Heartburn: Hints on Dealing

If you belch or burning in your stomach or chest, particularly when your stomach is empty, you either have an infection, a tumor, or a so-called GERD, in which you burp and pain and do not have the foggiest idea why. Your gastroenterologist will probably want to create a tube to your mouth and in your stomach, but the biopsy that he will do to the germ can often miss the germ, if it is there.

at least 24 different bacteria have shown that cause stomach ulcers. Because doctors have no way to check for all 24 different bacteria, all people with belching and burning in the stomach, the one-week course of antibiotics for the treatment of the most common cause of stomach ulcers, called Helicobacter pylori.

I recommend that you get an upper GI series X-ray, so a tumor, almost always negative. Then you get a blood test for Helicobacter pylori, and you should be treated with antibiotics, even though the blood test is negative, because there are at least 23 other species of bacteria that this test is not recognized. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a diagnosis of regurgitation, GERD called, and you are the drugs for the rest of your life.

Twenty years ago, everone feels that stomach problems were fixed by stress. In 1983 they laughed at Dr. Barry Marshall when he reported that stomach ulcers were caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori and could be cured with antibiotics. Fellow doctors were so mean to him that he responded by swallowing a vial of Helicobacter and almost died. This year he won the Nobel Prize for his discovery and his courage.

Now almost every reasonable physician agrees that all people who regurgitation and burning in the stomach and a positive blood test for Helicobacter pylori can be cured with antibiotics, but many gastroenterologists stubbornly refuse to treat patients with a negative blood test or biopsy That germ. They are clearly wrong, because many other bacteria can cause the same symptoms, including H. helmannii, H. felis, H. rappini, H. cinaedi, H sp. Strain Mainz, H. fennelliae, H. pullorum, H. hepaticus, H. Billis, H. canis, H. Hill, H. mesocricetorum sp November, cytomegalovirus and mycoplasma.

These germs grow in saliva, so that they can be transferred between family members and pets. So some doctors to antibiotics to all people with belching and stomach burn, and check the other members of the budget for the symptoms. The standard treatment, one week of clarithromycin 500 mg twice a day, metronidazole 500 mg twice daily and omeperazole 20 mg once daily, is safe and effective.

at least 12 weeks later, you need a follow-up blood test for Helicobacter. If your symptoms are gone and the titre drops, you are probably cured. If your Helicobacter titer is still high, your probably Heliobacter is resistant to metronidazole and you need to be treated for at least ten days with amoxacillin 500 mg four times a day, tetracycline 500 mg three times daily and omeperazole 20 mg once a day. If you regurgitation of stomach acid on your esophagus (reflux disease, hiatal hernia), you may need to be treated with 20 mg omeperazole once a day. Some people who are not infected with Helicobacter May benefit from the antibiotic clarithromycin or for a longer period. Consult your doctor.

Helicobacter may also cause liver disease, blood vessel diseases such as clotting and heart attacks, and certain skin diseases such as rosacea.

For journal references on this article see http://www.drmirkin.com/morehealth/G123.htm

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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