Helicobacter Forums

I have had 2 CLO tests and both were negative. I have read elsewhere that it is possible that a biopsy could be taken from the wrong place in the stomach or duodenum, a place that just happens not to be a site where H Pylori is located, is this true?

nothing is 100% accurate. Clotest is over 90% accurate but in rare cases, there may be a false positive by other organisms. Biopsy on the other hand is also very accurate. Then again, in some very rare cases, some H. pylori decided not to grow. However, the biopsy is more commonly contaminated with other organism and they out grow the H. pylori during the process of culturing H. pylori.

H. pylori takes about 3-5 days to grow and the contaminant takes 1 day. so before H. pylori can be seen, the culture plate is already full of other organism. I have tried applying selective antibiotic to reduce the contaminant and have some success.

If two CLOtests (rapid urease tests) were negative on separate occasions, then you probably do not have Hp. The patchiness of H.pylori is really a microscopic phenomenon. i.e. they are not present on every part of every biopsy. However, if you have a lot of intestinal metaplasia, then urease tests can be negative. Or if you took acid pump blockers before the biopsy test. Double check with serology. If serology is negative then you have probably never had Hp. If the serology is positive, then have a breath test and go on that result.

Dear Dr Marshall
Many thanks for your response, I guess unfortunately I don't have Hp, I say "unfortunately" because I was hoping to find the cause of my ongoing nightmare. I would like to ask if you know of anyone in the world who has a theory or is to trying to prove that certain stomach disorders are caused by yet to be discovered pathogens please? If so i would like to contact them if possible.
I am certain that I have some sort of infection in my stomach because that is exactly what it feels like. I can say this because like most people there have been the very odd occasions when I have eaten something that has poisoned my insides and so I know what that feels like and this is how I feel all day every day. My most dominant symptom is constant nausea which drives me crazy and I have this together with varying stomach discomfort; the only thing that changes is the severity which happens throughout the day. This came on suddenly 2.5 years ago and has remained ever since. Prior to this I was very fit and healthy with no stomach issues whatsoever. I have been extensively investigated and seen about 10 gastroenterologists but no cause has been found.
Since my illness I have become aware of quite a lot of people around the world who are suffering from similar symptoms to mine, some not quite as bad and some worse. There has to be a reason why otherwise fit and healthy people suffer from such debilitating and horrible symptoms and surely it makes sense that some sort of bacteria is the cause. This illness has ruined my quality of life and so I am searching in desperation to find a solution. Any help that you could offer would be most welcome.

Dear Dr Marshall
I ownder if you would be kind enough to repsond to my post on this thread dated 4th April please?

If you don't have H.pylori then metabolic or endocrine causes (diabetes/hormone imbalances), drug intolerance, neurological causes and motility disturbances could be present. In some people this is "idiopathic" i.e. no cause can be found. So have a general medical and gastroenterological workup. If nothing is found then try various things such as metoclopramide or domperidone. I am not keeping up with this field much at present but a motility GI specialist probably sees more cases than most people.