Disclosure upfront: I’m the co-founder of Aloft MedTech, an Indian company that manufactures 13C urea breath test systems (ALOFT-UBT). This post is general education, not medical advice — always work with your doctor. Happy to answer technical questions in the comments.
The problem I keep seeing
A lot of people first get tested for H. pylori with a blood (antibody/serology) test. The catch: antibodies can stay positive for months or even years after the bacteria are gone. So a blood test can’t tell you whether you have an active infection right now — and it’s useless for confirming eradication after antibiotics. That’s why major guidelines (Maastricht VI, ACG) recommend the urea breath test (UBT) or the stool antigen test for both diagnosis and test-of-cure.
How the 13C urea breath test works
It’s genuinely elegant science:
1. You fast for 4–6 hours, then give a baseline breath sample.
2. You drink a small dose of urea labelled with carbon-13 (¹³C) — a non-radioactive, naturally occurring isotope. (Not to be confused with the older ¹⁴C version, which uses a radioactive tracer.)
3. If H. pylori is living in your stomach, its urease enzyme splits that urea into ammonia and ¹³CO₂. The labelled CO₂ enters your bloodstream and comes out in your breath.
4. About 15–30 minutes later you give a second sample. The analyser measures the shift in the ¹³C/¹²C ratio (the “delta over baseline”). Above the cut-off = active infection.
No bacteria → no urease → no signal. That’s why sensitivity and specificity are both around 95%, and why it’s widely considered the gold-standard non-invasive test for active infection. Because ¹³C is a stable isotope (zero radiation), it’s safe for children and during pregnancy, and fine to repeat.
Prep mistakes that cause false negatives
Most “wrong” results come from prep, not the test:
• PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole, rabeprazole…): stop about 2 weeks before. PPIs suppress the bacteria enough to hide it.
• Antibiotics or bismuth: none in the 4 weeks before testing.
• Test-of-cure timing: wait at least 4 weeks after finishing eradication therapy before retesting.
• Fasting: 4–6 hours before the test.
(H2 blockers like famotidine are generally less of an issue than PPIs, but follow your lab’s instructions.)
Quick comparison
• Endoscopy + biopsy — makes sense when your doctor needs to look inside anyway (ulcers, alarm symptoms); invasive and costly as a pure H. pylori check.
• Stool antigen — accurate for active infection and test-of-cure; sample collection and handling matter.
• 13C UBT — accurate for active infection and test-of-cure; non-invasive, and many centres run the whole thing, sample to result, within the hour.
• Blood antibody test — tells you about past exposure only. Never use it to confirm eradication.
If you’re in India
Serology is unfortunately still bundled into a lot of lab packages here, so ask specifically for a 13C UBT or stool antigen test. Availability has improved a lot — indigenous, CDSCO-licensed systems like ALOFT-UBT are now installed at hospitals and diagnostic centres across the country, so you no longer need to hunt for a metro speciality lab.
If anything above is unclear, ask below — I spend my working life on this exact test and I’m glad to go as deep into the science as you want.

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I started this protocol yesterday to treat h pylori and and few erosions I have. Today I developed a fever along with burning and pain in my stomach. I am waiting for my prescription to start antibiotics. I thought I would try this till then but it has made me worse.

My endoscopy/colonoscopy were normal, but biopsy showed chronic H. pylori. I completed antibiotics, followed by another course for a UTI about a week later. Since then, I’ve been struggling with daily low energy, heavy-headedness, severe neck pain, cracking/popping sounds throughout my body, as well as occasional palpitations and a shaky, jittery feeling.

My follow-up breath test was negative for H. pylori, but my ferritin is 12 and iron saturation is 13%. My doctor recommended an iron infusion and oral iron, and I’m also taking probiotics.

Despite this, I still feel like I have widespread inflammation and very low energy. Has anyone experienced something similar after H. pylori treatment/antibiotics? What helped you recover—and how long did it take for you to start feeling better?

I first had the infection in 2019; whatever I ate would pass right through me—looking exactly the same as when it went in—just minutes later. I took amoxicillin and Flagyl (or something similar), but the stomach pain and indigestion persisted.

In 2024, I tested positive again and took amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and a PPI. I felt well for two months, but then the pain and indigestion returned.

Now I’ve tested positive again; I’ve never actually treated the gastritis itself. Please advise me—my doctor said the gastritis would clear up thanks to the antibiotics, though I’m skeptical (I’m in the Netherlands).

Could you please give me some advice on where to start healing the gastritis after this next round of antibiotics?

Looking for feedback/reviews on my natural H. pylori protocol — is the timing/dosing reasonable?

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to put together a natural/supportive protocol for H. pylori and would really appreciate feedback from people who have experience with these supplements.

I mainly want to know whether the combination, timing, and doses make sense, whether anything to add/removed and whether I should change the timing of anything.

My current protocol

Morning

• NAC — 600 mg
• Manuka honey - (1/2 teaspoon)
• Mastic gum — 1 g
• Raw garlic — 2 cloves
• Celery juice
• Breakfast

Afternoon(1-2PM)

• Lunch
• Zinc-L-carnosine
• Probiotic

Mid-afternoon (around 3–4 PM)

• Cranberry juice
• NAC — 600 mg
• Mastic gum — 1 g
• Broccoli sprouts/powder
• Salad around 5–6 PM

Dinner(7-8 PM)

• Zinc-L-carnosine
• Probiotic — optional
• Triphala

What I'd especially like feedback on

1. Is this combination reasonable, or am I taking too many things?
2. Are the timings of NAC, mastic gum, zinc-L-carnosine and probiotics appropriate?
3. Is taking NAC + mastic gum twice daily reasonable?
4. Is 2 g/day of mastic gum a reasonable amount?
5. If you have actually used a similar protocol, what was your experience?
6. I also have heard of berberine HCL, but in recent tests I did my LFT had some elevated levels , so will it be okay to take berberine or not?

Looking forward for your help!

Thanks!

So I’ve been working with a functional practioner lately because of a mix of symptoms: intense hunger bouts every few hours, early satiety, exhaustion and new exercise intolerance, PMDD and 37 days cycle (now at 33), sleep problems waking up at night, anxiety, etc. She diagnosed me with hypoglycemia and we decided to do a GI map. Turns out I have low levels of h pylori (2.64e2) and low elastase, low secretary igA, so some dysbiosis. For record I don’t have the agressive strands or symptoms associated with h pylori, just bloating and early satiety. She’s saying it’s from the low acid in my stomach but my understanding is that GI map doesn’t determine that. Maybe the chronic stress caused the early satiety? I also have chronic low ferritin (was 9, 15 then 24 and now 35). She has put me on a « gut protocol » which consists of the GI revive powder (it has 15 ingredients which I know nothing about, such as cats claw), with bitter drops, arabinogalctan powder and another powder called Metadigest made of mostly L-glutamin, quercetin and zinc. Since starting the regime my exhaustion has quadrupled, on some days I can barley walk. I am having strong reactions to food (I don’t usually have those). Yesterday and today I literally got racing heart and intense dizziness eating eggs and hummus. Other time it’s been headaches, migraines, mucus flares, diarrhea and I suspect it is with food that has been in the fridge for longer. Technically it feels like I have become histamine intolerant. I also have more satiety and feels like every food is causing my body something. I am panicking about potentially being allergic to one of these natural supplements or reacting badly to the protocol and she’s saying it’s a « die-off » effect. I want to trust her but I am so tired of all the functional experts. Has anyone any information or similar experience? I can’t get antibiotics because the NHS stool test has come back negative for h pylori.

Today I got up and just felt overall tired. I had a dull ache in my chest where I normally would feel my gerd. I took a shower hoping to wake up but nothing changed. I took my mastic gum and proceeded to make my yougurt/kiefer bowl with raspberries and blueberries. Took one bite and my stomach dropped. Throughout the day I have been to the bathroom a hand full of time as well, soft not liquid. In addition just an overall since of hopelessness and it sucks.

I have been feeling symptoms of H.pylori for a couple of months, especially upper GI issues like nausea and frequent burping. I was also dealing with some angular chilitis (redness on corner of mouth), which I realised was coming from the h pylori causing poor absorption of vitamins.

I went to my doc but he brushed it off as acid reflux and gave me some antacids but I knew it was something more so I decided to start a 30 day natural protocol:

Mastic Gum (capsules) - 500mg twice daily

NAC - 600mg twice daily

Berberine HCL - 500mg twice daily

Glutamine powder - 10g daily

I am currently on day 10 of this protocol, and I think I'm starting to see a reduction in symptoms.

After this protocol is complete, I'm gonna wait 3-4 weeks before doing a urea breath test to avoid a false negative. If it comes back as positive, then I will go back to my GP and get on antibiotics, but hopefully the natural protocol will have worked. I'm not against antibiotics, but if there's a chance I can take out h pylori naturally then I may as well try that first.

Does my plan sound reasonable? And is there anything I should add to my natural stack? Cheers

I am following a gut protocol with a functional practioner after doing a GI map that showed 2.64e2 h. Pylori, Blastocystis hominis, low elastase, low secretory IgA. The protocol has powders that have the following ingredients: L-glutamine, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, citrus pectin, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), aloe vera, slippery elm, mucin, marshmallow root, chamomile, okra extract, cat’s claw, MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), quercetin, prune powder, and zinc carnosine. It also contains other ingredients such as natural peach flavor, natural flavor, stevia, monk fruit, and citric acid. I also take arabinogalactan, bitter drops, and another powder with l-glutamine. Since starting it I am having more reactions to food than usual, just now I was extremely dizzy, heart pounding, physical weakness after my usual breakfast. Last week had a mucus crisis after my snack. Is it possible that these ingredients cause histamine flares? I am also constantly tired despite not being in luteal and I’m wondering if the protocol is not making me worse

Hi everyone,

I wanted to post an update because this has been a long journey.

Timeline

May 2025: Tested positive for H. pylori ( after months of stomach pain , food poisoning 3 times, my stomach wasn't in a great place - super low stomach acid, low secretory lgA, giardia low enzymes, basically my digestion felt like it was running on empty. H pylori also showed up but I guess it was a low level so it wasn't addressed in 2024 by the way ) . I didn't even know at the time that all of this was brewing underneath, but it explained why foods weren't sitting right, nutrients weren't absorbing, and I always felt like my gut was "off."

Fast forward almost a year later, i completed 14 days of bismuth quadruple therapy. Jesus that was brutal.

I later had a breath test confirming eradication in late June 2025, so the infection appears to be gone.

Around that same time, I went through an extremely stressful period in my life. I moved to New York, ended up getting scammed out of my apartment, lost a significant amount of money, and was under constant stress for weeks. Looking back, I think my nervous system and digestive system took a huge hit.

The beginning

When everything first started, my stomach was incredibly sensitive. I was barely able to tolerate anything besides very bland, steamed foods. Almost every meal caused discomfort, and I became afraid of eating because I associated food with feeling worse.

Progress

The good news is that I’ve improved a lot compared to where I was a year ago. Today I can eat a much wider variety of foods, I’ve regained confidence around eating, and I’m no longer surviving on only steamed chicken and rice.

I’ve also noticed that stress has a very obvious effect on my stomach. If I go through a particularly stressful day, my stomach often becomes tight, irritated, and starts acting up. Sometime my lower stomach will like extend and perforate out. It’s like my gut axis is messed up. It’s getting better. When I’m super stressed I breathe and tell my body I’m okey so it doesn’t get stuck in that loop and extended out . Learning that connection has actually helped me calm things down instead of immediately assuming something terrible is happening.

Where I’m at now

The frustrating part is my stomach is completely 100% “normal.” My main symptoms now are: Burping after meals, gassy at times after eating vegetables/fiber ( maybe it’s my gut microbiome adapting ? I mean before I couldn’t even eat broccoli , garlic etc things like that and now I can ! (
Acid sensitivity/reflux at times ( lemon lemon , coffee )

My upper stomach sometimes feels irritated or inflamed
Fatty or heavier meals seem to bother me more than they used to ( like I had this amazing chicken the other day with the tastiest crispy fatty skin and 4 hours later I had the worse indigestion and I was burping up the smell of the chicken skin….

Some days are almost normal, while others seem to flare up ( like if I have coffee , then something acidity and a cocktail the next rail my stomach is super sensitive )

I’m sure my lining is physically healed but Chat told me I could just have visceral hypersensitivity/ functional dyspepsia ?

Overall, I’m functioning much better than last year, but it still feels like something isn’t completely healed and mentally is exhausting when certain foods trigger my stomach…. Like dipping bread into vinegar and then feeling really sick and have to burp hella to feel better etc .

Tests
Recently I had routine blood work done, and everything looked reassuring. Nutrients looked good. I’m actually gaining muscle for the first time LOL.

CBC and chemistry panel were otherwise normal.
The only thing that stood out was a mildly low white blood cell count, although interestingly I rarely get sick. Could be genetics ?

I’m also planning to stop my digestive enzymes for a bit so I can do a stool test and see how my gut is

My questions

I’m wondering if anyone who successfully eradicated H. pylori experienced symptoms that lasted this long.

Did your stomach continue feeling irritated for many months afterward?

Did fatty foods become harder to tolerate?

Did anyone’s stomach lining take a long time to recover even after testing negative?

At what point did your doctor recommend an upper endoscopy?

Mentally, this has honestly been the hardest part. It’s now been over a year, and while I’ve made tremendous progress, it’s exhausting feeling like I’m still not completely back to normal. I try to stay optimistic because I know how much better I am than I was a year ago, but I also don’t want to ignore symptoms if there’s something else going on.

Any experiences or advice would really be appreciated.

Hello everyone 👋 , as we all know the bacteria has become resistant to most of the meds in india so we have to perform this test in order to find what type of antibiotics will work but I I don't know clearly if this is available north part the india ,I have checked most of the websites of hospital and have personally contacted them but it seems like they don't have it

This test is available in aig Hyderabad which is not possible as it is far from my home

If anybody knows something about this test please let me know

How to do you take it? Before or with antimicrobial at the same time?

Wondering if anyone has this combo of symptoms. Or if you had these symptoms, did it lead to something else?? Thanks. Obviously driving myself crazy waiting on results.

Stomach burning, almost feels like acid is burning my lining. Mild nausea pretty much 24/7, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to not be slightlyyy nauseous all the time. FATIGUE! Headaches that can last 2-3 days. Im usually worse with all of these in the morning and sometimes by the afternoon I can actually feel hungry and eat! (I eat all day, usually rice or plain foods but in the evenings I almost feel normal I’m so hungry). Symptoms come and go in severity but never leave me completely. No digestive issues.

A few more other ones but those are the ones that have been consistent for the last 6 months. My heart goes out to anyone suffering like this