November 2, 2000
Other Illnesses
Question from Wisconsin, USA:
My nine year old has diabetes and was also diagnosed with H. pylori 10 months ago. After numerous treatments, he is still experiencing constant nausea. They are going to repeat the endoscopy next week. He has been tested for gastric emptying twice with negative results, even though he seems to feel it about 1 hour after eating. He missed 65 days of school and all summer vacation, even when we went away. Medication seems to help, but its still there. Any ideas?
Answer:
The treatment for H. pylori infections is sometimes difficult. If a child fails initial treatment for the stomach infection (and has ongoing symptoms), it is likely that they many need more aggressive care including repeating the course of medications that were given to eradicate the infection and in some cases having endoscopy performed. If your child has missed that much school, I would certainly aggressively pursue a fix to this problem that has so dramatically affected his life.
MSB
