Issues after H.pylori treatment

Hi @mary0thomas, I wanted to take a moment and welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for joining. I'd like to tag a few people to join your conversation about H. pylori and the effects of antibiotics in the body and digestive issues. @guthealth, @oldkarl, @nova1976, @lateacher, @astaingegerdm, @saucy, and @haighsue. Not all have had H. Pylori, but they have all suffered similar digestive issues.

Mayo Clinic's, Amy S. Oxentenko, M.D., has a very interesting video presentation on the topic of H Pylori. Here is the link to this video presentation,
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/newsfeed-post/h-pylori-present-management-future-therapies/
There are also some other conversations about H. Pylori that have since died down a little, but you might want to take a gander at them to see if there is any helpful information. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hpylori-bacteria/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/h-pylori-infection/
I had a very similar experience with food after a stomach surgery that I had. Some days I can eat certain things and other days that same item will make me very sick. Do you have this issue? Can you occasionally eat something that you normally could not?

Mary, I did not have your particular issue, but you can read about mine if you click on my link in the moderator's reply to you. I had taken at least 3 different antibiotics in rotation and it was not helping my IBS issues at all. I finally got an appointment with an excellent GI doctor's P.A. and long story short, she put me on 30 days of Xifaxan for small intestinal bacteria overgrowth, and that worked. I do follow a pretty strict diet. I think you need the best GI doctor you can find in your area. You are so young. You want to get this condition cleared up if at all possible. Amanda, the moderator, has given you some excellent links from the Mayo Clinic. I wish you the very best.

Thank you for your really helpful response Amanda. To your question at the end I’d like to say sort of. Sometimes a food will give me dis-pleasantness but it may be manageable enough in a social setting. Other times I may eat very little of the food and within ten minutes I will be experiencing the severe symptoms and using the restroom around five times until my system calms down. It has made the issue of trial and error with learning which foods to avoid much harder. Out of the twenty horrible experiences with food, there will be the four manageable ones that I’ll have that make me want to risk it. It’s difficult being a college student and avoiding so much of the foods that are commonly had. I did research about the after affects of the antibiotics I had and it said that the symptoms varied because there was still research being done. There was sufficient enough evidence to imply that a loss of tolerance to different kinds of foods was possible and reported by some patients, but there was nothing conclusive that I could find. My concern is that my follow up wasn’t really in depth and didn’t give me any information concerning h.pylori and any kind of expectations and care. There was only one follow up and I assume that the doctor assumed that my continued pain and inability to eat certain foods was due to the medication. It’s been so long though now and I am still experiencing the issues that have come after taking the medication. I don’t know if this implies that I need a different perspective from another doctor, or that I just need a dietician visit. The doctor had shown no concern for a regrowth of the h.pylori despite the doctors from the colonoscopy saying that I’ve had the infection for a long time and that they were shocked that I didn’t come in sooner. I also had a herniated disk and a full line back fracture at the time that took a year to diagnose and I played collegiate sports throughout that time (unaware). I basically state this to say that I have a rather high pain tolerance and a horrible sense of knowing when to go to the doctor.

I had IBS with a twist!
Same symptoms but my Gastroenterologist
[at my P.A. , registered dietician daughter’s suggestion]
agreed to test me for Celiac disease.

I was allergic to wheat!
I have been wheat free and symptom free for several years.

I do not know if we can name a book on line but
CELIAC FOR DUMMIES was extremely helpful with a lot of information about gluten sensitivity. What to eat, what not to eat.

P.S. there are not many antibiotics that my gut likes.
My Doc always says ... let’s try this one!
Thank goodness, my need for antibiotics has decreased greatly.

Hello, I'd just like to report that it has taken three years and one capsule endoscopy later, but I've been diagnosed with Chrons Disease. I took myself more seriously when I noticed oil in my stools and noticed that it's from malabsorption which is not a symptom of IBS. I still haven't been able to gain any weight since falling ill three years ago, which is keeping me at 130-135lbs for a female who is 6'1 and turning 20.

@mary0thomas, I'm glad that you have a diagnosis. You may wish to join these discussions related to Crohn's disease:
– Crohn’s treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/crohns-treatment/
- Difficulty Gaining Weight After Surgery for Crohn's Disease https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/gaining-weight-1/

Hi all,

I had dyspepsia, went to my primary care doctor, who diagnosed me with H.Pylori. I completed full course of antibiotics (quadruple therapy) and had repeat testing, which confirmed eradication. However, intermittently, I still get recurrence of the dyspepsia. Anyone else have these symptoms? Anyone have identified ways to prevent recurrence or alleviate the discomfort when it recurs. I have never had heartburn

Welcome @sheep. To help you connect with other members who had issues after treating H. Pylori, I moved your question to this existing discussion:
- Issues after H.pylori treatment https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/issues-after-h-pylori-treatment/

I'm tagging fellow members like @wauchopebruce @kidprodigy @calbert @riflemanz64 @bkarateew @lon @chrioli @mary0thomas @lateacher who may have some suggestions regarding persistent pain and dyspepsia or upset stomach.

Sheep, have you started a journal or taking note of when these bouts of dyspepsia occur? Are there any food or activity triggers?

After 3 treatments for H Pylori over 2.5 years I think I may be finally free of the bug! fingers crossed

History
June 2020 - acidity symptoms started
Oct 2020 - 1st Endoscopy - No inflammation only Helicobacter via CLO test. 7 days amoxicillin, clarithromycin and pantoprazole treatment
Jan 2021 - no improvement so did another 7 days treatment with Metronidazole amoxicillin and Omeprazole
Jan 2021 - Ultrasound and CT scan show all ok for liver, pancreas and gall bladder and kidneys
March 2021 - Stool test negative for Helicobacter
May 2021 - Stool test negative for Helicobacter
July 21 to Dec 21 - minimal symptoms
Jan 22 - Symptoms returned'
Feb 22 - Stool test negative for Helicobacter
Jul 22 - Breath test negative for Helicobacter

Sep 22 - 2nd Endoscopy - Mild Chronic Gastritis and helicobacter seen in Histology

Oct 22- Did 14 days treatment with amoxicillin, Levofloxacin and Dexilant

Nov 22 - March 23 - Symptoms on and off and sometimes very instense

March 23 - 3rd Endoscopy - No Helicobacter seen in Histology only Mild Chronic Inactive Gastritis and LAX LES. No other issues found.

March 23 - CLO test negative and breath test also negative for Helicobacter

Current status
Symptoms - Mainly pain in the upper middle abdominal especially on empty stomach. Sometimes Mild hearburn

The strange thing is I could go for days or if lucky a couple of weeks with no symptoms but something I ate or was bit stressed at workplace and I get flare ups which then lasts for days before calming.

have been on PPI for over 6 months now. Was on pantoprazole 40mg a day but currently on pantoprazole 20mg a day in the morning.

Over 3 years i have tried Omeprazole. Dexilant and now pantoprazole

Hopefully I am free of Helicobacter but my questions are:

1. Has H Pylori messed up my natural acid secretion system such that any change in diet or stress the stomach produces too much acid which then prevents the chronic gastritis from healing? I can sometimes go for weeks without any major digestive symptoms but it always come back if I had something to eat or go through a stressful period at work. When symptoms starts it usually takes a couple of weeks, with the help of PPI and Gaviscon, to calm down

2. Have you seen in people with Mild Chronic Gastritis persisting for a long term post successful helicobacter eradication?

3. Other than PPI what can I use to protect my damaged stomach lining from acid? Are there any medication that would provide quoting for the stomach? Would stomach emptying medication help?

4.Can the inactive chronic gastritis cause so much pain and discomfort?

5. Can stress cause chronic inactive gastritis and h pylori was just a red herring?

Information from.experts and those in similar circumstances would be very helpful