Rating: 
Summary: Even Better Than the First Edition
Review: The first edition of this book was great. This one is even better. Dr. Teitelbaum has identified some of the most common perpetuating factors of fibromyalgia and CFIDS. Not only does he explain them in a delightful way and tell you what you need to know about them, he also explains in detail what your doctor needs to know about them. I also recommend it as a handly reference for doctors who need specifics on testing and evaluations. Dr. Teitelbaum is a delightful person, and his personality comes through in his book. There are many treatment options for these conditions. Learn about them in this book.
Rating:
Summary: This is the Gold Standard, authoritative and exhaustive
Review: There is something of a civil war going on between 'traditional' and 'alternative' medicine doctors, and this very thorough and detailed book basically discusses just about every possible cause of serious, unexplained tiredness, from the expertise of both traditional and alternative medicine. In the back there is even a section for doctors, where a few of his journal articles are reprinted. (I would also recommend 'Adrenal Fatigue, the 21st Century Stress Syndrome' by James L. Wilson as a whole book devoted to treating adrenal fatigue, which Teitelbaum covers only briefly.)
Rating:
Summary: Life Saver! I'm Not Crazy! I have a name for my symptoms!
Review: This book was great I found it on vacation on FL and could not put it down! Interestingly, on vacation, my symptoms were minimal! I found a GREAT doctor, and this book reinforced what she had told me. I was not crazy! There was something wrong with me, even though I look well to those around me. Following the book's advice and "The Yeast Connection" by Wm Crook, I am feeling better! I still have bad days, but it is usually when I eat something with sugar, milk, yeast, or caffine. A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WITH FIBROMYALGIA!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, and a life-saver!
Review: This book was truly a life-saver. Ater five different doctors told me there was nothing they could do about my CFS, this book led me to a doctor who not only diagnosed the cause (very severe sinus problems and allergic reactions), but who cured it. I truly think that without this book I never would have found Dr. Chester, and would still be sick today.
Rating:
Summary: Teitelbaum is interested in solutions and positive results.
Review: This is exactly the book I needed to spark major changes in my lifestyle and eating habits. I have suffered from fibromyalgia for one year and found it nearly unbearable. I decided to ignore all advice and publications that told me how to cope with the illness. I seek only books that tell me how to overcome it completely. Teitlebaum is relentlessly encouraging and positive in this regard. The book gives a structure and a timetable for beginning dietary changes then continuing them for longer periods of time. It tells you what to eat instead of just what to avoid. He provides information on the vitamin, mineral and essential nutrient content of various foods, and what and why fibromyalgia sufferers need them. The book got me motivated. I saw many delicious foods on his lists and said, "I can do this." Ten days without sugar and caffeine and I began to feel better. If you need encouragement and facts and can't get the right kind of emotional support el! sewhere, this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: I tried it - this is not the complete answer.
Review: To start off: I tried the good doctor's recommendations, since I am myself a CFIDS sufferer. I applaud dr. Teitelbaum for making me realize, that my illness was not just in my head; when it came to treatment, what he suggested was far from a complete answer though. I do not blame him for that, after all getting an off the shelf answer for an illness like CFS would be a tall order. That is why I am giving 4 stars. I will write down what I experienced.I did the online test on his website, and the computer diagnosis recommended 6 various supplements, all of which I purchased from his site as well. I felt somewhat better after taking them for a while, but the improvement was not drastical. Also, there was one recommendation that puzzled me, as well as alll the docs that I took the diagnosis to (they were quite open, btw): the "mycoplasma infection" for which hisrecommended treatment is a low dose antibiotic for several months, perhaps a half year. (!!) After much more research, I ended up at an applied kinesiology
(AK) practitioner. That moment was probably THE luckiest in my life. His findings were: 1) By muscle testing, he found out, that out of the 6 supplements, 1 was helping me, 4 were not doing anything, and 1 was outright harmful! After I stopped the 5 nonhelpful ones, I felt MUCH better. 2) He found that my adrenal glands were totally exhausted from stress. Teitelbaum does write about hormonal imbalances. However,
after a 10 minute "deep tissue massage" of my adrenal glands by the AK doc, I felt about 50% better! I could not believe it - I could have kissed his hand. 3) The mycoplasma infection never existed. I was exercising the wrong way -- I was doing yoga, which is supposedly excellent for CFS sufferers. If one does not have a good aerobic base, and he does "power yoga", it is NOT! I started on a light walking program, and the muscle pain was soon gone. (Yeah, walking - I snorted when I first heard of that. Believe me, it is not only for wimps, and if you have CFS, your ego must take a backseat for a while, especially when picking the right exercise). I found the books of Phil Maffetone very helpful on how to build a good aerobic base. Doing the wrong exercise may be a good reason that contributes to CFS - considering how many CFS sufferers are typical overachievers. 4) I remark, that I "only" had CFS, NOT fybromalgia. To sum it up, what worked for me is: an AK doc, and the right exercise (see Maffetone's books). I sincerely hope this will help someone out there.
|
