just feel so depressed and worried

[hustleblaze77]

hello.i wrote a similar message on this site a few days ago.just hoping someone here might talk again to me.so my stool sample tested positive with occult ( hidden ) blood,along with h pylori infection.i am a few days into the triple therapy.this is causing some awful stomach pain.i am to go for endoscopy and colonoscopy very soon.i know about all the worse news with colon cancer,stomach cancer e.t.c but apart from that do you think the h pylori has caused the occult blood and might be rectified if the h pylori goes away? I'm feeling so very worried and could cry to be honest.and do you think the triple therapy medication is causing the stomach pain or even a possibility?I appreciate so much if anybody took their time to reply to me.thank you.

[Hidden]

Unfortunately not something I can help with hustleblaze because I have no knowledge about this, but I can sense your fear of the unknown. It’s obviously good that you are having some thorough investigations even though you are fearful of the outcome. Hopefully, someone with knowledge and understanding will be able to help you more, I just wanted you to know that you are not alone. Truly hope your tests go well and that you come back soon with good news.......

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Hidden]

thank you alot for your reply.so scared and mentally I'm broken.thank you though for tour kind words.

[dedeottie]

No wonder you are anxious if you are in so much pain. Im afraid I cant help you with an answer to your specific question but I did have nearly 2 years of abdominal pain for which I had numerous tests all of which showed nothing. Eventually it just went away after a lot of dietery changes and the GP decided it had all been trapped gas! However, those 2 years were really difficult as the pain took over my life. I completely get how depressed it makes you feel. The good news is that you are getting treatment and investigations. Dont just put up and shut up, if the pain is really bad , I would ring out of hours service as they may be able to explain the treatment or tell you what to do. Let us know how you go on. X

[hustleblaze77 in reply to dedeottie]

thank you for your lovely words.just like you and the person who also replied to this message and also people who replied to me the other night,its comforting and shows the loveliness in people to take time out of their lives to reply.thanks again.

[Finvola]

I’m sorry you are feeling down and in pain. The antibiotics needed to get rid of h pylori can cause gastric misery - our GP told my husband when he prescribed them that ‘they are nasty customers’. Please make sure you take them exactly as advised - eg with or after food.

My husband was told that the bacteria can cause ulcers and lesions which can bleed but I can’t help with the occult blood.

Count the days - every day that passes is a day closer to getting rid of the infection. My husband had gastric discomfort for about 3 days but his health has improved a lot since completing the treatment.

Don’t suffer alone - talk to your GP or pharmacist about the pain and how you feel. Hang in there!

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Finvola]

thank you for the lovely words.

[Quilafizz]

If the H. Pylori is causing a gastric ulcer then yes, that will cause occult blood in your stool. The medications to treat the infection are very hard on the stomach and most patients have a difficult time finishing them because of it. There are 3 different regimens to kill H. Pylori, so talk to your doctor about switching to another regimen that is not so upsetting. I think you said one of your meds was Clarithromycin, if so, that causes awful stomach pain, so much so that it is rarely, if ever, prescribed here in the US.

It is important for all GI bleeding that you get an upper and lower scope to rule out cancer, but they are also looking for many other things that could be causing you distress, things that can be cured. So try and look at these upcoming tests with excitement instead of fear, as you are that much closer to a proper diagnosis and treatment- something to really look

forward to!!

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Quilafizz]

I appreciate your kind words.thank you.

[Westsidestory]

Everything will be fine , stick with the meds and they will start working , wish you all the best .

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Westsidestory]

thank you very much

[wilsond]

Nothing to add to the excellent advice above except adding probiotic organic yoghurt and drinking lots more water than usual. These medicines are thuggish on the body! Do check advice on timing/with/ without food etc.

It's always an anxious time when we are ill and awaiting test results ,understandably,but whenever anxiety hits me,it affects my digestion....viscious circle! Do you have support at home? Good friends you could talk to? A problem shared....but this forum is an invaluable place to come too.

Sending you cyber hugs! Xxx

[hustleblaze77 in reply to wilsond]

thank you so much for the kind words.

[jeanjeannie50]

H pylori can cause intestinal ulcers which may bleed.

It may be caused by a variety of conditions, including:

Polyps

Haemorrhoids

Diverticulitis

Colitis, a type of inflammatory bowel disease

A friend who's a nurse once told me that eating certain foods can also give a false occult blood test result. I seem to remember her saying carrots were one of them.

In answer to your question, yes I think by getting rid of the h-pylori it could very well cure the cause of your faecal blood.

I know that the little voice in your head is asking, 'What if'. But what if it's something minor and getting rid of the h-pylori clears it. How wonderful would that be!

I was in your position many years ago with h-pylori and have also had the same blood test result and I was given the all clear.

Please keep positive, so many of these blood tests turn out to be nothing life threatening.

Sending you a big healing hug.

Jean

[Tapanac in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Ditto everything Jeannie says

[hustleblaze77 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

thank you so much for your kind and lovely words.

[Tapanac]

Now I don’t know if this correct, but two friends of ours have had your symptoms especially with pylori infections which caused ulcers, bleeding, etc. They had the triple anti-biotic treatment, uncomfortable tummy aches, etc, but they were both told that if they had this particular infection and the triple treatment that the likelihood of them ever getting bowel cancer was extremely low.

I also had a lot of bleeding and feared the dreaded C word, but it turned out to be a burst divertula (which sounds worse than it is as apparently it heals on its own or with pills that protect your tummy) and haemorrhoids. I also had a lot of pains in my tummy.

I’m afraid this particular forum is mainly to do with the heart and none of us are medically qualified to be certain about anything. We just go on what our own experiences are.

Try not to worry and I hope that everything turns out well for you. Best wishes

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Tapanac]

thank you very much for your nice words.

[excel1234]

I experienced all of the above, it is a worry at the time but it worked out well for me, so please don't worry. Please let us all know how you get on. Best wishes

[hustleblaze77 in reply to excel1234]

thank you so much.

[faridaro]

Sorry to hear about your suffering - antibiotics can cause a lot of gastric issues. Presently I am taking Clindomycin for dental abscess and yesterday developed horrible esophageal/stomach pain while swallowing food, even liquid. Made myself old folk remedy - brought 4 cups of water to a boil with 2 rounded tablespoons of whole flax-seed, steeped for about 1 hr and when it turned into a thin gel, sipped it throughout the day and today feel much better even though my stomach is still a little sore but bearable. Also I try to avoid spicy and hard foods - today had only porridge and plan on making creamy potato-carrot soup.

Another important thing is a quality probiotic - from my research Saccaromyces boulardi and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG are supposed to survive antibiotics and are good to take during treatment. Here in US we have Florastor and Culturelle brands of this probiotics available at local pharmacies. Hope you get better soon!

[hustleblaze77 in reply to faridaro]

I appreciate your lovely words.thank you.

[Shcldavies]

Yes it could. It could also be colitis or quite a few other things. No one can be sure until you have had all your tests but it’s most likely to be something other than cancer.

[hustleblaze77 in reply to Shcldavies]

thank you very much.