H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) is a common bacterial infection that affects the stomach lining—sometimes quietly, sometimes with severe symptoms like burning pain, bloating, and weight loss. Here’s how my journey unfolded.
I was diagnosed with an H. pylori infection in July 2012, and to this day I still get views on my posts about that time in my life. I figured it would be a good idea to create a sort of master post to detail my journey through H. pylori for anyone that finds my blog and is struggling with the infection. I hope this can give you valuable information and hope for recovery!
What is H. pylori?
According to WebMD, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacteria that can enter one’s body and live in the digestive tract. H. pylori can cause ulcers in the lining of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. For some people, an infection can lead to stomach cancer.
H. pylori can be contracted from food, water, or utensils. It’s more common in countries that lack clean water or good sewage systems. You can also pick up the bacteria through contact with the saliva or other body fluids of infected people.
My Symptoms and Diagnosis Journey
I have no idea how I was infected with H. pylori, but it was pretty rough. For months, I felt off. I struggled with a burning stomach pain, heartburn, bloating, weight loss, and bloody stools. Every time I ate, my stomach burned. I was popping antacids with every meal and literally looked a few months pregnant after I ate–no matter what I ate. My weight dropped lower and lower and at my worst, I was having diarrhea with blood.
Enough was enough. I knew something wasn’t right, so I went to my primary care doctor and shared all my symptoms and struggles. The doctor thought maybe I had Celiac disease and decided to order a few blood tests. When the tests came back, my doctor called to let me know that my blood test revealed that I had H.pylori.
H. py-what?, I thought. I had never even heard of this infection but it all made sense. This bacteria had completely wrecked my stomach and intestines, causing the digestive symptoms I was experiencing. Once I found out what was causing this health issue, it was just the beginning of my healing journey.
My doctor decided to treat my H. pylori infection with a strong medication called PrevPac. I thought H. pylori was hard to deal with, but I was in for a new challenge: dealing with the side effects of PrevPac.
Treatment: PrevPac and Endoscopy
Once I was diagnosed with H. pylori, my doctor immediately prescribed me a triple therapy medication called PrevPac. Each day of the triple therapy medication protocol I took eight pills; four in the morning and four in the evening.
PrevPac includes a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), and two antibiotics. The PPI works to block acid production in the stomach, which can help existing ulcers heal. The antibiotics treat the infection by stopping the growth of bacteria.
I won’t lie, my experience with PrevPac wasn’t fun. After I started the treatment course, I felt like I was holding on by a thread. I had a lot of the common side effects such as nausea, a metallic taste in my mouth, and fatigue. The nausea was definitely the worst symptom to deal with. I just felt like I couldn’t function.
Not only did I feel nauseous, taste metal, and feel fatigued, I also felt like a zombie. I was just off. My doctor told me that many, many people just can’t finish the medication cycle because it’s so intense. She strongly encouraged me to push through to try and eradicate the infection.
I dutifully took PrevPac for two long weeks, and then visited a gastroenterologist who performed an endoscopy to biopsy parts of my esophagus, stomach, and duodenum to check if the infection was still present.
The endoscopy experience wasn’t bad at all. I visited an outpatient center, had an IV inserted, was put under anesthesia, and woke up about an hour later. The only side effects I had from the endoscopy were a sore throat and mild stomach pain from the doctor taking biopsies.
A week later, I found out that the biopsies tested negative for the infection, so the medication had worked! Unfortunately, I will always carry the antibodies for H. pylori. If you were to test my blood for H. pylori today, it would show up as positive for a presence of the bacteria. For this reason, I know that if I ever had symptoms crop up again, an endoscopy is the best way to truly diagnose H. pylori for those who have been infected previously.
Recovery
From the time of diagnosis until I was in the clear after my endoscopy was an intense time in my life. I felt pretty sick from the medication, but was urged to try and take it no matter what so my body didn’t build up a resistance to the antibiotics. It was honestly one of the hardest things I’ve done!
Thankfully, most ulcers and side effects of H. pylori usually heal after a few weeks of treatment. It took me several months to feel like myself again. Gradually, the burning sensation in my stomach, heartburn, bloody stools, and diarrhea resolved. I was finally able to put on weight and didn’t look bloated.
I know firsthand how hard it is to not feel like yourself–to struggle through this infection and then to deal with the side effects from the medication. Looking back, it was worth it for me to take the medication. I haven’t had a re-infection of H. pylori and feel great!
Long-Term Management
While I feel great, H. pylori still impacts how I take care of myself today. Because I don’t want another infection, there are a few things I do:
- I generally try to avoid NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen, etc. because they can damage the lining of the stomach.
- I take a probiotic daily for gut health.
- Along with a daily probiotic, I try to regularly eat fermented foods like kimchi to promote gut health.
- Because H. pylori caused me to have bloody stools for months on end, I became anemic. A daily liquid iron supplement is gentle on the stomach and can help restore iron levels. I have found this brand to be effective.
Past Blog Posts On My H. pylori Infection
While H.pylori is awful, it is treatable! I now know what an H. pylori infection feels like, and wouldn’t hesitate to be tested and treated again. If you suspect you’re dealing with it, I would highly recommend talking with your doctor about testing. If you have any questions about H. pylori, feel free to leave a comment.
Living My Full Life 
Oh my goodness, sorry to hear that you had/have to go through that! Luckily, even though its “incurable” it’s nice knowing that it won’t completely effect your every day life opposed to something more vigorous. I think its brave of people to come to terms with something that had physically effected their health and are willing to share awareness of the matter, because I surely had no idea that h pylori existed. Stay strong girlie!!
xo, JJ
Thanks, Jenny! It was definitely a tough thing to go through, but I’m glad things aren’t as bad any more!! Yay for awareness 🙂
I remember when you were going through this, Allie. I’m glad you overcame it even if you still have traces of the bacteria today. I think these kinds of posts are very important because you never know who out there may have H.Pylori now and feel very alone. I’ve read a few bloggers who have my current injury (peroneal tendonitis), and while I know a blog isn’t a substitute for medical advice, it’s nice to know there’s someone else out there who went through it, recovered, and who you can talk to if you need support.
I thought you might remember! You’ve been reading my blog since the early days 🙂
You’re so right–I wanted to share in case anyone was in the same situation. I can remember looking up things about H. pylori and wishing I just had someone to talk to, haha.
I’m so glad you’ve experienced help and companionship from other bloggers who have/had peroneal tendonitis!! I hope it gets better for you, Amy!
My son was just told he has this and we are all freaking out! Does that mean me and his dad and his gf all have it?? We all live in the same household.
I’m so sorry to hear this! You may or may not have it because it is contagious. I would check with your doctor and possibly think about getting tested! Shoot me an email if you have any questions!!
I’m glad you recovered and have no lasting effects, apart from not being able to take NSAID painkillers. H. pylori sounds awful! I think we started following each others’ blogs in 2012 (that was the year my mum was seriously ill and I was struggling to cope, so it’s all a bit of a blur for me) and I remember reading your post about the endoscopy.
Thanks, Grace! I remember your mom being very sick and us emailing about it a lot. That must have been such a hard time for you, especially since you were five years younger than you are now. I know that situation has made you stronger!
Allie, remember those days, scary but God is Good!!
Dad
🙂
Amen! Love you, Dad!
No fun at ALL! I’m so glad that you’re feeling better!!
Agreed! Thanks, Nicole 🙂
Wow I had no idea!! I’m sorry girl! What a terrible thing to have to go through.
My stomach is super sensitive so I too try to avoid NSAIDs– although sometimes it becomes very difficult when I am attacked with migraines or cramps 😦
Haha, yeah! NSAIDs are hard to avoid! Especially when the period monster comes, haha.
Girl, I totally forgot about this! Looking back on it I’m so glad you were able to get the medical care you needed and that the lasting effects aren’t terrible. I know all about how miserable it is to face nausea day in and day out so I really feel for you on that! So glad things are better now! 🙂
Amen!! I think about how blessed I was to have access to the medication my body desperately needed! I was thinking about that nausea I felt and thinking of you! You’ve been dealing with it (sometimes severely!) for months on end. You’re such a trooper! It’s good to know at the end of all the sickness you will have Baby Girl 🙂
Ah I’m so sorry that you got H. pylori, chica ☹ No fun! Thank you for sharing this though- this will be helpful to others who experience this for sure. And for me, it’s always good to know what patients are going through on a personal level with these different illnesses. I’m so sorry this happened to you though! Praise God all is getting a bit better. Has it been okay since?!
Thanks Mackenzie! It was rough, but I’m so thankful God brought me through what I hope is the worst of it! I haven’t had any bad flare ups since late 2012, thankfully!!
Whoever has you as their nurse is so blessed!! I know you’re so caring and kind! ❤
Allie- you are the SWEETEST! Thank YOU for your sweet words ❤ That just made my day. And thank God no flare ups for almost 5 years!! Woohoo! (Also- I can't believe 2012 was 5 years ago?! Where has the time gone?!)
Hi, I have H. Pylori and on the antibiotics and PPI for 1 week so far. I’m afraid that after I finish all my meds that I won’t be out of the woods, maybe I might need to do an endoscopy as well. My question is was there any foods you avoided or ate that helped? Thanks.
Hi Patricia! Thanks for your comment and I’m so sorry to hear about your H. Pylori infection. I hope you get to feeling better ASAP! As far as foods, I avoided too much caffeine, acidic foods like citrus and tomato products (tomato products especially seemed to set me off), carbonated drinks, peppermint, onions, and chocolate.
Hi,
Thanks for this post. I just finished my antibiotic treatment for 14 days. How long did it take for you to get back to normal. The day after the treatment , I still felt tightness in the stomach.
Hi Vaani! Congrats on finishing your antibiotic treatment! I’m sorry to hear you’re still feeling tightness in your stomach. It took me about two weeks after completing the antibiotic treatment until I started to feel more like myself. Within a few months I felt totally normal! I hope this helps 🙂 Hang in there!!
Hello. I tested positive for h pylori. I’m nervous to start my antibiotics worried about the side effects. I am having to take it for 10 days 3 times a day. Were you able to go to work and eat with the side effects you experienced? I’m a thin person and I really don’t want to lose anymore weight. My only symptoms with h pylori is after I eat I feel something stuck in my throat and chest and discomfort 1-2 hours after I ate even eating non spicy food and I cut off caffeine and fast food. I only experienced stomach ache one day which lead to the symptoms I started to experiencing. I just hope I can got to work while I’m on this medication.
Hi Yessica,
I’m sorry to hear you have h. Pylori. I will send you an email as soon as I can! Hang in there!!
just tested positive for h-pylori
Doctor prescribed 3 antibiotics and ppi
5 pills twice a day x14days
I am terrified I’m already feeling awful
I don’t know if I’ll be able to function and keep working??
I’m so sorry to hear that! I hope the treatment works for you. I know it can make you feel awful, but hopefully after those two weeks you can get back to feeling normal again!
so, did you feel better right after treatment, or did it take a long time? I’m currently on day 5 of treatment and feel awful.
I felt better about a month or so after finishing the medication!
hi! I just finished my 2 weeks treatment yesterday woohoo! But today I feel worse…stomach and chest pain, like a really harsh burning pain. Also still constipated. About how long did it take for you to feel a lot better? And what did you do to help ease any pain, I am feeling awful but trying to get my gut back to normal!
Hi! Congrats on finishing your treatment! That in and of itself is huge! A lot of people don’t finish the medication because it’s so hard on their body.
I honestly felt worse for a few days after completing the treatment. Those symptoms went away within a week and by two months post-treatment I was feeling a lot more normal and like myself again!