Really scared to take pylori treatment

[elllyyyyyy]

Sorry for the double post but I'm getting more and more anxious as it gets closer to taking my first dose for h pylori. I've read people say the treatment is brutal and seen people say they had a raised heart rate, shakes, diarrhoea, weakness. I have anxiety and this is really scaring me, I reckon I would be straight on the phone to 111 as I'm so scared of health related issues. Please can I have positive experiences from people who have took the treatment, surely it can't be that bad right? It's really scaring me and making me not want to take it, but I have acid reflux and stomach pain so often now I don't know what else to do :(

Unless you've been told differently, I wouldn't take all the tablets (PPI and Antibiotics) at the same time in the morning. Take the PPI as soon as you wake, 20-30 mins before having anything to eat/drink (This will help it to work) - Then take the antibiotics with some food 30 mins after the PPI....
Again, ignore me if your Doctors have told you to take all at once!
Hope you feel better soon!

I've had this for a year now, at first I did refuse the anti biotics but it was that or stay off PPI's for 3 weeks to do a stool sample and I can't do that, my reflux keeps me up at night and I get random on and off stomach pain which can be so painful even ibuprofen and paracetamol together don't help. I would rather know that I tried than not and then if not I get my referral quicker! To me, it's a win both ways this could go.

Thank you, they didn't tell me how to take it but asked pharmacist who said it was fine, I will take the omeprazole now and anti biotics 30 mins after!

Thank you, I do suffer with anxiety so it's not a suprise, glad I have an oximeter so I can know for sure!

This is really good to hear! Even though I don't know for sure if I have it, I'm very hopeful this is going to work, having stomach pain and reflux for a year is not fun and it's just getting worse now... I didn't want to take the anti biotics initially but docs said they recommend me trying due to the amount of pain I'm in a lot of the time and it will be a quicker referral for me if it doesn't work. Which felt like a fair deal to me considering I can't keep off PPI's for more than a few days at the moment 😭

Bloody heck I'd missed that! There are easy tests for H. Pylori namely a breathing one.
The antibiotics won't kill her and I think she's unlikely to build a resistance but for giardia the treatment is 21 days of Flagyl and taking it for 14 can be a problem because it's then harder to get rid of. Giardia can be veeery similar to H. Pylori.
Hopefully it is H. Pylori!

Breathing test is not as accurate as stool (so my GP says) and again you need to be off PPI's which I can't do for 3 weeks, my reflux is horrific

I did an endoscopy and colonoscopy before being prescribed treatment. My treatment wasn't blind.
You are right that you can't take anything for 2 weeks before doing a breathing or a stool test.
I'm surprised you didn't do and endoscopy if you have so many problems. It was pretty much the first thing I did because they had to check for ulcers too.
Still, every case is different. We're all different and TBH 70% of the world population have H. Pylori of which only an unlucky 1% have problems, so welcome to the club.
What's important is getting better and killing the mother fucker. They're a resilient bastard but it seems like your GP's already throwing the book at it so it'll all end well, with a funeral for it and you celebrating with a nice wine.

Well, skip the medication and keep the Pylori. That’s the alternative. Seems a no-brainer to me.

Hi OP- try not to Google and don't use your oximeter - you are feeding the HA beast by collecting this data!!

Your doctor would not have prescribed the abx if they didn't think they would not benefit you. Please try and trust that.

I’ve been diagnosed with this. Just waiting for the doctors to respond and give antibiotics

Mine was diagnosed via endoscopy. A blood, urine and stool test all tested negative

I had the treatment and felt a bit wiped out and nauseous for a few days, with the horrible metallic taste in my mouth.

My symptoms continued so I had an endoscopy to see if it was all gone. Discovered some traces of H Pylori still there, but also found out that I have a hiatus hernia.

I manage this mostly with low acid diet, and occasional PPIs. It definitely worsens with stress.

Stool didn’t pick up my h pylori, only a gastroscopy, but I had been off ppi for longer when I had the camera. I had inflammation in duodenum and the swab for h pylori was positive.

Thanks everyone for your comments, I did actually do a stool test last year for it which was negative however I was taking gaviscon at the time (they failed to tell me not to take that annoyingly) I assumed everything was fine but it got worse this year so went back and here I am. Tbh, I will say I have only took a days dose essentially but the burning feeling in my throat has disappeared! Still have the reflux and pain but maybe it will take a few more days? Im not sure

Good luck, and stay with it. I had a course 25 odd years ago, and then had another just recently. The first one didn't completely work, and I declined a further course. So basically assume it builds back up again. Not terrible, but unpleasant, especially the metallic taste. I took kefir and ate lots of yoghurt with the course, and also continued for a good couple of months after, really thinking about what I was eating. Tummy so much better. Literally no acid now, and I also have a hiatus hernia.

I have one of those too!! (A hiatus hernia)

I agree totally. I had extensive tests before they found h pylori / was on and off ppi, necking gaviscon like a maniac and finally they found h pylori on my 2nd endoscopy cos the first wasn’t completed due to slow stomach emptying.
Gastros etc were looking at IBD due to early test results but it wasn’t that and I didn’t have classic IBD symptoms. Covid kicked it all off but my stomach has never been great.

Doctor would not refer me without taking the treatment or stool sample, I can't stay off gaviscon for it and the symptoms are just getting worse. He is referring me for endoscopy after this if it doesn't work, which personally I don't think I have pylori however it's worth a try!

I had the treatment a few years ago and had zero side-effects.
Stick with it, OP.

I've been so sick all day, I've vomited twice and my heart rate is stuck around 100-105.
Don't think I want to carry on taking them. 😭 I wish I just waited to do the stool sample and grin and beard the reflux

I'm going against the grain here and say: avoid things dairy. No milk, yoghurts, cheese or probiotic. Stick to vegetables.

Sorry to hear, can you speak to your GP? You shouldn’t stop the antibiotics though.

Why are you checking your heart rate?
You can take travel sickness tablets to stop yourself feeling sick.