I've been on a PPI for about 4 weeks now, I asked my primary care doctor for a H. Pylori test just to make sure that's not what caused my stomach pains / possible ulcers. I got the script to get a HPSA (H Pylori Stool Antigen) test done, but wasn't told to go off the PPI, yet I read so much online that it should be stopped for 7 - 14 days but they always group it with teh Urea breath test... what's true? I stopped taking Dexilant yesterday, how long should I wait? Or should I wait?
So much conflicting data and info on this...
The best help for my stomach issues was nystatin and yogurt to help balance the gut .
Forgot to ad pepto liquid help kill the bacteria. Protect the stomach lining.
When I had the H Pylori stool test, I had to stop my PPI but I cannot remember for how long before the test.
anyone else? The doctor didn't write anything about going off it, I voluntarily stopped 3 days ago... not sure how long to wait... everything i see online says 7-14 days...
Hello. Before taking a stool, breath or endoscopy to test for h pylori you should have stopped taking PPI medication for at least 10 days. I came off for 14 days before testing by stool sample (most commonly used test in U.K.).
If you have a test whilst on ppi it can reduce the accuracy and may give you a false negative result.
Blood test for h pylori isn't affected by ppi but blood test is only effective if you've never had h pylori before as it has a high chance of giving a false positive if you have a blood test after already being affected in your life time.
So in summary I would advise you come off ppi for 24 days then have a test. It may cause acid rebound so be careful !
Hi bluebsh
You usually have to stop PPI's for 2 weeks before any test for HPylori.....
that's where I am confused, I'm going down the hospital lab test specs and it says nothing about going off ppi's for the stool antigen test, but the breath test it does say stop for 2 weeks... the test specs are from the Mayo Clinic Labratories that does the analyis of the sample..
Hi bluebsh
Well they are the 'experts'..obviously they know what's what....so you have to go by that...i imagine with a stool test they pick up the HPylori bacteria itself in the stool so PPI's would not interfere with that test..but with breath test they pick up changes in the chemicals in your breath.....the breath chemicals change when HP is causing the problem in your gut.....and the PPI's could interfere with chemical changes in the breath that's why they have to be stopped for two weeks so your gut is clear of PPI's b4 they do a breath test.....best wishes...
Well had the HPSA test done, came back negative.
They claim the way they test isn't interfered with by PPI's, but still went off them for a while before I did the test just incase..
Hi bluebsh
So please it was -ve for HP......best wishes...