I was treated for Helicobacter in February, with triple therapy. I was taking Clarithromycin, Amoxicillin and Lansoprazole for a week. I continued to take the lansoprazole for 8 weeks afterwards at 30mg, and later 15mg. My GP said he thought this would eradicate the infection and I would have no further problems.

After coming off the Lansoprazole in April I felt ok really at first, my GP suspected that was actually making me feel bad, as the side effects are quite troublesome for some people. I felt ok, just the odd bit of wind but I have always been a windy person. Then in the last 6 weeks or so I have been suffering again with alot of acidy wind in my stomach, heartburn and low down I have alot of painful spasms and bubbling. I told my GP briefly when it first started again and he said he didn't want to test again for helicobacter as he didn't think it was fair to put me through that treatment again. I challenged him, and said that I knew helicobacter could lead to ulcers and stomach cancer so I wasn't comfortable with not knowing if I still had it. He still said he just wanted me to carry on with gaviscon etc... and to not be too concerned by it.

Anyway I am suffering daily again, today I have heartburn at times, wind/acid in my chest, my back and very low down I have awful spasms on the right side that stab all down my leg, really nasty wind pains that I have had in the past, and I know the low down pains are IBS. It is just so annoying.

I have been rather stressed in the last 2 weeks, which I know can cause stomach acid and ibs to flare up, so maybe it is what has caused it to seem so much worse. Plus my eating has been abit up and down, alot of evenings in the last week I have skipped my dinner or eaten very late, just because I have been busy or stressed and not felt up to eating (I know, my own fault). I eat at all other times though, just been abit picky in the evenings due to a stressful family situation I got involved in.

Does anyone know how likely it would be that I could still have helicobacter? I don't really want to go back to GP just yet as he doesn't seem keen on retesting me at the moment.