Helicobacter Forums

H. Pylori prefers to grow in a pH 7 environment.
Perhaps because it is slow growing, it cannot compete with other microbes, and it evolved to live in the stomach where no other microbes can survive. And in order to survive in an acidic environment, it also evolve to carry urease enzyme to neutralize the acid.

So with or without acid in the stomach, it doesn’t affect It’s survival. However when there is less acid, other microbes start to grow, and that may increase competition with H pylori.

Now when we look at HP from the immune system point of view, HP is a pathogen. Your body doesn’t like it. So everyone infected by HP will develop certain degree of inflammation. Because everyone has different immune response, therefore the severity of gastritis varies from one person to another.

When the inflammation is too much, the gastric cells start to die off. If the mucous producing cells are damaged, then less mucous protection on the stomach wall, acid start digesting your own stomach, that’s how you get ulcer.

When the acid producing cells are damaged, then no acid production, more microbes will grow, and some carcinogen from the diet or produces from microbes can start accumulate. So no acid in the stomach is more prone to gastric cancer.

Your pain could come from the tissues that got wounded and sometimes form scars that is thicker and harder. And when these scar tissues put pressure on the nerves, you feel the pain.

Or it could come from acid burning these scarred tissues that has no mucous protection.

So, if PPI helps, do continue on PPI. However, if PPI does not improve the pain, there is no need to continue PPI. PPI is mainly to control acid and prevent reflux damaging the throat. If you don’t have reflux, then that is another reason justify the stopping of PPI.

Thanks for explanation

Helico_expert wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 22, 2019 3:45 pm

When the inflammation is too much, the gastric cells start to die off. If the mucous producing cells are damaged, then less mucous protection on the stomach wall, acid start digesting your own stomach, that’s how you get ulcer.

When the acid producing cells are damaged, then no acid production, more microbes will grow, and some carcinogen from the diet or produces from microbes can start accumulate. So no acid in the stomach is more prone to gastric cancer.

Is there a reason why some people get the mucous producing cells damaged vs. the acid producing cells?
I had also read somewhere that H.Pylori ulcers usually indicate less likelihood of developing stomach cancer. Is this true?
I have never had an ulcer but have had extensive chronic gastritis without IM. Several failed treatments have reduced the overall inflammation but it will likely come back and proliferate over time, left uneradicated. I am wondering if I should be worried that I have not had an ulcer yet LOL

only people with lots of acid gets ulcer. it seems like people with acid production are less likely to get cancer.
so that statement is most probably true.

why certain people get ulcers than cancer? that's unknown. I think it is more to do with individual's immune response.

will ulcer patients never ever get gastric cancer? I think given the right damage, the stomach will eventually produce less acid and gastric cancer chance will increase.

I’m so glad I found this blog:

I started noticing a constant subtle burping Nov 2019, I didnt think anything of it at the time. After a couple weeks I could barley get out of bed, my appetite was gone and I had went from 235 to 224 give or take. I could only stomach oatmeal in the morning with bananas ( I normally would have an apple prior to this sudden change in my life, had to give up my beloved apples needless to say). Remaining full all day I would have soup for dinner..... I figured I was ill but maybe food poising due to the recent E.Coli break out in lettuce. I ate Caesar salads daily; home and restaurants. Moving forward these other symptoms persisted. Diarrhea, Conscription , foggy, hangover feeling, tired, no energy, the subtle burping became not subtle any more but frequent and louder where others can hear, abdomen pain, chest pain , cramping and headaches. I went to the er around the last week in November of course the dr says is IBS and treated me as if I were a alcoholic emphasizing to cut the consumption of it but understood since it was the holidays and of course eat better. Well I knew that wasn’t accurate and something else was going on. That Monday I saw my dr and she order lab, stool, breath test, ultra sound and scheduled with gastro specialist. A week later I was diagnosed with H.p. I was relived to know I wasn’t crazy and that these symptoms meant something. I saw the gastro dr and she ordered meds to take and scheduled a endo exam. I’m current waiting to pick up my meds and to do the endo exam. I now have new symptoms like coughing as if I have asthma , when I go to bed as I lay the coughs is so persistent I can’t breath. Which worries me. My heart rate is off and sometimes feels like it’s going to jump out of me. I’m relieved to know but terrified as I read all the comments and post. I just want to real normal again and it seems like I am far from that happening. This bacteria feels like it’s swimming in my belly , the noises, the sudden sharp pains in my abdomen is very scary to me. There’s is definitely a connection between H. p and respiratory. I found this reading helpful. Thanks for everyone who has posted. I am getting a better grasp on things. However still worried.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4112879/

Hi,
I probably will do another endoscopy very soon to see if my stomach damages have not got worse as I have so much pain and my symptoms has not improved at all. I do wonder would it be better if I get my second endoscopy done by same DR who did first time or would it more beneficial to get it done by a new Gastroenterologist to get a second opinion?

Thanks

i think a second opinion is better. make sure you ask for a histology report.

Hi helico_expert,

I read many articles addressing that there is an increased risk of GERD and subsequent reflux esophagitis and esophagus cancer after H pylori eradication. On the other hand, I also have read that long term use of PPI after successful eradication for those infected with h pylori who have IM and atrophy may increase the risk of stomach cancer.
I do wonder what is the best strategy to manage the condition as preventing esophagitis by taking PPI for a long term may have adverse effect on the stomach for those with IM and atrophy?

If there is an increased risk of GERD after h pylori eradication, would it be temporary until the digestive system get recovered or permanent?

Thanks

Hi helico 123 yr issues sounds like whhat i went through but in time the pain did subside im now 2 yrs in march since treatment and still have few issues but no where near as bad as i was but i stayed on nexium for 6 months after treatment and ate olive oil probiotics also bought manuka honey and aloe vera juice hope this helps abit

After the treatment of H. pylori, some people can develop GERD. But that's a very small group of people. Most of them can gradually recover.

I think it is better to have H. pylori eradicated to reduce risk of gastric cancer and other gastric diseases.

Some damages by H. pylori is irreversible. The older you are, the more likely for the damage to be irreversible. So it is better to have H. pylori eradicated before its too late.

I think long term PPI means people who take it for years or decades.