Can you overtreat an ulcer? Or overuse Omeprazole?

[Chancery]

I am booked in for a breath urea test next week, after being treated for h.pylori a second time, but I wonder if anyone else has had doubts about whether long term Omeprazole use is causing problems - or possibly masking existing ones.

My second course of treatment was prompted by a recurrent cough. A year and four months after I was first tested and treated for H. Pylori, I had a very bad cough that just wouldn't go away. In desperation I went to the doctors, and in the course of discussing it, mentioned that I'd read it may be symptomatic of acid reflux. She gave me Omeprazole, more as something to eliminate than because either of us believed in it. But, lo and behold, 24 hrs - yes, that fast - the cough literally disappeared.

I realised then I might still have an h.pylori problem. Bizarrely, my current stomach problems developed after taking the Omeprazole for the cough. I was on one tablet a day but my stomach was getting worse. Eventually I went to the doctors again and asked for a breath urea test. She said we'll test your blood again first. If it's negative then no need to do anything else. I went along with this because I thought it couldn't hurt. The test came back positive, but lower than my result had been when I was first diagnosed with h. pylori. I don't know why I did it, but I opted to take another course of antibiotics while waiting for the breath urea test. Bad idea.

The second course made me much sicker than the first lot, although the side effects were less. I felt so weak I could barely stand. However, the worst part was afterwards. You can read another thread by me further back on this forum discussing the terrible post-antibiotic reaction I had. I now had chronic gastritis. So much pain it was unbelievable.

I maintained my Omeprazole after treatment, and gradually managed to stop dosing with Pepto-Bismol, but I had to postpone my breath urea test because I couldn’t get by without Omeprazole. It is now more than two months since antibiotic treatment and I am no further forward. I have to eat a very circumscribed diet and am in constant pain.

I eventually had to bite the bullet and stop Omeprazole so that I can take the urea test, otherwise I will never know if this is a pylori problem or not. But since stopping it the pain is well-nigh unmanageable. Constant gnawing gut, nausea and the foulest taste in my mouth. Nothing is comfortable to eat. It's a case of what's the least pain producing.

My question is this, what role has Omeprazole played in this decline? Why did my cough get better but my stomach get worse? Why did the second course of antibiotics make the problem worse?

Has anyone else experienced problems with long term use of Omeprazole? Is this an increased Gastrin problem? Is it possible to over-treat stomach ulcers? Have I really just over-medicated an inflamed stomach?

Obviously I should never have redosed without testing first – but I do wish doctors were taught more about ulcers and h.pylori. My doctor stopping me instead of allowing/encouraging me to do this would have been helpful. Mine didn’t even know not to give me the same antibiotics twice. I had to tell her what to give me. And the one before that didn’t know that Bismuth was used in the treatment of ulcers and told me she didn’t think she could prescribe it. She asked me "Do you find this works?" in a tone that suggested it was mumbo-jumbo. Even the hospital that is doing my breath test did not have Pepto-Bismol on its instructions. I had to hunt them down like dogs to get information on its use pre-test because I felt it might not be wise to take it. I was right, but it does make you wonder just how much information circulates in the NHS (UK) on successful treatments for h.pylori.

Anyway, if anyone has any information on what might be going on in my gut and where I may have gone wrong – other than redosing before testing! – I'd be grateful. Also, any long-term Omeprazole users, I'd love to hear from you.

[H.P porteur]

Well, wait for your urea breath test and see. If it's positive than do an antibiogram to know what antibiotics will really work.

Otherways, maybe Candida is giving you the problem since you mentioned that the pain got worst after the antibiotics. I hope there is a vaccine that will end this H.pylori once for all. so we can focuse at other problems.

Good luck.

[Chancery]

Thanks to all for your replies.

My urea breath test was negative, and I never went back on Omeprazole after I stopped it for the test. So I am, allegedly, free of H. Pylori. I believe I probably am. I think I probably was the first time I was treated, which begs the question: why hasn't killing H. Pylori cured my problem? My stomach hovers on the point of pain all the time and I have to eat VERY carefully to keep it ticking over. In practice this means no citrus, no acidic anything, no spices, no beef, no chocolate, no alcohol in any form (not even in confectionery), and it's not too keen on sugar/fat combos. Whereas this might be slightly healthier (!), it does make for dull food with no treats, and I miss citrus fruits terribly. I also have to be very cautious with anything 'sour', e.g. kiwis, grapes etc.

So if I don't have H. Pylori now what DO I have? I assume I have a gastric ulcer which just won't heal. Will it never heal? Am I stuck with this for life?

Would it be a good move to take Omeprazole again? Or is there anything else that might heal the damage to my stomach? If anyone has any recommendations I'd be grateful............

[H.P porteur]

I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with your stomach.

H.pylori + doesn't mean it was the cause of your problems. You can check this website :www.badbugs.org and see how this Australian lady had gastritis from a parasite ( Blastocystis.hominis). And it took her a different startegies to heal herself from this stubburn bug ( Blastocystis.hominis).

[bau]

probiotics are very important especialy if you've been on high doses of antibiotics. You can't properly digest food without them. Taking enzymes has helped me also.

[Chancery]

Yes, I take probiotics currently, stirred into natural yougurt. I've never tried enzymes before, being a little hesitant since fruits that naturally have enzymes - like pineapple - irritate my stomch. Which do you use?

[rifle_li]

If you think there is a gastric ulcer in your stomach, I suggest you do a endoscope test. That is the bast way to find gastric ulcer.

[CatFeelsBetter]

What's up, everyone? I'm quite aware that I'm on here a few months late, but I'm really, really concerned. I've been taking Prilosec (Omeprazole) every day for the past 6 months because of my horrible acid reflux. At first the medication worked great, but then I found myself experiencing even MORE awful bouts of acid reflux. To make matters worse, my esophagus has been experiencing spasms like mad and I haven't been able to swallow properly. As most of you know, acid reflux causes pain in the throat because of the stomach acids that slide up -- but this pain is UNBEARABLE!

I've been doing a bit of research and they say that my symptoms could very well be esophageal cancer; which is truly daunting AND scary.

Have any of you folks been experiencing these symptoms because of the overuse of prilosec? And if not (and I discover that it IS indeed cancer), does anyone know how this condition could be treated? I've been reading a bit about proton therapy. Would esophageal cancer qualify for that treatment? Thanks all. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I want to be prepared for what's to come. Thanks again, everyone. You're all great.

[Helico_expert]

the acid in your stomach actually protect you from bacteria growing in the stomach.

perhaps, the PPI has induce unwanted bacteria growth in your stomach. I suggest you do a urea breath test and an endoscopy just to be safe.

however, you need to stop PPI for 2 weeks before the breath test.

[Eric Buchholz]

Thanks to all for your replies.

My urea breath test was negative, and I never went back on Omeprazole after I stopped it for the test. So I am, allegedly, free of H. Pylori. I believe I probably am. I think I probably was the first time I was treated, which begs the question: why hasn't killing H. Pylori cured my problem? My stomach hovers on the point of pain all the time and I have to eat VERY carefully to keep it ticking over. In practice this means no citrus, no acidic anything, no spices, no beef, no chocolate, no alcohol in any form (not even in confectionery), and it's not too keen on sugar/fat combos. Whereas this might be slightly healthier (!), it does make for dull food with no treats, and I miss citrus fruits terribly. I also have to be very cautious with anything 'sour', e.g. kiwis, grapes etc.

So if I don't have H. Pylori now what DO I have? I assume I have a gastric ulcer which just won't heal. Will it never heal? Am I stuck with this for life?

Would it be a good move to take Omeprazole again? Or is there anything else that might heal the damage to my stomach? If anyone has any recommendations I'd be grateful............

That's good to hear that your urea breath was negative and you never took omeprazole again.

How did you say that you are free of H. Pylori now? What are you feeling right now?

Regards,
Eric T. Buchholz
Tampa DUI lawyer