H Pylori, chronically inflamed stomach lining and extreme malabsorption

by Anil
(Delhi)

Hi, I'm suffering from H pylori infection and resulting ulcer from a long time. A worse problem is extreme malabsorption, followed by extreme weight loss (more than 10 Kg at one time) and extreme fatigue, especially since November last year.

I also developed diabetes like symptoms, but my sugar readings are supposed to be OK.

I started taking flax seeds which relieved my other sugar like symptoms but my weight doesn't increase, and chronic fatigue is a problem. Plus the stomach is very sensitive, feels like there is a sore inside.

Do you have a natural remedy for this? My condition improves every time I take antibiotics for H pylori, but H pylori returns every time. I don't want to take antibiotics anymore.

My condition deteriorates if I don't take food early in the morning.

Amla also tends to worsen my condition, but I want to try Amla. Is there a way?

Thank you for your time,

Regards,

Anil

Michelle says: Hi Anil, sorry for the long delay in getting back to you.... I’m working on another major project right now and can’t get around to checking emails as often as I would like. Anyways, I’m sorry to hear that you’re suffering from stomach ulcers.

Let’s look at the things you’ve noticed so far.... Since eating breakfast seems to help, be sure to eat a good breakfast every single day.

Pay attention to the foods that agree with you and those that disagree with you. Avoid all of the foods that cause any problems, even if it means eating a very simple and plain diet. You definitely don’t want to be eating anything that causes any more problems.

Try to focus on highly nutritious foods. Since you're not absorbing a lot, you want to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you can. If you've got a good blender, you can try blending up your foods first. Swirl the food around in your mouth first before swallowing it to start the digestive process.

You mentioned that Amla tends to worsen your condition. My suggestion is therefore to avoid it altogether - at least until your stomach ulcer heals.

Because you’ve been on antibiotics, it’s a great idea to supplement with an acidophilus supplement as antibiotics tend to kill off the good bacteria too.

Some useful herbs that are used often for helping with stomach ulcers are: marshmallow root, meadowsweet, goldenseal, and slippery elm. Slippery elm is a nutritive herb, so it will help to provide you will much needed nutrients, especially if you’re still losing weight. Your natural health care practitioner should be able to help you decide on a formula that is suitable for your particular needs.

You may be losing some blood through your ulcer and that could account for your fatigue. Perhaps your doctor can run some tests to determine that as well as to test your iron levels. If you are low in iron, a good simple supplement to take would be 1 – 2 tbsp of blackstrap molasses each day. The best tasting brand I’ve found so far is the Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Blackstrap Molasses.

Are you under a lot of stress? If so, then you’ve got to work on reducing your stress levels. Take time out for regular rest and relaxation breaks. Try to spend in nature which tends to have a very calming and soothing effect.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

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H Pylori, chronically inflamed stomach lining and extreme malabsorption

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Hi Anil
by: Ivy - New Zealand

Although my problem is a little different from yours, I can relate. I suffered severe reflux for about 18 months.

I am now on the Two Meal Plan which has helped, however, in saying that I have learnt what foods I can tolerate by trial and error.

I would suggest that you keep a diary of what foods you eat and how much. Since doing this, I have been able to keep a close eye on both my weight and what foods affect my stomach.

It may not be what you eat on the day but what you have eaten over the past week - being a build up so to speak.

I will give you an examle - I LOVE dark chocolate. Once in awhile I would purchase a small block of organic, raw or dark chocolate, allowing a small piece every day. I could not understand as to why I was feeling so wretched. I made the decision to not eat chocolate at all. Yes, I am feeling great.

As for your weight, I, too, recommend that you eat a big breakfast, in fact, make it your main meal of the day. This will help keep your weight stable.

I wish you well.

Hi Anil
by: Ivy - New Zealand

Anil, I feel for you. In the past, I, too, would lose weight very easily. Some of you may smile re this statement saying, "I wish." For many years I was very much overweight, the reason being that I ate for comfort - hence the weight gain so I do have some understanding of being both over weight and underweight.

Over recent months, I suffered severe stress which resulted in me losing weight. I purchased over ripe bananas which are easy on digestion and the bonus being that I regained the lost weight.

I now keep a very close eye on my weight. Should I start to lose, it is off to the store to buy over ripe bananas. The bonus being that it works.

I hope this info may be of help.

Virgin Coconut Oil May Help....
by: Michelle

Ripe bananas are a great idea. Besides being easy to digest, bananas are very nourishing. Thanks for suggesting it Ivy! Your comments are always so helpful by the way. Much appreciated! =)

Another thing that may help you Anil, is virgin coconut oil. It is high in medium chain fatty acids (MCFA's). And, according to the research, the MCFA's found in virgin coconut oil can kill H. pylori bacteria!

Bruce Fife, ND has written a book called Coconut Cures. In it, he explains (with scientific studies to back it up) just how amazing coconut is for many different health problems and ailments.

Fortunately virgin coconut oil and other coconut products are yummy, so I'm sure you won't find it too difficult to add it to your daily diet. Hope that helps! Keep in touch and let us know how you do with these suggestions.

Michelle

I am on "triple therapy"
by: Nomsa - South Africa

Hi, I was diagnosed with H-pylori just less than two weeks ago (I did blood tests), after being misdiagnosed with IBS, bladder infection, endometriosis and urinary tract infection by two different physicians and a gynecologist.

I am 16 days away from finishing my treatment.

Eating and drinking has become such a challenge. On Sunday I drank cranberry juice and ate bread, rocket, salmon and avocado. This was a very small meal but I could not even finish it as my temperature started rising. My tummy sore and I held myself from vomiting.

Do I have to do tests after my treatment and when can I start taking acidophilus supplements?

Michelle says: Hi Nomsa, sorry to hear about your situation and that it took you a while to get the right diagnosis. It does help to know exactly what you are dealing with.

I think it's a good idea to get tests done again following treatment. It will let you know if treatment was effective or if more is needed. But I'm sure your doctor could advise you further on what would be best for your situation.

As for the nausea and sore tummy, unfortunately they are some of the side effects from treatment. Hopefully you'll feel much better soon.

You should be able to start taking the acidophilus supplements right away. But you may want to get the okay from your doctor first just to be sure.

If you are going to be taking acidophilus, avoid taking them at the same time of day that you take your treatment. You'll probably need to continue taking it for a while after you finish the triple therapy.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

Try The Following...
by: Asim

Anil I can understand your problem, following are natural remedies which will help you in healing of Gastric/Stomach Ulcer:

1. DGl Licorice (known as Multhi in hindi)
2. Manuka Honey UMF 20+
3. Mastic Gum
3. Sea Buckthorn oil
4. Siberian pine nut oil
5. Marshmallow
6. Slippery Elm
7. Golden Seal
8. Neem

You can order all these herb from online store and they do deliver in India.

All the best.

rgds

Asim

Thanks Asim!
by: Michelle

Thanks for your suggestions Asim. Those are some excellent herbs you suggested. The honey is excellent too. Use it to sweeten your tea Anil and you've got a powerful combination to soothe your stomach.

As Asim mentioned, you can buy all of those herbs online. I've checked out www.mountainroseherbs.com and they ship to India. I've bought herbs from them before and I really like the quality of their products. Hope that helps!

Michelle

H. pylori Eradication
by: Asim

One thing which I forgot to mention was, whenever you're taking triple therapy do add broccoli sprouts in your diet. I know it's not easy to find organic seeds in Delhi, but nonetheless you can buy a powdered supplement online. Trust me, adding broccoli sprouts will increase your chances of H. pylori eradication by two fold, in my opinion. You can consult the same with your doctor.

Scientific Study References...
by: Michelle

Thanks Asim for that important information on broccoli sprouts. If anyone is interested in finding out more, have a look at this scientific study:

Akinori Yanaka, Jed W. Fahey, Atsushi Fukumoto, Mari Nakayama, Souta Inoue, Songhua Zhang, Masafumi Tauchi, Hideo Suzuki, Ichinosuke Hyodo, and Masayuki Yamamoto. Dietary Sulforaphane-Rich Broccoli Sprouts Reduce Colonization and Attenuate Gastritis in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Mice and Humans. Cancer Prevention Research, 2009; 2 (4): 353 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-08-0192

How Do You Get Rid Of H. Pylori?
by: stephanie from canada

I've been suffering for years. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with H. pylori and given an antibiotic. The pain slowly came back and three years later I had an endoscopy which confirmed that I still had H. pylori. I completed another round of antibiotics biaxin and amoximillan.,I'm hoping this will get rid of it. However, my stomach is sore and inflamed. No ulcers but still lots of pain. Most people seem to have lost weight, I've gained weight its so frustrating. I have to really watch what I eat.... I get pain from certain things. I tend to eat a lot of breads, cereals, porridge because they are easy...but they're all carbs which is bad. I'll try the broccoli and the coconut oil. Any other foods easy to digest and not too fattening?

Michelle says: Hi Stephanie,

Sorry to hear that you're suffering so much from H. pylori. Hopefully you'll be able to add the broccoli sprouts and virgin coconut oil to your regular diet soon.

In addition to that, you may want to try adding some raw honey to your diet as well. It's got natural antibacterial properties which help to fight off H. pylori.

Also have a look at some of the other suggestions I've already mentioned on this page. Try the ones that are easiest for you to do.

Fresh, raw fruit tends to be easy on the digestive system. They are high in nutrients, and low in calories, so eat them freely.

Vegetables are also low in calories and high in nutrition. They can be a little bit more difficult to digest for some people, so my suggestion is to try experimenting with different ones to see which ones agree with your stomach the best.

To make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs, eat as much variety as you possibly can. If you are not able to do so, then it would be a great idea to supplement with a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral product. There are lots of great ones available in most health food stores.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

Hi, It's Anil Again ...
by: Anil

Thank you everyone who responded and offered help to my problems, especially, you Michelle who have provided this immensely useful platform to share problems and get help.

Unfortunately, I have felt so wretched in the last few years, that I lost track of this posting I made (could not find it again), and did not have the energy to search for it. So, I missed all the useful suggestions.

However, I have felt so wretched that H. Pylori alone failed to explain it. There were times, when I felt I would die now. I have no faith left in doctors, and the few times I went to see doctors, so for the most time didn't go to see them.

It turns out now (mostly through my own research, but also with help from a doctor), that I have scrofula (TB of the lymph glands), which I surely acquired after my major stomach operation, when my ulcer burst in Nov 2008. I have refused to take allopathy treatment for this, and my condition has improved a lot through taking naturopathy/ ayurvedic treatment and adopting a strict naturopathy diet, as I struggled to understand my situation.

I have found Ayurvedic medicines for scrofula, and they seem to be helping some, but I'm giving it time. I am looking for alternative medicines that can cure a possible TB infection of the lymph nodes. It's not easy to diagnose it in the lab, that is what I've been told.

The good thing is that I have found a way to heal my ulcer. And the wonder medicine is -- L Gasseri, pro-biotics. The H. pylori bacteria will not come back as long as I take the above mentioned pro-biotics. But, when I stop taking this pro-biotic for a long time, the ulcer returns.

Every other medicine that I take seems to fade in front of it.

An even better medicine in my opinion would be L Reuteri, which if taken together with acid blockers may kill the H. pylori bacteria totally, although, by itself it can totally alleviate the symptoms, even if not kill the bacteria totally.

Help For Scrofula
by: Michelle from natural-health-restored.com

Michelle says: Hi Amil, So glad that I could be of some help. Sorry that you missed the suggestions though. Hopefully you'll be able to put some of them to use now in addition to the probiotics that you're taking.

Sorry to hear about the scrofula. But I'm glad that you were able to figure out what was contributing to the health problems you're having. Now that you know, you can take some serious action against it and hopefully find success.

For the relief of scrofula, here are some other natural remedies that you could try out:

Cleavers (Galium aparine) - this herb is an excellent lymphatic tonic. It helps to gently cleanse the system of wastes and helps to restore natural functioning.

Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa) - figwort is another great cleansing herb that is great for the lymphatic system. You should not take figwort if you've got an abnormally fast heartbeat as this herb is a heart stimulant.

Plantain (Plantago major or Plantago lanceolata) - plantain is a gentle, but effective healing and cleansing herb. It's useful for diseases of the blood and lymph. According to Dr. Christopher, plantain is great for "healing lymph and epidermal areas in scrofulus and skin diseases." Plantain is a great remedy for external use. You can make a compress by soaking a cotton cloth in a strong batch of the tea and apply it externally to the affected areas.

Nettles (Urtica dioica) - this herb is also great for helping to detoxify the system. It's useful for lymphatic problems including scrofula.

You can take any one of these herbs alone, or you can blend them together (hopefully you'll be able to find them all) to make a cleansing formula. You can make a tea by taking one tsp of dried herb and placing it into a mug. Pour just boiled water over it. Cover and let it steep for 10 - 15 minutes. Strain and drink when it's cool enough. You can drink 3 - 4 cups each day.

In addition to these herbs, it's a great idea to get into the habit of getting some daily sunlight. According to Dr. Vogel in The Nature Doctor, sunlight helps to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies for various infectious diseases including tuberculousis (TB).

While you're outside in the sunlight, try to do some deep breathing exercises in the fresh open air. The best place to go is an area where there's lots of trees and plants and water around. That's where all the freshest air tends to be. Fresh air is really important because it helps to kill bacteria and viruses and naturally helps to boost your immune system.

Hope that helps Amil! And please keep me posted on your progress.

Michelle

Serious Indigestion and Malabsorption
by: mandla

Hey Michelle, I live in Zimbabwe in Africa and I am having a serious problem with malabsorption and indigestion. I have lost so much weight! My doctor put me on triple therapy (2 antibiotics clarithromycin and metronidazole & omeprazole). He was suspecting H. pylori but after a biopsy, a pathologist had ruled out any strains of H. pylori. Nothing has changed....

My stomach can't digest or absorb. They said my stomach lining is seriously inflamed. I am eating a lot of fruits, ginger, mint herbs, tumeric, and linseed. Will my stomach lining heal? May God help me!

Michelle says: Hi Mandla, sorry to hear that you're in such distress. It must be so frustrating not to know exactly what is happening. Have you noticed any change for the better since you've been eating a lot of fruit, ginger, mint, turmeric, and linseed?

Perhaps your digestive system needs a break so that it can recover from whatever is causing your problem. One way to do this is go on a fruit diet for 3 days. It's simple. Just eat nothing but fresh ripe fruit (and nothing but fresh ripe fruit) for three days. Have your fruit meals at regular times and eat only one kind of fruit at each meal.

Once the fruit diet is over, slowly add other foods back into your diet. Start with easy to digest foods like baked potatoes, brown rice, and millet. Gradually work your way to other foods.

In addition to that, it's important to start drinking lots of water every single day. Just how much you should be drinking each day depends on your body weight. Read this page to figure out how much water you need. Water is very important. Without it, the systems in our body (including the digestive system) cannot function properly. Try to drink enough water every single day from now on!

And lastly, try to follow these habits for healthy eating as well. How you eat is just as important as what you eat when it comes to your digestive health.

Hope that helps!

Michelle

Hi Michelle
by: from Mandla

Thank you very much for your advice. Right now, I am working with a dietician. So far she put me on raw food only until my stomach heals. This is my eating plan. Early in the morning I have 1 cup of warm water with a juice of a half freshly squeezed lemon. Thirty minutes later I eat as many bananas/pawpaws (papayas) as I can. Thirty minutes later, a cup of of mixed ginger, honey, turmeric, and mint tea. Thirty minutes later, 1 cup of simple raw potato water (soak peeled raw potato in half a liter of water for 6 hours then I will drink the water). At break time, I will eat an avocado and celery sticks. One hour later, I have 1 cup of tomato juice. Thirty minutes later, I have some water (I alternate the water and tomato juice until on hour before lunch).

For lunch, I have one handful of raisins (I soak them first for 30 minutes), and eat them with banana, pawpaw, dates or any other sweet fruit. Thirty minutes later I have 1 cup of potato water, 30 minutes later, 1 cup of onion broth, 30 minutes later 1 cup of tomato juice, 30 minutes later, 1 cup of water, 30 minutes later, 1 orange, 30 minutes later, 1 cup of water, 30 minutes later 1 cup of potato water. Dinner is avocado and celery or cucumber and lettuce (to be well chewed). One hour later is orange rind water. So this is it. Any comment? Can I talk to my doctor and dietician about acidophilus supplements? Thank you.

My answer to your question
by: Michelle from natural-health-restored.com

Hi Mandla,

You're very welcome! :-)

I'm glad to hear that you went to speak to a dietician. It's good to have someone to work with directly.

I think that eating all raw for the time being is the way to go. It's much less stressful on your body and allows your body to do the work of healing and repairing itself. How are things going for you on the program so far?

And yes, I'm sure your dietician would be able to answer any of your questions about supplementation with acidophilus.

Hope that helps, and do keep up posted on your progress!

Michelle

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