RZR
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 20953
posted
GI doctor does not think it is my gallbladder or hiatal hernia.
I am 99% sure I have H. pylori because I have suffered with it before. My PCP agreed to treat me for it 2 months ago, but never tested for it. I felt relief in 3 days and completely well when the 14-day prev-pack was finished. However, symptoms came back within a couple of weeks.
I can't get a positive H. pylori test because I have been taking pepto bismol in order to survive. Before the upper scope, I had finished the Prev-pak 2 weeks before. GI doc did not test for H. pylori because I had taken the meds.
Both GI doc and PCP are not listening to me. GI doc scheduled me for a gastric emptying test and put me on a PPI, which is making me 100 times worse.
Should I try mastic gum or try to stay off everything for a month to try to get a positive H. pylori test? I have never been more miserable.
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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surprise
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34987
posted
While waiting for the follow up visit/ results from an endoscopy, I convinced myself I had H Pylori and read a lot about it.
It is common, and can certainly wreak havoc. I ended up not having it, but I did take Mastic gum daily for about 3 weeks- nothing happened,
so even if you don't have it, no harm no foul. If you do, you could have some die off, but from what I read, not as brutal as the multiple antibiotic therapy.
It really seemed to be effective/ eradicate for a percentage of people. There was a forum (of course) I found that had a lot of info about H Pylori and mastic/ other treatments.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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Judie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38323
posted
Can you get a blood test for h. pylori?
That's how I tested positive when my stool test was negative.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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surprise
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34987
posted
Once you have it, your blood test will always come back positive.
So if you've never tested for it, or had it, blood test might work in that situation.
The breath test indicates you need to be off Pepto Bismal and antibiotics for 4 weeks.
Or, a stool test, or an endoscopy and biopsies/ tissue samples sent to lab.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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Judie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38323
posted
For a blood test, wouldn't it depend on the titers for if it's an active infection (like when you're dealing with viruses)?
That's how I was tested when my stool test was negative. My blood titers were crazy high so we treated and I did better afterwards.
Posts: 2839 | From California | Registered: Jul 2012
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surprise
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 34987
posted
I could be wrong, but everything I read said once you have H Pylori, the blood test will always say positive-
Looks like it's only an IgG titer test, can take a long time for those to go down, won't indicate whether infection is active.
-------------------- Lyme positive PCR blood, and positive Bartonella henselae Igenex, 2011. low positive Fry biofilm test, 2012. Update 7/16- After extensive treatments, doing okay! Posts: 2518 | From USA | Registered: Nov 2011
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