These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
[posted 01/28/2000]
Question: i recently had a miscarrage after 3 months being pregnant. I found out 2 months later that i have the helocobactor pyloric in my stomach. i am back on fertility treatments. will the H. Pylori hurt the baby if i get pregnant again? I am not taking any meds except Serophen for infertility.
Answer: The treament of H. pylori is generally antibiotics plus bismuth solutions. Some of the antibiotics could have an effect, but there should be no residual after you stop them(usually one to two weeks of treatment). Same with the bismuth compounds(pepto bismo and the like). Prilosec/prevacid is the other treatment and some mds will continue this drug. I need some more specifics about what your treatment options will be.
[posted 11/27/1999]
Question: To treat the HP I was given the following regimen
Pepto Bismol 1 oz 4x a day for two weeks
Tetracycline 500mg 4x a day for two weeks
Metronidazole 250mg 1 tablet 4x a day STARTING 4 days
AFTER you have been on tetracycline.
This morning I started the regimen by taking the one oz PeptoBismol
I then made a mistake and took the metronidazol INSTEAD of the tetracycline BY MISTAKE. What should I do know. Im concerned I screwed up the drug therapy because there must have been a reason to start the metronizadol 4 days after the tetracycline. Should I wait a few days and start all over????
Answer: This should be ok. There are probably 50 different regiments for treating H. pylori infections. There are so many because we don’t have one regimen that is 100% effective. Most are 70-90% effective. So, even if you follow everything by the letter, you have a 10-20% chance of reoccurance. Many regimens use the tetracycline and metronidazole together. Just go back to the basic regiment today and don’t worry about it.
[posted 11/21/1999]
Question: I’m taking the triple therapy to eradicate H. Pylori. You mention
including Pepto Bismol. How much and how often? Also, I
read on your site that H. Pylori is passed from person to
person. Are there measures I can/should take to avoid passing this
to anyone?
Answer: No one knows exactly the mode of transmission. We assume person to person transfer since it occurs in clusters but the exact mode of transmission is unclear. Most physicians recommend a tablespoon 3 or 4 times a day on an empty stomach. I wouldn’t worry about the infectious part, too little is currently known.
Helicobacter Pylori
Question: What is the best treatment for this?
Answer: This topic is currently under debate. However, it appears that a combination of either Prilosec or
Prevacid with 2 antibiotics (usually Erythromycin plus Flagyl-or equivalent) plus Pepto Bismol for
ten days or so.
Helicobacter Pylori
Question: I would like to know how H. Pylori is transmitted. Is it the cause of some ulcers or does it thrive on ulcerated G.I. tissue.
Answer: Helicobacter Pylori is a spiral shaped organism found exclusively in gastric lining tissue. If there
has been a change in the normal lining of the small intestine that is immediately after the
stomach (the “duodenum”), to that seen in the stomach, the H. Pylori can also reside there. It is
found in 10% of all healthy people under the age of 30, and 60% of healthy people over the age
of 60. Although the specifics and exact route is still unconfirmed, it is likely that H. Pylori is
spread by direct person to person contact. Although H. Pylori is the cause of at least one form
of erosive gastritis (stomach lining inflammation), and it seen in 90% of patients with ulcer
disease (stomach/duodenum), most people infected with H. Pylori do not develop any of these
problems. The organism survives in the normal mucous covering of our stomach lining, and
does not need disease tissue to live. Eradication of newly discovered H. Pylori in a patient, with
a combination of antibiotics, and special antacids reduces the risk of recurrent ulcers, and helps
to heal ones that are being treated at the time. If you are concerned about ulcer disease, or H.
Pylori, speak to your physician. They can provide you with up to date information about the
disorder, its symptoms, and treatment.
