Is there any treatment for H. pylori bacteria other than antibiotics?
The ones the doctors put me on produced lots of side effects. No. The only way to get rid of H. pylori is with antibiotics, which are used along with a type of drug called proton pump inhibitors. (One example is omeprazole.) At least two antibiotics must be used together. They are taken with the proton pump inhibitor for 10 to 14 days. Recommended antibiotics include amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole and tetracycline. Treatment wipes out H. pylori about 80 percent of the time. If you are sensitive to just one of the antibiotics you tried, your doctor can prescribe another combination. Also, if diarrhea is the major side effect, taking a probiotic (a supplement containing “good” bacteria or yeast) along with the antibiotics might reduce this problem. Probiotics can help bring back a normal bacterial balance in your intestines.
