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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment: A Treatment Guide
Are you one of the millions who suffer from chronic fatigue syndroms? Finally some answers...
The CDC estimates that more than half a million Americans currently suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a disease that has defied researchers to discover a cause--or a cure. Authors Erica Verrillo and Lauren Gellman, both long-term CFS patients, have no assembled a one-of-a-kind sourcebook for both patients and clinicians.
This concise, easy-to-understand reference offers the latest medical knowledge, sound advice, and hope to anyone suffering from this disease. Combining a self-helop manual, the personal histories of CFS sufferers, and a symptom and treament dictionary, this comprehensive volume details every facetj of the illness and thoroughly discusses every treatment currently available. From diagnosis to symptoms, from traditional to alternative therapties to coping strategies, Chronic Fatigue A Treatment Guide is on eof the only references on this disease written from the patient's perspective. Reading this book could be your single most important step to recovery.
More than one hundred effective treatments
Details and up-to-date information on availability, costs, and administration of each treatment
In-depth discussion of symptoms, cross-referenced with coping and treatment sections
Extensive appendices covering resources, articles, videotapes, Internet sites, doctors, clinics, mail-order suppliers, and support groups.
Special coping tips for people with environmental sensitivities and dietary restrictions
The CDC estimates that more than half a million Americans currently suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a disease that has defied researchers to discover a cause--or a cure. Authors Erica Verrillo and Lauren Gellman, both long-term CFS patients, have no assembled a one-of-a-kind sourcebook for both patients and clinicians.
This concise, easy-to-understand reference offers the latest medical knowledge, sound advice, and hope to anyone suffering from this disease. Combining a self-helop manual, the personal histories of CFS sufferers, and a symptom and treament dictionary, this comprehensive volume details every facetj of the illness and thoroughly discusses every treatment currently available. From diagnosis to symptoms, from traditional to alternative therapties to coping strategies, Chronic Fatigue A Treatment Guide is on eof the only references on this disease written from the patient's perspective. Reading this book could be your single most important step to recovery.
More than one hundred effective treatments
Details and up-to-date information on availability, costs, and administration of each treatment
In-depth discussion of symptoms, cross-referenced with coping and treatment sections
Extensive appendices covering resources, articles, videotapes, Internet sites, doctors, clinics, mail-order suppliers, and support groups.
Special coping tips for people with environmental sensitivities and dietary restrictions
432 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2011
About the author
Erica Verrillo
8 books67 followersMy daughter fell ill when she was eight, and for nearly two years she was unable to attend school. I spent a great deal of that time entertaining her with stories about an intrepid young girl named Elissa, who could talk with animals. Many years later she asked me to write those stories down. (I did, because I do everything my daughter says.) Once I had written them down, she told me to get them published.
A few years later, Random House published those stories as a trilogy, Elissa's Quest, Elissa's Odyssey and World's End. I discovered I liked writing, so I have kept at it ever since.
My current project is a fantasy about a girl who falls in love with Fire, jumps into a volcano, and emerges unscathed to battle Alexander the Great's Army. (My son has told me to publish it. I do everything he says as well.)
A few years later, Random House published those stories as a trilogy, Elissa's Quest, Elissa's Odyssey and World's End. I discovered I liked writing, so I have kept at it ever since.
My current project is a fantasy about a girl who falls in love with Fire, jumps into a volcano, and emerges unscathed to battle Alexander the Great's Army. (My son has told me to publish it. I do everything he says as well.)
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 10, 2012
with treatment information, sections on food issues and avoiding chemicals in the home, sections on pharmaceuticals as well as other treatments from acupuncture to vitamins, tips on coping with M.E. emotionally and so on.
The authors are both long-term sufferers and they say they tried to make this book the resource they wish they'd had years ago.
You can look up a particular symptom and read what causes it and what treatments may help with it or look at individual treatments. A wide variety of prescription pharmaceutical drugs are included, but so are vitamins, herb and so on. More than a hundred different treatments are featured.
I bought this book in 2003 or so and I used to refer back to this book when I got a new symptom or a new medication. I haven't done so in some time however as I feel that this book is now very outdated in regards to the medical advice it gives. I've done a lot of reading about M.E. treatment in the last few years and I have learned that actially a lot of the information given in this book is misleading and very out of date. My health has improved so much with this new reading and I feel like this book's advice could hold people back from improvement.
So, the information on treatments in this book I can no longer recommend at all. What this book does do well is:
1. Describe some of the symptoms and their causes
2. Provide adice on diet
3. Provide advice on coping emotionally
Unfortunately, as with every M.E. book that uses the term 'CFS' some parts of this book are about 'CFS' rather than M.E. About 70% is about M.E., and 30% is related to 'CFS' and incorrect as regards M.E.
It does has a really great bit about how we need to stop talking about `fatigue' though.
There are also no mentions of severely affected patients at all which really lets this book down. It's an enormous omission.
This book may or may not be useful to you in some way if you have M.E. But make sure you know the basics of M.E. first so you know which bits to ignore as relating only to 'fatigue' or 'CFS.'
You need to know:
-----
M.E. patients were treated appropriately and correctly diagnosed until around 1988, when there was an increase in the number of M.E. patients and outbreaks in the US. Some medical insurance companies (and others) decided that they would prefer not to lose many millions of dollars on so many new claims and so they created a new vague fictional disease category called 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' to try to confuse the issue of M.E. and to hide M.E. in plain sight.
Under the cover of 'CFS' certain vested interest groups have assiduously attempted to obliterate recorded medical history of M.E.; even though the existing evidence has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals around the world and spans over 70 years.
M.E. is a distinct, scientifically verifiable and measurable, acute onset, organic neurological disease. 'CFS' in contrast, is not a distinct disease. 'CFS' doesn't exist. Every diagnosis of CFS - based on any of the CFS definitions - can only ever be a misdiagnosis. A watebasket diagnosis.
The fact that a person qualifies for a diagnosis of 'CFS' (a) does not mean that the patient has M.E., and (b) does not mean that the patient has any other distinct illness named CFS.' M.E. and 'CFS' are not the same.
Far fewer than 0.5% of the population has the distinct neurological disease known since 1956 as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an artificial construct created in the US in 1988 for the benefit of various political and financial vested interest groups. It is a mere diagnosis of exclusion based on the presence of gradual or acute onset fatigue lasting 6 months. If tests show serious abnormalities, a person no longer qualifies for the diagnosis, as 'CFS' is 'medically unexplained.' A diagnosis of 'CFS' does not mean that a person has any distinct disease (including M.E.). According to the latest CDC estimates, 2.54% of the population qualify for a 'CFS' (mis)diagnosis.
The patient population diagnosed with 'CFS' is made up of people with a vast array of unrelated illnesses, or with no detectable illness. However, while 'CFS' is not a genuine diagnosis, those given this misdiagnosis are in many cases significantly or even severely ill and disabled. 'CFS' is made up of people with cancer, MS, Lyme disease, depression and hundreds of other unrelated conditions.
Sub-grouping different types of 'CFS,' refining the bogus 'CFS' definitions further or renaming 'CFS' with some variation on the term M.E. (such as 'ME/CFS') would achieve nothing and only create yet more confusion and help to continue and further entrench the mistreatment and abuse.
The problem is not that 'CFS' patients are being mistreated as psychiatric patients; some of those patients misdiagnosed with CFS actually do have psychological illnesses. There is no such distinct disease/s as 'CFS' - that is the entire issue.
Due to outrageous political influences on medicine and govermnent policy, the vast majority of M.E. patients will not be able to be correctly diagnosed with M.E. Most M.E. patients will unfortunately be misdiagnosed with 'CFS.' It is extremely important to note, however, that only a very tiny percentage of those told they have 'CFS' will be M.E. patients. The overwhelming majority of those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' do NOT have M.E. 'CFS' is NOT just another term for M.E.
The name Myalgic Encephalomyelitis must be fully restored (to the exclusion of all others) and the World Health Organization classification of M.E. (as a distinct neurological disease) must be accepted and adhered to in all official documentations and government policy. M.E. patients must again be diagnosed with M.E. and treated appropriately for M.E. based on actual M.E. research. For this to happen, there is a real need for patients (and others) to participate in genuine advocacy and activism.
The bogus disease category of 'CFS' must be abandoned. All those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' must immediately reject this harmful misdiagnosis and begin the search to find their correct diagnosis whether this be M.E., PVFS, depression, cancer, or any other disease. Correct diagnosis is vital in obtaining the correct treatment.
------
Quote: {The term ME has been inserted here as what is being talked about is M.E., and not 'CFS.' The terminology is incorrect in this instance.]
"Single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scans have shown that in patients with [ME] who exercise, brain blood volume is reduced 1 to 3 days after exercising. In patients who are acutely or seriously ill, this could have profoundly negative effects on immune and endocrine system regulation. In patients with [ME], exercise also lowers cortisol levels, which makes it more difficult for the body to control inflammation. In addition, it increases erratic breathing and leads to a rapid progression to anaerobic metabolism, which produces ammonia and lactic acid. These negative results are the opposite of what would normally be expected.
In short, a simple answer to the exercise question is, if you are severely or acutely ill, exercise can make matters worse-in some cases, much worse. The time to discuss an exercise program with your physician is when the illness is stabilised and clear signs of recovery are noted.
Dr. Paul Cheney remarks that "patients with this disease must, for many of them for the first time, place limits on their workstyles and lifestyles. Proper limit-setting , which is always individualised, is the key to improvement in this syndrome" (CFIDS Chronicle, March 1991).This comment comes after observation of thousands of patients, many of whom denied their illness for extended periods before adjusting to its limitations. Dr. Cheney has seen not only the successes inherent in making these adjustments, but the failures that resulted from attempting to ignore them. But first, we must address the question of what is meant by "proper limit-setting."
To set proper limits, we must start with a basic awareness of how [ME] affects the body and the [brain]. [ME] affects the ability to maintain homeostasis; that is, once the illness is established, it alters the body's ability to adjust to changes in the environment. For example, a person with [ME] climbs a set of stairs and feels like he or she has just climbed Mount Everest. The out-of-breath, depleted feeling is the result of sluggish heart rate, which, in [ME] does not respond in time to greater demands for oxygen required by exertion. As a result., not enough oxygen is available, and a person with [ME] feels winded after even minimal strain. This type of delayed reaction also results from temperature changes. People with [ME] often remark that when they become cold, "it takes forever to warm up." The same is true for heat. Both temperature extremes produce symptoms as the body attempts to adjust.
People with [ME] often comment that they are either "on" or "off." Once they stop, they can't get going again; and once they start, they can't stop. In the Clinical and Scientific Basis of ME /CFS, Dr. Byron Hyde, a well-known clinician and researcher of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) describes taking a walk with one of his patients. Dr. Hyde noticed when he stopped to look in a store window, his companion kept going. When asked why, Dr. Hyde's companion replied that if he stopped, he would never get going again!
Once embarking on a project, a task, or a plan, it is difficult to stop. Even when performing easy activities such as taking a walk or balancing a chequebook, patients with [ME] often pas the point of endurance, and symptoms rapidly develop as a result.
Learning when we are "overdoing" it is how we define our own particular limits. This takes awareness, skill, and practice. Each person has limits that are defined by the severity of the illness. For a person who is bedbound, limits will be very different from those of someone who is able to work. Patients who are bedbound may find that extended telephone conversations, standing in the shower, or tackling stressful tasks such as filling out disability application forms produce exhaustion and a general exacerbation of symptoms. These patients may find that sitting in a plastic chair while showering, limiting conversations to 10 minutes, and resting before and after doing necessary paperwork [may help]. A patient who is mildly Ill and able to work may wish to cut back on work hours, take naps, and forgo activities that place excessive or inflexible demands on the body (such as team sports or other activities that do not allow the participant to "listen": to the body).
A former airline pilot refers to limit setting as living in a box. " As long as I'm in the box, I do alright. If I cross the margins of this box, I don't do very well" (CFIDS Chronicle, March 1991). Defining the limits of your own particular box is the key to developing good coping strategies. Whatever produces a symptom on any particular day or at any particular hour is where you would define your limits, not by any abstract assessment of what you think you should be doing or a comparison with former capacities."
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
The authors are both long-term sufferers and they say they tried to make this book the resource they wish they'd had years ago.
You can look up a particular symptom and read what causes it and what treatments may help with it or look at individual treatments. A wide variety of prescription pharmaceutical drugs are included, but so are vitamins, herb and so on. More than a hundred different treatments are featured.
I bought this book in 2003 or so and I used to refer back to this book when I got a new symptom or a new medication. I haven't done so in some time however as I feel that this book is now very outdated in regards to the medical advice it gives. I've done a lot of reading about M.E. treatment in the last few years and I have learned that actially a lot of the information given in this book is misleading and very out of date. My health has improved so much with this new reading and I feel like this book's advice could hold people back from improvement.
So, the information on treatments in this book I can no longer recommend at all. What this book does do well is:
1. Describe some of the symptoms and their causes
2. Provide adice on diet
3. Provide advice on coping emotionally
Unfortunately, as with every M.E. book that uses the term 'CFS' some parts of this book are about 'CFS' rather than M.E. About 70% is about M.E., and 30% is related to 'CFS' and incorrect as regards M.E.
It does has a really great bit about how we need to stop talking about `fatigue' though.
There are also no mentions of severely affected patients at all which really lets this book down. It's an enormous omission.
This book may or may not be useful to you in some way if you have M.E. But make sure you know the basics of M.E. first so you know which bits to ignore as relating only to 'fatigue' or 'CFS.'
You need to know:
-----
M.E. patients were treated appropriately and correctly diagnosed until around 1988, when there was an increase in the number of M.E. patients and outbreaks in the US. Some medical insurance companies (and others) decided that they would prefer not to lose many millions of dollars on so many new claims and so they created a new vague fictional disease category called 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' to try to confuse the issue of M.E. and to hide M.E. in plain sight.
Under the cover of 'CFS' certain vested interest groups have assiduously attempted to obliterate recorded medical history of M.E.; even though the existing evidence has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals around the world and spans over 70 years.
M.E. is a distinct, scientifically verifiable and measurable, acute onset, organic neurological disease. 'CFS' in contrast, is not a distinct disease. 'CFS' doesn't exist. Every diagnosis of CFS - based on any of the CFS definitions - can only ever be a misdiagnosis. A watebasket diagnosis.
The fact that a person qualifies for a diagnosis of 'CFS' (a) does not mean that the patient has M.E., and (b) does not mean that the patient has any other distinct illness named CFS.' M.E. and 'CFS' are not the same.
Far fewer than 0.5% of the population has the distinct neurological disease known since 1956 as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is an artificial construct created in the US in 1988 for the benefit of various political and financial vested interest groups. It is a mere diagnosis of exclusion based on the presence of gradual or acute onset fatigue lasting 6 months. If tests show serious abnormalities, a person no longer qualifies for the diagnosis, as 'CFS' is 'medically unexplained.' A diagnosis of 'CFS' does not mean that a person has any distinct disease (including M.E.). According to the latest CDC estimates, 2.54% of the population qualify for a 'CFS' (mis)diagnosis.
The patient population diagnosed with 'CFS' is made up of people with a vast array of unrelated illnesses, or with no detectable illness. However, while 'CFS' is not a genuine diagnosis, those given this misdiagnosis are in many cases significantly or even severely ill and disabled. 'CFS' is made up of people with cancer, MS, Lyme disease, depression and hundreds of other unrelated conditions.
Sub-grouping different types of 'CFS,' refining the bogus 'CFS' definitions further or renaming 'CFS' with some variation on the term M.E. (such as 'ME/CFS') would achieve nothing and only create yet more confusion and help to continue and further entrench the mistreatment and abuse.
The problem is not that 'CFS' patients are being mistreated as psychiatric patients; some of those patients misdiagnosed with CFS actually do have psychological illnesses. There is no such distinct disease/s as 'CFS' - that is the entire issue.
Due to outrageous political influences on medicine and govermnent policy, the vast majority of M.E. patients will not be able to be correctly diagnosed with M.E. Most M.E. patients will unfortunately be misdiagnosed with 'CFS.' It is extremely important to note, however, that only a very tiny percentage of those told they have 'CFS' will be M.E. patients. The overwhelming majority of those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' do NOT have M.E. 'CFS' is NOT just another term for M.E.
The name Myalgic Encephalomyelitis must be fully restored (to the exclusion of all others) and the World Health Organization classification of M.E. (as a distinct neurological disease) must be accepted and adhered to in all official documentations and government policy. M.E. patients must again be diagnosed with M.E. and treated appropriately for M.E. based on actual M.E. research. For this to happen, there is a real need for patients (and others) to participate in genuine advocacy and activism.
The bogus disease category of 'CFS' must be abandoned. All those misdiagnosed with 'CFS' must immediately reject this harmful misdiagnosis and begin the search to find their correct diagnosis whether this be M.E., PVFS, depression, cancer, or any other disease. Correct diagnosis is vital in obtaining the correct treatment.
------
Quote: {The term ME has been inserted here as what is being talked about is M.E., and not 'CFS.' The terminology is incorrect in this instance.]
"Single-photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) scans have shown that in patients with [ME] who exercise, brain blood volume is reduced 1 to 3 days after exercising. In patients who are acutely or seriously ill, this could have profoundly negative effects on immune and endocrine system regulation. In patients with [ME], exercise also lowers cortisol levels, which makes it more difficult for the body to control inflammation. In addition, it increases erratic breathing and leads to a rapid progression to anaerobic metabolism, which produces ammonia and lactic acid. These negative results are the opposite of what would normally be expected.
In short, a simple answer to the exercise question is, if you are severely or acutely ill, exercise can make matters worse-in some cases, much worse. The time to discuss an exercise program with your physician is when the illness is stabilised and clear signs of recovery are noted.
Dr. Paul Cheney remarks that "patients with this disease must, for many of them for the first time, place limits on their workstyles and lifestyles. Proper limit-setting , which is always individualised, is the key to improvement in this syndrome" (CFIDS Chronicle, March 1991).This comment comes after observation of thousands of patients, many of whom denied their illness for extended periods before adjusting to its limitations. Dr. Cheney has seen not only the successes inherent in making these adjustments, but the failures that resulted from attempting to ignore them. But first, we must address the question of what is meant by "proper limit-setting."
To set proper limits, we must start with a basic awareness of how [ME] affects the body and the [brain]. [ME] affects the ability to maintain homeostasis; that is, once the illness is established, it alters the body's ability to adjust to changes in the environment. For example, a person with [ME] climbs a set of stairs and feels like he or she has just climbed Mount Everest. The out-of-breath, depleted feeling is the result of sluggish heart rate, which, in [ME] does not respond in time to greater demands for oxygen required by exertion. As a result., not enough oxygen is available, and a person with [ME] feels winded after even minimal strain. This type of delayed reaction also results from temperature changes. People with [ME] often remark that when they become cold, "it takes forever to warm up." The same is true for heat. Both temperature extremes produce symptoms as the body attempts to adjust.
People with [ME] often comment that they are either "on" or "off." Once they stop, they can't get going again; and once they start, they can't stop. In the Clinical and Scientific Basis of ME /CFS, Dr. Byron Hyde, a well-known clinician and researcher of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) describes taking a walk with one of his patients. Dr. Hyde noticed when he stopped to look in a store window, his companion kept going. When asked why, Dr. Hyde's companion replied that if he stopped, he would never get going again!
Once embarking on a project, a task, or a plan, it is difficult to stop. Even when performing easy activities such as taking a walk or balancing a chequebook, patients with [ME] often pas the point of endurance, and symptoms rapidly develop as a result.
Learning when we are "overdoing" it is how we define our own particular limits. This takes awareness, skill, and practice. Each person has limits that are defined by the severity of the illness. For a person who is bedbound, limits will be very different from those of someone who is able to work. Patients who are bedbound may find that extended telephone conversations, standing in the shower, or tackling stressful tasks such as filling out disability application forms produce exhaustion and a general exacerbation of symptoms. These patients may find that sitting in a plastic chair while showering, limiting conversations to 10 minutes, and resting before and after doing necessary paperwork [may help]. A patient who is mildly Ill and able to work may wish to cut back on work hours, take naps, and forgo activities that place excessive or inflexible demands on the body (such as team sports or other activities that do not allow the participant to "listen": to the body).
A former airline pilot refers to limit setting as living in a box. " As long as I'm in the box, I do alright. If I cross the margins of this box, I don't do very well" (CFIDS Chronicle, March 1991). Defining the limits of your own particular box is the key to developing good coping strategies. Whatever produces a symptom on any particular day or at any particular hour is where you would define your limits, not by any abstract assessment of what you think you should be doing or a comparison with former capacities."
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
December 6, 2012
The 2nd edition is in both Kindle format and book format, and is carefully articulated with a highly rationalized index of topics that flows very responsibly by defining the natural of the problem, as it is defined and as it is experienced.
Because she lives in my state, I'm hoping that someday relatively soon I'll be able to hear her interviewed on a local NPR radio station, since I think she will be able to present a very credible case for the world she and Ms. Gellman (currently ailing) have done.
Curiously, when we think of the failure to achieve permanent wellness, we want to ask just how dependable the book's accomplishments will be for any of the readers. When we ask, 'Where are we in studying CFS?', we may find ourselves to be where most novices are when they first attempt a new topic: heading for Wikipedia for a good opening or starting understanding, a hypothetical understanding with which to begin our research.
But my experience in tutoring lower levels in the healthcare professions is that today's textbooks have far better rationalized and coherent and factually correct and complete understandings of issues that were only sketchy in the medical education resources of decades ago (or MAY at times have been treated erroneously).
I think one may do well to make this book one's first source of reading on the topic, from which the more SERIOUS inquirers move on, and I'm confident that Ms. Verillo (Western Massachusetts) and Ms. Gellman (NYC?) would welcome all further insights and discoveries in this topic. But their disciplined research in this area is considerable. If you believe that CFS plagues you, I commend to you _Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment: A Treatment Guide_, 2nd Edition, much improved over the original version of the same book.
Even discussing this in public is likely to be met with political attacks that front strategic defensiveness about a topic that is not publicly affirmed by the predominant communities of clinical practice.
I recommend checking out what Dr. Michael Greger has written about CFS and related health concerns:
http://nutritionfacts.org/index.php?s...
and more specifically:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-tre...
because I believe that these are good and that we want to remove animal products from our diets for all the good reasons.
Because she lives in my state, I'm hoping that someday relatively soon I'll be able to hear her interviewed on a local NPR radio station, since I think she will be able to present a very credible case for the world she and Ms. Gellman (currently ailing) have done.
Curiously, when we think of the failure to achieve permanent wellness, we want to ask just how dependable the book's accomplishments will be for any of the readers. When we ask, 'Where are we in studying CFS?', we may find ourselves to be where most novices are when they first attempt a new topic: heading for Wikipedia for a good opening or starting understanding, a hypothetical understanding with which to begin our research.
But my experience in tutoring lower levels in the healthcare professions is that today's textbooks have far better rationalized and coherent and factually correct and complete understandings of issues that were only sketchy in the medical education resources of decades ago (or MAY at times have been treated erroneously).
I think one may do well to make this book one's first source of reading on the topic, from which the more SERIOUS inquirers move on, and I'm confident that Ms. Verillo (Western Massachusetts) and Ms. Gellman (NYC?) would welcome all further insights and discoveries in this topic. But their disciplined research in this area is considerable. If you believe that CFS plagues you, I commend to you _Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment: A Treatment Guide_, 2nd Edition, much improved over the original version of the same book.
Even discussing this in public is likely to be met with political attacks that front strategic defensiveness about a topic that is not publicly affirmed by the predominant communities of clinical practice.
I recommend checking out what Dr. Michael Greger has written about CFS and related health concerns:
http://nutritionfacts.org/index.php?s...
and more specifically:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-tre...
because I believe that these are good and that we want to remove animal products from our diets for all the good reasons.
May 3, 2013
As a fellow patient, author and advocate, I found this is an invaluable mini encyclopedia of information written in a way that makes it interesting. Erica uses intriguing metaphors that are easy to understand and bring flavor to words that might otherwise lack luster.
All the bases are covered including possible causes, signs and symptoms, the subtypes and stages of ME/CFS, resulting problems, different diagnostics criteria used past and present, different treatment protocols, how it affects every body system, comorbid conditions, pharmaceutical and supplement considerations, conventional and alternative therapies, coping strategies and at home treatments. Erica also discusses nutritional considerations and most importantly and often overlooked, CFS/ME in children and adolescents.
Of particular interest to me is how thorough she discusses symptoms. Suffering from cognitive symptoms myself it was validating to read, “”Researchers agree that many cognitive, emotional, and perceptual changes that arise as a result of the illness are organic; that they are due to alterations in normal brain function rather than secondary psychological factors.” And totally unrelated, “Oh the night sweats.”
Equally impressive is how Erica embraces and recommends therapies to reduce stress and treat pain through various integrative therapies, which I also promote and believe are of great benefit.
Erica provides useful and interesting links from writers, authors to government agencies, and recognizes the movers and shakers in the ME/CFS world that have made a difference in research and raising awareness for this illusive illness, and she offers hope by sharing promising research on treatments and possible biological markers. She is a true advocate and collaborator.
Like many others who have left a review, though I have read it, I will be constantly referring to it. It isn't a book you read and put away.
If you are interested in learning more about chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), links to further reading resources and those who treat ME/CFS, and a book that discourages the role of victim, then this is the one for you.
All the bases are covered including possible causes, signs and symptoms, the subtypes and stages of ME/CFS, resulting problems, different diagnostics criteria used past and present, different treatment protocols, how it affects every body system, comorbid conditions, pharmaceutical and supplement considerations, conventional and alternative therapies, coping strategies and at home treatments. Erica also discusses nutritional considerations and most importantly and often overlooked, CFS/ME in children and adolescents.
Of particular interest to me is how thorough she discusses symptoms. Suffering from cognitive symptoms myself it was validating to read, “”Researchers agree that many cognitive, emotional, and perceptual changes that arise as a result of the illness are organic; that they are due to alterations in normal brain function rather than secondary psychological factors.” And totally unrelated, “Oh the night sweats.”
Equally impressive is how Erica embraces and recommends therapies to reduce stress and treat pain through various integrative therapies, which I also promote and believe are of great benefit.
Erica provides useful and interesting links from writers, authors to government agencies, and recognizes the movers and shakers in the ME/CFS world that have made a difference in research and raising awareness for this illusive illness, and she offers hope by sharing promising research on treatments and possible biological markers. She is a true advocate and collaborator.
Like many others who have left a review, though I have read it, I will be constantly referring to it. It isn't a book you read and put away.
If you are interested in learning more about chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), links to further reading resources and those who treat ME/CFS, and a book that discourages the role of victim, then this is the one for you.
February 27, 2013
I will never really be finished with this book as it is a great reference. The ebook has so many great links and I want to thank the Author, Erica Verrillo, not only for providing me a copy but for also doing the exhaustive and comprehensive research. I especially like the history of CFS and the many references. I will be using this book regularly. If you or a loved one has CFS, this is a must.
March 15, 2008
Dated but excellent resource.
February 14, 2016
An excellent comprehensive resource for individuals with CFS.
February 23, 2026
For three years, I struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome, moving from one hospital to another in search of answers. During the same period, my dad was battling Parkinson’s disease, which was an incredibly frightening and challenging time for our family. While searching online for support and alternative options, I came across information about Earthcure herbal clinic through a lady's testimony saying that she got cured of COPD with a herbal treatment from "w w w .earthcureherbalclinic . c o m" and decided to explore it. After contacting them at (info @ earthcureherbalclinic. com) and we started their treatment program, my dad and I felt that we experienced some improvements in our overall well-being over the following weeks. Over time, we continued to monitor our health closely and for a few months we were confirmed cured with a series of tests from medical professionals. The journey taught us the importance of hope, persistence, and carefully considering all available options while working alongside qualified Holistic providers like Dr Madida Sam.
February 18, 2020
A very helpful and comprehensive guide to understanding all aspects of CFS/ME. It’s a book I’ll reference often. The only downside is that it is about 8 years old now, which in terms of medical research is pretty ancient. Some of the sources are now outdated or obsolete.
December 6, 2012
The 2nd edition in Kindle format is carefully articulated with a highly rationalized index of topics that flows very responsibly by defining the natural of the problem, as it is defined and as it is experienced,
Because she lives in my stay, I'm hoping that someday relatively soon I'll be able to hear her interviewed on a local NPR radio station, since I think she will be able to present a very credible case for the world she and Ms. Gellman (currently ailing) have done.
Curiously, when we think of the failure to achieve permanent wellness, we want to ask just how dependable the book's accomploshments will be for any of the readers. When we ask, 'Where are we in studying CFS?', we may find ourselves to be where most novices are when they first attempt a new topic: heading for Wikipedia for a good opening or starting understanding, a hypothetical understanding with which to begin our research.
But my experience in tutoring lower levels in the healthcare professions is that today's textbooks have far better rationalized and coherent and factually correct and complete understandings of issues that were only sketchy in the medical education resources of decades ago (or MAY at times have been treated erroneously).
I think one may do well to make this book one's first source of reading on the topic, from which the more SERIOUS inquirers move on, and I'm confident that Ms. Verillo (Western Massachuetts) and Ms. Feldman (NYC?) would welcome all further insights and discoveries in this topic. But their disciplined research in this area is considerable. If you believe that CFS plagues you, I commend to you _Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment: A Treatment Guide_, 2nd Edition, much improved over the original version of the same book.
Even discussing this in public is likely to be met with political attacks that front strategic defensiveness about a topic that is not publicly affirmed by the predominant communities of clinical practice.
I recommend checking out what Dr. Michael Greger has written about CFS and related health concerns:
http://nutritionfacts.org/index.php?s...
and more specifically:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-tre...
Because she lives in my stay, I'm hoping that someday relatively soon I'll be able to hear her interviewed on a local NPR radio station, since I think she will be able to present a very credible case for the world she and Ms. Gellman (currently ailing) have done.
Curiously, when we think of the failure to achieve permanent wellness, we want to ask just how dependable the book's accomploshments will be for any of the readers. When we ask, 'Where are we in studying CFS?', we may find ourselves to be where most novices are when they first attempt a new topic: heading for Wikipedia for a good opening or starting understanding, a hypothetical understanding with which to begin our research.
But my experience in tutoring lower levels in the healthcare professions is that today's textbooks have far better rationalized and coherent and factually correct and complete understandings of issues that were only sketchy in the medical education resources of decades ago (or MAY at times have been treated erroneously).
I think one may do well to make this book one's first source of reading on the topic, from which the more SERIOUS inquirers move on, and I'm confident that Ms. Verillo (Western Massachuetts) and Ms. Feldman (NYC?) would welcome all further insights and discoveries in this topic. But their disciplined research in this area is considerable. If you believe that CFS plagues you, I commend to you _Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatment: A Treatment Guide_, 2nd Edition, much improved over the original version of the same book.
Even discussing this in public is likely to be met with political attacks that front strategic defensiveness about a topic that is not publicly affirmed by the predominant communities of clinical practice.
I recommend checking out what Dr. Michael Greger has written about CFS and related health concerns:
http://nutritionfacts.org/index.php?s...
and more specifically:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/a-tre...
October 30, 2016
Lots of info. Hard to read and find what's potentially useful, suppose this is made worse by actually having CFS
February 6, 2013
4.5 stars for sheer scope and usefulness, although, being an American book, some elements are not so relevant to UK CFS/ME patients. The research behind this tome appears impressive, and there are hundreds of additional links to external websites, blogs, forums, reports, etc. for further follow up.
The book has given me a few lightbulb moments, and reminded me that this condition *is* physiologically real (not stress-induced or 'all in the mind' or 'being lazy' etc.) ... and that pushing beyond my physical limits really isn't helpful.
It has got me back on track with tips on managing my condition better, rather than continuing to fight my reduced abilities. My top priority is now pacing! I now have some new ideas to put into practice (particularly those which are holistic and natural) and a clearer direction for gently working towards recovery.
The book has given me a few lightbulb moments, and reminded me that this condition *is* physiologically real (not stress-induced or 'all in the mind' or 'being lazy' etc.) ... and that pushing beyond my physical limits really isn't helpful.
It has got me back on track with tips on managing my condition better, rather than continuing to fight my reduced abilities. My top priority is now pacing! I now have some new ideas to put into practice (particularly those which are holistic and natural) and a clearer direction for gently working towards recovery.
December 7, 2012
This book is a wealth of information and knowledge on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is a complete reference / treatment guide. When I spoke to the author, Ms. Verrillo, she told me she had worked over 14 years on research and writing of the Guide. Because of her hard work and dedication there is this book for people who endure this ghastly disease. She has put together everything you will need to help better understand and cope with CFS on a day by day.
Truly this guide is the only book you will need to help you or someone you love with this disease. It has been a “God Sent” for me. Thank you, Erica, for all your hard work.
Truly this guide is the only book you will need to help you or someone you love with this disease. It has been a “God Sent” for me. Thank you, Erica, for all your hard work.
October 21, 2012
This will be a book in a state of constant reference. So, never truly can I say I am "done". But, with each and every chapter I enter I find a wealth if information that I so need. I am a suffer of this serious, misunderstood, mysterious disease. This is by far the best reference guide I have found. Thank you Erica for the gift of this guide. I will use it and reference for days to come.
T. Olivo, a customer just told us your review was helpful to them while shopping on Amazon.
10-28-2012
T. Olivo, a customer just told us your review was helpful to them while shopping on Amazon.
10-28-2012
March 28, 2014
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Erica F. Verrillo, is an extremely comprehensive publication–almost 700 pages–about Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Over 15 years of hard work and much research have passed between the first edition and this new second edition. Written with Laura Gellman and consultation with several specializing physicians, this is truly everything you’d ever need to know about these . . . see more at http://wp.me/p1S9qY-99.
July 15, 2013
Great reference book! This book gave me some of the clues I needed to uncover my autoimmune-caused B12 deficiency & fix it! Never felt better. Thanks, Erica!!
(I recently reviewed this for Readers' Favorite; full review @ http://readersfavorite.com/book-revie...)
(I recently reviewed this for Readers' Favorite; full review @ http://readersfavorite.com/book-revie...)
June 25, 2016
So much dense information. Pretty much covers all recent theories of cause, affects of each system in the body, and possible treatments. Really helpful! Some of it is already dated, but I will be re-using this as a reference and to talk to my dr
June 8, 2013
An invaluable resource for invisible illnesses such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia
May 3, 2017
Of the many problems with having CFS/ME/FMS, one of the more frustrating is the lack of treatments. Or rather, the overwhelming number of potential treatments, none of which are a sure-fire cure. Since the cause and mechanism of this illness/these illnesses (it is still a matter of debate whether Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Fibromyalgia are all manifestations of the same illness, or three different and distinct illnesses) is unknown (although theories abound), it is no surprise that there is no treatment either. Although, as the author points out encouragingly, it's not that nothing works, it's just that different things work for different people, and recovery is often a matter of trial, error, and blind luck. Unfortunately, though, it's not like you can just go to your doctor and ask for advice.
In which case, some pointers can be helpful. This encyclopedic guide covers the history of the illness(es)--is it a new name for something that has been plaguing humanity for centuries, or is it something new in and of itself?--the hypotheses regarding the mechanisms behind it, and various treatment options and regimens that have been tried.
The information provided is exhaustive, with links and citations of further sources of information, including specialist clinics, research articles, and patient websites and online forums. If you're trying to get started on finding out more about CFS/ME, then this is an excellent place to start. The information is presented in as accessible a manner as possible, and the writing is clear and engaging. That being said, the material presented is inherently dense, and reading the book straight through as I did could be rather challenging, particularly if you're experiencing brain fog or eye problems (word to the wise here!). Severely ill sufferers may wish to dip in and out of the book in small chunks, or have someone else read it through for them. However, as a reference guide to return to, the book is extremely useful.
And while it's depressing to see just how little is known about this illness, and how severely it can affect people's life, it's also encouraging to see that there are a number of things that can be tried. The book covers everything from prescription drug options and even experimental drug trials you can enroll in (for a cool $24,000, paid entirely by the patient--gotta love the US medical system!) to alternative therapies such as acupressure and massage.
This is particularly beneficial given the lack of good information available via regular medical channels: some of the more frustrating and upsetting sections of the book are on the vague and poorly constructed trials that have promoted the use of harmful therapies based on the recovery rates of people who most likely didn't have CFS to begin with (as the author dryly notes, recovery rates from CFS tend to be much higher in groups of people who never had CFS to begin with), as well as the shocking stories of children and adolescents forcibly taken from their families and forced to undergo harmful and in some cases fatal reconditioning therapies. While modern medicine has improved in many ways from the mystification of the dark ages and the forced institutionalization of a hundred years ago, confrontation with a chronic illness such as CFS rips the mask right off, and you realize just how much snake oil, witch doctoring, and plain old coercion are still out there. Sadly, the current emphasis on mental health seems to make things worse rather than better in this case...but that is a topic for another day. In the meantime, since you can't heal yourself with your magic mind powers, you can at least use your intelligence and critical reasoning skills to try to make things a little better, and reading this book could be a very helpful start.
In which case, some pointers can be helpful. This encyclopedic guide covers the history of the illness(es)--is it a new name for something that has been plaguing humanity for centuries, or is it something new in and of itself?--the hypotheses regarding the mechanisms behind it, and various treatment options and regimens that have been tried.
The information provided is exhaustive, with links and citations of further sources of information, including specialist clinics, research articles, and patient websites and online forums. If you're trying to get started on finding out more about CFS/ME, then this is an excellent place to start. The information is presented in as accessible a manner as possible, and the writing is clear and engaging. That being said, the material presented is inherently dense, and reading the book straight through as I did could be rather challenging, particularly if you're experiencing brain fog or eye problems (word to the wise here!). Severely ill sufferers may wish to dip in and out of the book in small chunks, or have someone else read it through for them. However, as a reference guide to return to, the book is extremely useful.
And while it's depressing to see just how little is known about this illness, and how severely it can affect people's life, it's also encouraging to see that there are a number of things that can be tried. The book covers everything from prescription drug options and even experimental drug trials you can enroll in (for a cool $24,000, paid entirely by the patient--gotta love the US medical system!) to alternative therapies such as acupressure and massage.
This is particularly beneficial given the lack of good information available via regular medical channels: some of the more frustrating and upsetting sections of the book are on the vague and poorly constructed trials that have promoted the use of harmful therapies based on the recovery rates of people who most likely didn't have CFS to begin with (as the author dryly notes, recovery rates from CFS tend to be much higher in groups of people who never had CFS to begin with), as well as the shocking stories of children and adolescents forcibly taken from their families and forced to undergo harmful and in some cases fatal reconditioning therapies. While modern medicine has improved in many ways from the mystification of the dark ages and the forced institutionalization of a hundred years ago, confrontation with a chronic illness such as CFS rips the mask right off, and you realize just how much snake oil, witch doctoring, and plain old coercion are still out there. Sadly, the current emphasis on mental health seems to make things worse rather than better in this case...but that is a topic for another day. In the meantime, since you can't heal yourself with your magic mind powers, you can at least use your intelligence and critical reasoning skills to try to make things a little better, and reading this book could be a very helpful start.
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