Pain experience and acid secretion in gastrointestinal disorders: A comparison of ulcer and nud patients

Abstract

Analyzing pain behavior in three response modes illustrates the lack of synchronism among overt, covert, and physiological components. The pain of patients suffering from gastrointestinal disorders was studied during a standardized 2.5 hour test of maximum stomach acid output. The acid secretion of 23 patients (7 with duodenal ulcers and 16 with “non ulcus dyspepsia” (NUD)) was measured concurrently with the patients' reports of subjective discomfort. No correlation was found between degree of acidity or acid output and pain reports. However, patients with NUD showed a significantly higher level of subjective discomfort throughout the test as compared to ulcer patients.