The FibroManual: A Complete Fibromyalgia Treatment Guide for You and Your Doctor

This book is amazing. I also was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia back in the 1980’s when no one knew anything about it. Many of the aids the author recommends are things that I discovered on my own over years of experimenting and researching, although I am not in the medical field. She also has insights and recommendations for products I have not used, but recently started — these suggestions are right on, especially about using the Magnesium oils and lotions. Having restless leg syndrome also, I have been taking over 1500 mg of Magnesium everyday for years, which has helped a lot. I am now cutting back on the amount taken by pills since using the magnesium lotion and have been feeling increasingly better every day. I also have not had any episodes of restless legs since!!!! Also hearing about the findings of the causes, her details about why sleep is such a problem, and now learning about always being in “fight or flight” mode has helped me immensely because I now have a good understanding about why I am the way I am. Just this understanding helps a lot, and most of her suggestions make perfect sense. Even my husband now says “no wonder you are the way you are!” Much of my frustration with Fibromyalgia over the years was not understanding why certain things affect me the way they do. Now, I have been enlightened on so many things. It really helps just knowing the reasons behind many of the symptoms! I have ordered copies of this book for multiple friends and family members with Fibromyalgia because it is the best book I have found in 30 years. The fact that she is a doctor suffering from it makes it very credible, and she writes about everything in thorough, easily understandable ways. I’ve had the book for about 3 weeks, and have read the first 7 chapters at least 6 times. This has become my wellness bible, and I cannot say enough good things about it. Obviously, I highly recommend this book to everyone who has, or knows of someone with Fibromyalgia.

So helpful and easy to read. Packed with insightful topics & structured to guide you through what you need to know without being too clinical or dry. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

This is one of the best books available on treating fibromyalgia. A must read for every fibromyalgia patient and treatment provider. This book lives by my desk because I look things up in it constantly. It's required reading for my Fibromyalgia Coach training class. There are a few things in particular I love about this book: First, Dr. Liptan includes all of the little things that have made the biggest difference in my fibro healing. These are all things that took me years to discover on my own -- and you'll have them all right here! Second, there is a section at the end of each chapter that outlines the things you can do for yourself, as well as the things your doctor needs to help you with. This makes it a very effective book for you to use on your own. Third, there is a bullet point guide at the back of the book specifically for your doctor. It includes the research and studies that support her treatment recommendations. This means that our busy doctors can read the "cliff notes" version to know how to treat you. Many people have asked me how this differs from her first book, Figuring Out Fibromyalgia. I'm also often asked if they should buy The FibroManual if they've already read the first one. If you're wondering the same thing, here's your answer: Figuring Out Fibromyalgia is limited to what we knew about fibromyalgia at the time it was published (January 2011). After six years, we know a lot more. Studies have been done and drugs approved (or not approved!) that have changed our treatment strategies. While Figuring Out Fibromyalgia includes more of Dr. Liptan's personal fibromyalgia journey, The FibroManual was written with your doctor in mind. As I mentioned above, Dr. Liptan includes bullet points at the end of every chapter and a "cliff notes" section in the back for your doctor with all the research links and information he or she needs to treat your effectively. I highly recommending getting a copy of The FibroManual. It truly is a complete fibromyalgia treatment guide that is written for both you and your doctor.

This is an extremely informative book. If you are looking to understand the mechanisms of fibromyalgia, this is probably the closest you are going to get. Dr. Liptan does a nice job of admitting where the research is thin and needs further investigation, while simultaneously walking you through what is available to us now. There are a ton of practical tips from how to talk to your doctor, which medications to try (she focuses both on pharmaceutical and alternative medicines and treatments), and what other habits, foods, exercises, will be helpful (and more). It is delivered and organized very well - it is not dumbed down so much that the substance suffers but not too complicated for those of us who are not doctors to understand. I gave the book four stars for two reasons. First, the information was helpful to understanding fibromyalgia but did little to help me physically / as a guide for treatment, which seems to be a goal of hers throughout the book. But this may not be and probably is not true for everyone. Second, I felt there was vital information that was missing, especially from an emotional standpoint. Adjusting to fibromyalgia is a physical challenge and this book will help you a lot in understanding and addressing that aspect, but it is also a major emotional adjustment, which can at times be more difficult to cope with. Despite her own diagnosis with the condition, it often feels like there is a disconnect between what she is saying and what you are feeling. To clarify, she often sounds less like someone who has suffered with the condition and more like a doctor, and I think we have all heard enough from doctors! Still, Dr. Liptan has written an incredible, compassionate, and thorough initial look at what fibromyalgia is. This book helped me, and I am sure thousands of others, to better understand what happens in the bodies and minds of those with fibromyalgia, and it will not be a waste of your time or money to read it.

My fibro doctor suggested this book to me, and it was an amazing read. It brought a lot of new and old ideas together, explaining what works and what doesn't. It's written by a doctor who actually has fibromyalgia herself, so she actually understands what she writes about from both sides of it. The book is written clearly for laypeople and I never felt once felt like she was talking down to me, as so many doctor/authors do. I came away with some great ideas and have been slowly working on one of her suggestions for the last 2 weeks. It seems to help so far! I definitely recommend.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia October 2018, my Fibromyalgia was brought about from being in a cow vs car accident. It was my MIL who kept encouraging me to talk with my doctor about the possibility that my unresolved, persistent pain could be Fibromyalgia. Fast forward to my diagnosis, my Rheumatologist was the one who 1st diagnosed me, but did nothing more. So I followed up with my PCP, She is an Amazing Doctor!! Her 1st recommendation was to read the “Fibro Manual!” She had been reading it herself to become more educated about and to also better understand Fibromyalgia, so she could better help and support her patients suffering from the disease. She was Absolutely Right about this book, it’s informative, easy to understand, and I really appreciate how the Author cites her resources along with the information of where to find those resources! This book needs to be a part of Every Fibromyalgia Sufferers tool kit, no matter how long you have lived with the disease! Buy this book, you’ll be so Glad you did!

This book is a wonder. I’ve suffered with fibromyalgia for years and all my doctors could tell me was that they don’t really know much about the disease and gave me meds for the pain. Pretty soon they’re not working so well and I’m looking for something else but don’t want to take stronger pain meds. I was exhausted and in pain and hopeless. Then I found this book. Dr. Lipton tells of her experience with fibromyalgia during her first year of medical school. It was more of a controversial condition then—some doctors didn’t believe it was a disease but she found a way to treat herself and has passed it along to her readers. She takes you step by step to address the lack of sleep, pain, fatigue and the brain fog with nutrition, meds and supplements—actual lists you can take to your Dr. and if he/she is willing you can work together to find out what works for you. Fortunately my doctors have been very cooperative and between the suggestions in this book and working with them I am feeling much better. I’m not cured—yet but I’m at least 50-75% better most days so I’ll take that. i highly recommend anyone with fibromyalgia to buy this book. It’s really the only one you need—unless it’s Dr. Liptan’s cook book.

The author of "The Fibro Manual", Dr. Ginevra Liptan, has Fibromyalgia and has a medical practice in Oregon solely devoted to the treatment of Fibromyalgia called the Frida Center for Fibromyalgia. I really like the fact that she definitively addresses the cause of Fibromyalgia and her multifaceted approach to treating it in a systematic way. Each aspect of treatment is explained in detail and supported by an abundance of scientific research that she academically references. Dr. Liptan identifies the areas of the condition that are most important to fix first because they have the most overall impact. Then she addresses treatments for symptoms that persist or additional common conditions that may still need treatment. Dr. Liptan has included at the end of each chapter direct action steps that those with Fibromyalgia can take on their own and others to discuss with their health team. I find this incredibly helpful since between fatigue and the distraction of pain it is harder to mentally focus than it used to be. What I find particularly useful and thoughtful is that she has written a section of the book directly for Doctors that are treating those with Fibromyalgia. The section is concise with medical terminology and direct action steps. The fact that Dr. Liptan suffers from Fibromyalgia herself is meaningful to me. She has a vested interest in researching, helping to find a cure for, and treating Fibromyalgia.