Treatment FAQ

after treatment for h pylori how long do you wait to retest

by Dr. Lyda Runolfsdottir PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Wait at least 8 weeks after eradication therapy before retesting for Helicobacter. Ensure that patient has not been taking antibiotics or PPI as outlined above to avoid false negative results.

Should you retest after H pylori treatment?

If you don’t retest, you have absolutely no way of knowing whether your H pylori has been eradicated. Alas, some docs believe that H pylori treatment works – you take your triple or quadruple therapy for 7-14 days and that’s it, you’re done.

Can you test for H pylori 4 weeks after treatment?

H pylori retesting checklist. Take retesting seriously – it’s important. Wait at least 4 weeks after treatment has finished before getting retested. Do NOT use a blood test as H pylori antibodies can remain elevated for several months even if H pylori has gone.

How long does H pylori treatment take to work?

Alas, some docs believe that H pylori treatment works – you take your triple or quadruple therapy for 7-14 days and that’s it, you’re done. But as you know if you’ve read the statistics I present on this website, H pylori treatment is only successful 65-70% of the time.

What happens after H pylori is removed from your stomach?

Just because H pylori has been cleared out of your stomach, it doesn’t mean your stomach is healthy all of a sudden. Think about it, if you have an infected wound in your finger, sterilizing the wound doesn’t mean it heals overnight. It’s still red, swollen and sore… and for a good few days or weeks afterwards.

Do you recheck H. pylori after treatment?

The UBT is a valid and reliable test for evaluating H. pylori eradication post treatment, and testing to confirm treatment success should be performed at least 4–8 weeks after completion of H. pylori eradication therapy.

When should you be retested for H. pylori?

Most experts recommend testing four or more weeks after treatment ends to confirm the infection is cured.

Do we need to repeat H. pylori test after treatment?

At least one of the antibiotics is different from those used in the first treatment course. Follow-up — After completing H. pylori treatment, repeat testing is usually performed to ensure that the infection has resolved. This is typically done with a breath or stool test (see 'Breath tests' above).

How long after antibiotics can you test for H. pylori?

The same tests used for diagnosis can be used to tell if H. pylori infection is gone. If you were previously diagnosed with H. pylori infection, you'll generally wait at least four weeks after you complete your antibiotic treatment to repeat these tests.

How long does it take for H. pylori to go away?

If you have ulcers caused by H. pylori, you'll need treatment to kill the germs, heal your stomach lining, and keep the sores from coming back. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks of treatment to get better.

Will I always test positive for H. pylori?

Blood tests for H pylori can only tell if your body has H pylori antibodies. It cannot tell if you have a current infection or how long you have had it. This is because the test can be positive for years, even if the infection is cured.

Can H. pylori come back after treatment?

We conclude that the rate of recurrence after successful H. pylori eradication is low, and that when reinfection takes place, it occurs most commonly within the 1st yr after treatment.

How do you prevent H. pylori from recurrence?

H. Pylori PreventionPractice good hygiene and hand washing, especially with food preparation.All patients with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms that may be associated with H. ... Patients should complete the full course of therapy (antibiotics and acid blockers) to maximize the potential for a cure.More items...

Is H. pylori completely curable?

H. pylori is treatable with antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and histamine H2 blockers. Once the bacteria are completely gone from the body, the chance of its return is low.

What happens if H. pylori doesn't go away with antibiotics?

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Treating patients with Helicobacter pylori infection who have failed clarithromycin-based triple therapy with either levofloxacin-based triple therapy (with amoxicillin and a proton pump inhibitor [PPI]) or a bismuth-based quadruple therapy produces cure rates of 75% to 81%.

Can you get Helicobacter pylori twice?

Abstract. The rate of H. pylori recurrence after eradication of the microorganism seems to be relatively low, at least in developed countries, where the mean annual reinfection rate is of approximately 3% per patient-year of follow-up, although the risk of reinfection in some developing regions is considerably higher.

What causes H. pylori to flare up?

H. pylori infection occurs when H. pylori bacteria infect your stomach. H. pylori bacteria are usually passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit or stool. H. pylori may also be spread through contaminated food or water.

1. The Benefits you will get after H. pylori treatment

In 1994, The NIH consensus conference recognized H. pylori as a cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers. In the same year, International Agency for Research on Cancer Identified H. pylori as a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma (reference).

2. The next step after the H. pylori Treatment course

After you complete the 7-14 day course of h. pylori treatment, your doctor usually prescribes a proton pump inhibitor for another 4-8 weeks.

3. When and how your doctor will confirm the eradication

Your doctor will confirm the eradication fro H. pylori after at least four weeks after the end of the treatment course (reference).

4. Treatment failure rate (and its causes)

You should expect a 20% risk of failure of initial h. pylori treatment (reference). In such a case, Your doctor may attempt another course of h. pylori treatment (salvage therapy).

5. Symptoms of h. pylori treatment failure

The most important sign of a good h. pylori treatment is the resolution of your symptoms. The persistence of symptoms may indicate the failure of treatment.

6. How your doctor will deal with treatment failure

Your doctor will confirm a re-test to assess h. pylori eradication. He may request another endoscopy to take a biopsy.

How long after treatment for H pylori can you retest?

H pylori retesting checklist. Take retesting seriously – it’s important. Wait at least 4 weeks after treatment has finished before getting retested. Do NOT use a blood test as H pylori antibodies can remain elevated for several months even if H pylori has gone.

How long does it take to get rid of H pylori?

Alas, some docs believe that H pylori treatment works – you take your triple or quadruple therapy for 7-14 days and that’s it, you’re done.

How long does it take for H pylori to multiply?

The test may not be sensitive enough to find this depleted population. After a couple of weeks, the H pylori bacteria can begin multiplying again and end up being at high levels after 3-4 weeks. Thus, if you run your H pylori retesting after 4 weeks, you have more chance of finding it if it’s still there.

Why is it important to retest for H pylori?

H pylori retesting is an important topic because there is no other way of knowing whether H pylori has been eradicated. Even if your symptoms improve, H pylori can still be hanging around in your stomach after you’re completed your treatment. Unfortunately, doctors may not always want to run a retest, so it’s important to understand your options.

Can H pylori be relapsed?

Sometimes your symptoms will improve, but H pylori will still be there. Just because your heartburn, reflux, tummy pain and other complaints feel better, H pylori can still be hanging around. If you’re not careful you can experience a relapse of your symptoms and end up being confused as to why you don’t feel well again.

Can you run a gluten test after H pylori?

Gluten sensitivity. Immune function. Pancreatic function. Of course, you probably don’t want to run this test if, after H pylori treatment, you feel great! This is more for situations in which you might feel no better, or even worse, after your treatment.

Can you take PPIs if you have H pylori?

Taking PPIs when you test for H pylori can skew the result and give you a false negative for similar reasons to those explained above. If you experience heartburn and acid reflux and your symptoms worsen significantly when you stop taking PPIs, retesting can be quite difficult.

How long after treatment for H pylori can you get tested?

Your doctor may recommend that you undergo testing for H. pylori at least four weeks after your treatment. If the tests show the treatment was unsuccessful, you may undergo another round of treatment with a different combination of antibiotic medications.

How long do you have to stop taking PPI before a blood test?

If you are taking a PPI, your doctor will ask you to stop taking the PPI medications for one or two weeks before the test. This test isn't always recommended solely to diagnose an H. pylori infection because it's more invasive than a breath or stool test.

What is the most common test for H pylori?

Stool tests. The most common stool test to detect H. pylori is called a stool antigen test that looks for foreign proteins (antigens) associated with H. pylori infection in your stool. Antibiotics, acid-suppressing drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) can interfere with the accuracy of these tests.

Why do we do a H pylori test?

pylori infection. This test is done to investigate symptoms that may be caused by other conditions such as gastric ulcer or gastritis that may be due to H. pylori. The test may be repeated after treatment depending on what is found at the first endoscopy or if symptoms persist after H. pylori treatment.

How long after antibiotics can you test stool?

If you were previously diagnosed with and treated for H. pylori, your doctor will generally wait at least four weeks after you complete your antibiotic treatment to test your stool. If you are taking a PPI, your doctor will ask you to stop taking PPI medications for one or two weeks before the test.

How many antibiotics are given for H pylori?

H. pylori infections are usually treated with at least two different antibiotics at once, to help prevent the bacteria from developing a resistance to one particular antibiotic. Your doctor also will prescribe or recommend an acid-suppressing drug, to help your stomach lining heal.

Can you take bismuth before stool test?

If you are taking a PPI, your doctor will ask you to stop taking the PPI medications for one or two weeks before the test.

How many times can you get H pylori?

But these aren’t the only reasons why H pylori symptoms return. Another important reason is that you can get H pylori twice, three times or as many times as you want, really. Reinfection is more common than people think.

What are the symptoms of H pylori?

H pylori symptoms return (or never go away) because of: 1 Collateral damage caused by H pylori and other things 2 Ongoing food sensitivities 3 Eating and lifestyle habits 4 Other bad bugs like Candida, SIBO and intestinal parasites 5 Low stomach acid and other digestive problems 6 Reinfection from family members or sexual partners

Does H pylori go away?

Why some people’s H pylori symptoms never go away in the first place. Doctors rightly treat H pylori when they find it. But they generally don’t consider three important factors that can prevent symptoms from clearing.

Can H pylori cause stomach pain?

With humble honesty, I can tell you that even if you find H pylori in your stomach, it might not be the main reason you feel crap. What do I mean? Well, the main H pylori symptoms – heartburn, tummy pain, reflux, bloating, burping, nausea and so on – can all be caused by other things.

Can you get rid of H pylori?

So you can get rid of H pylori but if you have any of these other critters hanging around in the gut, your symptoms might not budge. This is where a comprehensive home stool test comes in handy. When I did my home tests, I first found H pylori.

Does H pylori heal overnight?

Just because H pylori has been cleared out of your stomach, it doesn’t mean your stomach is healthy all of a sudden. Think about it, if you have an infected wound in your finger, sterilizing the wound doesn’t mean it heals overnight. It’s still red, swollen and sore… and for a good few days or weeks afterwards.

Can antibiotics kill H pylori?

Alas, as you know, the medical system is only intent on giving you the antibiotics you need to kill H pylori. Docs rarely offer any advice on what to do to accelerate digestive healing. If they did, they’d suggest avoiding certain foods and using specific herbs and nutrients.

65 Answers

The aloe juice and digestive enzymes may help. I had a mess up in my work insurance, and wqs due to have these tests. Out of desparation, I started the aloe juice, it helps with that pain you mentioned, has NOT helped me with the pressure issue thoug, but I am so glad the pain after eating stopped shortly after I started the aloe.

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