The combination of numerous severe somatic complaints and only minor abnormalities on physical exam and routine laboratory testing is the reason many physicians have dismissed this illness as hypochondriasis. In the past fifty years, the emphasis in medicine has been to divide illnesses into categories by the nature of the symptoms. But in our era of technology, it is rare for specialists to listen to generalists. That is to say, although the muscles hurt, muscle biopsies are normal or show minimal changes only. Although there are headaches, CT scans of the brain are normal.
Specialists are interested in diseases originating in their area of specialty.
We are witnessing a disease so fundamental in its origin that it affects all body systems but causes little damage. At first glance it appears that almost every symptom possible is part of the list. But a patient relating these symptoms does not list them in a random manner. They fit a precise pattern that is nearly identical from one patient to the next.