpose", and then "Untreated, patients with Graves' disease can develop fatal complications such as cardiac rhythm disturbance, muscle weakness, electrolyte imbalances or SEVERE CONSTIPATION. Since the disease is so EASY to treat, we almost never see this kind of problem" and "It takes a fine balance of therapy to regulate Graves' disease, but once it is under control, the symptoms should be ameliorated. Patients are generally on therapy for the rest of their lives".

All the above statements would have been applicable had the writer been discussing HYPOTHYROIDISM rather than Graves' disease, which causes HYPERTHYROIDISM i.e. overactive thyroid. I find it very strange such glaring inaccuracies should have been allowed to be published, especially considering, particularly as the writer is a professor of medicine and no lay writer.

This book needs to be urgently reviewed and have the relevant inaccuracies rewritten, otherwise there will be a lot of confused lay readers. It is a shame, as the book was otherwise written in a very entertaining, engaging and readable style, with each condition being illustrated by a real live case which made all the relatively rare conditions being discussed much more relevant even to those readers who do not have these medical problems.
(I should mention I am medically qualified and was looking for a readable book on autoimmune diseases to recommend my patients).

Less than a month ago, after several years of seemingly unconnected, rather brief medical events, an opthalmologist, having just completed post-op followup of removal of two cataracts for me, expressed concern about my extremely dry eyes during her months of seeing me. I had no idea I had dry eyes!

She recommended testing for Sjogren's and ANAs. The Sjogren's was negative but the ANA was strongly positive and that urged me to a rheumatologtist. Those tests and his 2 hour interview along with my medical history and he *named* it: an autoimmune disease, currently labeled as an indeterminent connective tissue disease, most probably Lupus, maybe Scleroderma. More tests. And this week I see him again for a more definitive diagnosis and we'll go from there.

In the meantime I read reliable sites online (Johns Hopkins, Brigham and Women's, NIH) and, among others, read Dr. Lahita's book. The first section defines autoimmune diseases as a category - very helpful to this lay person. The second section, really the body of the book, looks at several in that category and reviews both general and specific information about each. The third and last section focuses on possible treatments. And I really liked the bibliography in which Dr. Lahita comments of the merits of various reading selections. This led me to more readings and I feel much more enlightened as I prepare for this week's appointment with the rheumatologist.

I have purchased several books like this recently as I am being worked up for an autoimmune disorder myself. I like this one best of all. I found the information very useful and easy to understand and the book is easy to read through and stay with. its not dry like so many textbooks can be. I just wish Dr.Lahita was local for me as I'd love to go to him as a patient. I've considered flying across country to see him but my family thinks I'm nuts.
I recommend this book to anyone trying to get a grasp on autoimmune disorders.

I was told by several Dr.s that I have "mixed connective tissue disease" because I have a high ANA count. Each time - with a different Dr.- I asked what this means and they would say "it's your immune system fighting against itself; that's why you have MS, Lupus, Raynauds, Sjogrens, Osteoarthritis, Dupetryns, etc,etc,etc. That is as far as the explanations went. One day I was in the library and picked up this book. It totally explained all of these and how and why they are caused by immune cells fighting against each other - i.e. AutoImmune Disease. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been diagnosed with any of the above problems. You'll understand what and why you have something.I immediately ordered it from Amazon.

This book is a "must read" for anyone who is dx'd with "any" Autoimmune Disease. It is precise,clear and exact with the needed medical information we need to understand. The first chapter will explain how the cells work, immune system, and what goes wrong with ppl with Autoimmune. The book continues with chapters with many specific Autoimmune Diseases. This book is so very different than any other, which is many medical books, since it's written with easy to understand terms, and lots humor and stories of actual cases that we can relate to. It also helps that I am privledged that the Doctor that wrote this book, is MY actual Doctor. I recommend the Doctor and this book HIGHLY!

This book would be very helpful for a host of autoimmune diseases. The author begins by describing the lymphatic system
together with the linkage to the T3, T4 cellular structures.
The T cells deal with foreign invaders and antigen identification. The viral profile, stress, genetics, age, lifestyle and the environment are all factors which impact the
autoimmune system. Sufferers of autoimmune diseases should avoid
environmental toxins (lead-Pb, mercury- Hg. etc.) Muscular sclerosis is a disease classified in the autoimmune category.
There are specific strategies to manage the disease by stress
avoidance, diet and purging environmental toxins. Modern medicine is beginning to embrace the notion that a whole host
of diseases can be managed or controlled successfully in lieu
of a cure. For many diseases, there is no cure-per se.
The diagnostic and medical monitoring goals are management of
pain, disease progression and psycho-social adjustment and
functioning. Some of the more exotic treatments involve
emcellular transplantation, oxygen therapies and mutiple organ
transplants. Genetic engineering is another frontier of medicine
in controlling the autoimmune diseases.

I bought this book for my wife who suffers from Graves disease. She says the author made mistakes regarding Graves; he refers to a wrong medicine for Graves (a med that is normally prescribed for hypothyroidism), and he recommends a nutritional supplement that is contra-indicated. She set the book aside and said she can't trust the rest of the chapter on Graves after she saw those mistakes. Otherwise, I have no opinion regarding his chapters on other diseases.

My 26 year old sister-in-law recently had a stroke. She suffers from a first misdiagnosed, which is now an undiagnosed autoimmune disease. It is too bad her doctors didn't read this book. She was sent home by a hospital, general doc. & a neurologist after suffering 2 of the soon to be 5 infarctions. They said it was probably a sinus infection and a migrane. Please be aware of THICK BLOOD (blood clots) Autoimmune disease sufferers. You must be your own doctor with such a mysterious disease. I wish I knew more...the doctors knew more...before the bloodclot/stroke. This book opens your eyes to a lot of typical, but not too common things for women and autoimmune disease. A must read!