A Body Out of Balance: Understanding and Treating Sjogren's Syndrome

by Nancy Carteron, Ruth Fremes

One of the most common yet underrecognized autoimmune and rheumatological disorders.  Sjögren's (pronounced SHOW-grens) syndrome, or SjS, affects more people than rheumatoid arthritis and lupus combined.  Difficult to diagnose, SjS is characterized by symptoms that shift almost daily, usually beginning with vague discomforts such as dry eyes and dry mouth, then advancing to more severe concerns such as joint pain and swollen glands.  A Body Out of Balance provides a comprehensive guide to the wide array of symptoms, traditional and complementary treatments, and invaluable coping methods, so patients may devise a personal treatment plan.  Co written by a woman living with the disease and by a physician who has treated countless SjS patients, this indispensable resource will enhance awareness and demystify this often-misunderstood disorder.

Genres: Health, Medical, Nonfiction

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2003

Reviews

[Carter Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having the great fortune to be a patient of Dr. Carteron, I read her book after hearing about it at a Sjögren's support group meeting. Dr. Carteron has never mentioned her book during any of our appointments but I must say that her knowledge of my autoimmune condition is vast and her treatment ideas have been helpful. Unfortunately, I must also see an assortment of doctors to treat the sequela of my Sjögren's symptoms: corneal ophthalmologist, Sjögren's specialty dentist, GI doctor, vascular surgeon, dermatologist, and of course, a gifted rheumatologist, Dr. Carteron.

As a Sjögren's patient, this book is both written for and about people with Sjögren's Syndrome; an autoimmune condition that targets the body's moisture producing glands & connective tissues. Dr. Carteron has filled her book with timely and useful data to help treat the individual symptoms, since each patient's symptoms are unique and reside on a continuum of this autoimmune syndrome.

I strongly recommended this book for anyone who has been diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome or for those who even THINK they may have Sjögren's (primary symptoms: extremely dry eyes and mouth). Don't get discouraged if you get the current blood antibody tests to determine Sjögren's antibodies only to discover you're an "outlier" (i.e. you test negative for most or all of the antibody markers). Just concentrate on the hallmarks of having very dry eyes and mouth as your guide and keep looking for a good rheumatologist who believes in you and will commit to treating you to lessen your symptoms.

Dr. Carteron's book is also helpful to those who live with, or are connected in some way to anyone with Sjögren's Syndrome, such as a spouse, partner, close relative or friend, or if you just want to learn more about Sjögren's Syndrome as an autoimmune condition. Thanks Dr. C for a great read and for answering even MORE of my questions about Sjögren's Syndrome!

[Raha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book. Full of important information. Thorough and easy to understand. Lots of help and after help - where to go, what to read, what to ask etc. so thorough on how things work, options , meds, side effects and complimentary medicine and much more.
I’m just not giving it a 5 due to the fact that in the nutrition part they had certain foods such as eggs there to eat. Maybe the discovery of eggs and molecular mimicry wasn’t made at that point… But apart from that for me, an excellent book. It made me feel cared for. Like a big warm hug but from a book.

[Mallory Grimste · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s last year and wish I had read this book sooner. It was fascinating to see things I always considered “normal” were actually symptoms! I’ll definitely be talking with my rheumatologist about these at my next appointment. Thank you for writing this book- I know it’s almost 20 years old at this point but still very very relevant for me.

[Diane Kerner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a rheumatologist and a SjS patient, this book is for and about people with Sjogren's Syndrome (SjS), an autoimmune disease in which the body targets it's own moisture-producing glands. Packed with valuable information on treating each individual symptom, it is priceless in its comprehensiveness. Highly recommended for anyone with this autoimmune disorder or those who think they may have it (dry eyes and mouth being the main hallmark, SjS also brings on pain, fatigue, dry nasal passages, cognitive problems, digestive issues and more).

[Naira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only read parts for my MA Thesis.

[Annm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very useful book, written objectovely, with very practical suggestions for living well with this particular autoimmune disease.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found that it was a really helpful overview and a good jumping off point in finding out more about Sjogren's.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well written and provided practical tips for dealing with Sjögren's.