Anyone ever diagnosed with H. Pylori?

[Paul_N]

I had an upper endescope(sp) performed about 2 weeks ago and recieved word a few days ago, that I have H. Pylori. From what I understand, it's a bacteria in the stomach wall and can cause an ulcer. I've had stomach pains on and off over the years and managed to get around it with over the counter meds. like Rolaids or what have you.

I now have a prescription to take for the next 14 days. It's a 16 pill a day regimine and is supposed to get rid of the bacteria. Seems like it might be a pain in the rear to do, with the directions as to when and what I can eat over the next 2 weeks.

Curious if anyone else has ever been diagnosed and treated for this. According to my general and cardio doctors, taking this treatment won't have any effects on my heart or the procedure I had in 2003.

 

[hensylee]

my daughter had it last year (she's not a heart patient). She had horrible abdominal pains and we took her to ER twice before they finally dxed it - her pains were unbearable. First hospital visit she was hospitalized. Second time (two days after getting out of the hospital) we took her to a different and better hospital ER. She took the regimen of pills, like you. It was a packet of pills - all in one package. It wasn't too bad for her and she's not had anything further regarding her stomach.

 

[Marguerite53]

I would absolutely take the medicine and follow the directions so that you don't have to do it again! I came back from and African Safari with some nasties and had an endoscopy. They did find some kind of bacteria, but I don't think it was exactly h.pylori, still, because of the recent trip, they treated me. I noticed a marked improvement in my gastro habits.

Think about it. Do you really want some bacteria lying around in your stomach having a party day after day? NO, of course not. It's gotta be pretty nasty to survive in your stomach!!! Yechh! Be done with it!

Remember to put some yoghurt into your diet after you've finished the antibiotics to help reproduce the good bacteria back into your stomach.

Marguerite

 

[Kathy Canistro]

h pylori

h pylori

Hi my mom was found to have that bacteria after her bypass surgery and antibiotics were ordered, The doctors never could decide if she had it before the surgery, she was uncomfortable and thought it was just due to the surgery and she put up with the pain for several months before a blood test showed the h-pylori bacteria. She is fine now

Kathy

 

[tobagotwo]

I suspect that valve patients have a higher risk of helicobacter pylori or some of the similar unfriendly bacteria due to the use of preventative antiibiotics.

The happy bacteria that help us digest milk and all the other things we consume are quite susceptible to antibiotics. When their numbers get knocked down, less susceptible bacteria get a chance to colonize in their place.

Best wishes,

 

[Guest]

*raises eyebrow*

Wow....I wonder if I have this.... None of the 3 docs (my PCP, the gastro guy, or the gallbladder surgeon) mentioned it as a possibility....

No, instead my gallbladder was removed.

I wonder....

*rolls eyes*

Wouldn't that just beat all? If I have THIS instead of gallbladder problems? Though, I was told the gallbladder had stones and "gunk" in it....

Hmmmm...aye.



Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"It's coming down to nothing more than apathy" ... The Fray ... 'Over My Head'

 

[bvdr]

Do take the medications. Ulcers are no fun to deal with at all. It really is such an easy fix for such a potential mess. I had problems with a bleeding ulcer and went through the balancing act of bleeding/clotting/coumadin and it is no fun. Because it is such a high probability that H.Pylori is involved, many times they just treat as if it were without the test ever even done. You have the positive test result and by all means treat it.

I had my MVR in 2003 and my ulcer problems in early 2005. I would be more concerned about not treating it than I would about taking the medications.

 

[tobagotwo]

Hopefully, my post didn't send the message that you shouldn't take the prescription antibiotics. There's no other way to get rid of these resistant bacteria that I know of.

What I was indicating is that you probably have a fair amount of unknowing company here at VR.com. If unusual stomach problems start to show up, it's a good place to start looking.

By all means, follow the prescribed instructions, as Betty said.

Best wishes,

 

[hensylee]

Cort, you gonna get checked for it? When my daughter was in one of the ERs, the dr did some testing and he said her stomach had the bug in it but I don't know what he did to find out. They took her off to somewhere else and we didn't see what was done. It wasn't a bad thing, tho. She was in so much pain that they had to medicate her for it in both hospitals.

Might not hurt to have a check.

 

[Guest]

*nods*

Yep, I'm asking about it. I called the surgeon ... and the gastro guy today. The gastro guy won't be back until Tuesday ... so the surgeon has to write the note for work, if he will, that is. The surgeon didn't call me back yet .

In the meantime, I had to come home early again today because I couldn't take it..... Course, I'm beginning to wonder if these issues I'm having are related to work stress...we'll see...aye.


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"A heart that's hopeful" ... Michael W Smith ... 'Place In This World'

 

[Paul_N]

Wanted to thank all of you for your replies. I'm now on day three of taking the med's with 11 days to go. I haven't experienced any of the advertised side effects, like the metallic taste. Chewing the 2 pink pills before taking the other 2 pills is starting to get old, but if this helps eliminate the pains, it isn't a big deal and will be worth it.

Cort - When I had the scope done, the biopsy was some what inconclusive. That's because the Nexium masked it a bit. A follow up blood draw confirmed the suspicion though. From what I understand, 2 weeks after being off the treatment, they will have me back inn the office and perform a breath test to confirm if the treatment worked or not.

 

[Guest]

Paul,

They never scoped/biopsied me. All they did were blood tests (galore), a CT scan, Xrays, and a hydascan. Then, I saw a surgeon ... and was in getting the gallbladder removed.

*sighs*

Course, at this point, I'm wondering if this is all "in my head" ... and just a reaction to my current job situation (hate the job)....

*shrugs*

 

[jkn2kids]

I have had H Pylori twice within a 6 year period.Each time the antibiotics got rid of the bacteria.I had my blood drawn after the course of antibiotics each time to make sure it was gone for good.I haven't had any problems for other 5 years.The H Pylori caused me to have a lot of gurgling and pain in my stomach.It was easy to realize the second time around that I had it again due to the same symptoms.Good luck getting rid of that nasty bacterial infection.The drugs should do the trick.

 

[tobagotwo]

So, I don't understand how they are testing for H. pylori and Friends...does it require the endoscopy, or just a blood test, or some kind of breath test?

Curious,

 

[jkn2kids]

A simple blood test is all that's needed to detect H Pylori.

 

[tobagotwo]

A blood test! All right! Beats the heck out of letting a gastro guy snake my innards and snip out a few shards of stomach for the sake of his curiosity and his bamk account.

There's another nasty intestinal bacteria I read about recently, creating a similar problem, but I lost the article.

My last round of antibiotics for dental cleaning left me horribly, painfully lactose intolerant. I've been taking probiotics (bacteria in a capsule) to try to take my insides back from whatever was colonizing in the good bugs' place. Yogurt is nowhere near enough. Over the course of two months, I can now eat dairy again without lactase tablets. So I know some of them have made good.

The first time that happened to me, I was in so much pain, I actually went to the emergency room in the belief that I must have appendicitis. They found nothing, and sent me home. It didn't stop the pain, though. I'd much rather have heart surgery again.

I'm not so confident that the returning good bugs will completely out-compete the bad bugs, though. Because of that, I'm looking to get a shot at getting them diagnosed and destroyed. Hopefully, without developing a lifelong relationship with another medical specialty. Maybe a blood test from my GP can help that happen.

Thank you,

 

[hensylee]

when they first began talking about H Pylori, they said all you had to do was breathe into a tube and it could be detected. Course they can't charge much for your breath, can they? Daughter's was dxed via blood, I guess. But they did all sorts of xrays and other tests in the back rooms of the hospital. Got their $. But she got the cure and that's what counts.