any suggestions for meals

[Dusty2607]

Hi, I'm having a very hard time trying to determine what I should and not be eating.  Tried a bit of watermelon last night, however, didn't feel good afterwards.  Has anyone every tried prune juice, would this be a good choice.

[boron]

Anyway, have a breath test for H. pylori after this treatment course, to see, if it was successful.

[Dusty2607]

Actually is prescribed for one week.

[boron]

Yes, this (Pantoprazole 40 mgs, Clarithromycin 500 mgs and amoxillin 500 mgs) is one possible H. pylori treatment regime (two weeks, I guess). Someone reported bad nausea with Clarithromycin some time ago here on the forum, so, you can't expect feeling better during this regime, but only after it.

[Dusty2607]

No, I haven't had COPD testing done, however, was going to consider asking my doctor about it prior to being diagnosed with H. Pylori for the breathing problems I had experienced in the past.  Hopefully all will clear once I've finished my treatment regime.  I find it weired that I was only prescribed my regime of Pantoprazole 40 mgs, Clarithromycin 500 mgs and amoxillin 500 mgs.  I gues this should be a long enough term?

[boron]

You've already had COPD testing? COPD is mostly from smoking. Astma usually strts in childhood and improves with time and it is rare after 40. Food allergies may appear at any time, but symptoms (face flushes, lips swelling, skin itching and eventual hard breathing) appear within an hour after the meal, or in delayed allergy response, within 36 hours (usually the same day or night) after the culprit food, but they cease after few hours - so symptoms in food allergies are never constant, and should be not trigered by exercise.

If physical work causes hard breathing, this may be:
- psychosomatic
- lungs related: COPD, atypical pneumonia (viral pneumonia with tiredness, low-grade fever), astma related (in young people) or
- HEART/circulation related (angina pectoris, high pressure)

Breathlesness after the meal can be:
- food allergy
- dumping syndrome
- heart disease (after large meal)

[Dusty2607]

Thanks, this makes me feel a little bit at eaese knowing there hopefully be no lung damage or long term effects.  Initially when I first noticed my breathing symptoms, I was going to request a COPD test as I just didn't feel right as even at times when speaking I could feel myself running out of breath.  Over the past couple of weeks couldn't really do much physically without having breathing difficulty.

[boron]

Aspiration pneumonia is a result of constant acid reflux into the stomach. You've probably haven't developed it yet, and you'll be probably fine, when you control your stomach infection, since this should stop your burping. Aspiration pneumonia can be only prevented, not really treated. Steroids maybe, but I guess, you don't have pneumonia already. Pneumonia means inflammation of soft lung tissue, but occassional difficult breathing is from acidic irritation and resulting spasm of BRONCHI, not from lung tissue itself.

Many people on this forum reported really bad nausea with antibiotics, so, it's understandable that you don't se "any improvement". Be sure to finish the whole treatment regime, and then go and have another test for H. pylori, to see treatment success.

BUT, if your diarhea will become worse, and if fever will appear, you should solve this PROMPTLY, since this may be a not-so-rare complication of antibiotic treatment : a clostridium dificile overgrowth, which may be, please, dangerous, if not treated promptly.  

[Dusty2607]

Don't seem to have any reactions to the antibiotics other than noticing stool.  Breathing seems to be fine as long as I haven't gone through a burping episode.  Prior to getting sick a couple of weeks ago, I had been jogging quite regularly almost everyday for maybe the past 4 weeks and my lungs seemed to be fine, it was only when I got really sick last week before my diagnoses of H. Pylori.   In the past though, I did notice my breathing problems now and then, may have been when I was gasy.   How is aspiration pneumonia treated?

[boron]

Vitamin C is quite strong acid, I don't see the reason why to take it. Dark coffee..hm...bleeding from stomach is usually described as tarry stools, which stick to the toilet, so consider this posibillity.

Having diarrhea after antibiotics is not rare, but also not normal. I recommend you to have stool test for C-diff and for occult blood.

Having problems with breathing is probably from the acid coming up into your throat and then down into lungs. You should fix this promptly, it may damage your lungs (aspiration pneumonia, with lung scars).

There's another possibility - alergy to one of antibiotics. Would you say you have any lips or face swelling or skin itching?

[Dusty2607]

Maybe I should have mentioned that I was diagnosed with H. Pylori am in my fourth day of my medication of which includes clarithromycin, pantoprazole sodium and amoxicillin.  Like I said, my bowel at times appears like dark coffee grinds.  I did take some vitamin C and a multivitamin the other day which I guess may have triggered the burping, however, the vitamin C was to have been non acidic gels.  Also notice that I'm constantly having to clear my throat and at times experience breathing problems, like I can't get enough air in lungs.

[boron]

Having dark green diarrhea after antibiotics may be from CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE overgrowth. This bacterium is normally present in the colon, but when antibiotics kill some other normal bacteria, C-diff overgrow and causes diarrhea. This is potentially dangerous disease, you MUST have a stool test for C-diff and if positive, treat it immediately, well - with other antibiotics, as prescribed.  

Burping may be the symptom in another problem - H. pylori infection of your stomach, which may be confirmed by a breath test.

Having non-acidic foods is a good advice, also avoiding vit C, aspirin and other acidic analgetics like ibuprophen. Also avoid anything sugary, including all fruits or fruit juices. Prune jice is the worst choice here.

You won't solve diarhea with any diet, you have to check and treat C-diff, if this is the case.

[Dusty2607]

Since taking my antibiotics my stools have been very very loose, at times seem to be very dark green, however, not normal.  Assuming it is process of taking meds.  Have been told to stay away from none acidy foods and beverages, more or less on chicken and vegetable diet, found that when I had the watermelon, my burping started up again.

[boron]

Prune juice is known to speed up peristalsis and cause loose stools in many people. What is your problem?