Worried about my H.Plyori testing

[james2183]

Started to get bad stomach ache at the end of last year along with some loose stools. After a few doctors appointments (involving blood tests and stool tests) I was diagnosed with h.pylori through a breath test and given a weeks worth of antibiotics and 3 weeks worth of PPIs. Upon taking these my stomach felt better until about a week or so after stopping them, then my stomach ache began to return. Went back to the doctors around 3 weeks later where they prescribed me more PPIs – once again stopping the pain until a week or so after finishing them before beginning to return. I returned (again) to the doctors, demanding more answers as the pain this time has started to appear in the back and a little further up, where they told me I should have been retested for plyori, but because I had been on PPIs I had to wait a month before I could be tested – in the meantime prescribing me ranitidine to cope with the pain and one that doesn’t interfere the test. The only plus side is that my stools have gone back to normal.

I had my retest done last week, but have to wait another week for the results. However, over the past 24 hours my stomach has been pretty bad – lots of aching and throbbing just below the left ribs which has been discomforting when sitting or stretching. With this going on for so long my anxiety has got really high as I’m worried it’s something really bad – like stomach cancer.

My questions:
Wouldn’t my blood tests have picked up on h plyori before the breath test?
Can you get a false positive for h.plyori?
Don’t the large majority of people on the planet have h.plyori, so could these symptoms and tests be hiding something more serious like SC instead?
If it is a correct positive, could the h plyori have caused stomach cancer?

[Helico_expert]

Blood test cannot tell you if you still have HP. Because your immune system has memory of HP and your blood test will continue to show positive results with or without HP for the next few months or years.

Hp is a very chronic infection. You don’t get gastric cancer that quick. Age and diet are also risk factors of gastric cancer. I’d you are worried, you should ask for an endoscopy examination.

No test is 100%. So there will always be false positive or false negatives. But breath test and stool test are both very accurate. You should talk to your doctor about it and he should be experienced enough to know if the results are trustable.

Looking forward to seeing your breath test result. You can go back to PPI now if you have not done so.

[james2183]

Blood test cannot tell you if you still have HP. Because your immune system has memory of HP and your blood test will continue to show positive results with or without HP for the next few months or years.

Sorry, what I meant was that before I was given the breath test I'm confused why my blood tests I had didn't pick up on the HP. My blood work was negative before the breath test that was positive.

Hp is a very chronic infection. You don’t get gastric cancer that quick. Age and diet are also risk factors of gastric cancer. I’d you are worried, you should ask for an endoscopy examination.

I guess my health anxiety is kicking in because this has been going on for so long. I'm 35 and eat ok, so not in the bracket just yet where it's more likely, but it still plays on my mind.

No test is 100%. So there will always be false positive or false negatives. But breath test and stool test are both very accurate. You should talk to your doctor about it and he should be experienced enough to know if the results are trustable.

That's my concern, I'm a little worried about my doctors as it took 3 different doctors before I was sent for a breath test to be diagnosed with h plyori and then none of them even suggested being retested - instead just giving me more PPIs. It wasn't until I tried to buy Nexium over the counter that the pharmacist said I should have been retested.

Looking forward to seeing your breath test result. You can go back to PPI now if you have not done so.

I'd like to go back to the PPI, but I'm worried my doctors will have messed up my results and I'd have to get them redone - which would then take another month because I'd have been on the PPI.

If I do go back on them, do I take them instead of the ranitidine, or can I take both at the same time?

[Helico_expert]

as i explained, blood test will show you history of infection. Therefore, a positive blood test can either mean you have H. pylori now, or you have H. pylori within the last 3 years.

A negative blood test result would mean you do not have H. pylori now.

therefore, your breath test result became very suspicious. I think you need to get another test done to make sure your breath test is accurate. by the way, a borderline positive is also not acceptable.

Anyway, we shall wait for your breath test result.

Ranitidine and PPI can be taken together. However, you will still have to stop for 4 weeks before the subsequent breath test if you are taking PPI.

[james2183]

Hey, thanks for you reply. So I got my test results back today and they've come back negative - which is now scaring me. I am now apparently free of plyori but still have stomach and back ache. This is freaking me out.

Also - RE: Blood tests. I think I may have got confused. Do you have to specifically test for h.plyori in a blood sample, or will it show up on a standard blood count? I had a full blood count done at the doctors, that came back negative, but it wasn't until the breath test that I was found to have HP.

[Helico_expert]

it sounds like your recent breath test is negative, that's all you need to know for now.

What you need to do is to follow the doctors instruction, take the PPI for a month or so.. until you are better.

Normally people catch H. pylori at very young age. So you can imagine H. pylori has been in you all the time for decades. The damage may take some time to recover.

I think age 35 is still very young. High chance of returning to normal.