Need help...opinions please

[AmyG39]

Hello, thank you in advance for your opinion and support.

I am a 39yr old female. I had stomach pain and bloating and went to my primary care doctor. They ran blood tests, came back positive for h.p.

My meds:
14day treatment
Clarithromycin 500mg - (1) 2x a day
Metronidazole 500mg - (1) 2x a day
Omeprazole DR 20mg - (1) 1x a day
Opinions on this cocktail? Is this a good plan for a first infection?

I am on day 4 of treatment. Pain is better, bloating is really bad still - feel like I swallowed a huge ball, burping and flatulence throughout the day, cramping/twisting feeling in stomach moderate, a lot of stomach gurgling and churning, burning almost gone, no appetite, hard to eat but I force myself to, sometimes feel out of breath.
I'm worried since I have not gotten much relief yet. Should I be concerned?

The Dr called in my prescription, she didn't give exact instructions on how to take it.
Pharmacist said to take Omeprazole in the a.m. On an empty stomach before breakfast.
I then take the two antibiotics at breakfast and then again at dinner.
Does this sound right? Should I be taking them all at he same exact time or is it ok to take the acid reducer first?
I'm thinking maybe I'm not on enough Omeprazole? Isn't the standard 40mg?

Should I be taking probiotics? I'm thinking I should add some in the afternoon in between the two antibiotic doses.
I don't know how I am going to get my flora back after this treatment.

I'm worried and extremely uncomfortable. Any opinion or advice is desperately needed and most appreciated.
Thank you

[Helico_expert]

your treatment is standard. there is no exact instruction how you take them. this combination has 80% success rate (depending how much antibiotics you have consumed before).

the PPI you are taking is standard too. I think you can double it if you still experience reflux.

I think you dont need to worry. just finish the course and wait for a month and do a followup breath test. That will tell you if you are still infected.

probiotic is optional. if you think it helps, i have no objection.

[AmyG39]

Thank you. I will try not to worry. I just don't feel good.
With the symptoms I am still having which I wrote about below: is this normal to not have much relief 4 days into the antibiotics?

What are the long term effects of having this infection? Meaning, if I get this cleared up what happens then? Is my stomach and bowels always going to be off? Will I feel the same as I did before? I know this varies person to person but generally speaking do most people come out of this with few lasting issues? Anyone reading this have a positive story to share?

For the gas issue, has anyone taken gas x? I'm thinking about adding that to my regimen. Not sure if I need to space it out or if I can take when I feel I need it. Or maybe bismuth would be better? Maybe bismuth will help with the cramping and churning.
Thank you

[Helico_expert]

H. pylori is responsible to many gastric problem. However, it's not the only source of the problems. Hopefully you'll go back to normal after the treatment, which most people do go back to normal. Then again, the recover period can range from immediate to months and even years. The reason for the long recovery time is unclear.

I think some of your negative symptoms are due to the antibiotics. The side effects of the antibiotics usually stop immediately after you stop taking them.

[AmyG39]

Thank you Helico-expert I much appreciate your advice.
Hope you don't mind if I ask a few more questions, maybe this can help fellow sufferers as well who don't feel comfortable posting but have the same questions:

I know the hp can cause ulcers, could an ulcer cause hp?

What about bismuth? Is it beneficial to help clear up hp or ulcers?
Or is it more of a comfort measure? I noticed in a past post someone had bismuth as part of their treatment plan and I wasn't sure of the indication.

[Helico_expert]

you are welcome to discuss any questions you have in mind.

ulcer will not cause hp.

i am not exactly sure the mechanism of bismuth in human body. However, I heard that it forms a protective layer in the stomach and has healing effect on the ulcer. There are some studies that showed bactericidal effect on H. pylori.