A complete guide to understanding the mysterious and often difficult-to-pinpoint disorders of the immune system--and finding the keys to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

An estimated fifty million people suffer from symptoms including fatigue, joint pains, depression, or heart palpitations — signs that the immune system has turned on itself, causing conditions such as thyroid disease, hepatitis, or multiple sclerosis. And while doctors may prescribe treatments to relieve these surface ailments, when asked about the life-long health implications of an autoimmune condition, they often just shrug their shoulders. Yet much like cancer, having one autoimmune disease puts you at high risk for developing another, and understanding the underlying immune process can reverse a patients approach to a dysfunction--for the author, it changed the way she ate, the vitamins and supplements she took, and the types of doctors she visited. Living Well with Autoimmune Disease is the first book that goes beyond the conventional treatments by showing you how to work on your underlying autoimmune dysfunction with natural and alternative therapies.

Amazon.com Review
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

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 37 reviews)

Good Book, but missing some things

I bought this book after being told by my doctor that I have an autoimmune disease, she just does not know which one. This book is very well written, informative, and easy to read. I learned a lot about the cause of autoimmune diseases and how the immune system works. My only complaints about the book are that there is no index showing what disease is on what page and not all the autoimmune diseases are discussed in the book. The author grouped the diseases by what parts of the body they affect. In the beginning of the book there is a list of all the autoimmune diseases, but the book does not tell you what section they are under or what page to find them on. Also, not all the diseases listed are explained in the book. I was looking for a book that would explain all of the diseases. If you have a fairly common AID, then you will be pleased with the book. If you have a not-so-common one then you are out of luck.
March 11, 2008

Living well with autoimmune disease

Good book. I have read her other book on thyroid. Great resource. I bought 2 books and gave one to my sister who has the same problem. This books gives lots of information and treatment options. I would suggest reading it to anyone who has these issues.
March 11, 2008

Patient-friendly book

This is a very helpful book for the millions of people dealing with autoimmune diseases. Shomon does an excellent job of identifying the many different types of autoimmune diseases and their symptoms. She offers many traditional treatments as well as more holistic options. Most importantly, she lets you know that if you have one autoimmune disease, you have a much greater chance of contracting another. I learned far more from this book than I did at doctor appointments.
September 09, 2007

This has been the best book I have read so far.....

This was the most informative book that I have read. I have had fibromyalgia for several years and have had to learn on my own alot of the information that was contained in this one book...a must have for any new autoimmune sufferer.
GREAT READ ! GREAT INFO !
August 26, 2007

Review of Living Well with Autoimmune Disease:What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You

This is a very informative book. It is well worth keeping on hand for referral. It describes many autoimmune diseases and tells, in many cases, how they are connected. It also tells, whenever possible, how these diseases may get started, what their symptoms are, and how they are treated. Since much of this information is very new to the general public, the book may be of great help to people searching for answers to their own medical problems.
June 13, 2007

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