A weekend of investigation

I've been taking Betaine HCL and so many antibacterials since starting this journey almost 2 years ago.  It seems really odd that now Helicobacter Pylori (HP) has overgrown. How and why are the questions that took over my weekend.

The stomach keeps the ph around 1.7, very acidic.  HP likes the ph above 4.  In order to accomplish getting the ph this high HP releases urease.  Part of the conventional triple antibiotic protocol is Omeprazole (aka Prilosec).  Sounds counterproductive to include a PPI but omeprazole permanently disrupts HP's ability to make urease enabling the ph in the stomach to come down to a normal ph between 1-2, an acidity which the HP cannot survive.  The chyme (food sludge) is a ph of 2 when it is transitioned to the duodenum of the small intestine.  The acidity stimulates hormone production which raises the ph, the rise in ph stimulates the release of bile acids.  HP can occupy the stomach or the duodenum or both.  Seems like eradicating it from the stomach would be easy, just lower the ph and the HP can't survive.  Getting HP out of the duodenum with it's higher ph seems a little more tricky.

This evening I had an appointment with the medical director of my nutrition certification program and asked her why Betaine HCL is contraindicated and she said that the HP strip away the protective mucosa from the walls of the stomach in order to imbed themselves more easily in the stomach wall.  This lack of mucosa leaves the stomach wall vulnerable and the acid will burn it and could cause ulcers.  I think I'll stop messing around with trying to lower the ph!

So this 30 day protocol was her recommendation:

• Matula tea - 1 cup upon rising and 1 cup at bedtime prepared exactly as instructed.  Expensive but has a money back guarantee.
• Mastic gum - 2 capsules, 3 times a day with meals (soothes the gut, I'm on the fence here as mastic gum can feed SIBO but maybe with the Biocidin would be okay)
• NAC - 1 capsule, 2-3 times a day (helps with healing)
• Douglas Laboratories Licorice Root - 1-2 capsules, 2-3 times a day 15-20 minutes before meals (soothes the gut, I'm on the fence here as DGL can feed SIBO but maybe with the Biocidin would be okay)
• Biocidin or Interfase Plus to help with any possible biofilm formation

So I was under the impression that I did something wrong to create an imbalance in my ph that allowed HP to overgrow but she said that it common to have HP along with Blastocystis Hominis and it's only when the Blasto is eradicated that the HP shows up. And it often takes 6-12 months after Blasto is gone for it to show up.  I was kind of thinking I screwed myself with the Ox Bile.  It was the only real thing I did different other than the guar.  Maybe not, maybe it is all just a coincidence.  

She also indicated that feeding is only appropriate when trying to get rid of hydrogen SIBO not methane but I know that Pimental is having his patients with methane use guar along with his Rifaximin protocols.  She also feels (and I really want to believe her) that this has been the missing piece in my healing and that once the HP is gone my SIBO will leave too. That would be nice!  We'll see.