Jacob E. Teitelbaum, M.D. (born 1952) is an American author and physician who is interested in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia (CFS/FM). He has authored several books on treating CFS/FM (see below).
Jacob Teitelbaum was born April 21, 1952 in Ohio. His parents, Sabina and David, were Holocaust survivors who immigrated to the U.S. after WWII.
Dr. Teitelbaum excelled academically. He graduated from college in 1969 in only three years. In 1975, he was in his third year of medical school and second youngest in a class of over 200 students. During that time, he contracted a viral illness that left him barely able to function and almost too exhausted to get out of bed. His illness progressed to the point where he was forced to temporarily drop out of medical school to recover. Too ill to work, and no longer supported by a scholarship, he eventually found himself homeless, living out of his '65 Dodge Dart.
The experience proved to be a profound turning point in Dr. Teitelbaum's life, closing one chapter and opening other doors to new possibilities of self-exploration. With the help of friends and family, he eventually recovered the energy to finish medical school and residency. But the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia had not fully left him and the experiences provided a deep, first-hand appreciation of these illnesses. As a result, he dedicated his medical career to improving awareness and understanding of CFS/FM within the medical community, and providing effective treatment for patients who suffer from it. He now has nearly three decades of experience devoted exclusively to the research and treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, and is widely regarded as one of the leading medical authorities in the field.
Dr. Teitelbaum is the lead author of groundbreaking "gold standard" research on effective treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia (published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, volume 8, number 2, 2001). He has written several books on Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and pain management; designed nutritional supplements to help those suffering from these illnesses; and developed a patented diagnostic software tool to evaluate a patient and prescribe a treatment program tailored to their specific needs. He is also an internationally sought after speaker, frequently lecturing to patient, physician and research groups, and is a regularly quoted source for television, radio and print media on the topic of "Vitality 101."
In April 2002, Dr. Teitelbaum was editorialized in the Journal of the American Academy of Pain Management, where his integrative treatment protocol was recognized as "an excellent and highly effective part of the standard of practice" for Fibromyalgia and chronic muscle pain conditions.
Dr. Teitelbaum and his wife Laurie live in Hawaii. He continues to educate patients and health care practitioners through books and articles, his website, www.endfatigue.com, monthly newsletters, and regular interviews.
