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helicobacter pylori completed one week triple therapy still feeling bad or even worse?

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rocco60618
rocco60618

found out that i tested positive for h pylori last monday, after experiencing chronic discomfofrt & bloating in my stomach and frequent bowel movements which was controlling my life. Been doing research online and found that not a lot of people actually recover from having the first course of antiobiotics. I finished the course last night, is it normal to feel so terrible, i felt better when i was taking the antiobiotics it cleared my constant cough but now im getting the symptoms back already its not even been 12 hours, is it me just being anxious or should i wait it out. Docter said i couldnt have another test for 3 weeks and im supposed to be going away on hoilday with uni in 2 weeks time i dont want to feel the way i do now, no energy lack of apetite sickess with all the current symptoms. Its just making me really depressed, i want this nasty bug out of my system so i can feel normal again i know it wll take time, thats the thing that bothers me, i dont want to be in constant sickness & discomfort. 

Would appreciate some advice of people who have controlled it or eradicated it what you take to surpress symptoms. 

Thankyou

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • derek58875
    derek58875 rocco60618

    Posted

    I'm sorry to hear about your contuing poorliness. And some people suffer the side effects of the treatment more than others. But at least the antibiotics got rid of the cough and the H P test - although not indicating where the damage has been caused - has shown you what is at the heart of the problem.

    But I'm very surprised that your research has shown a poor level of successful outcomes.

    There has been a great deal of research into this question. At the 1990 International Congress on Gastroenterology much of the treatment then being used was shown to be of the low order of 56%.

    However since then the varous menus of treatment have given an efficacy of up to 96%.

    It would be interesting to know which therapy you have been receiving.

    There are three.

    1. bismuth subcitrate 1 tablet qid; (four times a day)

    2. tetracycline HCl 500mg qid;

    3. metronidazole 250mg qid or 400-500mg tds.

    This is a 14 day therapy - it is cheap - and is now normally only used in Third World countries. It has the lowest rate of efficacy at something better than 80%.

    The so called Boer therapy

    1. omeprazole 20 mg bid (there is evidence other PPIs work equally); (twice a day)

    2. bismuth subcitrate 1 tablet qid; (four times a day)

    3. tetracycline HCl 500mg qid;

    4. metronidazole 500mg tds. (three times a day)

    More expensive. Normally a seven day treatment. Research shows a better than 90% efficacy.

    The Bazzoli Therapy

    1. omeprazole 20mg bid(other PPIs work equally);

    2. tinidazole 500mg bid;

    3. clarithromycin 250mg bid.

    Clarithromycin is the expensive ingredient. A 7 day treatment. This therapy is the only one used in Germany today and has an efficacy of up to 96%

    (Let's hope that this is the one that the GP gave you)

    Best wishes

    Rick

  • rocco60618
    rocco60618

    Posted

    hey derek58875 thanks for the reply i was put on amaoxicillin and metronidazole 2 pills a day for 7 days while taking one omeprrezole once a day. i do hope some sympyoms subside a bit feeling so sluggish and lost motivation to do things for myself.
    • derek58875
      derek58875 rocco60618

      Posted

      Hi

      I'd replied to yours but is seems to have got lost in the ether. I said it was a pity you didn't get the Gold Standard treatment and I wondered where your GP got that particular therapy from.

      That middle course therapy required Bismuth Subcitrate and although I know that a PPI is often prescribed as once per day, it is not the norm for H.p therapy. And I personally don't think it's enough to prevent acidity over a 24 hour period.

    • derek58875
      derek58875

      Posted

      PS  Keep your spirits up. Stomach ulcers are a nasty draining business.

      But you will get over it. And please do get plenty of rest and a good sleep.

      And please please don't tell me you are smoking.

    • rocco60618
      rocco60618 derek58875

      Posted

      Hey rick

      Went to the GP again today told them i was feeling worse after i finished the course of antibiotics and told me the treatment probaley killed the bacteria and that it is normal to feel bad again after you finished the course, The only concern is that i was given 1 omprezole instead of two when i was on the triple therapy. Ive been prescribed 2 omeprezole a day for 2 weeks hopefullly it will give me some relief thats all i want to not feel the heavyness in my stomach anymore. im gonna combine it would natural remedy's that i hear being successful for others like mastic gum, probiotics etc in order to heal. Do you have any knowledge on the best natural supplements you can take to give you some relif in the day it would be much appreciated can you take them in conjunction with the antacids? 

    • derek58875
      derek58875 rocco60618

      Posted

      Hi rocco

      It's a pity your GP has come in late with the two PPIs per day. Take the second one late on to counteract overnight acidity on an empty stomach.

      If omeprozole doesn't do to well for you you might try ringing the PPI changes. I started with omeprozole - found that Ranitidine gave me a better result and then felt that Cimetidine was best of all of them. It's a question of what suits you. I think that GPs think that one PPI is as good as another. They are wrong.

      But you should avoid being on PPIs for ever. There can be some long term downsides.

      If I feel that I'm in for a long term bout of acidity I will turn to PPIs. Or if I'm going to an alcoholic party - or travelling or going on holiday - the same applies. And they are a must if I need to take an NSAID painkiller - Ibuprofen, Aspirin and the like.

      I personally get immediate relief from pain by taking an antacid and I swear by Boots - Calcium Carbonate Tablets. It's my feeling that you can take these forever without side effects and I always have a strip in my pocket and another by the bedside for middle of the night pain.. You are not supposed to take an antacid at the same time as a PPI because you do need some acid in your stomach. But hard experience tells me that pain equals damage - and I've had my operations. A PPi takes some time to be absorbed into the system - Calcium Carbonate counteracts Acidity immediately.

      As far as diet is concerned we've talked about steering clear of the frying pan, acidic fruit juices and the like and getting plenty of steamed vegetables. I'm pretty sure that starting the day with milky porridge is good for the digestive system. We've also mentioned a pre breakfast probiotic and some natural Yoghurt. Baked or steamed fish (salmon is best) three time a week is good. If you look online you will find a list of foods which supposedly give rise to a more alkaline system. I don't know if they work. I haven't tried them. There is a suggestion that people from the Indian Continent don't suffer the digestive problems that we do - and that it is the result of them eating curry every day. So herbalists suggest a tablet or two of Capsicum per day. It may be all in my mind but I have a fairly strong feeling that it has helped. Incidentally, I never call it Capsicum but for a second I have a mental block on its more common name. It will come to me when I sign off and I will get back.

    • derek58875
      derek58875

      Posted

      I buy Turmeric - and it's Circumin not Capsicum (sorry) - 10000 mgms from Amazon. A lot of people are suggesting one tablet three times per week. It's amazing how many are swearing by its its anti inflammatory effects.

      I feel it's doing me good - but I am not able to recommend it.

      Rick

  • suzanne69835
    suzanne69835 rocco60618

    Posted

    Hi I have had stomach ulcers for ten weeks now, I am still waiting to find out whether it is helibactor piloris, but the pain, and nausea I seem to have partially controlled with silica gel, you take that three times a day with water, probiotics, and lansoprazole. The tiredness is still there, so I would say plenty of rest, eating plenty of rest, but also walking helps, eating regularly, I have cut out all fats, red meat and sugar, so a bland diet, when the pain comes I use a teaspoon of slippery elm, but I have been told that 1000mg mastic gum per day, 1 capsule (500) in the morning, and one in the evening for 30 days every six months will keep the bug at bay. So if mine is that, then I will do that, as the bug can come back at any time. I wish u good luck, and warn u that it is a very long process, I also have had a holiday last week, and managed with a light diet, no alcohol, just water, boring, but necessary, this weekend is my first pain free weekend, so I am getting there, but have been told it can come back at any time, so it is life changes really.
    • rocco60618
      rocco60618 suzanne69835

      Posted

      Hey suzanne69835 thanks for the answer, i heard about mastic gum gonna give that a try & ill look into the silica gel, might also need to stay on the omeprezole for a while? Diet is deffinatley gonna be my biggest struggle but id give anything not to feel this way anymore. I heard ginger tea & peppermint tea and cranberry juice are quite good also is it safe drinking tap water anymore? theres so many things to think about can i carry on eating white bread & pasta or should i switch to wholegrain wheat. My previous diet before knowing that fact i had h pylori was White breads, pasta all the good tasting carbs pastry, cheese, LOVE red meat, fried food , salty good, fatty foods, cured meat not enough vegetables or fruits sugary foods like cakes and biscuits and all the food stuff. But all of that is going to have to stop everyone is different and people have different tolerance levels. I've probaley not been doing myself any favours over the years by eating a high carb/high fat/sugary diet i always used to eat out or on the go at uni but i cant do that anymore. I can cut refined sugars and carbs/salty/acidic foods, but ill struggle with the white bread and pasta as im italian and have been brought up with it. Its gonna be a hard road but you have to do what you have to do its just taking baby steps with it all i guess? Good luck to you suzanne thanks for the comment again!
    • derek58875
      derek58875 suzanne69835

      Posted

      Hi Suzanne

      Interesting. I'm sure you've got the diet right particularly the probiotics (and Yoghurt for the same reason).

      And though it's not a time when you feel like it, I'm pretty certain that exercise helps too.

      Yes alcohol is damaging and of course smoking is the real killer as far as stomach ulcers are concerned.

      I'm intrigued to know why you think you've got stomach ulcers - particularly when you've not had an H. pylori test. And why you haven't been given such a simple test prior to embarking on treatment.

      Rick

    • suzanne69835
      suzanne69835 derek58875

      Posted

      Hi Rick

      Thank you for your input.

      my nan had stomach ulcers and passed with stomach cancer. My dad had ulcers also, I was diagnosed with gastritis five years ago, and took a course of lansoprazole. But the pain was nowhere near as bad as this time, I took nurophen for nine days for a toothache, didn't think that they would cause such a problem. I managed to get a doctors appointment five weeks ago, she said that's what it sounds like, sent me away with lansoprazole, and told to give it a month, so five weeks on I am now waiting for an endoscopy, I have done a LOT of research, and with my rusty nursing experience, have managed to treat myself, to be honest, it has been a case of doing so, apart from admitting myself into hospital, at crisis point, there was no other course of action. To be honest, I put myself on diet, and lansoprazole, to begin with.The doctor said I have done the right thing, just need proper diagnosis now, to begin the next course of action, I am so scared it will come back, I am frighten to eat or drink anything too acidic.

      best wishes

      Suzanne

    • derek58875
      derek58875 rocco60618

      Posted

      Well you made me laugh out loud.

      That's some diet you've been enjoying.

      Tap water is fine. Wouldn't suggest Cranberry Juice - good for bladder infections.

      Cut out fried foods. Limit the red meat a little. Cut the sugar and the salt.

      You know your diet's not good but I don't think this is the time for you to make wholesale changes. For you it's a lifestyle issue.

      But you should join the Mediterraneans in terms of vegetables right now.

      Broccoli, Spinach and Kale are wonder foods and Cabbage is good for the digestive system. Steam them. Don't boil the goodness out of them.

       

    • derek58875
      derek58875 suzanne69835

      Posted

      Hi Suzanne

      Your training and family history seems to have put you on a good short term path.

      Stomach Cancers are more likely to occur following Gastric Ulcers than is usually the case with Duodenal Ulcers.

      The problem of course is that H.pylori is passed down throughout whole families. Our babies do need their kisses and mums will taste food before using the spoon for the little ones. And let's face it, with all the science at their dispsal, the finding of the H. pylori bacterium is of fairly recent origin.

      I'm afraid the Neurophen did not help at all. Although it is possible to take an NSAID with a twice a day PPI without creating damage.

      You mentioned the question of crises.

      I am sure you will know that vomiting brown coffee like stains or passing tarry stools are signs of bleeding and will require immediate attention.

      I agree, in your case. it would be surprising if you didn't have H pylori.

      If it is the case try to get your GP to give you the little bit more expensive Gold Standard therapy.

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