DRINKING HABITS AND PAIN IN CHRONIC-PANCREATITIS

To study the role that continuous drinking plays in the pain of chroni c pancreatitis, we have examined 67 patients with alcoholic chronic pa ncreatitis with pain and 29 patients without pain, and we report on th eir alcoholic habits. Drinking habits played a part 99 (67.6%) of 136 times in patients with pain; in 185 without pain, 86 (46.5%) had conti nued their drinking habit (p < 0.001). Advanced pancreatic exocrine in sufficiency was seen in 27 patients; 11 of them had pain during follow -up, whereas 16 did not. The nondrinker rate was similar in patients w ith and without pain, whereas among 69 patients with better pancreatic exocrine function, 56 had pain episodes and 13 did not. Alcoholic con sumers were significantly more in number in the pain group: 70.4% vers us 35% of the no pain group (p < 0.002). Our study shows that drinking alcohol in patients with chronic pancreatitis increased the frequency of painful episodes when there was relatively good pancreatic functio n, whereas in severe pancreatic insufficiency drinking had less influe nce on the development of pain.