Helicobacter Forums

Hello all, I hope all is going well!

I have a question for Professor Marshall here~~~

Dear Professor Marshall,

Thank you for your research on H. Pylori and for your excellent team helping all of us on this forum.

Seeing how you bravely consumed H. Pylori directly, how long did it take for your symptoms to go away? Do you still feel any stomach pain or inflammation? Did you experience any acid reflux after treatment? Or was it kind of just an "episode" in your life and all is well now?

Thank you!

HI,

I have forwarded your question to Prof. Marshall. In the meantime, perhaps you can listen to his podcast interview.

https://omny.fm/shows/this-pathological-life/s01e20

Dear Professor Marshall

I have read your posts which are very knowledgeable and helpful. Thank you!
I have been suffering miserably from H-pylori gastritis for more than a year now. I took one week triple therapy 10 months ago. My symptoms did improve a lot a week after the treatment and could eat more and more food and even a poached egg in the following 2-3 weeks. However, it didn’t last long. One morning I tried eating a large slice of toast with some nuts and corn meal in it, which was disaster for my stomach. I had symptoms again; indigestion, full and heavy stomach and I could only eat a little soft food. Since then this episode has repeated many times over the last 10 months when I ate a bit more food particularly animal protein food. I feel my stomach has been so fragile from the infection/inflammation. A bit more sweet and acidic food can irritate my stomach and trigger excessive stomach acid. A bit animal food, or a bit more density bread or starch food (such as potato) can cause indigestion. I am now on a vegan diet and Sustagen meal powder in order to less irritate my stomach and help healing.

The positive side is I do feel my symptoms have improved although very slowly and the episodes have gradually become shorter over the time. However, I still don’t know how long my recovery journey will go.

My first gastroscopy before the treatment showed mild superficial inflammation throughout my whole stomach. I had the second gastroscopy 3 weeks ago which showed scattered mild inflammation characterised by adherent blood and congestion (which worries me). My stool test 3 months after triple therapy showed HP negative.

Can I ask you a few questions:

1. I have reviewed the episodes I have been through. I feel very likely that I have increased food volumes or added animal food or not-easy digested food too soon to my very fragile stomach, which irritated the stomach lining and then inflamed and then delayed the healing. Am I right?

2. Do Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc help stomach lining healing, or help HP-gastritis recovery? I really want to find something that can help my stomach healing.

3. I have noticed that a month after the triple therapy, my stomach acid secretion has become very easily trigged by even a small amount of sweet or acid food. Would my acid level become normal over the time?

4. I have had acid reflux and been on and off omeprazole for more than 5 years. I have taken the medicine more frequently since last year to reduce my stomach acid. I worry about the side effects after long term use of the medicine. I am an Asian woman nearly 60 (wish younger). When I felt my stomach acid high, I usually took omeprazole for 2 weeks to one month and then gradually stopped. Is it safer that I don’t use the medicine continuously for too long? Or I shouldn’t worry about it too much?

Many thanks

i am sorry for the late respond.

1. If you find food stays in your stomach for a long time, not going down, you can talk to your doctor about taking some medication such as Domperidone (or Mosapride).

2. There is no strong evidence that Vid D, Vid C, and Zinc helped with the recovery. But they are harmless to take. So no harm trying.

3. Most people's acid do go back to normal after HP eradication. However, some damage could be permanent. Since you are having reflux symptoms, I think you probably have good acid level.

4. It's important to continue PPI if you have reflux symptoms. That will protect your throat from being burnt by the acid. The side effect of PPI is oesteoporosis. Usually take decades to develop problem. But you can get your bone density check just in case.