A patient in severe distress, whether it be emotional or physical, is likely to use poor judgment in monitoring his medication and, typically, most patients take several overdoses during their life, and although most of them tend to be very sub-lethal, there are occasional deaths which can be prevented by proper management. While the primary management of the somatization disorder itself should be by a psychiatrist, the patient should not lose contact with other physicians, particularly internist or family practitioner and gynecologist. The physicians should work together as a team providing care for the whole patient. Almost all of the patients are hypersensitive to non-narcotic medication and cannot tolerate tricyclics. They may want to be on no medications at all, or on low doses of a benzodiazepine.
Hypnosis is a very useful adjunct in the treatment of somatization disorder.
It is likely that in the historical development of this disorder that many FMS patients were included in the SD population. There is also some overlap in symptoms such as hypersensitivity to drugs, fumes, sounds and other environmental stimuli. The Chinese do not distinguish between physical and emotional illness. Perhaps we have something to learn from them. I would welcome your personal contribution to this collection of information.