I have H. Pylori and possibly Acid Reflux... Will I get cancer?

I am 23 years old. Ever since I was a really little kid, I've had problems with heartburn. I always endured it, up until this week, when I was having a particularly nasty flare-up and it was making me feel really ill. I went to my doctor, who tested me for h. pylori, and I came up positive. I'm now on antibiotics for it. As for the heartburn, he said it sounded a lot like acid reflux (GERD). He felt around my stomach and said it felt fine.

But I'm making myself sick with worry... Does it seem like I could develop cancer of the esophagus or stomach? I've checked the symptoms for both online and I don't have any (except for maybe in the past year when I've had some trouble swallowing, but it kind of seems like an allergy problem to me), but h. pylori + GERD seems like a pretty potent combination to me. And what if I have Barrett's esophagus on top of all this?? I've scheduled an upper GI and abdomen complete for next week, but until then, someone please tell me what they think of this!

Now that the prob is identified and being treated, you are on the way to feeling better. Once the H. Pylori is gone the GERD most likely will reduce or disappear. If not, there are meds that help to control it as well as repair any current damage. Left untreated it can contribute to increased chances of cancer.

unfortunately yes you are a possible candidate for cancer. chronic infection(specifically h. pylori) as well as GRED are both factors that can increase your chanced of having one. i would advise an annual check up or something your doctor would advise on how often you can have a check up. the success rate of cancer recovery increases when it is detected early. however if your difficulty in swallowing persists it would be best to let your doctor know about it

h. Pylori and acid reflux does not equal cancer. If an ulcer goes for a loooooong time without being treated, there is a possibility of it developing into cancer. Most people would seek treatment for an ulcer and get it treated rather quickly because of the pain an ulcer causes.

There's no need to make yourself sick with worry. You are doing the right thing by getting diagnosed and getting treated for your stomach troubles. Both h. Pylori and GERD are very treatable. I've had GERD for 15 years and I take medicine for it everyday and I've never developed cancer, in fact, my stomach feels very healthy.

The key here is treatment and you are doing just that.

Well, I'm not real sure on the cancer part, but... My daughter, 21 yrs.old, tested positive for H. Pylori a while back when she was having a lot of stomach pain. The doc said IF you have an ulcer of the stomach, the H. Pylori is present. That's one test they run to see if you do have an ulcer. If you don't get rid of the bacteria (H.Pylori?) you don't get rid of the ulcer, Hmmm. Beside the Strong antibiotic he put her on at the time, she also takes Prevacid every day and if she misses it for a while, her stomach starts back to hurting again. Then, the acid reflux... My husband has this and it had caused an ulcer in his esophagus, in his chest area, he thought he was having heart problems until he had the test done where they run the light down your throat (they put him "almost" asleep to do it). He takes Prevacid on a daily basis, and doesn't do well at all if he misses a few doses. I don't remember any mention of cancer during their diagnosis, but not to say it couldn't happen. Good Luck, I hope you get a good report!

I know what it feels like to have really bad heartburn and I'm glad you got it checked out. I have a condition called oesophagitius and I have to take tablets to control it. I take tablets called nexium and they work really well for me.

I found out about it when I was pregnant and I just thought it was bad morning sickness like you hear people talking about. It got to the stage where I was vomiting up blood but I didnt realise it. I had my daughter early and she was premature. When they doctors examined me they knocked me out and put some kind of a probe down my throat to have a good look around which you might want to get done too just to make sure everything is ok. You need someone to look after you for about 24 hours and you have a kind of hazy memory after the operation. I had problems swallowing for a few days after they found out about the heartburn too but it came back to normal. Try not to get too distressed aout it all it will come good in time. Once you had had your operation they will be in a better position to give you advice in how to manage the condition.

I never even thought about getting cancer or anthing like that but I would think you would be ok once your reflux is under control. I wouldnt try to self diagnose yourself if your concerned go see your tummy / throat specialist. Try not to worry as that wont help your heart burn.

In terms of diet you might want to avoid things that flare it up like coffee and garlic. I have both but in small amounts and take the drugs. There might be other food you should avoid or have in limited amounts too.You will be fine once your on the drugs to get it under control but it could be a long term thing like it is for me but its better than having heart burn!

Forget abt ur H. Pylori. This does not and never will cause reflux or heartburns. The reason for ur problem is simply dehydration.

If U are fond of drinking much coffee, sodas, tea, chocolates and alcoholic beverages, these wld dry U up. If U don't, U do not take enough water daily.

Above the stomach lining, lies a mucus coat that neutralizes the acid secreted by the stomach during digestion. Underneath this mucus coat lies a layer of water to prevent the penetration of acid in case the mucus coat is inadequate to neutralize the acid. Shortage of water causes shortage of the mucus production and the depletion of the water layer. When acid contacts the stomach lining, it causes pain.

When there is water shortage in the body, there won't be enough pancreatic alkaline solution to neutralize the acidic stomach contents to pass on into the small intestines. The pyloric valve in the end portion of the stomach will not permit the passage of the stomach contents. If it does, the acidic contents will burn the small intestines and causes irreparable damage. When the valve prevents the outlet to open, the stomach contents will be brought out of the stomach thru regurgitation or reflux causing heart burns.

Dehydration also causes the commensal bacteria as H Pylori to increase in population. But these do not cause the problem but are more of a result of the problem itself. No antacids cld cure ur problem.

The only soultion is for U to hydrate ur body properly. How? Do the following: Take 24 ounces of water upon waking up in the morning, take 16 ounces 1 hr before every meal, take 16 ounces 2 and a half hrs after meals and then 24 ounces at bedtime. if the volume is too much for ur size, reduce by 8 ounces not lesser than that. If U cld, take 8 ounces after every urination it wld be best.

Try this and U will never regret. It is better than drugs, got no side effects, only frequent visits to ur restroom and no to ur Dr. :-)

As far as i know, relfux, h.pylori and GORD have never been linked to cancer, but any kind of chronic inflammation could cause issues. Mate, you are booked for a full top and tail next week, thats going to tell you the answer to your question, there's not much you can do in the meantime. The test is going to tell you whether you have an ulcer, and if that is causing your heartburn - antibiotics is the right treatment. Cancer at your age is rare - especially in the stomach, but if you want to reassure yourself, consider your risk factors, family history, diet, etc... And don't worry until the test next week.