Still feel unwell after Helicobacter Pylori Treatment

Hi everybody!

I was wondering how you are feeling? I took the antibiotics at the end of November and it was a horrible experience and did not erradicate the pylori!!!! After two months I am still feeling lack of energy and legs and arms feel like they are shaking but, during the afternoon I feel better!! No 100% but at least with energy to do some cleaning and playing with my kids! It feels weird because I don't understand why mornings are horrible and afternoons are fine!! Drs don't have an answer ever! I watch my diet and avoid triggers. Rice is not good for me or salmon. It is like we are relearning to know our body. I know I get stressed just thinking this is not going away and I get anxious and sad that the symptoms are still here after two months but anxiety and stress do not help at all!!! Keep posting your experiences please. Doctors dont relate all these symptoms with h pylori and it seems they look at me like I am creating them or I have something else not related to h pylori but reading your comments assures me I am not crazy!! I told my family Dr I felt weak and he said: eat bananas, lots of bananas!! He also told me to go back in two months if i still felt like that!!! Yeah, right what should I do in the meantime! Anyways these groups gives me at least hope that what I feel will go. Ahh, I have being taking a spoon or two of manuka honey but I dont feel it has worked. I will continue taking it just because it is natural. The mastic gum did not work for me, I felt neven more nauseus! I hope you all feel better everyday. Also, stick with your diet and good eating style. I was feeling a little better and I had some chips and ohhh God, the lack of energy increased!

For those who cannot sleep, it helped me A LOT to download meditation podcasts. They help me to relax and fall asleep faster I hope they help you! I guess after thinking so much through the day about what I am feeling I developed a constant pain in my back and neck, I am trying yoga for that but I am not very patient when it has to do with exercising . I prefer walking but in this relearning to know our bodies I believe exercising will help to control anxiety!

Sandra, don't feel bad because I have the same symptoms a lot of times. I was eradicated at 4th of November 2017, tested December and even now not the best for a lot of times. It is individual what food is good or not or any sympoms can be vary but some I recognized: usually at morning feel bad and have nausea and in the evening is better. I think it is related with acid in stomach, in evening we all ate more. I also recognized if I don't eat usually 3-4 hours a day I start to be extremelly hungry then acid kills me in stomach (if I did not eat since a week I feel). Also bad for me if I eat in late evening (or 2-3 hours before sleep) and onion kills me at all. Once I ate food with onion in January and felt bad for 4-5 days after. Honey also was not good for me but rice is good and banana also good. Everything is individual. I must notice if I keep diet and eat regularly and don't stress too much I feel normal already. The problem is that I provocate my body: on Sunday I drunk a beer and even now after 2 days is not so well how was before. :-) Yeah I know what you wrote, doctors also related these problems for stress and not for H.pylori if everything was eradicated already. I know a woman who was fine after 2 years! I think doctors don't know everything about this bacteria (they discovered about 25 years ago at all) and it is so individual that they don't know a lot of things. And it is true when I stressed myself by work related things I immediatelly felt acid (what was never before H.P.). So complicated but we must keep strong. If it was not eradicated for you they will do a second course?

One thing what helped me always when I felt bad: drink green tea (or stomach tea) without sugar and walk or move.

Hi Tamas,

I am not sure if I am going for that second treatment. I cannot miss days at work and if the first treatment was awful the Dr seems to believe the second will be too. You erradicated and you still have symptoms! I am thinking about the purpose of a second treatment if there are chances it won't be erradicated and I will feel really sick with the treatment. I have read that pylori comes back and that if family is infected, the bacteria will be around for everybody to share it!! Maybe a better diet for everybody and taking natural medicines will keep it controlled but I am not sure what I will do. I am feeling 30% better than 2 months ago but as you say we have to keep strong and don't stop working to get better. If it took 2 years for your friend, oh God that is a lot of time!!! I just had chicken, potato and avocado for lunch and so far so good. My lenta and body still feel weak but not as much as this morning! We need people that do more research on a better cure for this bacteria!

I see your points. You know I was talking with several doctors, some told me that it will not come back, some said that you can get back easily this bacteria. Some said it can not be infected by kiss, some said can be. I suppose they don't know it too. A lot of times I am affraiding to get back, I reduced to eat in the city, usually eat home instead. Yes, the second treatment would be stronger this is true. You know it is individual for person, life style, diet, stress how long it pass this bacteria. My friend passed for 2 years this sickness, some other weeks, some other months. We must keep diet, strenghten immune system, avoid stress and move as much as we can. It gives me power that my friend also is healthy, even if she was suffering for long time but now she is okay. Long way but there is end of this sickness.

I see your points. You know I was talking with several doctors, some told me that it will not come back, some said that you can get back easily this bacteria. Some said it can not be infected by kiss, some said can be. I suppose they don't know it too. A lot of times I am affraiding to get back, I reduced to eat in the city, usually eat home instead. Yes, the second treatment would be stronger this is true. You know it is individual for person, life style, diet, stress how long it pass this bacteria. My friend passed for 2 years this sickness, some other weeks, some other months. We must keep diet, strenghten immune system, avoid stress and move as much as we can. It gives me power that my friend also is healthy, even if she was suffering for long time but now she is okay. Long way but there is end of this sickness.

Hi Tamas, 

I was tested on 20th Jan. and the result was negative, I feel my stomach is better now but the problem I have many other issues, I don't know if its related to H.pylori and it will all go after sometime? 

I'm always feeling nausea and fatigue, I have pain in my arms and legs, I wake up every morning feeling sick tired even after sleeping enough time. headache is almost all the day. I have pain in chest, my tongue taste always not good, and in the morning i feel dry mouth. also have dry skin since this problem started. the worst thing is the heart palpitation i feel all my body is beating. very few moments and days I feel good. I'm just wondering are all these thing because of the H.Pylori?, doctor said no and he thinks that I have some thing else, I did many other tests and all are fine.

 I have read your advices and I'm doing it but honestly I'm not feeling better. I will get crazy of this situation. 

I hope everybody here will get better soon.   

Hani, don't worry these symptoms I think from this pylori. Lot of times I  also have nausea and stomach pain. Fatigue I have no but usually it is also by pylori. My tongue is a lot of times white and dry at mornings and had skin problems also, this is typical from this bacteria.

Keep on, skin problems are gone already, this is the fastest thing is pass by, and nausea is because the stomach balance has injured and it is because of acid. Try to eat rice or anything else what keep acid and drink green tea. For example I ate it yesterday and after got better. Avoid any drinks or food what irritates your stomach, it hurst me for 3-4 days after if I do this mistake. Now if I keep diet and eat only what is not bad usually better already. It takes a lot of time to recover. I strongly believe that only matter of time and we all will be healthy again.

Thank you Tamas, but what about heart palpitation? its the most thing worries me. 

 

this makes me feel better and less worried, thanks a lot again. 

Hani,

I am glad you erradicate it with your second treatment. Can you share with me the medications you took for both treatments? I am thinking about starting a second treatment later. I don't want those HORRIBLE side effects to interfere with my job. About your symptoms, I felt those palpitations that woke me up in the middle of the nigjt, feeling my heart beat in my stomach or fingers. They were very frequent once at night and sometimes during the day. Fortunately, they have decreased after a month of finishing a treatment that did not erradicate the pylori. Drs don't relate it to the H pylori so I say it is the antibiotics but if Drs. don't know what should we believe? The good news is that they went away for me and hopefully they will for you. Do you do yoga? It helped me to control the anxiety and the palpitations. The problem is that when we desparate, feeling awful, it triggers all of these symptoms. Yesterday I tried to incorporate more carbs to my diet but it seems it increased my symptoms. Today I woke up very shaky and weak. We have to watch what we eat. Walking is said to help palpitations. I do not drink any kind of tea because my body does not react well. Each person is different so we need to try different foods and see how they are digested. I know it is so much energy we put in this process knowing that we lack of energy and on top of that we have responsibilities but!! But hopefully with time, diet and exercise we will all feel better. Please, do not forget to share the treatments you took!

I forgot that yesterday I had 4 insignificant French fries and 2 bites of salmon, that may be the reason I woke up so shaky this morning! It may not be the increase of carbs!! Anyways, just to take into account that what we eat needs to be watched for a long period of time!

French fries makes bad, I suppose it caused problems for you. I did not try yet. :-)

heart palpitations I never had but i read that some people had

Thank you Sandra, 

first of all I'm allergic to penicillin, so the first treatment was 3 antibiotics: 

1- clarithromycin,

2- metronidazole

3- and  ciprofloxacin.

with PPI for one month. to be honest I was not taking the medicines as instructed and I stopped one of them due to the strong side effects. 

After the PPI by 2 weeks I had an endscopy and the result was positive for H.Pylori.

SO the doctor gave me the following meds: 

1- clarithromycin, 

2- metronidazole

3- and  LEVOFLOXACIN. 

with ppi for one month. 

I was worried because after finishing the treatment i'm still feeling unwell. but the test was negative.

and here everybody says its normal and we will get better one day. 

Doctors don'r help much in the real symptoms and the side effects of the whole thing of HP. 

my worries reduced when found this forum. 

Be strong and go for the second treatment, this HP must leave the body. 

Hello I was really ill on all of the antibiotics and omeprazole which is bad for you anyway!(reports show that ppis are linked to premature death July 2017) keep that in mind. I had to go to phone an ambulance I was really ill and this was back in December still do not feel 100% and I have done the stool test for h. Plyori to find out that I did it too early 10 weeks after not 6 weeks so now I have to retest again in a week so been taking mastic gum and then my doctor is now worried that if it’s not been iraddicated how we will treat it? 

Zantac and antacids with herbal supplements is the way to go! Not ppis 

Hi Sandra,

The recovery is indeed very long. Everyone I talked to did recover but during a long period of time. I have found the foods that dob't feel heavy. Basmatic Rice, whole wheat pasta, avocado, whole wheat bread, soups...lots of them, carrots cream soup, low fat feta cheese. Not bananas. Weirdly enough, despite the fact that they are a natural protection for your stimach, they are not recomended. Apples help me. And if you eat fat, poliunsaturated fats are the best option. I received an advice regarding reintroducing new aliments. If today I eat something new, i will eat it again in 2 or 3 days and the portion should be smaller than usual. And i have to say it works. Small portion, sometimea just a bite...next time i feel better when i try it again in a larger portion. My stomach still feels heavy when I exagerate with food quantity or quality but after 15 min i start to feel better. And yes, mornings are worse than the afternoons and evenings. Can't explain why...perhaps the chlorhidric acid is higher in the morning and there is no food to absorb it. Also green tea makes me feel nauseaus. I searched and itvis because of the caffeine which raises acidity. So i am sticking to water testing non caffeine teas. All this is after a month since i finished treatment. I think it all resumes to testing food. It is exhausting sometimes and I feel exactly as you said...it's like i am learning how to eat again and because of anxiety i had to learn how to listen to my body all over again and trust it. I too thought I was going crazy. I wish you all the best and a fast recovery. It is not a friendly bacteria, one dr. told me that it is but it can be destroyed and your body will help you recover.

here in the uk you have two antibiotics and a ppis. The first week did not work I had amoxicillin and metronidazole and omezprazole. Now I’m back amoxicillin and clathmycin and lansoprazole for 2 weeks then I’m going back ranitidine because ppis don’t agree with me ordered jarrows mastic gum aswell and manuka honey in capsules.

Thank you Rakada. I think what is killing me is the anxiety!!! It produces me anxiety thinking about my anxiety! Please, don't stop sharing your experiences. It keeps me sane knowing other people feel better. I will see the gastro tomorrow but I know he does not have a solution for me. At least we will keep eating healthy which will offer us more benefits long tetm!!

Hi Hani

I'm the exact same as you, a "copy" of you, same feel and doctors thought that there was definitely something else and I did so many tests and all tests are negative. I had H. pylori two and a half years ago, took the medicine and it's now negative but I feel horrible.  I don't have any stomach problems just horrible fatigue, weakness, and mu head feels very tight always and always a headache.  My symptoms are all below

My symptoms are : Nausea, no vomiting, flulike symptoms but without a fever or aches (sick like feel as far as headaches and run down as if I’m coming down with something---this is constant and it starts about ½ hour after I wake up), tissue/muscle loss, head feels very tight , heart palpitations, hoarseness in voice (comes and goes), muscle spasms.  It is very hard to live life like this , I have been living like this for 2 and a half years.  Please help if anyone had the exact same symptoms and didn't find a solution

I had 3 endoscopies and all negative for H. pylori an MRI with contrast of the abdomen, ct with contrast of the brain, ct with contrast enterography of the abdomen, ultrasound, gall scan, Liver Fibro scan, stomach empty study, esophageal manometry motility study, allergy tests, echocardiogram, stress test, nerve study test. All symptoms started around

Hi,

I have all these symptoms: the fatigue, feeling weak and the palpitations. I do believe the H pylori and the antibiotics triggered them but they are more related to anxiety. I have started a process of giving my mind a different message about the way I feel and I am trying to be less negative. I don't say it is easy but when I started to feel better although the symptoms have not disappeared completely. I also try to do yoga and acupuncture and a good diet. I started reading about mindfulness and meditation and I am trying to keep positive. However there are moments where they come back with revenge and it is when I go through stressful situations at work. That os why I say these symptoms have a lot to do with anxiety. I hope you feel better. It is horrible to feel like that. For me it has been 5 months and I cannot even imagine feeling like this for more than two years.

In terms of my stomach, I have mild heartburn but I take good care of what I eat. No sugars, no pastry, no milk. It is really important to learn to know your body. It is a long process and it creates more anxiety but we can do it and feel better.

Hi Sandra, 

You're right a lot can have much to do with anxiety, i have been reading books on how to be more positive and changed the mind away from anxiety it has helped I still have a long way to go but I can say that it has helped. After the treatment for H. Pylori I developed allergies really bad though which I was told more than likely could have been from the toll the antibiotics took on my immune system. I now have an inhaler cause the allergies were making it difficult to breathe, and that would trigger my anxiety for sure. But getting better and apparently my vitamins are almost non existent that is Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D which could have caused the shortness of breath as well. Just wanted to post this in case it can help someone else, this does not only mess with your digestive system but with the stomach unhealthy the whole body can be compromised. 

Guys, anxiety really makes us worse. I had a stressful period and lost my job now (I think this sickness had a big role on it), the last week in my work was very stressful and I felt acid and stomach pain. All of these is out of my life since a week and my stomach is very good now. No stress, feel better. As I closed out the stress, my symptoms lost its power. I did not think how big role is the stress on our statement. Please try to close out stress, do meditation - it really helps. Take care.

Hi,

I just wanted to share what I have been doing in the last two weeks. Since I am feeling weak and shaky and the nausea is still here I look on line and try whatever is offered as long as it is natural and can be done at home. I read about the low FODMAN diet (my gastro recommended it a while ago but he did not really gave me any kind of guidance) and started the elimination diet. Before I was eating lots of food that were high FODMAN so I eliminated those. It was hard because they were healthy foods I enjoy but I did eliminate them . it turns out the weakness and feeling shaky got better, it was only a week so I guess I can feel much better with more time. Three days ago these symptoms reappeared but I am not sure if it is because I had a couple of foods that are high in fodman or because an stressful situation at work or a combination of both. My problem is that when I feel anxious I want to eat more and more and I did it without watching the ingredients. I will continue with the elimination fodman diet and see if the symptoms start getting better again. I hope it works! Good luck for everybody!!! Question, does anyone have back pain? That is one thing I have had for the last two weeks . it could be related to the stomach as well or the anxiety or both but I have tried several things such as yoga that helps but momentarily. Thanks everybody for sharing your experiences!

Back pain I never had at all, but I read lot of people suffer from it. On Sunday I ate a muffin with poppy seads and stomach pain returned. It kept for 3 days...I did everything to calm it down, only today is better.. I believed that after 5 months I heal but not yet. Needs time and very big focus on diet....otherwise I felt okay for 2 months and tried many food. Probably this muffin or poppy seads did not help me.