Living Well with Autoimmune Diseases: A Rheumatologist's Guide to Taking Charge of Your Health

by Julius Birnbaum

A comprehensive guide to managing autoimmune diseases.

Twenty million adults in the United States live with an autoimmune disease. In this compassionate guide, Dr. Julius Birnbaum offers essential advice for navigating the complex world of various autoimmune diseases. Living Well with Autoimmune Diseases will help patients, caregivers, and health care professionals understand the diagnosis, management, and treatment of conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and more.

Dr. Birnbaum, an expert in both neurology and rheumatology, covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of autoimmunity to the nuances of various rheumatic diseases and their interconnected nature. With an engaging blend of scientific rigor and compassion, Dr.

• provides a primer on autoimmunity, explaining how the immune system can mistakenly attack the body's own tissues;
• discusses the roles and limitations of blood tests and biopsies;
• covers the complexities of various treatment options, including when to use immunosuppressive therapy and when simpler symptomatic treatments might be appropriate;
• emphasizes the importance of personalized treatment plans that consider the unique needs of each patient;
• debunks common myths about rheumatic diseases and provides practical pearls of wisdom that can help improve quality of life; and
• provides captivating patient narratives from his clinical practice that clarify how to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases.

This essential overview of autoimmune diseases, supplemented with helpful tools for readers and their loved ones, offers hope and empowerment for managing these complex conditions.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published March 11, 2025

Reviews

[Nadine Luvison-Westover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own the audio version of this book which I highly recommend. This version makes it very easy to return to topics of interest again and again, because as we know autoimmune diseases are complex and often co-occur.

For the reason of co-occurring diseases, I am especially fond of this book. The author explains the overlap of symptoms and also helps the reader to understand the nuances that differentiate between which symptoms and medications are unique and and disease specific and which overlap. (I’m not sure if that is expressed adequately, but if you have 2 or 3 rheumatic illnesses, this is very helpful and reassuring, when considering “what you’re feeling”). I believe this really makes this a stand out book that has helped me navigate life and prepare for and process appointments. There is a section that includes fibromyalgia, which is not rheumatic, but a pain disorder that is commonly also diagnosed alongside autoimmune diseases. This was helpful and “real”.

Next - I recommended this book to a young woman in the Pittsburgh area and she was able to be seen by this author relatively quickly and begin being treated. I feel this is important, because the author is very current with most recent practices and medication knowledge and SEES patients - it just really made a difference to me to know that. I have read other books that felt diminishing of medical practices and left me questioning myself and my physician rather than feeling empowered with the knowledge this book provides. For these reasons I am happy to recommend and continue to return to this book.

[Jamie Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful for someone just diagnosed with an autoimmune rheumatic diseases. It gives many of the common (and less common) symptoms as well as treatment options.

The most helpful parts were seeing the relevance of each disease in relation to the others and how they can be comorbid.

[Emily Moats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very scientifically written. While some of the information was helpful I have to be honest that I’m significantly more paranoid about which other autoimmune disorders I may have. This book provided frequent reminders that autoimmune disorders often travel in pairs or groups 🫠

[Todor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this four stars because the book is quite technical — it feels written by a doctor primarily for other medical professionals. That makes it harder for the average reader to follow and pull out actionable advice. However, if you’re dealing with an autoimmune disease that’s discussed in the book, the information is highly reliable and can be extremely helpful.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book is only about rheumatic diseases. If you have other kids of AI diseases (of which there are many) don’t bother. Should be titled differently

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a medical doctor with extensive training in both neurology and rheumatology, this book is clear, clinical, and accessible. A great resource.

[Corrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good explanations of each diagnosis. Digestible information. Educational. Strong recommendation for introduction to intermediate learning.