Product Description

Fatigue; weight gain; depression; arthritis; high cholestrol; low sex drive; skin, digestive, and female problems; abnormal blood pressure -- all may be symptoms of low thyroid, one of the most misdiagnosed disorders in America.

Thyroid Power can help you determine whether you're one of the millions who suffer from low thyroid. It discusses food, vitamins, and natural remedies that support thyroid health;explains how to avoid environmental and emotional triggers; and offers tips from thyroid support groups. By following this clear 10-step program and working with your health practitioner, you can channel the incredible power of your thyroid into greater health and well-being.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18106 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-01
• Released on: 2002-05-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.com
Depressed, overworked, or just feelin' old are common enough complaints. But when disparate symptoms such as joint pain, weight gain, and foggy-headedness join the ranks, it's time to think thyroid. As the "throttle" for the body's energy hormones, the thyroid affects every organ and cell; when it's in trouble, any variety of ailments--physical and mental--can occur. Trouble is, physicians are more likely to treat each symptom independently, with pill upon pill, rather than search for a root cause. Bolstered by 25 years of treating patients with low thyroid condition, husband-and-wife team Richard L. Shames, M.D., and Karilee H. Shames, R.N., Ph.D., ably explain the physical and emotional profiles of those diagnosed with the disease, why the proverbial deck is stacked against them, and how each patient can forge an effective path of treatment.

"Consider Thyroid Power a long, personal visit with a caring, prevention-oriented practitioner," state the authors. The journey begins with thyroid basics: how this little hormone-producing tissue operates, signs that things are amiss, how other illnesses compound the problem, and how to determine one's risk for hypothyroidism. Next, the Shameses discuss the labyrinth of diagnostic and treatment issues a patient must endure. Helpful and harmful supplements and environmental factors, repairing the immune system (the origin of thyroid troubles), and a rich, sensitive exploration of holistic healing nicely round out this valuable resource. A brief section titled "Show This to Your Doctor," penned by Richard, perfectly crystallizes the book and provides an effective tool for initiating a patient/physician dialogue. --Liane Thomas

From Library Journal
Richard Shames, a physician, and his wife, Karilee, a Ph.D.-prepared registered nurse, have written "a step-by-step approach to healing low thyroid," a condition they feel affects far more people than is generally recognized. In ten steps, the authors outline the different kinds of thyroid disease, its manifestations, how it can be diagnosed, and the variety of ways it can be treated. The style is very readable and includes Karilee's personal account of dealing with low thyroid. A number of appendixes (though they are not so named) collect information on topics discussed throughout the book a glossary of terms, resources, the kinds of tests, etc. The authors refer to numerous studies and other books that are included in both the notes for each chapter and in a "Further Reading" section. This book will complement other consumer health titles such as Ridha Arem's The Thyroid Solution (LJ 6/1/99) and Beth Ann Ditkoff and Paul Lo Gerfo's briefer The Thyroid Guide (HarperResource, 2000). Recommended for consumer health collections. Mary J. Jarvis, West Texas A & M Univ., Canyon
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Richard L. Shames, M.D., is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. A founding member of the American Holistic Medical Association, he has served as adjunct faculty at UCSF Medical Center and Florida Atlantic University and is a general practitioner in Boca Raton, Florida, and Mill Valley, California, specializing in thyroid treatment.

Customer Reviews

Excellent- If your overweight and really not cheating on eating
This book helps a person understand the function of the thyroid. Most people do not understand how much this gland can effect every part of your body and book explains it in clear terms. Most doctors do not provide all the test needed to check your thyroid and this book helps you get a clear picture and ask the right questions to your doctor.

SAVE your money!!
Don't waste your money on this book! The writing is too simplified and a bit patronizing. Having thyroid problems for over 12 years, I recommend these better books: "The Thyroid Sourcebook" by M. Sara Rosenthal and "The Everything Health Guide to Thyroid Disease" by Theodore Friedman MD. PHD.

Help when your doctor ignores you
My assistant pastor's wife gave me this book because she had noticed so many of the symptoms in me. When I did the self-assessment, my score was almost the maximum number of points. It blew me away! I took a list of symptoms to my doctor (a page long, single-spaced!). He refused to even read it. (No, I will never see him again if I have any choice.) My TSH test numbers were "within the normal range." He said he would give me zoloft or paxil, but under no circumstances would he give me anything else. The other HMO doctor I saw said the same thing (he was at least civil about it and didn't treat me like a total idiot though). So, I had to pay out of pocket money that I don't really have to see a doctor outside the HMO who specializes in thyroid treatment. As it turns out, this is the top book on his recommended reading list to patients. He looked at my symptoms and test numbers (which I had insisted on knowing from my previous doctor) and said, "Yeah, you definitely have low thyroid." Surprise, surprise! Kudos to the Shameses for spotlighting research the established medical system has chosen to ignore. This has been unbelieveably helpful to me! My only complaint is the heavy emphasis on eastern mysticism.