H pylori experiences - can it cause diahrrea?

[MrsPS3]

I have been experiencing gut problems with my gut for quite some time. At the beginning was on and off, now on most of the time.
My main worry was that my stools were soft and greasy most of the time, I was worried that this could be something pancreatic. I've had bloods and stool samples done and my pancreas seems to be ok.
I do also have acid reflux sometimes, but I didn't mention this to my GP as I was focusing so much un the problem with my soft and greasy stools...
I bought a h pylori home test kit and I have tested positive...can this be causing my extrange stools?when you look on the internet symptoms of h pylori infection this does not seem to be one of the symptoms. Bet at the same time I think it might be related...any experiences??

I had HP, no symptoms! Was discovered during testing for other things while an in patient for a cardiac issue. You never know do you?

What you describe is not normally a symptom of H Pylori (when there are symptoms that is...). It's possible that it is a food intolerance or allergy.

I know it is not a know symptom but I have read that the bacteria can cause gastritis and that a symtom of gastritis can be that, it feels like such a coincidence...
I just feel like an intolerance would not be very likely as I eat the main allergens most days (gluten and dairy prety much every day) and Ive got good days and bad days. I have recently had a period of 10 days feeling perfect and I was literally eating the same as usual. I cannot punt my finger on what it is causing this.

Have you had your thyroid checked?

Thyroid checked, all seems good (according to the lab ranges anyway...)

I've had full bloods and several stool samples (FIT, calpoprectin and elastase), all clear but I am not well. I am not in pain as such, only sometimes when I've got lot of gas but it is a pain clearly related to gas.
Ferritin was low (I am normally near 200 and it was 29) so it seems like there is some kind of malaborption going on.

I am having an abdominal scan next week but I dont think anything will be picked up on that when all my bloods and stool samples have come back ok? I am getting frustrated at not getting any answers...

When I had H Pylori, I had nausea and heartburn and felt a bit sweaty.

Not in my experience of h.pylori. I've had it twice and it was all very much textbook upper abdomen constant feeling of heartburn and indigestion.

Have you been checked for gallstones? I've got them now and your symptoms are more indicative of that.

I think they are checking my gallbladder in the ultra sound I've got booked for next week, but I thought that gallbladder issues were very painful? I am not in pain, sometimes a but of discomfort when my reflux is bad or when I've got a lot of gas, but I am not in pain in general

This sounds exactly like the symptoms I had when I had gallstones. I didn't have the usual sharp pains like a lot of people get. It was almost a relief when the scan picked up gallstones as I finally had an answer after about 18 months of wondering what the hell was going on!

My husband had HP and often diahorreah. He's been fine since treated.

Me too! I came out of the hospital walking on air as gallstones was the least worst of all the scenarios I'd created myself
@MrsPS3 only painful in a full blown attack really. And I've had about 5 of those in all these years. They definitely cause intestinal issues though due to fat not being dealt with properly by the gallbladder

I had H Pylori some years ago, and one of my symptoms was loose black and stinking (sorry) stools. Tell your GP. And have a think, have you any other symptoms too? I had

• anaemia (caused by internal bleeding)
• Sharp chest pains which were so bad I had tests on my heart (but they were caused by anaemia)
• stools as already said
• sort of tingling at the site of the internal lesion

pm me if you want to know any more.

My stools are not black, if anything they are paler than normal at times, but nothing too much and not all the time, sometimes is the right color.

I dont have anemia but as I said, my ferritin has gone from around 180 to 29 without changing my diet, so that's weird. Blood was not picked up by the FIT test so it doesnt look like I am losing blood (or at lest not on the day I took the test!). I am thinking maybe if there is some malabsortion going on, I am not absobing enough iron and my stores have gone massively down

@ASighMadeOfStone I know what you mean! I had convinces myself that I had pancreatic cancer...I feel a bit better know that bloods and stools test to check my pancreas came clear. Let's see what the ultrasound says...I though gallbladder stones were always painful

Paler stools are often also a gallbladder dysfunction sign. There's a stool colour chart which is quite useful. Mine sometimes go a bit yellow if I've eaten too much fat.
Must say though, I take Digestive Enzymes with every meal now and my symptoms have improved no end.

But if I have a gallbladder issue, shouldn't my stools be the same all the time? This is what I am not understanding, my stools are loose and greasy and a bit on the pale side most of the time but then I will have some days when they are pretty much normal in consistency and color. I though Chrons, but apparently that cannot be the case if the calpropectin test is normal (even though the day I had the stool test, I had apretty normal stool)

My gallbladder wasn't painful no stones but sludge instead. Make sure you have that scanned. It's malabsorption.

Depends on what you've eaten rather than the day of the week

@justasking111 Can I ask what is the treatment for gallbladder sludge?

They remove the gallbladder. Day surgery was in at 8am out by 4

@justasking111 did you have to change your diet a lot after surgery?

Well I'd changed it years before to low fat because following an earlier check the consultant thought that I had a mild gallbladder issue. So I kinda knew I had to be careful.

So if you have gallbladder problems, your symptoms get better if you have a low fat diet? I am tempted to try to change this andsee if anything changes. I have to say I do have quite a high fat diet, health fat though but I eat a tons of nuts, seeds and avocados

It's worth a try. I only eat cheese occasionally, semi skimmed milk, no cream. Ice-cream affects me. Avocado I have no idea gave that up decades ago. Fine with a few nuts.

You'll know more after the scan. I was told by the lady who scanned me so you maybe told then and there.

My scan was on Sunday and all was clear, The report is on my NHS app and it says thin walled gallbladder, which I think it is how it should be or a good sign, so it doesn't seem to be a gallblader problem.

Next steps are telling my GP my home h pylori test was positive and see if it can be related to that. She had said that if the scan was clear, I will be referred to gastro, but I assume this is going to be non urgent and that it will take some time...

Hi @MrsPS3 - did you ever get things sorted? Did they treat you for H. Plyori in the end?