H Pylori (helicobacter pylori) - any MNers with experience of this?

[shinybootsofleather]

My life has been made completely miserable by stomach problems that started 4-5 years ago. The docs put this down to stress/IBS. I feel absolutely shattered, nauseous and sick on a daily basis. It is worse in the mornings. I feel lethargic and I have put on weight as well. I get pain after eating in the top of my stomach and suffer from bloating too.
I was tested for gallstones after a suspected attack in June and it was negative apart from the fact that I have a folded gallbladder. The GP decided to test me for H. Pylori despite saying that she did not think that this was my problem. I was positive to her and my surprise. I have been given metronidazole, lanzoprazole and clarithromycin. Have started them today and feeling a little nauseous already.
I am hoping for the best as it is affecting my work. I had a baby last September and before I went on maternity leave I was almost at the point of being sacked due to time off with stomach problems. I am struggling in three days a week at the moment and controlling it with paracetamol. They have given me Omeprazole, Lanzoprazole and Randitidine so far. Both PPIs made me feel really sick and dizzy.
The food thing is a pain. I can't connect symptoms with any food in particular. I even get pain when I drink water. I have lost 2 stone since Feb doing Slimming World off and on. The diet is full of wholegrains fruit and veg. I find that any food sets it off and no amount of exercise or eating healthily helps. Will continue with the diet anyway as I really do need to lose weight after having a baby but it is frustrating that when you lose weight you still feel like crap. I should be feeling much better with the exercise and diet I am doing (grr)!
Has anyone had any experience of this bug? How likely is this week-long course of drugs that I've been given to clear it up? I am hoping that this is what has been wrong with me all along but trying not to be too hopeful in case my symptoms do not go away.

I'm coming to this very late, but just wanted to add that I suffered with terrible stomach problems for years. It plagued my life. I was also diagnosed with IBS (other suggestions were stress and alcoholism (!)). Once I was diagnosed with HP, I took the week long medication (can't remember exactly what.) I seem to remember that the problems with bloating improved very quickly BUT I started to suffer from absolutely terrible heartburn as soon as I stopped the medication. I had never suffered from heartburn in my life prior to that. I also found that I was very susceptible to indigestion, sometimes with no real explanation. I spent a good 12 months taking medication to help relieve the heartburn problems. The heartburn gradually resolved on its own over the course of a year or so. The problems with indigestion took longer - I think it gradually improved over about 2 years. (But I never suffered any where near as badly as I did whilst I had HP). I believe I contracted the bug during a trip to the US in 1998, I was diagnosed with HP in 2001, and all the bloating, reactions to foods, heartbutn had gone by 2003. The HP is now just a bad memory, with the exception that I seem to have been left with a permanent susceptibility to tummy bugs. I had a pretty much cast-iron stomach prior to getting HP, and rarely got tummy bugs. Now I suffer badly. I remember when DD1 had her first tummy bug, I also caught it and was MUCH sicker than she was. Anyway, my apologies if this is a long and rambling message. Good luck.

Just to add - I had an endoscopy to find out the cause of the heartburn. (They couldn't find a cause - the HP had gone. I'm convinced it was just my stomach gradually recovering/readjusting.) The endoscopy really wasn't too bad at all. I had it done under light sedation.

Thanks for responding dontrunwithscissors. It's not a long and rambling message at all! I am starting to feel a little better but still have low-grade stomach pain on a constant basis. Have started taking mastic gum and manuka honey in the hope it will deter the bug from coming back. The bloating is much better at the moment. I am also being careful not to eat any overly fatty food as well. I was wondering how long it is possible to suffer with H Pylori for. I have had stomach pain for 4-5 years. It was always in the top of my stomach and the bottom originally, but the pain since June has been mainly in the top and it's far worse. Makes me wonder how long it's been in my system.

Glad to hear things are a bit better. I believe it's possible to suffer for a long time. I'm pretty sure I can identify exactly where I picked it up (a grotty Chinese restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama in July 1998) as from that point on I couldn't eat garlic without a horrible (and pretty violent) reaction. (It certainly wasn't pretty!). I'd always eaten loads of garlic prior to that point without any trouble. Ever since i was treated for HP I've been able to eat garlic again without any problems. I truly believe it takes a long time for your body/stomach to recover from such an invasive bug. The good news is that the medication got rid of the HP, and it would appear to have never returned.

Oh, and the symptoms/pain gradually got worse over the course of those 3 years. It seems entirely plausable that you've had the bug for 4/5 years.

I really hope that HP is what has been causing my symptoms. At the hospital appointment the doctor asked lots of loaded questions about sleeping and whether I was feeling down. I said that I was not sleeping and feeling down because I am ill and my stomach hurts. He seemed to think that anti-depressants would help my stomach. I have them at home but have not started them and unsure if I should. They are a low dose (10mg) but I am scared of having dependency issues and worried about difficulties coming off them if I want another baby.

Hi Shinyboots, what type of antidepressants are they? As it happens, I'm currently on AD's (following terrible PND after having DD2, who's 10.5 months.) Perhaps I can settle your mind....

It's Citalopram 10mg. It says to take one daily and increase to two daily. I still haven't started them.

I also have a colonoscopy and endoscopy booked for Jan now so they will check for everything then. I am not sure if it is worth going through these procedures this early on when I have only recently been treated for HP and I am feeling much better. The bloating has abated a great deal and my stomach only hurts a little now. If I'm honest, I think the endoscopy is scaring me a bit.

I'm taking 20mg of citalopram, although I have taken 40mg before. Did the doc think you're depressed? 10mg is very low - the starting dose is usually 20mg, and the 'normal' dose (according to my psychiatrist) is 40mg. To be honest, having been through this whole HP thing, I can understand perfectly well why you would feel 'down'. (I have a vague memory of being diagnosed as depressed before the HP was discovered. That, along with being an alcoholic.....) Citalopram has been a life-saver for me, but I can understand why you wouldn't want to take it, given your circumstances. I remember feeling a lot better fairly quickly after taking the HP erradication treatment - perhaps play a wait-and-see approach?

love your name op (and the song)

don't think i've posted on here yet and not sure if my exp will help.

i have had stomach pain for over 20 years not as bad as yours mine came and went more like attacks (?gallstones).the pain got worse a few years ago and I had to speak to my dr over the phone (other unconnected health issues mean i could not go to surgery).as i descirbed the pain and symptoms he treated with with laparazole (sp?) and diagnosed peptic ulcer.

after a few weeks (maybe 6 or 8) course of these i was fine and don't think i have had another attack since.The heli bug can cause these ulcers and i think it lives in your gut for ever or until treated.

good luck with everything.

sorry meant to add eating less little and often really helps - never being full.also any orange/red food or drinks made mine worse also alcohol and fizzy drinks were to be avoided and anything excessively cheesy or fried.

Thanks dontrunwithscissors. I think that's what I may do, wait and see for a couple of weeks at least. I am much better than I was and feel more energetic. Not 100% but nowhere near as bad as before. Been taking mastic gum and manuka honey to help to heal my stomach (possibly psychosomatic effect but seems to help).
My DH is on Citalopram and has been long-term so that's what worries me. DH thinks it may be worth taking them to see if it helps as he feels that I am stressed and down in his opinion. The hospital doctor was asking quite leading questions about lack of sleep and depression (all due to stomach pain in all likelihood IMO) but stressed strongly that it was a very small dose of Citalopram. He could not prescribe them for some reason so I had to go to my local GP, who was clearly not keen on the idea and suggested CBT instead. He prescribed them in the end after repeatedly asking if I was sure I wanted them. Apparently they can help with pain from IBS. They reduce your pain and help with stress which is the main problem for most people with IBS. The main problem is that it is not certain that I have IBS. Very confused and frustrated with the mixed messages I appear to be getting.

I was wondering if 5HTP may be a better one to try as well.