Q: I HAVE tested positive for H. pylori.
I’ve finished a seven-day eradication treatment but am not any better. What can I do?
Dr Zoe Williams helps a reader who has not seen any improvements after seven-day eradication treatmentOlivia West
A: Most stomach-lining inflammation and ulcers caused by H. pylori will heal in a few weeks after treatment.
So if you’ve just completed the one-week course of treatment, it might be that you need to wait longer for symptoms to resolve.
But sometimes symptoms do persist after treatment. This could be because the antibiotics have not worked due to antimicrobial resistance.
It can also be a recurrence of the infection, or that there is an additional cause such as smoking, stress or ulcer-causing medication use.
People with gastritis or gastric ulcers should not take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, as they can damage your stomach lining.
If your symptoms aren’t getting better after a couple more weeks, or if they’re getting worse, you should go back to your GP.
Depending on other factors, including age and risk, they may refer you for an endoscopy.
TIP: One of the best things we can do to support brain health and combat ageing is to have a purpose in life. It’s a mantra of many nations, such as in Japan (ikigai) and Costa Rica (pura vida), but not so much in the UK.
Sign up to a club or charity to meet people and be part of something.You only need to go once to give it a try. It could be anything from a choir to a walking group, befriending service or local food bank.
E-mail Dr Zoe: Health@thesun.co.uk