Patients who have H. pylori and also have an ulcer are most likely to benefit from being treated. Patients who only have heartburn or acid reflux and H. pylori are less likely to benefit from treatment. The treatment does not work in all patients.

Treatment must be taken for 10 to 14 days. Medications may include:

• Two different antibiotics, such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), amoxicillin, tetracycline, or metronidazole (Flagyl)
• Proton-pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole (Prilosec), lansoprazole (Prevacid), or esomeprazole (Nexium)
• Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), in some cases

Once the H. pylori bacteria are gone from your body, the chance of being infected again is very low.

H. pylori infection is linked to stomach cancer and ulcer disease.

Call your health care provider if you have blood in your stool, abdominal pain, ongoing indigestion or heartburn, or any of the other symptoms mentioned above.

Seek immediate medical help if you are vomiting blood.