Too scared to sleep

[Syd]

HI all,

Just a quick rundown on my story ,

I am a nearly 53 year old woman from Australia and I feel looking back that I have had active symptoms since Jan 14 but may have had short bursts of symptoms before hand . In Jan 14 I got ill with a gastro? bug and then noticed about every month or so after that and always at night I would get the fuzzy head, anxious feelings, burping!!! enough to run a small country at times I am sure , nausea , sometimes pain in the stomach area or further up like trapped wind, some bowel problems and just generally feeling like crap that would last most of the night .I had a very stressful year one way and another and put it all down to that , then in Dec 14 I met a relative who lives away from here and she told me of the same thing and she had been diagnosed with HP so I went to my gp and had the breath test and yup , so went on PPI , Nexium 40mg was better but still had break through episodes so went back two weeks ago and got prescribed Clarithromycin and
Amoxicilin ,not sure of the doses, and another PPI Rani 300mg. and so have just completed the 2 courses of each AB while taking both PPI's and am still taking the PPI's on GP instructions . I had a break through episode whilst taking the AB's of all of the above symptoms and also if the disease did not kill me the cure might have as the AB'S just made me so terrible but I persevered. the last 3 nights are the best I have felt for a long time as it had gotten to the point where I was too scared to sleep as I knew there would be a chance I could wake up feeling as per above . So today I took the last AB's and I am still burping but maybe not as much and I do feel better just the last three days but still am anxious about the nights

I have also cut caffeine out of my diet and all gassy drinks , I only drink decaf tea or water now which is a bit sad but necessary I feel, and I am avoiding spicy foods etc but I would say I am not very diet wary otherwise and really no one food seems to bring it on just more the drinks ,. I do drink a lot of water . Anyway I am hoping that things will improve from now and that I might get some sleep with out fear of what I might wake up to ,I think i need to build up my confidence again

will update in a few weeks OH I nearly forgot , I was taking a probiotic Inner Health Plus but stopped last Dec when I got really bad, should I take it again now that the AB's are finished or ?? Imput would be great

[Helico_expert]

Hi,

sorry to hear what happened to you. But I think you are given the right treatment. I am glad to hear that you have 3 good nights and hope that you'll continue having them. However, I have to remind you that anxiety may worsen your gastric problem. So, try to gather positive thoughts and distract yourself from thinking about your stomach problem. Finish the antibiotics, continue PPI if required, then arrange a follow up breath test with your GP. We need to confirm the H. pylori eradication, then focus on the recovery.

in regards to probiotics and inner health, there has been mixed info here and there. But, since it is not doing harm, you can continue taking them. There wont be interaction between your probiotics and the antibiotics.

[Syd]

Thanks for replying, it has been nearly a month since I finished the AB's and am still taking nexium 40mg at night . started the probiotic again and after reading some posts here I am taking charcoal 1 capsule , at night after dinner , I have had 3 episodes at night since and last Sunday morning I woke up feeling dreadfully nauseated after a good nights sleep and felt like vomiting but couldnt , I ate a dry biscuit and had some mylanta and returned to bed to wake up ok about 1.5 hrs later although I did burp so much after so I am thinking it was wind build up again So there is my problem .... I am still getting bloating and wind build up which causes nausea and discomfort and fuzzy head etc and just generally feeling like crap . I am reluctant to go off the Nexium at night for now so no point having a breath test atm ... do I carry on as I am or ?? risk going off the nexium , and I am now getting to the point where I dread going to bed which I know is not helping me as you said but it is hard to not worry how I will sleep and if I will be unwell again during the night , it is so awful when it comes on though and that is why I feel anxious . I am off all foods and drinks that might cause a problem and only eating mince chicken or fish , as meat of any kind seems to make it worse I think ??? I am so over this . I may have to head back to the GP again , is there another test I can have to see if it still present and not go off the PPI's

Thanks in advance


Syd

[Helico_expert]

Hi,

Unfortunately there is no other test that you can do without risking false negative while having nexium. you can follow this guideline to choose the right acid blocker before breath test. for example, switch to Zantac for 7 days prior the breath test.

http://www.helico.com/PYtest_guide_2013.pdf