Hope for Triple Therapy after all (for newly diagnosed cases

[Andrew]

Hi, I am posting this to encourage new sufferers that there is hope for Triple Therapy. When I was diagnosed and searched the internet, I developed anxiety because of postings mentioning the side effects of Triple Therapy as well as its high failure rate. My story was that I experienced no side effects from the Therapy (in fact my burping & stomach pains were markedly reduced) and I've just been cleared on the Breath Test. I am in no way writing to gloat about this - hell, I'm worried that it'll return! I know everyone's condition/situation is different but I would encourage all new sufferers to get some perspective and give Triple Therapy a chance. Learn from my mistakes - I freaked out for a long after reading the postings on the internet and this forum, and took a long while before deciding to go on it. Hope this helps allay some anxieties for the newly diagnosed sufferers.

[Helico_scientist]

Good to hear your story.
I'm afraid triple therapy is the only solution to get rid of HP and I'm glad to hear that it went well for you.
Here, we use quadruple therapy and most of our patients tollerate it pretty well. Then again, everyone is different but it is definitely worth a try.

[Helico_expert]

yea, this is publication bias. Normally only people with trouble eradicating H. pylori visit the forum and post something. So you see a majority of members here complain about treatment failure and awful side effects. The triple therapy is actually not as bad as most people think (Maybe perform poorer in European country according to the recent treatment Guideline, 4th Maastricht Consensus Report).

[Andrew]

Thks! I've made a donation to help u guys maintain the forums as I've benefitted tremendously from all yr advice and hope that otherw suffering from this ailment will also too. Keep up the good work and I hope I do not need to visit again for more advice :>

[Helico_scientist]

Thanks.

[pieloree]

I too was intimated with the triple-therapy (blood test positive for H-Pylori). It seemed impossible my body and mind could endure this treatment. I ignored it for 3 months and it sat on my shelf and I looked at it EVERY day. I finally got so fed up with feeling like garbage , that I was at the point "nothing can be worse than this". My symptoms: Severe dyspepsia (belching) , pain in abdomen, extreme fatigue, loss of sleep, bloated and pressure after every meal and in between meals.

THE GOOD:
I started the treatment 10 days ago and it has decreased the symptoms drastically. I've been able to sleep and I don't to avoid talking to people during belching/burping attacks.

THE BAD:
The initial 3 or 4 AM/PM treatments are rough in terms of physical side effects. Once your body adjusts and the bacteria is being eradicated, it quickly turns from "this sucks" to "ah some relief". Hang in there.

[Helico_expert]

thanks for sharing your story. wish you all the best and do update us your treatment outcome.

[Andrew]

Hi, I guess the hope lasted just so much ...lol .... in an attempt to make sure my wife was HP free, both of us took the breath test. In the end, it turned out that while she was HP-free, I had it! Doctor feels that instead of a re-infection, its more likely that it was not totally eradicated and that the initial post-tx breath test was not totally reliable. So now, I've been given another triple tx (with a different anti-biotic). Doctor said to try this first before contemplating quadruple therapy. Any advice on this - should I go straight to quadruple tx - esp knowing that the different anti-biotic is one I've taken before for general flu.

[Helico_expert]

So, what did you have and what are you given now?

[Andrew]

Hi, I'm now given Cravit (250mg) + Amoxycillin + Pariet (Rabeprazole), and I've taken Cravit twice last year for flu. Doc says to try this before considering quadruple therapy. My don't mind trying except for worries of having to much anti-biotics! Tx in advance for any advice.