Not sure what to do, please help?
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2021 6:34 am
Hi everyone, this is my first post here on this forum. I’d like to explain my story from the start. It was beginning of May when I took some antibiotics for a supposed urinary infection and then 2 weeks later a diclofenac 50mg and ibuprofen 400mg on an empty stomach (for my herniated disc) that started my problems with my stomach. Vomiting everyday since.. Indigestion, bloating, brain fog, the works. I did a bunch of tests, candida was found in my stool (did 4 tests) but not h.pylori (2 tests). As symptoms continued I decided to do a gastroscopy about a month ago where the gastroenterologist took some biopsy samples from different regions of my stomach. (He said I have mild gastritis btw.) When results came in he said I tested positive for helico but only in the antrum part of the stomach, the other biopsy location(s) tested negative. The thing is it seemed strange that the negative test was done by some external lab while the positive test he said he did himself… not sure how or where though, its such a small clinic (I live in Eastern Europe btw). So I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not although why would he lie right? Lol. In any case, we couldn’t get along so he told me here’s your money back (not what I was after) and go look elsewhere, very rude guy with sadly little patience for patients..
So I decided to be sure myself and went to a real lab to do a breath test, this was last week. The result came back as positive but only barely. The cut off value was 1.50 (whatever that is?) and I got 1.60 (method used was some NDIRS). What does this mean exactly? Do I have little amounts of helico? Is it still necessary to treat it with antibiotics? I went to me GP and she said well its still positive so she prescribed me the following regiment for 14 days:
Amoxicilin 1g, every 12hrs
Clarithromycin, 500mg, every 12hrs
Bismuth subcitrate potassium, 240mg, every 12hrs
A probiotic with boulardii, 2 tablets, 2 hrs after taking the antibiotics
And a PPI (pantoprazole 20mg), before all of the above also every 12hrs
I have some issues though which has prevented me from proceeding with the treatment yet. Since this all began in May I have taken multiple times PPIs when I couldn’t handle the high amounts of acid in my stomach, but the problem is I don’t tolerate these drugs well at all and I’ve tried them all, unbearable side effects, I don’t know why. Now I’m worried how will I handle consuming a PPI for 2 weeks twice a day just so I can get rid of my supposed helico? I believe I read that the PPI is necessary to not destroy the antibiotics in my stomach, or make them more effective? But for some strange reason anyway for over a month now, whenever I vomit I don’t feel any acid anymore like before! Its like its alkaline now.. like I developed hypochlorhydria or something, how is this possible? But I still vomit everyday, undigested food (although my stool is more or less normal). I’m so lost and confused and no doctors thus far could answer my questions, like I said they’re very arrogant and don’t “have time” for us patients who want to know a little more about our problem, they just want to get you out of their office asap! This is why I’m seeking any feedback/help here on the internet and hope someone can shed some light on these concerns of mine as I’m already in a problem and don’t wish to make it worse but rather better.
Thank you all in advance!
-Stefan
PS.1. Could my problems be more due to gut candida or no way?
PS.2. Probiotics also give me terrible side effects (tried many kinds all the same reaction) and all doctors/pharmacists say this is impossible, so why am I an exception?![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I lost about 6-7kg in a very short time following this incident in May and still struggle to maintain or increase my weight. I'm a 35 yr old male btw, around 180cm and went from 75 to about 68-69kg. Also, last year I had a similar problem after a course of antibiotics I lost about 6kg (from 81 to 75)! Was it due to helico, candida or something else?
So I decided to be sure myself and went to a real lab to do a breath test, this was last week. The result came back as positive but only barely. The cut off value was 1.50 (whatever that is?) and I got 1.60 (method used was some NDIRS). What does this mean exactly? Do I have little amounts of helico? Is it still necessary to treat it with antibiotics? I went to me GP and she said well its still positive so she prescribed me the following regiment for 14 days:
Amoxicilin 1g, every 12hrs
Clarithromycin, 500mg, every 12hrs
Bismuth subcitrate potassium, 240mg, every 12hrs
A probiotic with boulardii, 2 tablets, 2 hrs after taking the antibiotics
And a PPI (pantoprazole 20mg), before all of the above also every 12hrs
I have some issues though which has prevented me from proceeding with the treatment yet. Since this all began in May I have taken multiple times PPIs when I couldn’t handle the high amounts of acid in my stomach, but the problem is I don’t tolerate these drugs well at all and I’ve tried them all, unbearable side effects, I don’t know why. Now I’m worried how will I handle consuming a PPI for 2 weeks twice a day just so I can get rid of my supposed helico? I believe I read that the PPI is necessary to not destroy the antibiotics in my stomach, or make them more effective? But for some strange reason anyway for over a month now, whenever I vomit I don’t feel any acid anymore like before! Its like its alkaline now.. like I developed hypochlorhydria or something, how is this possible? But I still vomit everyday, undigested food (although my stool is more or less normal). I’m so lost and confused and no doctors thus far could answer my questions, like I said they’re very arrogant and don’t “have time” for us patients who want to know a little more about our problem, they just want to get you out of their office asap! This is why I’m seeking any feedback/help here on the internet and hope someone can shed some light on these concerns of mine as I’m already in a problem and don’t wish to make it worse but rather better.
Thank you all in advance!
-Stefan
PS.1. Could my problems be more due to gut candida or no way?
PS.2. Probiotics also give me terrible side effects (tried many kinds all the same reaction) and all doctors/pharmacists say this is impossible, so why am I an exception?
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I lost about 6-7kg in a very short time following this incident in May and still struggle to maintain or increase my weight. I'm a 35 yr old male btw, around 180cm and went from 75 to about 68-69kg. Also, last year I had a similar problem after a course of antibiotics I lost about 6kg (from 81 to 75)! Was it due to helico, candida or something else?