Autoimmune diseases affect 50 million Americans, mostly women, who frequently remain undiagnosed and untreated, or are treated ineffectively. Living Well with Autoimmune Disease helps readers pinpoint symptoms, find the right practitioner, and learn cutting-edge approaches to reduce symptoms and reverse their disease.

Author Mary Shomon, who has the immune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis, explains how the immune system is supposed to work, and what can go wrong. Then she discusses more than 20 specific autoimmune diseases--such as chronic fatigue syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, thyroid disease, Graves' disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, fibromyalgia, scleroderma, and multiple sclerosis. For each, she covers symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Shomon, a patient advocate and Web guide for people with thyroid disease, hears the most success stories from people who combine conventional treatment with complementary therapies, so she gives specific strategies for using herbs, diet, and mind/body therapies. She also includes a 30-page checklist of risk factors and symptoms (helpful when you have no idea what condition you might have), a guide to finding and working with the right practitioner, and an extensive resources section that includes patient support organizations, Web sites, and books. --Joan Price


From Publishers Weekly
It took physicians two years after the author complained of weight gain, depression and fatigue to diagnose her with the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Autoimmune disease, which includes such conditions as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome, are estimated to afflict at least 8.5 million Americans. According to Shomon (Living Well with Hypothyroidism), because of the difficulty of diagnosis and tendency of some physicians to prescribe treatments that may have serious side effects, those with autoimmune illnesses are being shortchanged by the medical establishment. Since those who suffer from one are more vulnerable to other autoimmune disorders (not to mention that they may have a genetic predisposition toward a disorder), this informative self-help manual is badly needed. Drawing on extensive research, as well as doctor-patient anecdotes, Shomon's guide is designed to empower patients to participate in their own care. In addition to a detailed discussion of every type of autoimmune disease, the author provides advice on how to choose an appropriate medical team that will work to integrate conventional and alternative therapies. Based partly on her own experience, Shomon advocates an integrative approach to treatment that may include meditation, herbs, exercise and dietary changes along with antibiotics and hormones that together will minimize symptoms and maximize health.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
It takes a unique combination of knowledge and skill to present complex medical information accurately and make it understandable to the average nontechnical reader; unfortunately, this book does not meet that expectation. Shomon, who wrote Living Well with Hypothyroidism after her own diagnosis, is a self-described patient advocate and editor in chief of several newsletters for patients. Nowhere in the book does it indicate that she has a professional clinical background, yet she feels competent to interpret autoimmune diseases, which are highly complex and comprise between 50 and 100 different illnesses, such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease, and lupus. Many of these illnesses defy cure, and clinicians and patients alike hope to be able to manage symptoms and minimize organ or joint destruction. Yet Shomon claims that her guide will go beyond symptom management to "discover cutting-edge approaches that can actually reduce and even reverse the autoimmune response [and] even cure autoimmune conditions entirely." Relying on interviews with patients and various practitioners, her own experience, and a mix of research sources, she discusses conventional and alternative approaches to more than 25 autoimmune conditions. Unfortunately, many of her references are not drawn from peer-reviewed resources but come from newswire services, electronic journals, newsletters, web sites, or press releases. Throughout, Shomon frequently interchanges IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), though the treatment and course of these two entities are completely different. And there are other such errors. Shomon has a deep personal interest in the topic, but is she the best person to interpret and present this highly important and complex information. This reviewer thinks not. Not recommended; a better choice would be Simone Ravicz's Thriving with Your Autoimmune Disorder. Lisa McCormick, Jewish Hosp. Health Sciences Lib., Cincinnati Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Publisher's Weekly, July 8, 2002
"...this informative self-help manual is badly needed. Drawing on extensive research...Shomon’s guide is designed to empower patients..."


Richard Shames, MD and Karilee Shames, PhD, RN, HNC, authors of
"...helps people make sense of multiple mystifying symptoms, and offers a road map to proper diagnosis and treatment..."


Marie Savard, MD, author of
"Mary Shomon is more knowledgeable and has provided patients with more timely, comprehensive information about these conditions than most physicians."


Stephen E. Langer, MD, author of
"Patients who are struggling with autoimmune conditions will find Mary Shomon's book an extremely useful, essential resource..."


Carol Roberts, MD, Director, Wellness Works holistic health center, and radio host, WMNF-FM, Tampa Bay, FL
"...the whole truth, nothing but the truth about autoimmune diseases from Mary Shomon...her book will enlighten you..."


Alternative Medicine Magazine
"...inspirational for those afflicted with mysterious conditions...offers solid, practical advice for getting your health back on track."


Book Description
Are you tired? Achy? Depressed? Overweight?
You could be suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune disease is the third major category of illness in the United States, yet very little is known about the many serious and chronic immune conditions. If you're one of the 50 million Americans suffering from one kind of autoimmune disease-whether it's lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or Crohn's disease-there's a good chance you'll develop another.

This book can help.

Written by Mary J. Shomon, a well-known patient advocate who was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 1995, this guide to alternative and natural remedies shows you how to treat the underlying causes of immune system imbalance, not just the symptoms. It contains first-person accounts from doctors, patients, and holistic practitioners, as well as checklists, quizzes, and a proposed recovery plan. In addition, it offers detailed information about:

• The most common autoimmune conditions • The factors that can lead to autoimmune disease • Interpreting your symptoms • Procedures and treatments • Finding the right doctor

Until we find a cure, living with autoimmune disease can be frightening and frustrating. But it doesn't have to be. This valuable guide helps you understand what may be causing the disorder and helps you take the first healthy, natural steps toward correcting it.


About the Author
Mary J. Shomon, a thyroid patient herself, writes and manages several professional patient-oriented Web sites on thyroid disease and serves as editor-in-chief of the popular patient-focused monthly thyroid newsletter "Sticking Out Our Necks." She is the author of several pervious books and works as writer and consultant in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, Jon, and daughter, Julia.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Autoimmune disease is mysterious, difficult to diagnosis, and all too common. In fact, an estimated 50 million Americans suffer from its symptoms, which include fatigue, joint pains, depression, memory loss, numbness, and heart palpitations. In Living Well with Autoimmune Disease, Mary Shomon shares what she has learned while coping with her own condition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Are you tired? Achy? Depressed? Overweight?
You could be suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune disease is the third major category of illness in the United States, yet very little is known about the many serious and chronic immune conditions. If you're one of the 50 million Americans suffering from one kind of autoimmune disease-whether it's lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or Crohn's disease-there's a good chance you'll develop another.

This book can help.

Written by Mary J. Shomon, a well-known patient advocate who was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 1995, this guide to alternative and natural remedies shows you how to treat the underlying causes of immune system imbalance, not just the symptoms. It contains first-person accounts from doctors, patients, and holistic practitioners, as well as checklists, quizzes, and a proposed recovery plan. In addition, it offers detailed information about:

The most common autoimmune conditions
The factors that can lead to autoimmune disease
Interpreting your symptoms
Procedures and treatments
Finding the right doctor

Until we find a cure, living with autoimmune disease can be frightening and frustrating. But it doesn't have to be. This valuable guide helps you understand what may be causing the disorder and helps you take the first healthy, natural steps toward correcting it.

Author Biography:

Mary J. Shomon, a thyroid patient herself, writes and manages several professional patient-oriented Web sites on thyroid disease and serves as editor-in-chief of thepopular patient-focused monthly thyroid newsletter "Sticking Out Our Necks." She is the author of several pervious books and works as writer and consultant in the Washington DC area, where she lives with her husband, Jon, and daughter, Julia.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

It took physicians two years after the author complained of weight gain, depression and fatigue to diagnose her with the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Autoimmune disease, which includes such conditions as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome, are estimated to afflict at least 8.5 million Americans. According to Shomon (Living Well with Hypothyroidism), because of the difficulty of diagnosis and tendency of some physicians to prescribe treatments that may have serious side effects, those with autoimmune illnesses are being shortchanged by the medical establishment. Since those who suffer from one are more vulnerable to other autoimmune disorders (not to mention that they may have a genetic predisposition toward a disorder), this informative self-help manual is badly needed. Drawing on extensive research, as well as doctor-patient anecdotes, Shomon's guide is designed to empower patients to participate in their own care. In addition to a detailed discussion of every type of autoimmune disease, the author provides advice on how to choose an appropriate medical team that will work to integrate conventional and alternative therapies. Based partly on her own experience, Shomon advocates an integrative approach to treatment that may include meditation, herbs, exercise and dietary changes along with antibiotics and hormones that together will minimize symptoms and maximize health. (Oct.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal