Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

INITIALLY EXCITING...then frustrating...then...

Customer Rating:

Bought this book a few weeks ago and I was so excited! This could be the answer to all my CFS problems, so I delved straight in there and read it from cover to cover, going back to certain chapters and various symptoms in the Index. Yes, it IS helpful...you gain a bit more insight into what is going on in your body and why and sometimes HOW but as one part of the book states - most General Practitioners are ignorant of these conditions AND as the book also states the general blood testing techniques are based on averages and rarely show any subtle changes in the body chemistry. A LOT of GP's in the UK are stumped by CFS/M.E./Fibromyalgia They refer you to specialists/psychiatrists who suggest CFS etc but are either helpless to do anything or the experience leaves you feeling like you are not being listened to and being relegated to Psychiatric Issues Pigeonhole (calm down, there are emotional/Psychiatric foundations to MANY illness it's just that they know what to do with the physical ailments) You're already feeling dreadful and highly stressed and stuck (and in some ways totally obsessed by the illness so where do you go then? The part of the book I did find helpful was the section on Natural Remedies, there are some interesting suggestions and it explains how they work in the body - but beware! if you were to buy every single thing listed as being necessary you'd be seriously skint! As for the Pharmaceutical advice... A: this is an American book and assumes you have Health Insurance and access to a whole host of specialists. B: Think about it...you feel horrendous already...what are drugs going to do? COVER SYMPTOMS UP? FILL YOU FULL OF MORE CHEMICALS? (for UK readers: GP's would be unlikely to go down the route of a lot of these treatments apart from some pain relief or a short term sleeping pill or good old anti-depressants. Don't get me wrong this book IS interesting and a good place to start but it by no means has all of the answers. Check out: 'Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome' by James L. Wilson this makes FAR more sense. Go see: a Homeopath (you can get NHS referrals)they can get to the parts regular Dr's may not be able to touch. Ask your GP about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or other types of therapy (no you're not nuts and having the right respectful practitioner/Psychologist guide you through issues which may have gotten you to where you are now is a very important foundation to get stable) Get lots of information. Then forget half of it because you are fixated by it and can't see the wood for the trees...and start again with a less frantic outlook. It's a frustrating place to be in, you get good days and you get bad days but just ask yourself "How can I be kinder to myself?" Good luck. xx

From Fatigued To Fantastic

Customer Rating:

If I have learned nothing else from my experiences with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, I have come to understand the need to educate myself about my health issues. Often health care professionals simply don't have the knowledge of how to help my symptoms. Unless they specialize in these conditions, they simply can't keep up with the bulk of current research. Therefore, the onus is on me, as someone dedicated to my good health, to be part of the solution. For those individuals wanting to educate themselves on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, From Fatigued to Fantastic is a very good resource. It begins with those fundamental questions that we all ask. What are these conditions? What causes them? Why did I get them? The author then takes the reader deeper into his or her own concerns. Each section lays out particular symptoms, the root of these problems, and what can be done to alleviate these specific issues. I really like that the author sets out a variety of different alternatives. Some involve diet and exercise modification while others involve herbal supplements and/or prescription medication.