Product Description
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of the most enigmatic medical disorders of our time, striking adults most often in their most productive years.With the controversial debate over cause and treatment of the illness in mind, the authors seek to unravel many of the questions surrounding the disorder and its features and characteristics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Highly recommended and Helpful
A scientific but very readable account of CFS.This book covers the main aspects of the features and symptoms of the illness as well as the important role of psychological factors.The book is helpful for those wanting an up-to-date review of CFS and methods of coping with the condition.Although the book my not be popular with those with an investment in a biomedical explanation of CFS those with a broader view will find this book of considerable value. Highly recommended.

Miss this one
I have read many books on CFS and I'd have to say this is the WORST!! Although the book is fairly well written and the authors appear to have the information at hand, their interpretation leaves A LOT to be desired. Give this one a miss!! ... Read more

Product Description
This book has been created for patients who have decided to make education and research an integral part of the treatment process. Although it also gives information useful to doctors, caregivers and other health professionals, it tells patients where and how to look for information covering virtually all topics related to chronic fatigue syndrome (also Chronic Epstein-Barr syndrome; Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS); Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome; Fatigue - chronic; Yuppie flu), from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. The title of this book includes the word official. This reflects the fact that the sourcebook draws from public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research. Selected readings from various agencies are reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on chronic fatigue syndrome. Given patients' increasing sophistication in using the Internet, abundant references to reliable Internet-based resources are provided throughout this sourcebook. Where possible, guidance is provided on how to obtain free-of-charge, primary research results as well as more detailed information via the Internet. E-book and electronic versions of this sourcebook are fully interactive with each of the Internet sites mentioned (clicking on a hyperlink automatically opens your browser to the site indicated). Hard-copy users of this sourcebook can type cited Web addresses directly into their browsers to obtain access to the corresponding sites. In addition to extensive references accessible via the Internet, chapters include glossaries of technical or uncommon terms. ... Read more

Product Description
Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a debilitating and complex disorder characterised by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness. In addition to these key defining characteristics, patients report various non-specific symptoms, including weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, insomnia and post-exertional fatigue lasting more than 24 hours. In some cases, CFS can persist for years. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available. This new book presents an understandable overview of CFS and a comprehensive bibliography of recent research results with easy access through title, subject and author indexes. ... Read more

Product Description
Simultaneously co-published as Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Volume 8, Numbers 3/4, 2001. Includes articles from the V International Meeting of the American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, held in Seattle, Washington. Softcover, hardcover also available. ... Read more

Product Description
Fisher reveals what life is like on the front lines in the battle against this often misunderstood disease. He also offers constructive advice on coping with the illness and provides important information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

CFIDS help book.
This is one of the better books on CFIDS.
It covers the Social Security appeal process so you know what to expect.
The book covers the author's experience and his wife's since 1982.
The book covers symptoms, diagnosis, understanding your illness, treatments, depression caused by CFIDS, coping, financial hardship, advice for friends and family. There is an interview with Anthony Komaroff, M.D.
In the Appendix covers where to go to get some help. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How to abuse disabled children 101
Trudie Chalder is a mental nurse who presents her anti-scientific views on ME/CFIDS here. These views have been throughly discredited and shown to cause tremendous iatrogenic morbidity. Shameful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Stop the CFS/Fibromyalgia epidemic
As an alternative health care practitioner, I found Donsbach's book was able to put all the puzzle pieces together to answer all the questions I have had in regards to the many people who come to my office claiming theyhave Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. How could this syndromebe such an epidemic of the latter 90's? Donsbach explains how it happensand how to deal with it in a very simple, but direct manner, ofteninjecting his sense of humor. Very easy reading, very practical solutions.A must read for anyone who has been diagnosed with CFS or Fibromyalgia. ... Read more

Product Description
After suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for eleven years, Patricia Taylor refused her doctor's prognosis and discovered solutions in the holistic and metaphysical community. Now Patricia shares her discoveries including hints on how to cope with the everyday problems suffered by millions of CFS sufferers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not at all what I was expecting!
Caution:This book is not based on medical facts.The premise is that channeling and a spirit guide helped her get well.The first 23 pages are essentially just mere lists of foods to eat, foods not to eat, symptoms of CFS and sick building syndrome, not in prose fashion, but in actual lists.No new information there from what is general knowledge when a person gets CFS.

On a personal note, being a Christian, I wish I'd have known that this was a book based on occult teachings (channeling spirits).I would not have spent my money on it to support it at all.That's what I get for buying a pig in a poke.At a bookstore, I'd have spotted it right off because of the references it has in the back.

Perhaps the author (who I think is probably also the one who published it) should at least fill in the information about the book so people know what they are buying.Or submit a copy of the book to Amazon.com so they can scan it and people can check it out before buying it.I feel a bit hoodwinked on this one. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents the latest research on antiviral agents, including the scientific rationale for their use in CFS, the historical evolution of these drugs, results of clinical trials, and new lines of research. Softcover, hardcover not yet available DNLM: Fatigue Syndrome, drug therapy. ... Read more

Product Description
Make use of botanical options in the treatment of CFS!

Herbal therapy has gained widespread recognition in the world of health care. Herbal derivatives including aspirin, reserpine, and digitalis are mainstays of human pharmacology. Now, for the first time, Phytotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evidence-Based and Potentially Useful Botanicals in the Treatment of CFS presents information about the uses of herbal medications for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, and it does so in language accessible to a broad audience. This vital, up-to-date work discusses the potential and proven CFS-related benefits and adverse effects of well-known botanicals such as echinacea, gingko, ginseng, St. John’s wort, and garlic, as well as many lesser known herbs such as erkang and hedgehog hydnum.

Phytotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome summarizes the knowledge and experience garnered from published case reports, randomized controlled trials, and meta-analyses on the use of herbal medicine, emphasizing the herbs most often used in the treatment of fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, and related disorders. Potential applications and pharmacological interactions of herbal products that have not been subjected to clinical trials for the treatment of fatigue are also addressed.

Phytotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome thoroughly discusses the effects of various botanicals on CFS-related aspects of the following specialties:

• Allergy/Immunology
• Cardiology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology/Hepatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Oncology
• Neurology
• Psychiatry

Customer Reviews (1)

A useful resource for general research on medicinal botanicals
In spite of its title, this brief overview of botanical treatments does not, for the most part, cite evidence-based research that has specific bearing on CFS. Rather, Patarca-Montero limits himself to botanicals that might "potentially" have an effect on CFS symptoms. Given the range and breadth of CFS-related symptoms, "potential" treatments could theoretically encompass nearly all botanicals. Not surprisingly, given the lack of funding dedicated to CFS research, the overwhelming majority of studies Patarca-Montero cites concern other diseases and conditions: cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, heart disease, hepatitis, and so forth.

Patarca-Montero begins the book with a short introduction explaining some of the pitfalls of herbal treatment: lack of standardization in herbal preparations, the use of multiple herb combinations in a single treatment, the presence of contaminants, and possible unforeseen interactions between the complex components of botanicals. What Patarca does not mention, but should have, is that because of the multiple immune system abnormalities found in CFS patients, none of the herbs mentioned in this book will have predictable effects. As with pharmaceuticals, a CFS patient may respond to botanicals with paradoxical reactions; a "calming" herb may produce a bout of hyperactivity and insomnia, an immune system "regulator" may produce anaphylaxis. The truth is that even well constructed scientific studies are fairly useless as a guide to treatment, unless the focus of the investigation is CFS itself.

By far, the most useful part of this book lies not in the text, but in the Notes section. With his usual thoroughness, Patarca-Montero has cited a plethora of articles--434, to be precise. If you are reading this monograph to secure a greater understanding of the effects of botanicals in vitro, or upon rats, or on various other illnesses, then the Notes section will provide you with a valuable resource. However, if you are looking for useful herbal remedies for CFS, you had best look elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
A woman's life-altering struggle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and her miraculous discovery of a cure the medical profession was unable to provide. ... Read more

Product Description
This book describes in detail the author's experience with Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. It presents a self-reported case study geared for both those suffering from this disease and for medical professionals seeking to learn more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Big Disappointment . . .
I ordered this book hoping to gain some insight into a crippling and emotionally complex disease. I was extremely disappointed to discover the complete lack of quality in the author's writing. The book is riddled with grammatical errors and misspellings. The narrative is aimless. It appears that not one single person ever copyedited this manuscript at any point during the publishing process.

My advice: don't waste your dollars or your sense on this amateurish and overpriced book.

Try "Stricken" by Peggy Munson, "Facing and Fighting Fatigue" by Benjamin Natelson, or "Beyond Chaos" by Gregg Piburn. These are all valuable and well-written books on Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.

Best wishes to all of my CFIDS sisters and brothers! ... Read more

Product Description
This text demonstrates how the patient-centred clinical method can assist clinicians to learn how to diagnose this complex psychosocial disorder. It addresses the central concern of the patient and their illness experience in addition to the biomedical issues of care. It examines the validity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and explores the problems faced in addressing this illness. It also provides patient-centred perspectives as an approach to better understanding of the symptoms, its origins, consequences and meanings for the patient and the management of the condition. ... Read more

Product Description
Examines the symptoms, treatment options, and mystery of chronic fatigue syndrome, ongoing research into its causes, and how to live with this disease. ... Read more

Product Description
...written by a board-certified physician in internal medicine who has also suffered from CFS...explains the diagnosis, physiology, and treatment of CFS and how simple lifestyle changes can make the world of difference. ... Read more

Product Description
Documents the latest results and opinions on the causes and possible cures for this disorder. Coverage includes retroviral involvement, immunity, pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. ... Read more

Product Description
This essential guide summarizes current knowledge about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to help doctors and those working with CFS become familiar with the latest developments and lessons learned about CFS over the last three years. Comprehensive and thorough, this important book highlights areas that need more research and gives you greater awareness of this widespread and growing problem. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Appropriate for CFS researchers, but not for patients or doctors
This title of this book says it all: It is concise (Patarca Montero wastes no words), it is in alphabetical order, and is almost entirely about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. With admirable thoroughness, Patarca Montero has assembled, categorized and organized a decade of CFS research (up to the year 2000). Patarca has left no topic out, from AIDS (which has no bearing on CFS) to Yersinia (which also has no bearing on CFS). Fortunately, he covers everything in between--most of which, thankfully, does have bearing on CFS. However, it is Patarca's failing that in his zeal to leave nothing out, he makes no distinction between research that is relevant and research which isn't.

If you are looking for EVERYTHING that has been published--the good, the bad, and the ugly--you will find it all among these pages. (Although, if you want to save time and energy, I'd recommend bypassing the contents and going straight to the Notes section.) To be fair, Patarca devotes most of this book to legitimate research on immune system dysfunction, neuroendocrine system abnormalities, the role of viruses in CFS etiology, symptoms, etc. However, Patarca also includes some deeply flawed studies, with a credulity that makes you wonder if he understands what he is reading. Under "Quality of Life", for example, Patarca states (without a hint of irony) that "quality of life correlates with the hypochondriacal disposition of CFS patients toward illness." To back up this ridiculous assertion, he cites a 1996 NIH-funded study published by Manu, Affleck et al in the journal, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. (It is well worth mentioning here that the first author of the study was a consultant for Metlife Insurance Company. Due to his blatant conflict of interests, anything Manu has published concerning CFS must automatically be treated as irreparably biased.) From a political perspective I find this sort of study interesting. Apparently, the NIH felt a greater need to spend our tax dollars proving that people with CFS were imagining things than it did to track down, let's say, a retrovirus that might have caused CFS and which, having been left unchecked for 25 years, might currently be contaminating the nation's blood supply. However,apart from documenting the woeful political history of CFS, the uncritical inclusion of such shoddy, ill-conceived "research" is shameful.

It is equally as reprehensible for Patarca Montero to include "fatigue state" studies in a book about CFS. Research which is based on self-reported "fatigue" has absolutely no relevance to CFS. Aside from the fact that self-reporting is not a valid criterion in a medical study (why bother having a case definition if nobody is going to use it?), fatigue is not the defining characteristic of CFS. Post-exertional malaise, that is, a worsening of all symptoms after physical or mental exertion, is what distinguishes CFS from "fatigue states." The fact that Patarca does not distinguish between the two simply adds confusion, and obfuscates the solid research that has been conducted using the CFS case definition (particularly the Canadian case definition, which includes physical findings).

As useful as this book might be for researchers, I would not recommend it to either doctors or patients. The lack of "quality control" will leave doctors with a confusing, meaningless and often contradictory jumble of statistics. Patients will also be frustrated by the plethora of uninterpreted information. If you are looking for a fairly short introduction to the disease process itself, I would recommend Dr. Bell's book, Cellular Hypoxia and Neuro-Immune Fatigue. If you are a patient looking for practical advice, read Hope and Help for CFS as well as CFS: A Treatment Guide. And if you would like to delve more deeply into thephysiological aspects of CFS, The Clinical and Scientific Basis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome edited by Jay Goldstein and Byron Hyde is still the most cogent and useful publication available. ... Read more

Product Description

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a common and disabling condition characterised by fatigue, muscle pain, sleep disturbances and other physical and psychological symptoms that cause a considerable amount of distress and suffering. This book provides a practical guide for clinicians on how to treat chronic fatigue syndrome using cognitive behaviour therapy approaches.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome attempts to make sense of the illness, and describes how cognitive behavioural therapy can help patients by working with their environment, emotions, and behaviour to improve their physical condition. Topics covered include:

• principles of cognitive behavioural therapy
• assessing patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
• helping patients with emotional issues and other maintenance factors
• using cognitive behavioural therapy alongside other approaches.

Aimed at practitioners, this book will provide essential guidance for cognitive behavioural therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other clinicians who work in this rapidly expanding field.

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is the best CFS Book ever written.
Conley knows CFS better than anyone, and this is the best CFS book everwritten, by far. ... Read more