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Life after Pylori... Help needed!

Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 2:10 am
by JDjr
Hi all and thank you for taking the time to read and hopefully answer some questions I have regards this H. Pylori.

I first started with stomach pains just over three months ago, I didn't suffer from any vomiting nor diarrhea, just a bad stomach ache situated all over my abdomen. after 7 days of my discomfort I visited the doctor, my symptoms had subsided slightly but I was still not feeling right, I'd read up on reasons why stomach pain could be lasting this long and the main thing that came up was H. Pylori. So being armed with this info I asked for stool test and after five days it came back positive for H. Pylori, I was prescribed a 7 day course of Lansoprazole, Metronidazole and Clarithromycin, I then waited 4 weeks without any Lansoprazole for a retest (stool) and it came back negative.

I now didn't have any stomach ache as I had previously, but was left with stomach burning and indigestion that I couldn't shift. So I booked an appointment with a gastroenterologist to get some answers, he recommended I have a gastroscopy (upper GI) to see if the burning was a result of ulcers, after having the procedure it was found I have a ''normal'' oesophagus, stomach and duodenum with no ulcers in sight. The only thing that was picked up was a ''slightly'' loose sphincter stomach valve, I asked where do I go from here? To which the specialist told me to take Lansoprazole as I may need it (not all the time) and Gaviscon to combat my burning and acid reflux, his suggestion was that my burning and reflux was due to high stomach acid levels caused as an after effect of having Pylori. Also my biopsy taken showed there was definitely no H. Pylori.

During this whole process I have only taken Lansoprazole during my eradication treatment (7 days) and for a separate 2 week period after my 4 week retest. When I came off the 2 week Lansoprazole my burning symptoms and reflux didn't start until about a week and a half later, making me think (and hope) that maybe my stomach was repairing but the process wasn't long enough to completely heal. The reason I stopped was in preparation for the gastroscopy.

I started to get the burning and reflux, trapped wind and a little niggle pain (very minor, top/middle left stomach area) again, I tried coconut water, chamomile tea, not drinking caffeine or milk but it didn't make much difference. Due to this stomach issue and other external stress, I started to get depressed and so visited my local Doctor, I explained my symptoms and he listened very thoroughly asking quite methodical questions, he then suggested that I should be on Lansoprazole 30mg for 4-6 weeks and the 15mg for a further 4 weeks after that to give my stomach chance to heal from the antibiotics and Pylori. He also mentioned I may need to take Lansoprazole on and off forever, this is a major concern for me, I dislike taking any medication and especially something as strong as Lansoprazole for the rest of my days. Arghhh! My mentality is not to mask an issue but to solve the underlining cause and have done with it.

I now worry I jumped the gun and self diagnosed Pylori when my stomach issue wasn't that and might of healed given some time, yes the Pylori would still be there, but I might of been one of them people it left alone!

Interesting info:


I asked my specialist gastroenterologist how do you get infected with Pylori and once it is eradicated could a person catch it again?

His answer : No you can't catch it again, not unless you infect yourself by drinking a strong broth of the stuff. We catch Pylori when we are young, around 5 years old etc and due to the low hygiene level of kids and the fact their stomach acid levels are low, it's easy for it to spread and manifest itself from that age and then, sometimes, cause a problem as an adult later in life. The bacteria wont last long outside of it's ideal environment (stomach) and would die before it could reach the stomach of an adult due to stomach acid.

I then asked, what if you're taking Lansoprazole and your acid levels are low, can the bacteria find it easier to reach your stomach?

His answer: No, there's been tests done and there's lots of people on Lansoprazole who wont catch Pylori again.

So here's my questions...

Do think the pylori and antibiotics have damaged my stomach lining and I need Lansoprazole as mentioned above for it to heal?

Could it be something else causing the stomach burning?

Does H. Pylori leave a person with ever lasting High stomach acid levels once it's been eradicated?

Is what the specialist suggests about not being re-infected for adults true?

If I meet a new partner whilst taking this Lansoprazole and they have H. pylori, could they re-infect me? My Gastroenterologist says not!


I'm a fit 25 year old male with no previous illnesses, never smoked, don't take any drugs and very rarely drink... and I mean rarely. I've started this Lansoprazole course a couple of days ago and it stops the burning and reflux symptoms, although I feel slightly stomach achy and trapped wind, maybe a side effect of the drug.

I know it's a long post but I could do with some thoughts from people who know about this annoying bacteria.

Best regards,

JD

Re: Life after Pylori... Help needed!

Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 2:05 pm
by Helico_expert
Hi,

it is true that it is harder for adult to get reinfected. This is simply because adults are more hygienic. eg. washing hands and brushing teeth. We believe that poor oral hygiene increase risk of H. pylori transmission. If you and your partner keep the mouth cleansed, the chance of catching H. pylori from mouth is almost impossible.

If you constantly share food with your domestic animal, that's another possibility of catching Helicobacter from your pets. Helicobacter is normally host specific. That's why Prof. Marshall wasnt able to find a suitable animal model last time and he has to drink the bacteria himself to make a point. But given enough exposure, it is possible for the Helicobacter from your cats and dogs to jump host.

PPI is a very safe drug. Many people take it for decades. However, long term PPI is found associated with arthritis.

It is important to confirm HP eradication after treatment. Otherwise you are only wasting time waiting for a recovery that will never come. According to the guideline, you will have to stop PPI for at least 2-4 weeks before you can do the follow up breath/stool test.