Could H. pylori be making your chronic illness worse?

What is h. pylori?

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterial infection that colonizes in the stomach and can cause very serious complications throughout the body. H. pylori can be insidious, often causing damage and inflammation without any outward symptoms.

H. pylori is one of the bacterial species that is most likely to trigger autoimmune disease. Evidence supports that H. pylori can contribute to a number of conditions, including immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), iron deficiency anemia, urticaria, coronary artery disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, MALT lymphoma, migraines, rosacea, food sensitivities, Hashimoto’s, and Grave’s disease.

Not only does this bacteria increase your risk of developing gastric cancer by six times, it can also cause intestinal damage and cause a host of digestive problems like ulcers, gastritis, and GERD. In fact, H. Pylori is to blame for causing over 80 percent of all ulcers.

While many with H. pylori will not get stomach cancer, 98% of people who got stomach cancer had an H. pylori infection. This means that H. pylori is a major contributing factor in the development of stomach cancer, which is one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide.

How it Spreads

According to the CDC, H. pylori affects two-thirds of the world’s population and is very easily transmitted. H. pylori infection spreads through contaminated food or drinking water, kissing, and oral sex.

Possible Symptoms

Burping
Burning in the throat
Burning sensation in gut (that improves with taking an antacid)
Acid reflux
Heartburn
Feeling bloated
Reduced appetite
Unexplained weight loss
Anemia
B12 deficiency
Bad breath
Nausea, vomiting (or presence of blood in vomit)
Peptic ulcers
Difficulty digesting food
Stomach pain (especially on empty stomach)
Blood in the stool (due to ulcers)
Fatigue
Food sensitivities
Elevated thyroid antibodies

Note: The majority of people with an H. pylori infection are asymptotic, meaning they do not notice any H. pylori symptoms.

Testing

Who Should Be Tested for H. pylori:

Anyone experiencing any of the above symptoms
Anyone with an autoimmune diagnosis and/or elevated antibodies
Anyone with a spouse, partner, or family member who tested positive for H. pylori
Those who have had an ulcer and no antibiotic treatment
Those with iron-deficiency anemia that doesn’t go away after therapy
Those who have had surgery for early stomach cancer
Those with parents or siblings with stomach cancer
Those with a gastric MALT lymphoma

Testing Options

I prefer a stool antigen test which is the least invasive way to detect an H. pylori infection and can be used before and after treatment to ensure H. pylori has been fully eradicated.

You can order the test through a functional medicine practitioner, or you may order it directly from Direct Labs for a self-order option below.

To order a stool antigen test for H. pylori:
1. Click HERE
2. Select “H. Pylori profile-Diagnostic Solutions Kit” from the test menu
3. Click “add to cart”
4. Click “next” to check out or “keep shopping” to add any other tests to your cart.
5. Click “register” below if this is your first time ordering from Direct Labs and complete the registration process. Otherwise, login.
6. Follow the instructions to complete your order. The test kit will be sent directly to you via mail. The instructions on how to complete the at-home stool collection will be inside the kit.

Be sure to keep you login credentials as you’ll need them to login to access your results. You’ll receive an email notification when the results are available.

Note: self-order options are generally not insurance reimbursable.

Alternate testing options include:

Blood tests: Blood tests are available for antibodies to H. pylori but they may not differentiate between past and current infections.
Breath tests: Conventional doctors may recommend an H. pylori breath test, but a positive result is generally only found in severe cases.
Scope test: The doctor can stick an endoscope down your throat while you’re sedated to detect any irregularities in your upper digestive tract and remove tissue samples for H. pylori (biopsy).

Experts recommend performing a couple types of tests for those with an increased risk of stomach cancer.

Treatment

The good news is that after eradication of H. pylori, multiple studies have shown improvement in a patient’s overall symptoms, even changing the course of their disease.

Many have reported that after treating their H. pylori infection, they experienced not only an improvement in their H. pylori symptoms, but also in their other conditions and related symptoms and blood markers, including those with autoimmune disease and degeneration.

According to Izabella Wentz PharmD, those with Hashimoto’s have been able to reduce their thyroid antibodies to normal levels, reduce their thyroid medication, and even put their thyroid condition into remission after treating an H. pylori infection.

Conventional options

The conventional protocol used to eliminate H. pylori bacteria is to take multiple antibiotics and acid reducers. However, functional medicine experts recommends that these be used as a last resort since antibiotics kill off your good bacteria along with the bad bacteria, not to mention possibly giving you some nasty side effects.

It’s estimated that as much as 20 percent of H. pylori sufferers will have a reoccurring infection after antibiotic therapy.

With 60-80 percent of your immune system residing in your gut, there are more natural and gentle ways to treat an H. pylori infection.

Natural options

Many functional practitioners have successfully treated H. pylori with a natural protocol using mastic gum, deglycerized licorice, and the probiotic saccharomyces boulardii.

However, because many chronic illness patients already take so many medications and supplements just to be able to function, adding in multiple other supplements that need to be taken multiple times per day isn’t always feasible or successful for eradicating the bacteria.

The treatment that I have had the most success with and found the easiest to do was drinking Matula Tea.

Matula Tea

Matula Tea has been clinical proven to effectively kill off 93% of Helicobacter pylori each and every time that Matula comes into contact with H. pylori bacteria in your digestive system.

Matula Tea is comprised of a proprietary blend of different plant species that have antibacterial properties known to eradicate H. pylori.

Why Matula Tea:

Scientifically “in-vitro” laboratory tested to eradicate all strains of Helicobacter pylori
Easy to take – only one course of 60 sachets is required, 2 cups per day for 30 days
Aids in rebuilding the protective mucus lining of the stomach
Promotes the healing of damaged tissues
Known to also alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux and candida
It’s 100% natural — NO side effects

Since Matula Herbal Tea was introduced to the market in 2006, they have treated more than 35,000 customers and their success rate has been 98%.

As a result, they offer a money back guarantee. If after completing the 30-day protocol of Matula Tea, re-testing indicates H. Pylori has not been fully eradicated and you are still infected, they will give you a refund!

Personal Success with Matula Tea

I can say firsthand that Matula Tea works! After my husband and I took the 30-day supply of Matula Tea for eradicating H. Pylori, we both tested negative and noticed that our symptoms of H. pylori resolved. Not only was I able to reduce my thyroid medication for Hashimoto’s but that month my period pain from endometriosis was noticeably better!

You can see my before and after stool antigen H. pylori tests below:

Before Matula Tea

After Matula Tea

Because H. pylori can be passed via kissing, it’s recommended that if one partner has symptoms or tests positive that their partner also be treated for H. pylori to prevent reinfection.

Each person being treated for H. pylori will need their own box of Matula Tea.