Multiple Sclerosis Books

Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis is meant to be referred to when people with MS ask a question about a particular dietary supplement. Supplements are arranged in alphabetical order under the most commonly used name. In addition, the index contains a listing of these common names as well as less common names that may be encountered. The main information about the supplements is written in a concise summary form that usually discusses only the MS relevance of the supplement.

The supplements selected for inclusion are those with specific MS relevance, such as those that are known to be used by people with MS, have claimed efficacy for slowing disease progression or relieving MS symptoms, interact with drugs commonly used to treat MS, and potentially worsen MS or its symptoms. Also, supplements are reviewed that are popular in the general population or are known to have serious adverse effects.

The MS Solution: How I Solved the Puzzle of My Multiple Sclerosis The MS Solution is a medical detective story that catalogs Kathy Simpsons path from her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and resulting disability to a return to complete health and resolution of all symptoms. The discovery that her symptoms were caused by the loss of key hormones (such as thyroid, adrenal and ovarian) and could all be resolved by replacing them makes an intriguing story. Her years of endocrine research allowed her to crack the mystery of multiple sclerosis and make the connections that are not yet being made by the medical community at large between MS, hormones and how to restore health. The incredible success that Kathy personally experienced with this therapy as well as the dramatic turnaround of many other patients, both at the hormone center she founded and in collaboration with doctors specializing in this field, convinced her to write The MS Solution. She spells out the science behind her approach along with the testing and treatment protocols she used to resolve her symptoms in easy-to-understand language that doctors and patients alike can understand. Specific details about each endocrine function and hormone are provided with current research and clinical study data that support her findings. This book can be used as road map to evaluate and treat any hormone deficiencies that may be causing MS symptoms. Kathryn Simpsons book is a must-read for anyone with MS, as well as family members and physicians of patients with MS and other neurodegenerative diseases, says Thierry Hertoghe, M.D., President of the International Hormone Society. The merits of this book are immense it is, to my knowledge, the first book where the major link between neurodegenerative disease and hormone deficiencies and imbalances has been presented. It is essential for a simple reason: It focuses on what actually are, in my experience, the most efficient tools to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as MS hormone therapies for the endocrine deficiencies that are often associated with these diseases.

Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir In this moving and engrossing memoir, veteran television news producer Richard Cohen relates a life spent dealing with multiple sclerosis, first diagnosed when he was 25 years old and just getting started in the competitive world of broadcast journalism. As his career progressed, he struggled not only with the disease but the touchy question of how much of the truth about himself to share with colleagues and potential employers. Cohen spent much of his life running from the onset of the disease's symptoms from which his father and grandmother also suffered. Defiantly, he took challenging, sometimes extremely dangerous assignments in Lebanon, Poland, and on the domestic political campaign trail, even as his body deteriorated. But over the course of Blindsided, it becomes apparent that illness had actually built Cohen up even as it ripped him apart. Without the physical and mental toughness required to navigate a journalist's life while fighting back loss of eyesight and poor equilibrium, it's doubtful that the flaky kid we meet early in the book would transform into the award-winning professional Cohen eventually becomes. His marriage to journalist Meredith Vieira, every bit his equal as both newshound and deadpan cynical comic, gave Cohen the stable family life and children he needed when MS made it impossible to continue in a traditional news job. But two bouts with colon cancer in the late 1990s tested his resolve and his family's patience. While Cohen is both courageous and inspirational, Blindsided is not the overly sentimental clichéd tale that stories about fighting illness often become. He refuses to paint himself as the hero (except when making fun of his own failure to be heroic) and recounts in detail the strain that he put on his marriage and children. Stories such as this often end with the memoirist arriving at a state of peace and mental clarity but again Cohen remains more compelling and credible by offering no such pat answers. As with most people fighting to preserve their families, their lives, and their bodies, Richard Cohen's is an ongoing struggle. --John Moe

Illness came calling when Richard M. Cohen was twenty-five years old. He was a young television news producer with expectations of a limitless future, and his foreboding that his health was not quite right turned into the harsh reality that something was very wrong when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. For thirty years Cohen has done battle with MS, only to be ambushed by two bouts of colon cancer at the end of the millennium. And yet, he has writ-ten a hopeful book about celebrating life and coping with chronic illness.

"Welcome to my world," writes Cohen, "where I carry around dreams, a few diseases, and the determination to live life my way. This book is my daily conversation with myself, a chronicle of the struggles in that exotic place just north of the neck. At the moment, my attitude checks out well. I do believe I'm winning."

Autobiographical at its roots, reportorial, and expansive, Blindsided explores the effects of illness on raising three children and on his relationship with his wife, Meredith Vieira (host of ABC's The View and the syndicated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire). Cohen tackles the nature of denial and resilience, the ins and outs of the struggle for emotional health, and the redemptive effects of a loving family. And while he may not have chosen to live with illness, illness did choose him. Written with grace, humor, and lyrical prose, Blindsided presents a life brimming over with accomplishment and joy in adversity.

In clear language and using helpful illustrations, this comprehensive guide deals with both the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and the most effective, clinically tested ways to help patients manage the disease. All symptoms are discussed, from spasticity, tremor, and fatigue to bladder, bowel, and sexual difficulties. In addition, newer ways to manage complex and routine symptoms are explored. The book, now in its fifth edition, covers the most recent advances in drug therapies and other treatments, including new discoveries, recently developed medications, and medical breakthroughs. Also included are an overview of the disease, a glossary of common medical terms, a list of helpful exercises, and information on transfer and mobility resources. Organized to reflect the three areas of MS management — management of the disease, management of its symptoms, and management of lifestyle and general wellness issues — the book is an invaluable reference for MS patients, families, and providers.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that more than half of all people with MS suffer some form of cognitive difficulty. Although symptoms and severity can vary, the emotional and social impact can be devastating. This invaluable resource, written for patients and their families, offers an in-depth discussion of cognitive difficulties, including changes that can occur; helpful strategies for dealing with their impact in daily life; and a detailed overview of treatment options.

Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis When attorney Jeffrey N. Gingold misplaced his wife on the living room couch, then became lost while driving just blocks from his home, little did he know that he was experiencing a common symptom of multiple sclerosis: cognitive difficulties. Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis is a courageous and compelling personal account of one man's struggle with this aspect of the disease. It was written for the silent majority of people with MS who must deal with these same cognitive symptoms which often go unrecognized and are difficult for others to understand. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that over 400,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and there are millions more worldwide. Conservatively speaking, half of them will encounter varying degrees of cognitive difficulties. Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis brings this hidden disability into the open. It is an essential resource not only for individuals coping with multiple sclerosis, but for their families, caregivers, physicians and therapists.

Waist-High in the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled Nancy Mairs, a gifted essayist who is fierce and funny by turns, landed in a wheelchair years ago due to degenerative multiple sclerosis that has sapped much of her strength. She bends an agile mind and sharp tongue around the daily tasks of seeing eye-to-navel with a world that clearly prefers nondisabled "normals." One candid, pained essay tells of longing to give care, not just accept it. Others describe the shifting line in the sands marking limits she could live with; teeth-grinding frustration at foolish building practices that keep even public bathrooms out of her reach; and a discomforting adventure as an undercover agent exposing a drug fraud aimed at people with diseases like MS.A Life Among the Nondisabled

In a blend of intimate memoir and passionate advocacy, Nancy Mairs takes on the subject woven through all her writing: disability and its effect on life, work, and spirit.

Up the Creek with a Paddle: Beat MS and Many Autoimmune Disorders with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN) The story is simple. It is about love, life and hope. After years of battling with the onslaught of her husbands Multiple Sclerosis, Mary stumbled on a little known doctor in New York City, Dr. Bernard Bihari. Many people were making very bold claims about his work on the Internet. They claimed that Dr. Bihari knew how to stop every type of MS from progressing. Even better, it was claimed that he could help everyone with an autoimmune disorder, ranging from psoriasis to AIDS. It was claimed that Dr. Bihari could help them with Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN). Eventually, Marys husband took a leap of faith and put Dr. Biharis work to the test. LDN worked. It stopped his MS from progressing. Her uncle with Parkinsons Disease also tried it. Again LDN worked. It stopped his Parkinsons from progressing. Since September 2002, a world-wide campaign has ignited with passionate momentum, to get the already FDA-approved drug medically recognized for treating MS and all autoimmune disorders. LDN is cheap and has no known side effects. The ambition is for LDN to hit the masses and improve the lives of millions. The trials are near, making this a very exciting time for the LDN community and everyone who suffers from an autoimmune disorder.

This completely revised edition of the best-selling Multiple Sclerosis: The Guide to Treatment and Management is a comprehensive, accessible guide to the present therapeutic options and their efficacy. Special features include expert opinion statements for each MS therapy; a unique guide to the wide diversity of therapeutic options available; a thorough discussion of the usefulness, effectiveness, and side effects of individual treatments; a new chapter on unconventional therapies; and a detailed guide to further reading.
This compendium of the most frequently used treatments for multiple sclerosis is an authoritative reference for all physicians and a factual guide for patients who need information about therapies. For reader accessibility, the book is organized into sections dealing with the treatment of acute exacerbations, disease-modifying therapies, symptom management, and alternative therapies. Each chapter in the new edition concludes with references, especially useful for readers who want more information about the therapies discussed.

Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Help Guide to Its Management This comprehensive guide to alternative and self-help care is directed to those who have MS, and to their families, friends, and helpers. Judy Graham's personal experiences with MS prompted her to explore various natural methods of treatment, leading to dramatic and lasting improvement in her own health. In her book, she has combined this first-hand knowledge with extensive, ongoing research.

Offers advice on exercise, posture, yoga, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, incontinence, relationships, sexuality, pregnancy, childbirth, mental attitude, and dealing with fatigue.

Includes resource information and full details on evening primrose oil, a dietary supplement shown to be effective for many people with MS.

Recommended Books on Multiple Sclerosis