Are bowel symptoms and psychosocial features different in irritable bowel syndrome patients with abdominal discomfort compared to abdominal pain?

Table 5 Consultations and medications of irritable bowel syndrome patients with abdominal pain alone, abdominal discomfort alone, and abdominal pain & discomfort

Variable	Pain group (n = 233)	Discomfort group (n = 83)	Pain & discomfort group (n = 51)	P value
In the whole disease course
Consultation times per year1	4.6 ± 6.7	5.7 ± 6.2	4.2 ± 4.1	0.54
Colonoscopies2	1.9 ± 1.4	1.5 ± 0.8	1.6 ± 0.9	0.22
In the last year
Consultation times1	4.0 ± 5.7	4.5 ± 4.5	4.9 ± 4.7	0.54
Medications, intermittent and long-term use, %	164 (70.4)	56 (67.5)	43 (84.3)	0.09
Antispasmodics use
Use rate	29 (12.4)	24 (28.9)	12 (23.5)	0.0023
Response rate	22 (75.9)	13 (54.2)	10 (83.3)	0.12
Overall satisfaction to medical care, %	125 (53.7)	39 (47.0)	21 (41.2)	0.21

¹Consultation times were average consultation times of consulters.

²Colonoscopies were average colonoscopies of patients who performed colonoscopies.

³The difference is between the pain group and the discomfort group.

Data presented as mean ± SD or number (%). Analysis of variance and χ² test. P value is difference among pain group, discomfort group, and pain & discomfort group, and superscript letter is significantly different at a P < 0.05.