H. Pylori Can Cause Peptic Ulcers, Chronic Stomach Pain (And Even Stomach Cancer)
H. pylori is a bacterial infection that I see regularly when I run stool samples.
So I thought I would do some research on it to see if I could understand its origin better, as well as the pathogenicity of the bacterium.
Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty on this nasty little bug.
What Exactly Is H. Pylori?
The full name for H. pylori is Helicobacter pylori.
H. pylori is a gram-negative bacterium that requires an environment with a lower level of oxygen (than is in the atmosphere) to survive, which is why it thrives so well in the human stomach (or animal stomach).
Studies show that this bacteria is the one responsible for most ulcers and cases of chronic gastritis or stomach inflammation.
H. pylori is very adapted to the gastric juices of the stomach, which allows it to colonize there, inducing inflammation of the gastric mucosa (another cause of leaky gut syndrome or intestinal permeability.)
It lives either within or beneath the gastric mucous layer, which makes the mucosa vulnerable to acid peptic damage which further spirals to liberating enzymes and toxins and adhering to the gastric epithelium.
How H. Pylori Creates A Vicious Cycle In The Body
This is a vicious cycle because the tissue damage that is caused incites an immune response in the host causing an inflammatory reaction. Then because of chronic inflammation, gastric acid secretory physiology is continually upset and then you have chronic gastritis, which can eventually get really bad and even cause stomach Cancer.
I had a client case who reported high levels of permeability on her intestinal barrier assessment IgG blood test and it wasn’t until we found and addressed the H. pylori that her symptoms went away completely and her health could be recovered – because everything we did up until that point was a band aid, with H. pylori being the root cause.
How Do People Get Infected With H. Pylori?
Apparently over 50% of people have H. pylori, usually acquired in childhood, which is why the number of peer reviewed papers have increased tenfold with now over 1,500 papers per year over the past few years (PubMed [www.pubmed.gov]).
H. pylori is passed person to person in a variety of ways. Kissing is one of those ways (passed through saliva) as well as unsanitary conditions in food or water. If you do have it, coffee and alcohol drinking and smoking increase the risk of an ulcer induced by H. pylori.
The Pathophysiology Of H. Pylori
The pathophysiology of H. pylori is viewed as a complicated interaction between the host and the bacterium which is influenced by the internal environment (here is where I would look at pH and mineral balance and use a reacted Zinc to inhibit the growth) and modulated by many still unidentified factors, which makes this one a formally recognized bacterial carcinogen and one of the most successful human pathogens.
If not treated, one will have H. pylori their whole lives and may experience gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and fullness, mild nausea, hunger 1-3 hours after eating, peptic lacerations, stomach cancer, lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
Simple blood, breath, and stool tests can determine if you are infected with H. pylori. I run a stool test and usually have my clients back up the results with a breath and blood test run by their doctor since any one of the three can come up negative even though the client does in fact have H. pylori.
Conventional H. Pylori Treatment Might Be The Way To Go
There are a few natural treatments, but a naturopathic doctor and a holistic doctor that I recently spoke with about H. pylori both agreed that antibiotics (while concurrently taking probiotics) are the best and fastest way to kill H. pylori. Both of them had only seen success naturally treating H. pylori 2 times in 10 years.
So I agree that antibiotics are a necessity to successfully get rid of H. pylori (metronitazole is the most common one used). Often they are concurrently prescribed with medicines that reduce stomach acid which include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine receptor blockers (to control inflammation).
Both acid-reducing medicines help relieve peptic ulcer pain after a few weeks and promote ulcer healing. It is very important to run a follow up test 6-8 weeks after treatment to make sure it is gone.
Additional Information Straight From The National Institute For Health
“Although antibiotics can cure 80 to 90 percent of ulcers caused by H. pylori, eliminating the bacteria can be difficult. Patients must take all medicines exactly as prescribed, even when the peptic ulcer pain is gone.
At least 4 weeks after treatment, doctors test patients using a breath or stool test to be sure the H. pylori infection has been cured. Blood tests are not useful after treatment because a patient’s blood can test positive for H. pylori even after the bacteria have been eliminated.
If infection is still present, ulcers could recur or, less commonly, stomach cancer could develop. Thus, some patients need to take more than one round of medicines to kill the H. pylori bacteria. Bismuth quadruple therapy is one of several treatments used after initial treatment has failed—a strategy called “rescue” or “salvage” therapy. In the second round of treatment, the doctor prescribes different antibiotics than those used in the first round. Amoxicillin, however, can be used again to treat H. pylori infection because H. pylori resistance to this antibiotic is rare.”
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So… you suggest treating/elimination HPylori through antibiotics?
Hello Marguerite – we don’t recommend antibiotics as a first step, NO. There are natural treatment plans (through our Gut Thrive and Five program) that work effectively for H. Pylor. Please email us at [email protected] if you have further questions.
I have many of these symptoms– never hungry, though. I took one dose of Zantac approx 7 days ago. Will that invalidate a breath test ?
Hi Sonya. one dose should not affect it, however, I would recommend checking with your doctor. 🙂
I had H pylori over 20 yrs ago and have been well in the last 10 yrs. I’m 73 yrs old now and I do have arthritis and was prescribed to take one tablet Meloxicam at night for the rest of my life. Upon looking up the information on that drug, it’s an NSAID which is like Ibuprofen. I was told to stay away from those drugs as they good for people who had Pylori.
Any comments on this as I have been healthy for 10 yrs plus.
Hi Madeleine, I am sorry that you are going through this. We have a specific plan for H. Pylori in our Gut Thrive program. Feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions please let me know.
Thanks, great post. I really like your point of view.
Thank you!
jamal kabal
Informative post! I will definitely follow these ways.
I went through the gut thrive in five program and it did help me a tremendous amount, but since have been tested and found H pylori. I saw this article and so used the triple antibiotic protocol, but it came back. then saw the matula tea on the GT5 website and used it but not the full program with it. Do you currently suggest the tea or the antibiotics? Thanks,
Anne
Hi Anne, Wonderful news that GT5 was so helpful for you. If you have already taken the antibiotic treatment to no avail, then Christa would definitely suggest doing a strong course of Matula Tea at 2 cups a day for up to 60 days to make sure it gets knocked out. Ironically, our Spring Sale starts tomorrow and we are having 50% off Matula Tea for GT5’ers so be on the lookout for that email.
Can the tea work Instead of antibiotic course?
I thank u for your information.
Thank you, Mukhwana! We appreciate you visiting us.
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I’m on my 3rd lot of treatment since October, today is my 9 day and still I feel extremely bad, I was hoping to feel better, I’m very depressed, I have been married for 33 years and I feel my marriage is failing before of my H Pylori, Can anyone help me, I’m so sad most of the time, I’m a 61 year old woman and feel my life is over
Hi Roz, We are so sorry to hear that you are struggling physically and emotionally. I can see here in the comments below that Lisee and Susan offered you some beautiful, supporting words of encouragement and we agree. Please look into our Gut Thrive in 5 program and lets see if together we can help you knock this out. Click this link to learn more http://thewholejourney.com/programs/gut-thrive/gt-enroll-now/?cfid=3. If you have questions after reviewing the program details please direct them to [email protected] and our customer support team will be happy to assist you. Many Blessings~Stacey, TWJ Team Member
Is it normal to have worse stomach pain 4 days into triple therapy. Also had headache and leg pain last night and terrible nightmares. Just want to know if I’m taking a reaction or have i just got to keep going with it?
By triple therapy, Christine – are you referring to antibiotics?
Hello Christine
I am going through triple therapy and I am in agony with stomach pain so you post made me feel a bit better. I am onto my 4th day. I feel terrible weak dizzy not hungry and I coul cry!! Hope your now feeling better. I am 66yrs old.
Hi Lyn! We hope you feel better soon too. Hang in there.
I’m really worried as I have been unwell for 3 months with a burning throat, I was diagnosed with H Pylor, which I had years ago. I have taking a week of Antibioics and still I’m better, so I’m thinking the worst , Stomach Cancer,,,,,
Stop over thinking. You drive yourself mad. I had symptoms 5 years and I’m still ok. Don’t forget to take your probiotics and smile. Cancer that type is rare.
Lisse is totally right. Let me explain in layman language, whenever you are under stress then body releases acid. If you dont get stressed, over a period of time, it will not release acid in excess. Now, whats the cure>> I am not a doctor so dont tell you on that and medication is not a solution>>> try to understand the cause of your problem. Why are you under soo much stress, why worry all the time. Fix those (internally change your perception not others).Meditation 20 mins atleast twice a day. >> believe if you do above for atleast 1 year>> you never have a single problem in your life. Else, keep searching the cure>> I dont think, there is another way 🙂
I was first diagnosed with stomach ulcer 2013,my symptoms include hands,legs, facial swelling and red eyes,if I seat on a chair for long my legs swell .first treatment made successful but intense pain returns with a stabbing pain at mid back that made me think is from previous injury.The stabbing area on my back showed a red like faded mark. i hardly slip at night due to the pain and become worse when I seat or stand for long.I have taken triple therapy for h.pylori eradication morethan 5times but still having growing pain that comes and goes. tight cloth agrevate my ulcer, am anxious and hardly concentrate and prefer to be on bed all the time,facing up as it gives the painful area bit support which as a result I gained almost 20 kg extra pounds. when the pain is at its intense I feel it toward my right neck and right ankle as the pain is on the right side.living through hell
Hello Mamah – I highly suggest you do a private consultation with Jack Tips at wellnesswiz.com to get customized guidance as this situation is too complicated to discuss on a blog comment. I think he can point you in the right to ease your pain.
Hello Mamah – I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through. I highly suggest you do a private consultation with Jack Tips at wellnesswiz.com to get customized guidance as this situation is too complicated to discuss on a blog comment. I think he can point you in the right to ease your pain.
I never understood this but when I was a kid i think was either 7,8 or 9 I had it twice and the doctor told my mom because i had it twice it blew out the nervous system in my intestines I didn’t know it was an illness i thought it was like a stomach bug of sorts I had it again as a teenager and i don’t know what other damage it could have caused but after reading this I am definitely speaking with a doctor and a specialist about this. I am now going on 23 by the way.
I had it. I took 3 mega doses of probiotic capsules a day, keifer and yogurt, and the most important, mastic gum! It took care of it! !
I have been living with h pylori for at least 6 years and ive had 3 children with the bacteria and now its killing me. I cant afford regular healthcare so ive been taking amoxicillin and meloxicam for the pain and inflammation and it helps a little but i still have so much pain and bloating and i dont know if it will cure my body. Can someone help me please.
Try apple cider vinegar, eat fibres,dnt drink water before or after meals immediately,dnt drink water too much but in moderation,
I’m sorry to hear about your situation, I too have suffered from this horrible bacteria for 5 years, with very little help or good advice from my GP. Since doing research in to how to cure myself naturally, I have come across 4 main ingredients that help combat this nasty bacteria. They are a daily dose of mastic gum twice per day. Probiotics Manuka honey and liquorice root. You need to take all of this daily for 2 months. I have been doing it for 2 weeks so far and the difference is amazing. No more reflux, diarrhoea or nausea and my bloating is also subsiding. You need to do this with a strict diet, cut out red meat sugar and saturated fats these are all things that H pylori like. I have researched this for a while, and there is a lot of info regarding this on the internet. I hope this will help you as it is helping me, I felt like it was killing me too I now have Barretts disease due to the reflux I was getting which increases my risk of cancer so this is no joke to me, I’m just replying to you to hopefully give you another alternative and hopefully a cure so you can live a happy life. Oh one other thing if you are taking antacids you will need to stop taking them if you use mastic gum, the gum creates an acid that kills the h pylori so the antacids will neutralise that very important acid needed. Only take them if absolutely necessary in the first week but try to stay away from antacids after that. I sincerely hope that this info is of help to you all the best, Lee.
I’ve been having this gnawing hunger feelings immediately after meal or 1 hr after meals for the past 6 months..followed by upper abdominal discomforts and sometimes pain. Nauseous..but no vomitting. I’ve done the blood test and endoscopy…but it’s negative for H.pylori. Many years back i was tested positive for this bacteria and was put on the 10 days antibiotic course to eradicate it. Due to the gnawing hunger feeling..i’ve been eating every 2 hrs..and it’s making me gain 10kg in the past 8 months..this is very frustrating. And I’ve been taking many types of PPI’s as well for this problem..but am not getting any better (nexium, protonix, zantac)…my thyroid and blood sugar are OK…so can anyone advise what should i do now?
Hello kelly,I had similar symptoms with you,excess hunger n abdominal pain after eating,blood tests showed negative for h.pylori.would like to ask whether you recover already,please help me n give advice how to recover from this scary sickness,thank you very much.
Hello I was infected with H PYLORI in 2005. Cured it on the first treatment. Now I have it again 2015. Please research how you can get H Pylori. I was flabbergasted when I saw that you can get it through kissing. Not washing your hands good leaving feces on them contaminating your self. So oral sex can be dangerous to. H pylori is believe to be in other places besides the stomach. A decease specialist will check all habits to see how you may have contacted it. So this may sound gross but if you don’t clean yourself well scratch in your sleep then touch your mouth! It’s not just contacted through water and contaminated meat . Please research this thoroughly scrutinize this bacteria. I am being treated for the fourth time I know what I am talking about I am living it. I was with someone who had it he didn’t have symptoms but they found it in his colonoscopy so I kissed him . So see some people don’t wipe good and toilet paper don’t always do the job. So if you don’t shower touch your butt not thinking while watching TV eat a chip BAM ! I don’t care how clean you are habits on hygiene is IMPORTANT. You may have gotten it from water or food or ? I hope I helped someone. Thanks EH
I also had a whole family with this bacteria. We tried antibiotics in multiple courses with no eradication. After much research we came across a natural product called Conifer Green Needle Complex. It wiped it out completely with no side effects and happy to talk to anyone about how we took the product. Hope it helps others… 04578248787
Andrew
Thanks for the post and so glad to hear it helped you. If you could share where you purchased it and how you took it please? Thank you
Just found out that I have the h.pylori infection and started the triple antibiotics. The meds make me feel worse! I have had this bloated feeling for the last ten years. I suspect I have been infected for quite some time.
Im currently trying to heal that doctors believe is an ulcer from hpylori. My symptoms are constant mild nausea gnawing in upper middle abdomen and just feeling bad. I start the quadruple therapy in 2 weeks flatly 500mg 4x day and doxycycline 100mg 2x day along with Prilosec and pepto bismol pills for 2 weeks, has anyone gone through these same anrTibiotics? How am I going to feel taking all these antibiotics?
Hello FA,
We are so sorry that you are going through this. We can guide you during a consult toward food specific to your constitution and toward foods to boost the mucosal lining and the immune system. Please look at our blogs under the “Immunity” tab for more information. Please contact us if you would like to book a consult.
Hello,
Thank you so much for this article!!
I am on an antibiotic Bismuth quadruple therapy to get rid of H.Pylori. I am trying to figure out what foods I can eat alongwith the antibiotics to help get rid of this infection. My doctor said not to eat anything after 6 and a completely bland diet with no fats. I am not taking any carbs wheat or rice etc. just some vegetables and soup. Eating a cup of yogurt everyday. However. I take my last dose of medication at 11pm. and medication without food is really hard on me. Please help as it is already 7th day of my treatment.
Thanks!
Great post, Debi. Thank you.
[I have a friend that has H-Pylori. She has been sick for years on antibiotics all the time. I think people should start recearching what others have gone through to find alternative cures for diseases instead of drugs that will eventually lead to something worse. Check out this story i found on a blog: 09/29/2011: Lucy from Brisbane, Qld, Australia writes: “I hope my post helps someone. I had Helicobacter Pylori for almost 2years, I am not sure how I picked up although I do suspect it may have been at the nursing home where I spent many days with my mother before she passed. Anyway after 3 failed rounds of antibiotics I resorted to antibiotics which they used to give H, Pylori patients back in the late 70’s made up at a compound chemist, you take 17 antibiotics and acid lowering drugs per day. I made it through one day and had a bad reaction which resulted in a migraine for 1 week. After I recovered, I tried to accept there was nothing I could do and live with it (as one doctor told me), so I went home depressed and feeling sorry for myself.
Then I thought I don’t have to accept this I wasn’t born with it so I can get rid of it. Long story short I started taking Acidophilus “I…. H….. ” sold here in Australia the dosage is 1 per day but I took 5 – 6 per day for the first week then alternated between 1 – 4 after that (Please note this is the dosage I took I am not suggesting that you take that many) its what you feel comfortable with. Then I took VCO, the dosage varied from 1 teaspoon 3 x times a day to sometimes just 1 or 2 tablespoons the trick is to be consistant and take it every day no matter what dosage. I also took ACV with the mother regulary at first then every other day. And I am happy to say I cured it I no longer have Helicobacter Pylori, I have been tested and it came back negative and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. If you have had no luck with antibiotics don’t give up- this way may take a little longer but it was worth it. PS. I still take Acidophilus every day (1per day) and the occaional VCO & ACV.”
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