Mamas, I need help.
I'm becoming scared to death.
My soon to be 15 yr old son has been suffering from acid reflux/heartburn for almost 2 months now.
LONG story short, he will be tested for H Pylori on Monday.
In the meantime, he is on a modified diet (no acidic/spicy foods, Prilosec in the morning, Yakult drink at night, no eating anything 2 hrs before bedtime). All of these measures are to help him with the SYMPTOMS (heartburn) of H Pylori.
My question is this : have any of you (or someone you know) been diagnosed with H Pylori? If so, once the treatment of heavy antibiotics/antacids is finished, do you have to be concerned about contracting it again? Does having it once make you more prone? I know that , if left untreated, this condition can lead to bleeding ulcers and stomach cancer...
I'd hate to think my boy who LOVES tomatos (plain, juice, soup, sauce) will have to be wary for the rest of his life.
Of course, I know there's worse conditions to have - without a doubt - and if THIS is the worst "thing" he ever has, he will be blessed.
I suppose I'm just a Mama who loves her boy beyond measure and I want desperately to help make him better.
Any suggestions? Success stories? Horror stories?
I'm ready for it ALL, so please feel free to share.
Thank you ~
Christine gave you a really great expert answer, and I'm glad to see that a pro-biotic is part of his treatment plan right now.
Don't be afraid of H.pylori...it's a huge advance in GI medicine that they now know that this bacteria causes ulcers (not stress, spicy food, etc. as was thought before) and can treat it quickly so that people can move on with their lives.
Oh Mama K., don't be scared to death really!! I'm sure you understand that H. pylori is a bacteria. I work for a national laboratory and I focused on this test last year in my physician practices. In training, we manage to convince ourselves that we have every disease we are studying, we have almost all been tested for it and it is actually quite prevalent and treatable.
I wish he were 18 because I prefer the method of testing done by the urea breath test instead of the blood test or the stool antigen test but it is not approved by the FDA for children yet. For him the stool antigen test is going to be the most accurate for detection of a present infection (the blood test will indicate past or current infection but can't be differentiated).
**He will also have to be off proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix), antibiotics and bismuth preparations for TWO WEEKS prior to testing or he could get a false negative result.
If he were to be positive, he would receive the antibiotics and then it is really important for him to take the stool antigen test four weeks later to make sure the treatment was successful. Don't forget this one! Many people blow it off because they feel well.
Hopefully I made a little bit of sense. I would check with the physician (who may need to check with the lab) about stopping the medications. Some doctors don't pay attention and I don't want him to receive a false negative.
I have tons of information from the American Gastroenterological Association and The American College of Gastroenterology if you want it.
Best of luck!
C.
It's ok, K., my cousin was diagnosed with H Pylori only after he'd developed an ulcer. As previously mentioned, H Pylori is a bacteria so antibiotics take care of it. Just like other bacterial infections, it might not be completely eradicated after the first course of antibiotics, that's why the "follow-up" test is important.
My cousin is absolutely fine now and is not on any medication. The outcome for your son is very likely to be good too! Good luck.
I think you can relax a little. While there is a slightly increased lifetime risk of developing certain cancers (about 1%) - H pylori is very, very common. About 50% of people carry it and of those 80% never have any symptoms.
It usually is only treated in people that do show symptoms... though your son's symptoms may not necessarily H pylori - there are plenty of things that can cause reflux: stress, being overweight, diet, food allergies, food sensitivities etc, etc.
In a way a positive H pylori test would be a good outcome, because then you know what it is and the doctors can treat it. If that's not it you are left figuring out what else it may be and that's usually more difficult.
Hope your son feels better soon.
Good luck.
Has he had tests to see if his Gallbladder is working correctly?
WHY are they automatically assuming the H Pyloris diagnosis?
Ther are many tests to be done I would think. You didn't say which, if any had been done.
Does he vomit? Is he having pain in his stomach in addition to the heartburn? Does his shoulder hurt? These are all indications of a Gallbladder gone haywire, a much easier fix than the HP.
Weird that they would automatically assume the HP...
Best to you both for a quick find & recovery!
Prebiotic/probiotic combo. Helped me with acid reflux.
My boyfriend had this and was helped enormously by seeing a kinesiologist in Canoga Park called Dr George Byrnes. He has the best probiotics and will really help your son recover to full health. His number is ###-###-#### if you want to call.
Good luck, H Pylori is not fun.
I use this website for all my go to remedies. I try to use natural as much as possible.
www.earthclinic.com
I like it because everyday people go there to post what remedies helped or did not help.
Good luck with your son!!
Blessings!
D.
