Has anyone else been diagnosed with H. Pylori ? page 2

[TARNIP]

Goodness me Silvergirl you really have had quite a bad run with it all. I couldn't imagine having allergies to all of those foods as I eat them regularly and amidst everything else I'm intolerant to I don't think I'd be left with much else to eat! I have the standard gluten issues as well as having to try and avoid most starches as it aggrivates my inflammatory arthritis. I am hesitant to ever give up dairy as I love it sooo much! I had considered doing the Whole 30 but I think for those of us that have underlying health issues it might be too much too soon for our systems to be able to deal with so I have approached it in a slower more gradual way by slowly decreasing bad foods while introducing the new good foods. My main aim now is to try and heal my gut. I really believe that if it does fully heal I will have less intolerances and digestive issues with all types of foods (well that's the plan anyway!).

I am going to be getting myself some Primal Defense Ultra Probiotics as I have read these are one of the best but as I live in Australia I will have to pay top $$ for them as they are imported from the US. I am also going to buy a kefir starter kit and some raw milk to start making my own kefir, as well as purchasing some Kombucha tea (I have read that these 2 things are ridiculously high in live probiotics and are extremely helpful in repairing the gut). I will also be loading myself up with coconut oil in case there are other nasties in there that shouldn't be :-)

It can be so debilitating having digestive issues at it affects your whole life in every possible way. I wish you the very best of luck with your new treatment and I hope you are able to get some relief soon.

[Silvergirl]

Thanks Tarnip actually the main pain subsided pretty quickly and overall I am doing really well now. Identifying those allergies are vital for your gut health, once you eliminate those foods you have a chance to heal without the constant irritation. I did give up one at a time initially, but I feel soooo much better with more energy, clear head, more motivation, that it is all worth it. I don't touch gluten at all either. I still recommend the whole30 to really find out all of your issues. The faster you do the quicker you can get on top of it all. I did just go back onto the acid blockers for a bit to give my ulcer a chance to heal. I didn't want to, but I think it is for the best. I felt the same way as you about dairy. My absolute favourite foods are things like egg custards. I initially didn't think I could give up all grains either.

[RitaRose]

My mom has had it twice. The first time, she ended up in the hospital for a couple of days since no one could figure it out and she was pretty sick. That was about 5 years ago.

Then she got it again back about a year ago. She was vomitting and couldn't eat more than a couple of bites to begin with (no clue what she found to actually vomit up) and was in pain pretty much constantly.

I even started a thread ( Help Solve the Pharma Mystery! - ) trying to figure out what the problem was.

She eventually found a new doc that diagnosed it as h. pylori on the first visit (after testing) 8 or 9 months after the whole ordeal started. He pulled her off all of her meds (more on that...) and put her on the same 3-step treatment plan. It seemed to work pretty well, and she's gaining weight and exercising again (at age 75) just a few months later.

The meds she was taking - a horrible mix of PPIs, antacids and the like. She had her gall bladder removed decades ago, back in the day when you basically removed any organ that was giving you trouble (she had 2 more "parts" removed for the same reason - argh!) Instead of changing her diet to remove problem foods, she continued to eat CW and basically had pushed the acid in her stomach down on a daily basis for years. That's exactly where h. pylori thrives, in a low acid environment.

So my take on this whole thing is that, while you may have to eat a little dfferently without a gallbladder (though there are quite a few people on this forum that don't), just make sure you are keeping your stomach acid up and not down. If you have a problem with heartburn, try taking a spoonful of apple cider vinegar instead of an antacid after you get done with the treatment. Most of the time heartburn is caused by too little stomach acid, not too much.

I apologize if I'm preaching to the choir here, but I see so many people make the situation worse by lowering their stomach acid. Chris Kresser has a lot of great articles on this subject:

Chris Kresser - Heartburn/GERD articles page

[TARNIP]

Thanks so much for that info RitaRose :-) I have been reading so much conflicting info about whether or not H.Pylori grows in a low or high acid environment. The doctor tells me they grow in a high acid environment but I have my doubts as I have had issues digesting my foods for a long time (which to me indicates low acid) but still managed to somehow contract it. I had been taking 2 tablespoons of ACV twice daily but read that it can increase your chances of getting an ulcer with H.Pylori, due to having too much acid in the stomach? I was even beginning to wonder if my ACV usage is what bought on the infection to start with? I will definately be reading the Chris Kresser article, I have been reading quite a bit of his work lately :-)

[Zach]

Everything i have read says H. Pylori thrives in a low acidic environment. Although i believe bile acid excreted when eating fats is what aggrevates the stomach lining and can cause ulcers.

[Silvergirl]

Yes I believe low acid also. High acid can certainly irritate an ulcer. I think you should just do your pylori therapy first then go from there

[TARNIP]

Thanks guys :-) I am curious as to why they give you a PPI in the triple therapy to reduce stomach acid considering that's a probable cause to how it got there in the first place? Not sure how that would be meant to help!

[Zach]

Thanks guys :-) I am curious as to why they give you a PPI in the triple therapy to reduce stomach acid considering that's a probable cause to how it got there in the first place? Not sure how that would be meant to help!

Its for healing the ulcers if you have any. Im not sure if it really is helpful or not but i disnt question it and the treatment worked. Once done, if you are clear of the bacteria, crank your acid back up and maybe try some digestive enzymes with your food to help your digestion. Also of course probiotics.

[RitaRose]

Its for healing the ulcers if you have any. Im not sure if it really is helpful or not but i disnt question it and the treatment worked. Once done, if you are clear of the bacteria, crank your acid back up and maybe try some digestive enzymes with your food to help your digestion. Also of course probiotics.

That's what I'm thinking too.

BTW, after going through this twice already, her doctor pulling her off the PPI, and having me for a daughter (explaining it over and over again), my mom is most likely going to have a problem with this again.

I had dinner with her yesterday at a buffet, and she ate mostly wheat (pasta, rolls, etc) then remarked "I'm definitely going to be taking an antacid tonight!" She was also horrified by my "make-do-at-a-cake-laden-buffet" dessert, which was sliced pears covered in cinnamon butter, and when I told her she should be taking coconut oil for her failing memory, she remarked "Oh, no! I'll get fat!"

headdesk

[Drumroll]

Another thought for you guys...

Both ginger and peppermint have been used for people with slow digestive systems because they stimulate stomach acid production which increases digestive efficiency. Normally this is a GOOD thing. But for those of you trying to keep stomach acid levels low, I would advise doing what you can to avoid consuming these. I don't know if any of you were aware of that, but in case you weren't now you know!