H-Pylori bacteria
CD Minon
3 weeks ago and my GI found ulcers and inflammation in the duodoneum. She
thinks its Crohn's and gave me 40mg of Prednisone a day for 2 weeks,
tapering 5mg per week thereafter. In the past 40mg would make me Superman
but I hardly feel its benefits after being on it now for 3 weeks.
These ulcers/inflammation is likely related to my heartburn, burping, and
gas in general (stinky gas at that) I've been having for months, and that I
also experienced during the worst part of my chemotherapy back last winter.
She took some biopsies but I haven't gotten the results yet. I wouldn't mind
hearing other's experiences with h-pylori as I suspect that is what I have.
Thanks
Vanny
I have no personal experience of H. pylori, but it wouldn't surprise me if
you had caught it because many people are silent carriers and with your
recent chemotherapy then anything can take hold.
There would be nothing, of course, to preclude H. pylori and Crohn's in the
duodenum and only the biopsy results will allow a proper diagnosis. As you
know the treatment is a three-pronged antiobiotic plus approach and ends up
in complete eradication of the bug within a couple of months if one is
lucky.
Inflammation can also arise in nutritional deficiencies. I managed to halve
my ESR value and to bring my thyroxine levels back down to normal by taking
selenium, which is necessary for a good functioning thyroid gland, a strong
immune system and it has anti-cancer activity as an anti-oxidant.
I suggest that you have a full blood analysis done because I suspect that
you could also be deficient in a few vitamins and minerals due to the hefty
chemotherapy and the duodenal disease, for example calcium is absorbed in
the duodenum. If you have had a section of ileum removed it may mean that
you actually need to have vitamin injections. I need to have the fat-soluble
vitamins injected on a monthly basis, have vitamin B12 infusions every six
months and give myself a top up injection of folic acid every month or so -
all on prescription.
It is worrisome to hear that you are still having wind and bloating
problems - it does sound as though your particular disease is extremely
aggressive and you need to perhaps consider Remicade or Humira treatment on
a long-term basis, in addition to a dietary overhaul.
Have you been keeping that food diary and done an exclusion diet -
eliminating most foods and then reintroducing foods slowly - should be done
under medical nutritional supervision. You might have developed a secondary
lactose intolerance like myself - in which case eliminating milk, yoghurt
and cheese would make a difference. I do not drink milk, but can eat some
hard cheeses (low in lactose) and manage good plain yoghurts. Alternatively,
one in three have a fructose intolerance - fructose in in virtually all fast
food in the form of cheap corn syrup and is also present in honey and fruit.
https://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/nutritionarticles/september2005.pdf
There is a vitamin tablet Forvia available in the USA www.forvia.com , which
has been specially developed for IBD patients. I did consider having them
imported to Germany, but it would have been prohibitively expensive and one
shouldn't have to spend so much on vitamins especially if they are not going
to be absorbed because the relevant section of small intestine is missing.
See figure 1: http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/166/10/1297
Like yourself I have GERD and have actually been able to reduce my PPIs
(Omeprazole in my case) to almost zero because I take fizzy vitamin tablets:
Vitamin C and iron, selenium, and magnesium and they contain a lot of
bicarbonate of soda. However, I also have a very strict diet: no sweets, no
sodas, no chocolate, virtually everything cooked from scratch. I can
tolerate foods with a maximum fat content of 15-20% and if I stick to that
rule, then I can attain a far higher quality of life.
However, I am concerned because the fizzy tablets contain sorbitol,
saccharine, cyclamate (not in the USA) and aspartame some of which may be
cancer-causing. I am currently trying to locate a more Crohn's-friendly
source for vitamin tablets.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners
http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/artificial-sweetener10.htm The use of diet
products with artificial sweeteners can also lead to bloating, diarrhoea,
etc.
Please ensure that you discuss any vitamin and mineral regime with your
doctor. Some internet vitamins are sold in too high concentrations and can
cause damage.
http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/health_information/information_about_individual_dietary_supplements.aspx
All the best,
Vanny
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jay
I get heartburns easily from many common/healthy foods. Simply
prepared (ie pressure cooked, no oils, no spices) lean meat, peeled
zuchinni, iceburg lettuce and soaked/sprouted lentils suit me. You
will have to experiment to see what works for you. I found my
heartburns are strongest when the last meal passes by the terminal
ileum. I found some foods (ie bananas) would make more prone to
heartburns even into the next day. If you are looking for a vitamin
that does cause heartburns, I would recommend Twinlab's Hypo-
allergenic Vitamins (www.iherb.com/Twinlab-Allergy-Multi-Caps-200-
Capsules/2315). You may also find antioxidants N-Acetyl-Cysteine
(NAC), Acetyl-L-Carnitine(ALCAR) and Alpha Lipoic Acid helpful.
Malodorus gas could be an indicator of an unbalanced gut flora and/or
inflamed colon. Slowly adding fermentable fiber (ie from beans) could
help. You'll probably want to stay away from fructose, even that from
fruits. What is your typical diet currently?