In Canada, Dr. doesn't want to do breath test

[itisstar]

As stated I live in Canada, I have healthcare, and some basic insurance, is there some reason that the doctor doesn't seem to want to do a Urea breath test? Is it a terribly expensive or elaborate test?

He told me it would come back positive anyway and prescribed a second Hp-pak. I had an endoscopy done in the first place, and the biopsy was h.p positive, and for the most part was feeling healthy again after the meds. My gastro entorologist did not order a follow up test after the first hp-pak was completed, and the other doctor who ordered the second hp-pak wasn't seen for at least 8 months after my initial pak was completed.

I would like to avoid any unneccesary endoscopy, if only because it is terribly uncomfortable and the wait time when you have no family doctor is incredibly long. From what I have read in this forum the breath test seems safe, and ?accurate? and far less invasive, but is there any good reason that my doctor don't seem to want to order it?

I have been thinking that the symptoms that i experienced initially, were actually caused by something else, and while having the h. pylori treated has helped with most of the bloating, and gastro issues, I still feel something isn't right.

Where I am living now has fewer healthcare providers than some of the larger cities, and I have made an appointment to see a different doctor in the near future, so I will ask him to do the breath test, but is this a road block that other people have gone up against?

Thanks
Star

[Helico_expert]

Hi,

Breath test is at least 95% accurate. however, if your bacteria load is low, you'll get false negative.

reason for low bacteria load could be:
1. you had antibiotic treatment before
2. you had PPI before

therefore, you have to stop antibiotic for at least 3 weeks and PPI for at least 1 week before breath test.

your GP doesnt recommend breath test perhaps it's more expensive than blood test.
blood test is sensitive but very very high false positive after antibiotic treatment.
because your antibody against H. pylori will stay in your blood for at least 6-12 months.

when you did endoscopy, i hope that they keep your endoscopy frozen. perhaps you can ask for antibiotic sensitivity test to find out exactly what antibiotic is suitable to kill the h. pylori. that will save you time keep on trying different combination and in the same time making the bacteria stronger and harder to remove.

So you are now on your second treatment? do you remember what you had for your first treatment? perhaps you can share with us what you had and having now. that will help us keep track on your treatment plan.

Thanks

[itisstar]

Sure, here goes, I'm afraid I have a terrible memory, but I will try to get the time-lines right.

February 2011 I was treated with an Hp-pac, prevacid, amoxicillin, clarithromycin.

Which was the same treatment I had about 8 or 9 months prior, late July or early August of 2010.

For me, the reason that the testing seems imminent is to rule out the possibility of the symptoms being attributed to another underlying condition, which seems to manifest itself in times of illness and stress. The symptoms are also symptoms of h. pylori, but they were also the symptoms that had previous doctors remove my gallbladder, and test me for diabetes, which i do not have as testing continues to prove.

Another concern, to me, is making the bacteria resistant to treatments. I have spent most of my life in fairly good health and prefer to use medications to a minimum, and only when absolutely neccessary. I guess it just made me feel weird that he was so against testing and so quick to prescribe the meds.

Thank you for the info, I will make sure to speak to the doctor I am seeing in september, unfortunately he isn't a g.i. but from past experience i do know he is thorough. So I have high hopes and will let you know what comes of it,if anything.

[barjammar]

I agree with the other comments by HE below here. The sequence is TEST - TREAT - WAIT 4 Weeks - RETEST with BREATH TEST. The link on this page has some third line complicated treatments for resistant cases. If you are still infected you will need an enthusiastic and thoughtful doctor to carry this out. Also, some of the drugs are hard to get. Good Luck.

[HPgirl]

Hi Star, I'm in Canada too. The breath test is $80 and is super simple. You need to find a lab that does it...not all do. Make some phone calls. Unfortunately, some GPs don't know enough about h pylori. You will need this Urea breath test one month after you finish your treatment. I've had 4 done...1 in the province of NB & 3 in ON. It's not covered but most insurance plans will cover if that's avail to you through work. Hope this helps. Wishing you good health!

[angileque]

Hi all.

May I ask what symptoms you experienced and where in ON you are?

I live in Milton, ON and have been having symptoms since early this year that include loud excessive burping, pain in chest, tingling weakness in left side chest/arm, sound of gurgling/rushing liquid in stomach. Everything scary, i.e., heart related, has been ruled out. My doctor is a moron who doesn't listen! The only reason I've had any tests done, i.e., for the heart, etc was because of the orders from the ER doctors I've seen over the past few months on my many trips to the hospital during extreme bouts of nausea, burping, chest pain, weakness, etc. They still don't have any answers for me. I've seen internist who has done endoscope & colonoscopy. He seems to think everything is fine and it's all in my head and that I am depressed! Well, uh, ya...of course I'm depressed! Since this started, I haven't been able to sleep, go anywhere because of the loud embarrassing burping & other conditions I mentioned above. I am a 59 year old woman in otherwise ok shape. I've lost about 35 lbs since all this began since I'm scared to eat as it seems these symptoms come on when I do. I don't know what else to do!

Looking back, I remember I was experiencing extreme bloating back in 2006. My doctor then in Kitchener, who is originally from Egypt, gave me some kit of pills to take...I can't remember for how long, but think it was anywhere from 3 to 5 days worth for treatment. I remember I felt better after that. Now, it's back! From what I've read, this thing can come back if not treated properly in the first place? I had periods of bloating over the years but thought it was from menopausal symptoms as the various doctors I've seen over the years all seemed to assume. I had a complete hysterectomy in 2002 with no hormone replacement therapy.

Can anyone help??? I don't know what else to do!

Sincerely,

Judy

[Helico_expert]

Hi, have you done a breath test to check if you are h. pylori positive? I hope you are, at least then we know what we are dealing with.

if you are not, then have to find your local specialist to try identify why.

some people said changing diet may help the symptom. avoid milk, soya and gluten food. I am not sure how accurate that information is, but perhaps worth a try.

[angileque]

hi HE. Thank you for replying. I went to the doctor today and ask her for the h.pylori breath test, she did not want to do it l got really mad and said that I was going to write to the minister of health cause I am really tired of suffering . She then agreed to send me for the test so I am going to have it done on Monday she then said that I would have to pay for it I folded her I don't care I will pay. So wish me luck , I sure would like to have my health back.


regards,
judy

[itisstar]

hi Judy,

all those symptoms sound familiar, i was also afraid to eat and lost a great ammount of weight, which brought on more complicated symptoms. for about a month i could only bring myself to nibble on crackers etc. and even that would make me extremely nauseous. I had a great doctor in a walk-in clinic prescribe domperidone, she will always be my saint as she was one of the few to listen to me, she referred me to a gastro entorologist who found the h-pylori. the other doctors prescribed ant-acids, which did nothing as i did not feel any acidity in my stomach or throat. but the domperidone helped me eat, ask your doctor about it. i still take it once in a while, but haven't had many attacks since my last treatment.
my symptoms were as such:

nausea, often as a sick feeling that gnaws at the stomach, sort of like hunger, but mostly a constant nausea
an "overwhelmed" feeling, like something is wrong, and difficult to think
rapid heart beat
difficult to breath probably because of the rapid heart beat
diarrhea
loud belching, very loud
stomach rumbling, also very loud
occasional vomitting, but i have a very strong stomach and am not prone to throwing up
fatigue, this was extreme, and was worstened by not being able to eat anything
headaches, also probably from lack of food


eating meat made my stomach far worse, and couldn't keep anything esp. meat, raw vegetable, anything fatty, during my worst attacks, nothing really in my stomach longer than 3-5 minutes at the most before having to go to the bathroom.

currently i am in the simcoe area, there is a general lack of doctors in this area. wait times for anything are very long, and the time that you get to talk to the doctor are very short. i get muddled when i go to see my doctor, forgetting symptoms and questions, so i keep a notebook to jot questions down for when i actually go to see him.
i used to keep detailed notes about the things that made my stomach feel badly, which during my worst attacks was everything, including smoking, and stress which was mostly brought on by having an undiagnosed illness.

I don't mind paying for the breath test, i'm certain that my insurance will pay for it, even if it doesn't i will. 80 dollars is worth knowing that it is gone.

star

[angileque]

Hi star I know what you are going through I saw another doctor he gave dompridone but I am scared to take it i find it make my body trimble and also makes me nauseous and I also get headaches with it I dont know if its in my head cause i am so scared to put drugs in my body. my symptoms is tightening under my left side breast which is scarry but heart dieease is ruled out I am also losing weight dont know what to eat I feel light headed when I eat and my left hand feels tingly and chest feels full and bloated. I am so worried and scared all the time. I am praying a lot to god for help. hope that we will get better soon.