Think You Have an Ulcer? Think Again: H. Pylori and Mastic Gum

Dec27
Pistacia lentiscus in flower

Pistacia lentiscus in flower

I had wanted to write this article on mastic gum as an effective treatment for Helicobacter pylori for some time now, but it was Dr. OZ’s Christmas Eve show that finally did it. When a friend who knew that I had healed myself of H. pylori reported that this and ulcers were the topic of today’s Dr. OZ Show, I was all ears. I was glad the show was helping the general public to make the connection between ulcers and H. pylori, as this has long been overlooked. Regardless, doctors rarely recommend one of the easy tests that detect H. pylori to patients presenting with ulcer symptoms. While kefir was mentioned for these symptoms, most of the folks on the show had never heard of kefir. And while this helps to increase awareness of the importance and necessity for probiotics, kefir doesn’t cure H. pylori.[1] It was when I heard the final recommendation for H. pylori was antibiotics, however, that I knew I couldn’t put off writing this article any longer.

Let me start by sharing my own story. For years I had this on and off again burning in the pit of my stomach. It was worse at night and felt like a gnawing hunger that might feel better if I ate something to help coat or soothe my stomach, but eating made no difference. After a while, I surmised that I must have an ulcer. I tried digestive enzymes but that didn’t work. Then I tried antacids and H2 blockers, which are completely against my belief system of treating symptoms and not the cause, and they made no difference whatsoever. I did notice, however, that eliminating sugar helped.

mastiha_tear2

Mastic gum resin

Then I had a recurrent mold exposure that launched a raging sinus infection. My eyes swelled shut. Yellow puss oozed from them, and my throat swelled to where I could hardly swallow. I feared not being able to breathe. So, I immediately went to the doctor. Neither he nor I wanted for me to go to the hospital. So he prescribed not penicillin but “gorilla-cillin,” a powerful antibiotic combination without ever diagnosing the specific pathogen culprit. After this round of antibiotics, my sinus infection got better, but the “ulcer” got significantly worse. I started having pressure in my esophagus. I went back to another doctor, a gastroenterologist. She recommended an endoscopy, but I declined in favor of doing additional research on my own. This doctor suggested that I might have an ulcer as well as an overgrowth of candida in my esophagus. I did not want to undergo an invasive test, but I needed to know what created that much havoc in my body. My research revealed information connecting ulcers to H. pylori infection, which the doctor neglected to mention. I also learned that statistically, up to 90% of duodenal ulcers might be caused by a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Medical science had previously assumed that stress, spicy food, or excess stomach acid caused ulcers.

So I went back to the doctor for my yearly exam and requested a blood test for the H. pylori bacterium. Several non-invasive tests exist for evaluating the presence of the bacteria, including blood, saliva, stool, or a breath test. However, the most reliable method is a biopsy check during endoscopy. I opted for the blood test.

At least half the world’s population is infected with H. pylori making it the most widespread infection. And while contagious, the exact route of transmission is not known. Findings suggest that it is more easily transmitted via gastric mucus than via saliva. It may also be transmitted via contaminated well water, soil, or from food harvested in fields where workers defecate. It is also very possible that houseflies act as a viable source of spread since they frequently come into contact with human food and fecal matter.

When I returned to the doctor’s office for my blood results, I sat in the waiting room for almost an hour before being brought into an exam room. I was left there alone for another hour before the doctor finally arrived. During that time in the exam room, I noticed a small paperback reminiscent of a Readers Digest on the counter next to the sink. It contained articles on the latest drug recommendations for various conditions, and I busied myself reading it. I was surprised when I turned to an article on H. pylori and the recommended antibiotic cocktail for curing it. H. pylori is a growing concern in the pharmacological literature.

The doctor finally arrived and apologized for being late. She had been going over the results of my blood work. She happily announced that everything looked normal: blood sugar, cholesterol, thyroid, white and red blood cell count, etc. I had to ask her, “what about the H. pylori?” She had completely overlooked it and had to scramble through her paperwork to find the results. “Oh!” she said, quite flustered, “You are positive for H. pylori!” Obviously, she had not spent the last hour looking over the result of my blood work. I flashed the article on H. pylori from her magazine that I found in her exam room and told her she might want to read up. She then prescribed the routine antibiotic cocktail, which included Flagyl (an antibiotic drug also used to treat Candida with serious possible side effects[2]). Since I had good insurance, I filled the prescription and carried a grocery bag full of drugs that included antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitor home with me.

I sat contemplating this turn of events. The fact that a round of antibiotics had put my “ulcer” symptoms over the top in the first place and caused what I felt to be an overgrowth of H. pylori, just like they can cause an overgrowth of Candida, I could not bring myself to take them. In addition, an increasing number of infected individuals harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria and report a high treatment failure rate (up to 20%) requiring additional rounds of antibiotic therapy, which further discouraged me. It made sense that I had noticed a reduction of symptoms by eliminating sugar since perhaps sugar feeds H. pylori, just like it does Candida. Then, I started a timeline of my symptoms and realized that they had started after a round of antibiotics for an earlier sinus infection, also from mold exposure. Further research showed that H. pylori is a member of the normal flora, which helps to regulate stomach acidity. When symptoms accompany an overgrowth, that is when it becomes a problem. Common sense told me to avoid antibiotics.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIt seemed clear that I needed to bring the H. pylori under control, but not only did I not want to take the antibiotics, I was also downright afraid of taking them. So I went back to the computer to look for alternatives to antibiotics. What I found was mastic gum. And not surprisingly as I have a lot of faith in plant medicine.

l_410709Mastic gum is a tree resin produced by an evergreen shrub from the pistachio tree family, Pistacia lentiscus. The tree hails from the Greek island of Chios, and the resin is known as “Chios tears” because once the bark is slit, it trickles out slowly creating crystal-like “tears.” In some shops, it is called “Arabic gum,” not to be confused with gum arabic. The word mastic is a synonym for gum in many languages and is derived from the Greek verb, “to gnash the teeth,” which is the source of the English word, masticate. Greeks have been chewing on these resin granules for centuries, consumed to freshen the breath, cut down on bacteria in the mouth, and remove dental plaque. Ground, it is used in a variety of baked goods for its rich aroma and licorice-like flavor. Used since antiquity as a medicine and in the Middle East for at least 3,000 years, mastic is still being used in the traditional folk medicine of the Middle East for gastric ailments.

One of my herbal mentors, Patricia Kyritsi Howell, goes to Greece every year and affirmed the power of this medicine for healing gastric complaints. Production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval village in the south of Chios and granted protected designation of origin. Traditionally there has been limited production of mastic, further threatened by the Chios forest fire that swept the southern half of the island in August 2012 and destroyed many of the mastic groves. During the Ottoman rule of Chios, mastic was worth its weight in gold. I would argue that it still is. The benefit of this “tree-medicine,” as I like to call it, is now being rediscovered for its antimicrobial effects. The most exciting of these discoveries is its effectiveness against at least seven different strains of H. pylori with no side effects.

Chios, Greece

Chios, Greece

H. pylori are spiral-shaped bacteria that live in the mucosal lining of the stomach. The genus name, Helicobacter, is derived from the ancient Greek “spiral” or “coil”. Pylori means “of the pylorus” or pyloric valve, a circular opening leading from the stomach into the duodenum and is from an ancient Greek word meaning “gatekeeper.”

Mastic gum works by making changes within the bacteria’s cell structure, causing it to weaken and die. An article published by the New England Journal of Medicine titled “Mastic Gum Kills Helicobacter pylori” suggested that even low doses of mastic gum can cure peptic ulcers very rapidly. In several studies using mastic gum on ulcer patients, the original site of the ulcer caused by the bacterium was completely replaced by healthy epithelial cells.

The protocol that I have found to be the most effective is to start out slowly and increase the amount taken over a three-week period as follows:

Mastic Gum Extract, 500 mg. capsules,

Week 1: take 2 in the morning on an empty stomach one hour before breakfast for one week.

Week 2: Up the dosage to 4 per day, adding 2 in the afternoon on an empty stomach.

Week 3: Up the dosage to 6 for a total of 3 grams per day, adding 2 in the evening on an empty stomach (2 hrs. after dinner, one hour before bed.)

Die-off can cause nausea, so back off on the dosage if you start to feel nauseous. If needed, you can do a second round of the protocol. You may want to retest via a stool sample after a month or so. A blood test will not be accurate because of the antibodies. Be sure to add a good probiotic to your regimen following treatment.

Mastiha_productionI have used this protocol to heal myself of H. pylori and in my clinical practice very successfully. One client shared it with her doctor after the stool sample returned negative. That is why we need herbalists with their “feet on the ground,” so to speak, and working first hand with the plant medicines. We cannot always depend on clinical trials funded by pharmaceutical companies or doctors knowledge whose education is also funded by pharmaceutical companies. The more of us who share our herbal knowledge, the more we will learn how to alleviate suffering and hopefully bring enough attention to alternative medicine to get the research funded that is so badly needed.  It is in this spirit that I share my experience with the tree medicine of mastic gum. I can also attest that the results are long-lasting as it has been over ten years since curing my H. pylori. My yearly physical exam was last month, and I am happy to announce that the blood work (I had to specifically request a test for H. pylori) came back negative for the bacterium. And so it is.

References:

1. Wang KY, Li SN, Liu CS et al. (September 2004). “Effects of ingesting Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt in subjects with colonized Helicobacter pylori“. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 80 (3): 737–41.

2. Pounder RE, Ng D (1995). “The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in different countries”. Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. 9 (Suppl 2): 33–9.

3. Cave DR (May 1996). “Transmission and epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori“. Am. J. Med. 100 (5A): 12S–17S; discussion 17S–18S

4 Brown LM (2000). “Helicobacter pylori: epidemiology and routes of transmission”. Epidemiol Rev 22 (2): 283–97.

5 Blaser MJ (February 2005). “An endangered species in the stomach”. Sci. Am. 292 (2): 38–45. doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0205-38

6. Al-Said MS, Ageel AM, Parmar NS, Tariq M. Evaluation of mastic, a crude drug obtained from Pistacia lentiscus for gastric and duodenal anti-ulcer activity. J Ethnopharmacol 1986;15:271-8.

[1] An article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found evidence that “ingesting lactic acid bacteria exerts a suppressive effect on Helicobacter pylori infection in both animals and humans,” noting that “supplementing with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium containing yogurt was shown to improve the rates of eradication of H. pylori in humans. (see reference below)

[2] Metronidazole crosses the placental barrier and enters fetal circulation rapidly. It is prescribed during pregnancy for the vaginal infection, trichomoniasis. Metronidazole is a carcinogen and may cause serious central and peripheral nervous system side effects such as: convulsive seizures, meningitis, and optic neuropathy.

409 thoughts on “Think You Have an Ulcer? Think Again: H. Pylori and Mastic Gum”

  2. hi there Thea Summer Deer…thanks for your green work and wise words…I’d heard about this remedy for H pylori some years back, too. Tony(a) Lemos of Blazing Star Herbal School wrote a long piece about mastic gum in a North East Herbal Association journal quite a few years ago. Do you have a good source for mastic gum that you can recommend? I’d love to travel to Chios to get some, but that’s not in my plans for the near-future ; ) Thanks for your writings…I enjoy them!

    Green Blessings, Robin Rose Bennett

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    • Hello Robin Rose,
      I would love to see that article by Tony Lemos and thanks for mentioning it. I have found Solaray and Source Naturals to be good brands, both available in most health food stores. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Many Blessings…

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      • Hi Thea thank you for your time and experience.I will try your cure this week .I was positive for H pylori and I am after first treatment with antibiotics and after 6 weeks I am still positive.I am scared of more aggressive treatment and I will try this and I hope it will work.I let you know if it worked.Hope it will.Let you know in couple weeks.Dagmar

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  3. How do you know that you “cured yourself” did you re-test for H Pylori? Or did your symptoms resolve? I havent been able to find an actual study on the gum so I am curious?

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    • Yes, I was retested and my symptoms, which had gone on for years disappeared and have never come back – it has been over 5 years now and recently when I had some routine blood work done I asked to be tested for H-pylori – still negative.

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      • I was diagnosed with “HP” a year ago. I did not have the symptoms must people talk about, I had no pain or heart burn or nothing. Just My heart would beat hard but not fast after my evening meal mainly. The only close symptom was feeling a little full. I took the antibiotics and never did a follow up test to make sure it was gone, thought they were crazy to start with even if I did have HP till recently had it come back and now have for sure ruled out my heart ( heart cath). Looking back it could have been blotting that magnified my heart. Have you ever heard of symptoms like mine? There is a blog about ” heart beating hard but not fast” and not one poor single blogger that I could tell could ever find a cause of their symptom’s. Seems like most doctors in their stories thought they may have been crazy. I feel for them like my self being afraid to eat when feeling like you are about to have a heart attack if you did. Please respond if you know of any like mine. if so you could might help hundreds of blogger living in fear and no answers, thanks, Kyle

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      • Hello Kyle, It’s too bad that you took antibiotics when you had no symptoms related to H-Pylori. Most people have H-Pylori and it is only when there is an overgrowth that it becomes problematic (This is covered in blog post). Antibiotics cause overgrowth. I’m not sure what the symptoms you are experiencing are related too, however, some people who have H-Pylori overgrowth develop secondary conditions like GERD and hiatal hernia which can causes heart palpitations, fullness and mild wheezing. Hope that helps.

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      • Hi Thea: glad that you mentioned in the article that once you have tested positive for H. Pylori that blood results will show the antibodies.

        Here is my story…
        2 years ago I had extreme bloating (looked 9 months pregnant) with extreme pain, I thought rut roh Gallbladder! and so did my doctor and we ruled that out. Finally, I demanded that I see a specialist (endo) so he did scopes both ends… Lo and behold after 8 months of the bloating and extreme pain he found a huge ULCER, biopsies were taken, NO sign of H. Pylori or Stomach cancer. Omeprazole given 4 a day! Back in for a scope not even 8 weeks later to learn that the Ulcer was gone but lo and behold in the biopsies out of this scope H. Pylori was found. Blew me away that it wasn’t there 8 weeks previous and now it was.

        I then stayed on the Omeprazole and he suggested a Probiotic too which I have been taking daily since as the stomach kept flaring up over and over again. A year ago, I stared to complain to the doc that I felt awful, bloated, pain, etc.started losing weight (a lot) 30 lbs and both family doc and specialist said there is NO way that Ulcers or H. Pylori could be back with the probiotics and omeprazole. Well after getting pretty irate with them, that the weight loss was a big concerning to me, they caved (LOL) and did another scope and lo and behold 3 baby ulcers were growing. Stomach started to act up further and just went back in two weeks ago to check that these ulcers were gone, but symptoms I were having yet again, warranted testing for H. Pylori again. I awaiting the biopsies as I type this to come this Friday to see what they showed! My guess is that the ulcers are still there and H. Pylori has reared their ugly little heads again 🙂

        What I would like to know and no-one can seem to answer me (not even the specialist) is why this H. Pylori is not more known in the medical community and to the public…when I first got it both doc/specialist asked “what third world country have you been to?” Nowhere was my reply!

        Why is it the medical community are vague on how this is contracted about third world countries, water/sewer systems/food that may be contaminated in fields where feces are in the water, saliva/not washing hands after using the washroom. Well if none of this applies to the reasons you get it (other than I have no idea what food I buy is/is not contaminated) there has to be other reasons. I even questioned after my first ulcer was diagnosed through a scope, biopsies taken and NO H. Pylori then 8 weeks later in the second scope to see if the Ulcer was healing or gone that biopsy came back positive for H. Pylori. I even went so far to be bold enough to ask the Specialist if they clean those tubes before using on the next patient or do they throw them away! UGH!!!

        I also would like to know why the Omeprazole/Probiotics (too which is highly recommended people take the Probiotic) are not preventing this as it is suppose to help.

        Lastly, seeing how you have had good results with Mastic gum may I ask if you are staying on this daily or once you tested NOT positive threw it out the window? I am willing to try this Mastic gum as antibiotics/Omeprazole/probiotics are obviously doing nothing for me!

        Thank you in advance and like you, I take to the Internet and actually have called some medical Doctors abroad for their take on this problem. I was quite happy with running across your blog on this subject…so thanks for that!

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      • Could mastic gum eradicate Hpylori in the mouth and gums. I suspect a bad root canal caused this bacteria

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      • Kath, Thank you so very much for sharing this with us and I am so sorry for what you have been through. I wish I could answer your question about why the general public and our medical doctors are not more educated on this, or why you tested negative and then positive. What I will take the risk of saying is that doctors are not god and you are wise to pursue answers and alternatives while taking responsibility for your health care. There is still so much that is not known and sometimes it is easy to forget that when we have progressed so far with medical science. Tests are not always accurate (surprise!) and I think it is good practice to always request a second and even a third opinion. I have only done the protocol once as stated with the results stated. Each one of us is an individual with a different constitution and gut health and history. Your body is infinitely wise and if you keep asking I personally believe you will find the answers that are right for you. H-pylori lives in the gut and it is when there is an overgrowth that we see damage and then that damage has to be healed and repaired. It sounds like you have been working on that. Please keep us posted as to your progress especially if you decide to follow the protocol. I am taking all of the feedback that I am receiving from this blog post and working it into a more comprehensive professional article that I hope to get published in a professional journal that may help many others like yourself. Thank you again for sharing this with us.

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  4. Hi. I’ve had h pylori about 6-7 times now and antibiotics dont work. At the moment Ive came off my anti acid tablets as ive to get a breath test done 24 feb . However being off my tablets i am in sevre pain in my stomach back and left side of my ribs. I cant take anymore pain. Would it be safe to take mastic gum and how much. Is there any interactions with any other meds. Thanks in advance from 1 very sore fed up lady x.

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    • Hello Donna, Thanks for sharing this and I feel your pain. It is all too common of a story and it breaks my heart that the only thing offered by Western medicine is multispectrum antibiotics, which you have discovered first hand don’t work in most cases. In fact it makes the overgrowth of H-pylori worse as mentioned in my article. To my knowledge and experience there are no side effects when using Mastic Gum and the recommended dosage is in my blog post on this subject. Antacid tablets don’t work either as the burning is not being caused from an over acidic condition, but rather the damage being done to the stomach lining by the H-pylori. I tried all of that before I knew what the cause of my ulcer symptoms were, to no avail until using Mastic Gum. If there is a lot of damage you may need to get an endoscopy. You can heal the gut with aloe vera juice and gel following treatment with Mastic Gum.

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      • Good Afternoon, I’m day 3 using the mastic gum and I have a really sore the and very sore guts. What I would like to know is What is the die off symptoms of. H pylori and is this normal to feel like this. I look forward to your reply x

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  5. If you are taking as directed and building up slowly you won’t have die off in 3 days. I believe you were already “sore” before beginning protocol as mentioned above: ” i am in sevre pain in my stomach back and left side of my ribs.” The answers to your question about what the die off symptoms are is contained in the blog post. You may need an endoscopy to rule out other issues.

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  7. Hi, thanks for sharing. I think there is a typo:
    “Week 3: Up the dosage to 6 for a total of 6 grams per day”
    Should that not read
    “Week 3: Up the dosage to 6 for a total of 3 grams per day”
    as it is 500mg per capsule?

    Just about to try mastic gum, no harm in trying. Have used the triple therapy previously and the anti-bs really affected me, and it feels like it as resurfaced. Been taking “supergreen” probiotics and will continue to take thoughout the weeks, have some Zell plus to take – might wait until after taken the mastic?

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  9. Some people do not tolerate pure mastic gum well including me. I use an alternative mastic product called Intact Oral from mastichealth.com. I use it daily for two years now with no side effects.

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    • Thank you Dave for your input on this. I cannot seem to find any dosage information on the Intact Oral/Mastic Health website. Have you used this for H-pylori? Can you tell me what amount of mastic gum this product contains?

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  10. I am on antibiotics for h pylori and not able to continue becoz of nausea and vomiting. My mouth and nose is burning and wanted to try jarrow mastic gum. Can I stop antibiotic completely and start mastic gum? Appreciate ur quick response

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  13. Reblogged this on Deer Nation Herbs and commented:
    Herbalist Thea Summer Deer, you have a new fan.
    A very pertinent article on an herbal alternative to ulcer treatment! Many of us are afraid of antiobiotics; it’s good to know there are alternatives that work.

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  14. Thanks for this useful post! My question is how long to keep taking 3 grams after 3 weeks? When would you reduce or stop taking Mastic Gum?

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  15. Many thanks for your quick reply. I do notice some difference after taking Mastic Gum for few days! And I just got another question after carefully read this article again, which is to eliminate Sugar that might help to fight with H. Pylori. Since I feel like to have some dessert when my stomach feel not well to have a proper meal, I’m wondering which type of sugar you meant? e.g. grain is a type of complex sugar. If you also limit taking grains during the protocol, what was your diet plan?

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  17. I haven’t got h pylori but do have ulcers on my esophagus. Doctors have been unable to successfully diagnose the issue after 3 endoscopes. They know there is no h pylori, think that it’s not eosinophils esophagitis, but it maybe crohns of the esophagus. I’ve had the ulcers for a few months, and have been on nexium but now switched to dexilant and swallowed fluticasone, and been told give it four weeks and if that doesn’t work they will try a course of injectable steroids.
    I’ve given up trying to diagnose what I actually have and just want to focus on getting rid of the ulcers. Considering mastic gum, slippery elm, and matula herbal. Is there Anything else I should consider, thank you

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    • You should eliminate gluten from your diet entirely. Slippery Elm is good along with Aloe Vera Juice. There is obviously inflammation so I recommend working with a knowledgeable practitioner who can check for allergies and other sources of inflammation. It is essential that you alkalize.

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  18. So this mastic gum, can it cure halitosis? I discovered recently from my Chandler dentist that bad breath can be a symptom to an intestine problem or an ulcer. I noticed my friend have a bad mouth odor since last summer, a year has passed and she still has it. She told me she regularly brush her teeth so she didn’t really noticed that she’s emitting bad breath.

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      • I believe that in certain individuals H. Pylori can cause what I crudely call “shit breath”. It smells just like you can imagine. You can smell it from 6 to 8 feet away in some people. I’ve seen this kind of bad breath in very obese people, too, but I do not know if the weight gain is connected to H. Pylori. I had this “shit breath” myself for a while, and after taking mastic gum, it went away. So that’s why I believe it is a result of H. Pylori. I know – not very scientific, but that’s me using myself as a guinea pig.
        I love mastic gum.

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  21. I am presently taking pantoloc medication and I plan to use mastic gum to fight H. Pylori. Should I stop taking pantoloc before starting mastic gum?

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    • Dear Toni,
      While I don’t approve of proton pump inhibitors as they treat the symptom and not the cause, I can not advise you to stop taking it since I don’t know your medical history. I recommend that you find a knowledgeable practitioner to work with and to monitor your progress. Thank you for your inquiry and I wish you good health.

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  22. HI Thea

    Thanks for the great Info… Just been tested positive for HP.. So your dose, after the three weeks, did you ever take it again? or follow the dose for 3 weeks and thats it? I am just in the middle of my antibiotics, didnt know about this, so I will finish it off then do the mastic gum. Im from UK, do you have nay mastic gum companies that you recommend? organic? thanks

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    • I never did have to take Mastic Gum again just took it for three weeks. I used Solaray, but Source Naturals also makes a good product. Be sure to rebuild your gut flora and stay off of sugar. Wishing you good health.

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      • Hi Thea,

        Iam taking it for a week and a half. Still got the same symptoms as for the mastic gum and still take 4proton pump inhibitors. Afraid it doesn’t work. Can you tell now? And what then ? I’ve got allot of pain in my stomach and nausea and very tired.

        Thank you!

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      • Thinking of cutting out ALL artificial sweetener, stevia or otherwise; I don’t smoke or drink either and found these habits easy to give up so why not.

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      • That differs for each person. Why don’t you let me know when you start seeing results. Some people see it in the first week, some at the end of the protocol, some have to do a second round.

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      • Thea, I am lost. I was diagnosed with H pylori on on April 17. I was extremely confused since I too believe I got it due to misdiagnosis. I am a grown man, but I cried knowing that I had to take antibiotics for 14 days. Not seeing any other way I out I took the antibiotics but was still feeling some of the same symptoms so I went back to the doc the day after I finished them. He gave me a BREATH test that same day. A week later they called and said the test was negative but I was still not feeling better so I went back to the doc. He said I should go see a specialist. I did that on June 2. They gave me a breath test there and told me it was positive. I started mastic gum last Friday, and I am wanting to see it through but I am extremely confused. Please help.

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      • Hi there, thanks for you wonderful post. Just wanted to check if you are taking matica gum on yearly basis for preventing the re infection?
        Also I read that the blood test can be positive for awhile, in your opinion it takes how long to have a negative blood test?

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      • Hello Lily, I have not taken mastic gum since I was cured of the H. pylori. I had another blood test done this year just to make sure (4 years later) and it has not come back. I think you should wait at least one month before being retested.

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      • Good question. Probably better on an empty stomach with water, but I don’t think a cup of warm chamomile tea would make that big of a difference. May even help dissolve the capsule. Try it and let me know how you make out. Chamomile aids digestion, so it’s not like taking it with food. Some people have allergies to Chamomile, especially if you are allergic to the ragweed family so make sure that is not an issue for you.

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      • One other question. I question myself everyday as to what to eat. I have been sticking with mainly fish or chicken and some vegetables. I know you say your diet didn’t change, but mine has changed dramatically probably for the better, but I do miss eating some simple things like bread and the occasional tortilla. Is bread a bad thing? Whole grain maybe?

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      • Thea, tomorrow is my last day of the protocol and I am in less pain. I am just wondering if I should continue taking some mastic gum as maintenance and if so how much per day?

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      • Hi Thea thank you for the reply. I was reading on some website about interfase plus that help distrupts the biofilm of the bacteria so that mastica gum can work better. Did you take these supplements as well? Thank you.

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      • Hi Thea, I am h pylori positive as well. After reading your article I started taking mastica gum as you suggested. I have been experiencing some cramping sensation in the abdominal region. Is it the die off sign, I am not sure. Did you had any die off reaction. However overall the mastica gum is making me feel much better. Thanks

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      • Tomorrow I will start my 3rd week with the mastic gum protocol. I have been taking a cup of chamomile tea to help me relax and get a good night sleep. I am just very curious as to whether I will still b able to drink this since I am supposed to take the last dose of mastic gum around the same time? Thanks.

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      • Jackie, This blog post is about Mastic Gum. A discussion on artificial sweeteners would be a very lengthy article indeed. Please do the research yourself, it is readily available.

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      • Thanks Thea, I will continue with the Mastic Gum; strangely enough, the last day of taking it is the day of the test lol!

        I hope it gets rid of this awful discomfort.

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  23. Thank you for the artikel ! I have a few questions is that okay ? I have helicobacter bacterie I think I have an ulcer. I took antibiotics but the bacterie is still here. I want to try Mastic gum. But I also use antacids 4 a day, do it have to quit those ? Or can this go together ? Do I have to take it exactly one hour before breakfast of can this also be 2 or 3 hours before breakfast?

    Thank you so much for the information.

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    • I am not surprised that the antibiotics didn’t work. Yes, stop taking the antacids and you may need to do two rounds of Mastic Gum. You will need to rebuild your gut flora and stay off of sugar. It is best to follow the protocol as closely as possible. I hope that helps and please keep me posted of your progress.

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  24. Thank you. I just found out that I have h pylori.. and I am also nursing and cant take the antibiotics. Well Im glad I read this article because now i have no reason to wean him off if the antibiotics do not even work and have so many side effects. any side effects of mastic gum, other then nausea?

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    • I have not personally experienced or know of any side effects with mastic gum when taken as directed in this article. I am glad you do not need to wean your son as that would have been most unfortunate. Be sure to be retested as directed and let me know how you make out.

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    • Sugar is sugar whether honey, fruit or carbs so you will need to moderate as appropriate and doable for your lifestyle. If you are eating refined sugars start by eliminating those. Once you test negative for H-Pylori you can experiment with reintroducing some sugars. I personally did not eliminate honey or maple syrup but cut out all refined sugars and now use stevia.

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  26. Hi Thea,
    Thank you for your answer 🙂 I’ve started a few day’s ago but I tried to stop the proton pump inhibitors . I take 4 a day, but I can’t stop them becaurce of suffering from severe stomach pain. Can Mastic gum also work if I take also the proton pump inhibitors?

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  27. I have a Question concerning the test. Since H.pylori is part of the flora, how s\can a test be negative? Can it tell, if its overgrown?

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  28. Hi, thank you so much for this article I have suffered with h pylori on and off for about 8 years now I had no idea want to do anymore.I just got my bottle of mastic gum and starting tomorrow. My question is how bad is drinking coffee? I drink a cup every morning should I stop drinking it while on the protocol?

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    • Hello Cindy, I am so glad that you now have an alternative. Coffee is very acidic, but if it is not bothering your stomach lining I wouldn’t worry about one cup a day. Please keep me posted on your results.

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      • Thank you so much for your quick response. This is my second day on the mastic gum I’m feeling very nausea is this normal?

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    • I’m taking just 2 in the morning on an empty stomach. It’s been a week and I feel the same. I’m not taking anything else. Previously to starting I was trying to get pregnant so I don’t know if I might be it’s a little soon to find out.

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  30. It won’t work until you’ve done at least one complete round and it sounds like you’ve had a lot of stomach lining damage. Sometimes pills or capsules can add to the digestive load in an already compromised digestive environment. Do you take any other pills? I wonder if you can take the capsules with some warm water or carminative herbal tea like chamomile or lemon balm to help dissolve the capsules quicker and aid in digestion. Have you had an endoscopy? Is the proton pump inhibitor helping at all?

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  31. Hello Thea,

    I am Tanveer from India. I came across your website while searching about mastic gum.

    I wanted to share my problems with you. I have been suffering of stomach problems for almost two years now. I have also been told by the doctors that stomach is the most important part of the body and if the stomach is not fine then we develop all kinds of problems, this actually scares me.

    I have severe burning sensation in the stomach, pain in the stomach if i delay in having food, pain in the entire intestine area, constipation and some times loose motion , due to all these problems i have also developed fissure and hemmoroid, i feel weak and some times pain is so bad that it goes to my head and back. Feels like i feel relaxed if i eat something but its the same story after 3 hours i really don’t understand where the food goes when i eat and i also have indigestion problem and burping.
    I have visited several doctors and i feel little better and relaxed with the antacids. but the problem come back again . i have gone through all the tests, urine test , blood test , stool test, endoscopy. with an endoscopy it was told that i don’t have an ulcer in my stomach. My doctor told i have infection in my stool and urine and same antibiotic again. he also asked me to get a colonoscopy done as he wanted to know if i have a ulcer in my intestine. but i have not done it yet and i don’t want to . During endoscopy i was asked for a biopsy but i also opted for a blood test replacing the biopsy. But my doctor said the blood test will not be accurate. however the blood test says my HP IgG is 7.8 and IgA is 18. i am not sure if this is normal reading i just read this blog and went back to my reports and checked for my HP reports.
    I am too worried over this problem kindly suggest me how do i go ahead. After having the tablets prescribed by the doctor i was feeling really very weak and like almost i had lost energy from my body so i stopped the tablets, i don’t know if it was killing the bacteria but i was scared.
    I want to start mastic gum after reading this blog. is it safe ? i know it is but jut a concern. Let me know where can i buy it and which brand as i live in INDIA. Is feeling of nausea normal after having mastic gum?

    Your quick response will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

    Regards,
    Tanveer

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  33. Hi, I just statred taking mastic gum, on day 4, I am feeling better and stopped taking pentaloc. I am using AOR Mastic Gum Extract, 400 mg. capsules instead of 500mg. Will it still work? thanks, Toni

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  35. Hello Thea ,
    Almost 3 weeks, only 2 days. But complains are still the same. Think it doesn’t work. What to do, is their something else , or try another normal antibiotics round ?
    Thanks, Cindy

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  36. Hello Thea,

    I have all the symptoms of H.Pylori but have yet to be tested. I have had 2 endoscopies showing a hiatal hernia and gastritis but the doctors can’t seem to explain the pain I am in and put me on proton pump inhibitors. I started taking mastic gum while I await my doctors appointment for H. Pylori test. I take daily vitamins and supplements along with Green Vibrance drink with probiotics in the morning. My question is should I stop taking everything while doing the mastic gum treatment or can I still keep my regular regime?

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    • To me this is insane that you would have had 2 endoscopies and they did not check for H-Pylori during the procedure. It is all over the medical literature now that H-Pylori is indicated with these symptoms. You should be able to continue everything as usual while on the Mastic Gum but will want to get yourself off of the proton pump inhibitors ASAP.

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  37. Very interesting -thanks for a well thought-out dissertation. You speak a language which makes sense. I’m surprised at the high number of people reporting being diagnosed with H. pylori overgrowth. On another site, a man claimed he believed his H. pylori overgrowth was caused by a round of powerful antibiotics. So, I’m left with an impression that there is a link. Considering the over-prescription of antibiotics, it may explain the high number of people being diagnosed. My dog was diagnosed with helicobacter infection a couple Summers ago. However, coccidia symptoms closely mirror H. pylori overgrowth & I don’t believe the triple-treat antibiotic/flagyl regimen “cured” him at all. You know what helped him immensely? I removed gluten from his diet (he only gets g-f kibble), no treats, and added brown rice with ground turkey to augment the kibble. In a fit of exasperation one day when his symptoms reoccurred, I added a smattering of my Garden of Life Raw Protein powder (g-f, vegan) with….inspiration…probiotics! Snapped him out of his distress within a couple of days! My thought was, despite administering copious amounts of antibiotics, I needed to replace some of the good flora that antibiotics kill -it just makes sense. I love GOL’s Raw Protein & the probiotics keep me right as rain. I figured less than a teaspoon wouldn’t hurt my dog. I also gave him a couple tablespoons of a good quality (no additives, sugars, or preservatives) locally produced sheep’s milk yogurt. He loves that stuff. I credit that & the raw protein powder w/probiotics with getting his symptoms to abate for going on 2 yrs now. Our bodies are complex, our digestive systems even more so, and proper immune function is directly tied to the quality of our diets. Many are unaware of the long-term effects -beyond the 10 days or more we take them- that antibiotics can have on us. In many instances, doctors are not going to give us the information we need to see our way through to better health & more complete recovery.

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    • Thank you Jewell for this great feedback and suggestions. It brings up the important issue that this affects dogs as well as humans. My sense is that the probiotics were a very important part of the equation in normalizing the system. In my experience, as stated in the blog post is that the antibiotics only exacerbate the condition and symptoms by causing H-Pylori overgrowth, as it did in my case. I’m glad that this post along with the other one that you read is getting the information out there and increasing awareness.

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  38. Hi thea
    I have had the helicobacter pylori bug since jan this yesr had a course of antibiotics with lansoprazole for a week. Symptoms got better. a week and a half after I had taken the antibiotics I got thrush that cleared up. Then my symtoms came back again. Went to doctors a couple of weeks ago they just gave me lansoprazole thats it. Im feeling sick pain in my chest; belching stomach rumbling. Its worse after I have eaten. I wake up through the night. Also with taken lansoprazole im sweating an awful lot. I just feel so unwell. Im 53 and I have never felt so poorly in my life. What I would like to say I was taken ibrofen for aches and pains for quite a few years that is probably whats caused the bug. Anyway I saw ur web page and I got my friend to get me some mastic gum I will be taking it this weekend this is my only hope cause the doctors wont do any more cause I have already had a course of treatment. 2 days ago I started with thrush again. So im treating that as well. Anyway thanks for ur interesting web page.

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  39. Hi
    I was dx with h piloric but my symtoms were very different because I did not have stomach pain. I had very hard palpitations and pain under my ribs, a ot of gas too. I took the antibiotic like my dr recommend and the symtoms disapair but I suffered them from candida albican infection. After a month of treatment I re took the test and I have the h piloric possite again. I don’t want to take the antibiotics again. I bought the mastic gum hoping to find the cure.

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    • Many people have H-Pylori with no symptoms. It is only when there is an overgrowth, like in the case of Candida that the symptoms can become severe. I am not surprised that the antibiotics did not resolve your issue as stated in my blog post. I’m glad that you have now found an alternative solution.

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  40. Hi Thea, I asked a question further up the thread, for which you answered, Thank-you! My question is would mastic Gum get rid of all bad parasites from the stomach, not just the dreaded Pylori?

    How long did it take before you felt better Thea, and what specific symptoms did you have?

    Regards,

    Jackie.

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    • Hi Thea, just bought some solaray, it will take a while to get from the states to London; but thought I would ask, is it ok to take charcoal tablets along with the mastic gum; i take two of the charcoal tabs per day after food.

      Thanking you for your time Thea,

      JACKIE.

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      • Thanks Thea, I will stop taking the Charcoal while I am on the tablets. Will let you know how I get on, hopefully this will get rid of the discomfort.

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      • Hi Thea, sorry last question for now, is it ok to keep taking valium while on Mastic Gum; thr symptoms have made me anxious, understandably. If I have to stop while on the Gum I will do so though.

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      • Hi again Thea, may I ask if I can take DGL Licorice while on the Mastic Gum; thinking of trying this product as well? Or is it advisable to take nothing but the Mastic while eradicating the Pylori?

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      • Jackie, My philosophy is to keep the load on the stomach as light as possible when you are trying to heal it. Pills can be especially challenging, but the licorice is not a problem in combination with Mastic Gum as long as you can handle licorice and don’t have low blood pressure. If you would like to learn more about this visit my online class; Hidden Treasure:Kidney Essence and the Water Element

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      • Did you eliminate meat and white bread or flour? I have been very confused as to what to eat. Thank you for your time and patience.

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    • Many thanks Thea, I have high blood pressure so no problem there. Ok, just these two items while I take the Mastic Gum. If I manage to heal the Pylori I will ask about some other things I have been taking and if they are safe to take once again, like the Charcoal and the Betaine. I will visit your online class as well. Many thanks for all your prompt help and I will of course report back with my progress.

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    • Yes you can take probiotics while taking Mastic Gum. Mastic Gum is specific to H-Pylori so there is no danger in it causing die off of good bacteria. The reason you do not want to take probiotics while taking antibiotics is for this reason: antibiotics kill off all of the bacteria, good and bad making you sick (nausea, diarrhea etc) from all the die off.

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    • Johnny, The diet is not as important as eradicating the infection. Since sugar feeds it, it only makes sense to eliminate as much sugar out of the diet as possible, which remains true whether you have H-pylori or not. White bread and flour is a refined carbohydrate and should be minimized at least and eliminated at best in all cases.

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  43. hi thanks for the great article
    my 7yo daughter was diagnosed with hp via breath test
    she’s suffering from pain especially at night time we believe she got ulcers
    my wife forced me to get the antibiotics and she’s in the middle of a 10 day course of 2 antibiotics and lantazole
    her symptoms haven’t changed yet and I’m wondering if i should just stop the antibiotics and give her this mastic gum remedy
    i know you can’t recommend for me to stop but i feel like I’m causing irreversible damage to her stomach with these antibiotics and i feel guilty i didn’t find out about this natural remedy before i started her on these meds

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    • Yosef, Don’t be too hard on yourself or your wife. You are not alone. The antibiotics won’t cause irreversible damage, but the H-pylori overgrowth can have a significant impact on the lining of her stomach, as you already know.Start her on the mastic gum when she is finished with the antibiotics. I am so sorry to hear about your daughter’s suffering.

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  44. Hi Thea, I only managed to get MASTIKA Mastic Gum as the Solaray took too long to arive from the States, two weeks was quoted; however, it states on the packet of MASTIKA that two is the stated dose and not to take more than this; dose this matter? I am intending to follow your protocol and this of course means upping the dosage as the weeks go on.

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  45. Thank you for this awesome article ! What kind of probiotics do you reccomend ?I’m on day 3 of mastic gum and also 3 tablespoons of manuka honey 20 mins before a meal :).

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    • You’re welcome Mary and thank you for taking the time to read it. The discussion of probiotics would need to be a whole other blog post. Not everyone can tolerate all probiotics. Some foods give you this like yogurt, kefir and cultured veggies, but the supplemental ones I like best are in the refrigerator section of your health food store.

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    • Thanks a lot Thea, I’ve just taken my first two this morning; now waiting for two hours before I eat anything. Is artificial sweetener ok to take in place of sugar?

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  46. Thanks Thea, I reckon it will be a doddle to give up the artificial sweeteners after the alcohol and ciggies were cut out without much trouble.

    My real weakness is chocolate ruffles, I don’t know if you get them over in the States, but these are sweets filled with pink coconut; but, while I am on this programme, it’s something I will have to do:(

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  47. Hi Thea,

    I’ve just received an appointment through the post for the UREA Breath Test on the 5th June (my Birthday incidentially, wonderful:()

    I will almost be finished the three weeks by then, will this effect the result of the Breath test at all, or should I continue taking the Mastika anyway?

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    • Brilliant! I was hoping you would say that! I don’t want to interrupt the process, especially now I am in my second day and would be almost finished by the time the UBT Test came up.

      Thanks again THEA xx

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    • So you are not sure that you have H-pylorI? I may have misunderstood. You should consult your doctor first because they may not want you taking anything before the breath test. You can always start the mastic back up again after you get the test results.

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      • Hi Thea, yes, I was tested by Endoscopy culture so I definatly have it; underwent a triple therapy quite some time ago and only now have the breath test coming up. I’ve only taken it for three days, so will stop until after the results.

        One thing though, is I don’t want to go on another Antibiotic course if still positive.

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      • So am I understanding this correctly: You knew you had H-pylori as diagnosed by Endoscopy culture and now you are re-testing via breath test to see if the triple antibiotic therapy eradicated the H-pylori? Are you still having symptoms? Thank you for keeping me posted.

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      • Thea, regarding my last reply, I mentioned that I do indeed have Pylori (or did, no idea if the triple therapy worked, feel no better in any case); could I continue with the Gum or should I stop?

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      • Just now seeing this. I’m sorry you still have symptoms. Chances are you will test positive and if this is the case it confirms that antibiotics are not doing the job. Please let me know how you make out with the Mastic Gum.

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  48. I finished the 3 week treatment with gastric gum and feeling much better and I would like to know how long to wait before I can have myself tested?

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    • You will need to wait at least a month otherwise a test won’t be accurate because of the antibodies. If you are still having any symptoms or they start to come back in that time period you may need to do another round. Thanks for keeping me posted.

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    • Hi Thea, Just seen the reply you’ve given to Toni, in light of the fact that I am taking the Gum right up to the breath test, should I stop taking the gum in case of a false result? I thought your reply meant that I could continue taking it, now I am not sure?

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      • Jackie, You should consult your doctor first because they may not want you taking anything before the breath test. You can always start the mastic back up again after you get the test results. If you are being retested you will need to wait at least a month following the Mastic Gum protocol otherwise the test won’t be accurate because of the antibodies, as stated in the post.

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    • Hi Thea, I’ve taken the gum for 5 days now, two in the morning; my breath test is on the 5th June; is it safe to keep the date of the breath test if I do not take anymore of the Mastic Gum, considering I haven’t taken too many of these capsules so far?

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  51. Hi is mastic gum reccomended for children? My boy is six years old and we are waiting for the results of the brrath test for H pylori.

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    • I know of no contraindications for children, but I am thinking that you would want to reduce the dosage, perhaps cut in half for a six year old. Unfortunately, I have no experience using it with children but would love to hear of your results.

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  52. Im 16…and I feel like h.pylori gets worse and worse each day, should I take mastic gum? I get so many jabning pains around my lower abdomin and ibreally want to get rid of this because I get so tired at school…ive been tested positive of h.pylori since February and nothing has worked

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  53. Thea, I asked a particular question here a few days ago, about cancelling the UBT and taking the Mastic Gum, waiting a Month and then retesting, this post has disappeared and was quite detailed and I needed some specific advice; could you help me please?

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    • Jackie, the protocol for H. pylori is very simple. It is difficult to treat if you do not know that this is what you are treating. Wait for the results of your test and then make a decision how to proceed. I recommend that you find a practitioner in your area who can make recommendations based on a comprehensive intake and health history and then follow your progress. If you are in the United States, The American Herbalist Guild has a list of very qualified clinical herbalists: http://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/herbalists-and-chapters-near-you Unfortunately, I am not accepting new clients at this time. Wishing you the best on your continued path of recovery and hope this helps.

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      • Hi Thea, Unfortunately, I am in London England; but there would be Herbalists here of course. My last question would be, how long does it take for the UBT-13 to come back? Don’t want to wait too long really.

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      • Thea, I need some direction. I was diagnosed with h pylori and given a triple therapy for 14 days. The doctor gave me a URED BREATH TEST.the very next. A week later the results came back negative. I was sent to a GI who gave me another breath test and it came back positive. I started your mastic gum protocol last Friday. Should I continue?

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      • Since you are not my client and are under medical care I recommend that you take this up with your doctor or an alternative practitioner in your area. It is impossible for me to follow your history or progress as I do not have enough information, nor is this the forum for that. Please listen to your own inner wisdom given the information that you have now about Mastic gum and H-pylori.

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  55. Had the UBT, I was expecting large bags to breath into but these were just small plastic tubes; the orange juice and clear, slightly salty liquid were part of it however. The drill being to go and wait for the juice to absorb, then come back and blow again into two more tubes.

    Results in two or even three weeks, so I will have quite a wait.

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  59. Hi ,
    i have been recently diagnosed with HP through a blood test as i had sever gas problem ,my doctors advised me to go for antibiotics and i was little scared to take that because of its possible side affects , i did a research and got to know that mastic gum works very effectively against HP and helps removing it from roots and provide complete cure , i have buyed jarrows brand mastic gum and i would like to know that can i start with taking 4 mastic gums per day 500 mg each (2 mastic gums empty stomach in the morning and two before the bed and can i continue consuming mastic gums for two months to make sure that its gone completely ..please advice ..?

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    • I am so glad that you have decided to use mastic gum to eradicate your H-pylori. Please follow the protocol and yes, you can continue longer with 4 per day to make sure you get the desired results. Please let me know how you make out.

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  60. I absolutely will swear by it!! The American Parasite at it’s best disguised with everyone thinking they have stomach problems, ulcers, even lactose intolerant. All things thing vanished for me after using Mastic gum for 2 weeks straight. One pill in the a.m. and at night. one every other day for a week after. I am sorry i didn’t know about it sooner being that my throat and vocal cords are a mess from the acid/H-pylori. Thank you God for this natural gift. 🙂

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  61. Wow People! This H Pylori is a Beeotch! I’m a 45 year old Male living in California and here is my story. I’m a very healthy or what I thought hard working non smoking occasional beer or glass of wine watch what I eat type guy. About a year ago I started losing energy, waking up with nausea, and just generally not feeling well. I took note of this but shrugged it off as maybe I’m working to hard and too many hours so I cut back thinking this would help but my energy level continued to drop and I just started feeling worse by the week. After a few months of this I woke up for work one morning got out of bed to stand and hit the floor with my head spinning so fast it scared me, I stayed home from work that day because the spinning gave me nausea so bad that in turn caused me to vomit. I spent the next few weeks with this spinning and nausea trying to heel myself with diet change and more rest, it did not work. I just hate Doctors and will do whatever I can to avoid going at all cost but, at the forceful hand of my girlfriend I had to go or be in trouble with her so I chose the easier path and drove myself to the Hospital. I must say that my condition was worsening by the day if not the hour. The Dr. just said hey Brandon you have Vertigo and an upset stomach here’s some pills for nausea, pain and dizziness. I knew there was a bigger issue as I am a pretty tough guy and can tolerate a lot but this was different. I drove home took the meds and continued to decline over the next few weeks,
    Stomach pain, dizzy .nausea , stomach bloating, vomiting ,and just generally feeling like I was dying. So back to the Doctor I went . At my request after doing some online research I asked for ulcer testing. I went to the lab and was given the H pylori blood test, the next day the doctor calls me and says Hey Brandon come in your test was positive for the H Pylori Bacteria. So I raced on over only to be prescribed Clarithromycin 500mg, Amoxicillin 500mg, ranitidine, and some hydrocodone for the headaches I was getting daily. After a few days I felt I was getting better but the headaches were still there and the nausea was getting worse but I kept on with the antibiotics because the doctor said this is what I needed. I finished up with the cycle and thought this nightmare would soon be over, boy was I wrong. Day by day I started to feel worse, dizzy, headaches, nausea, vomiting and just feeling like crap altogether. So back to the doctor I go and this time just more proton blockers and anti acid prescriptions. I now feel soo bad on a daily basis that I cant sleep ,have diarrhea ,stomach pain, nausea, chills ,bloating and have lost over 15 lbs I’m afraid to eat but if I don’t I feel worse. Its so bad that I walked into work and quit a very good job because of my condition and lack of energy and depression now. The antibiotics seemed to have caused more damage than do any good. As I sat here today researching for a way to Kill this nasty H Pylori I came across your forum and will start the Mastic Gum cycle and see where it takes me in this crazy journey to live a normal life once again. Thank you for sharing your success I will keep you posted.

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    • Brandon, Thank you so much for checking in on this and I am so glad you found this post. It angers me that you have had to suffer for so long, weren’t diagnosed sooner and were given the horrible cocktail of antibiotics that only makes things worse. I recommend you use Aloe Vera juice, inner filet, 2 oz. 2-3 x a day to help heal your gut, and a liquid probiotic. Please let me know how you are feeling after 3 weeks of Mastic gum. You may need to continue it longer than 3 weeks. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone, but glad that you now have a resource.

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      • Thea,
        thank you for all the great advice, There is so much more I could share about my ups and downs with H Pylori bacteria. I do want to say that people with this horrible bacteria living in them have to make a choice,and that is how bad do you want it gone.How much do you hate feeling terrible. It is not an easy task.As of last week I have changed my whole diet and that means 100% or nothing.No sugar unless minimal fruit,no spices,no red meat,no coffee,no caffeine at all from any source, no white breads, white rice, or white anything, no fruit juices,honestly would be easier to just say what I can consume and that is not much.My new diet for one week so far has been ,Water and lots of it.steamed broccoli,whole grain bread,Greek yogurt, two pears and a boneless skinless chicken breast. i eat 6 small very small meals a day and i’m taking proton blockers in between each meal. And the nausea has slowed down a bit,the dizziness has slowed and so have the headaches. diet does mean everything with this H pylori.You must starve it to death and not give it anything to feed on.its either all in or nothing.I want to say Thea that I did find Solaray Mastic gum at my local Vitamin Shoppe today and the Aloe Vera Juice. I’m starting these both in the morning and will keep everyone posted on my success . thanks again for being here.

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  62. Johnny that is great news that you are in less pain. Continue at 2 per day for a week and If not significantly improved do another round by building back up to six per day and following the same protocol. Thanks for keeping me posted.

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    • U mean I start the protocol immediately? U mean two in the morning starting tomorrow and if I am still feeling pain next week, I go up to 4 again and so forth? Please advise and Thank you.

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    • Thea how do we know if the protocol worked other than retesting?I don’t feel like I am cured. Quite honestly I am hurting on both sides of the ribs and I am constipated. I went to see an herbalist and he gave me some natural ingredients to help with bowel movements but I can only have bowel movements when I take them. I am totally lost and feel as if the H Pylori is winning.

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      • The only way to know is if the symptoms go away and then get retested. Sounds like you may have had a lot of damage to the stomach lining. It is good that you are working with someone in your area and hopefully they can help you restore your stomach lining and gut. I have found Aloe Vera Juice, Inner Filet very helpful for both restoring the digestive tract and for promoting healthy bowel function. Did you have issues with constipation previously?

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      • Johnny, I know you felt better initially taking the mastic gum, but if you are still having issues surrounding the ulcer symptoms I wouldn’t recommend another round until you get checked out. Have you had a endoscopy?

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      • What kind or brand of aloe vera juice do u recommend? I am using one right now that claims to b 99.8 % pure. Is anxiety a part of this bacteria or is it just me? I have not had an endoscopy yet just Urea Breath Tests. When I get retested should I ask for a stool test or the breath test?

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  63. So, your protocol is for a total of 3 weeks, and, then stopping the mastic gum? I am currently taking zinc carnosine, Gastrazyme (a cabbage supplement) and organic pear juice mixed with organic cabbage powder (the pear juice is just to get the cabbage powder down. I don’t know of any benefits for ulcers from pear juice alone). I am thinking of adding mastic gum because although my ulcer pain has improved, it has not gone away. I have been drinking the cabbage powder mixture for about 6 months now, and, added the zinc carnosine about 1.5 months ago (the Gatrazyme has been in my regimen for about 6 months as well.). But, I want to kick this ulcer for once and for all. Any input on mastic gum is welcome. Thank you!

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    • I always recommend that you work with a local practitioner as part of your support team and who knows your history and can make recommendations. I would love to hear your results using the Mastic gum that could possibly help others.

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      • By the way Thea, yes, I was already having some constipation issues before I used the mastic gum. I don’t where that came from because before all this started I was extremely regular. I am so confused. This is horrible.

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    • Hello Nicole, this was an unfortunate post on Amazon and I have commented on it as such. This person was obviously very sick before she started using Mastic gum and doesn’t tell us what protocol she followed. Mastic gum is time tested and proven and would not be on the market if it were “dangerous.” FACT: Many more people die from pharmaceutical use than from herbal medicine. Thankfully we still have the right to choose. If one is far progressed in any debilitating illness or disease, having serious symptoms, or on multiple medications they should always seek counsel and a second opinion before beginning any protocol. I can not and do not diagnose or prescribe. I only make recommendations and share information so others can increase their knowledge base and resources for healing.

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  65. Hi , thanks for the wonderful post , I just wanted to share my problem here would be glad if you could help , I have had gastric pain and gastritis since like 8 years now , I have been having nexium on and off , its cures but once I leave the medicine it comes back ,
    in 2012 I had endoscopy and hiatus hernia was diagnosed , h pylori has always been negative in my case both in blood and in biopsy, will mastic gum help me in treating my gastritis with hy pylori being negative

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  66. Thea Summer Deer, thank you for this article. Reading your post and some comments, I am wondering that I have not had these symptoms for many years. Was in hospital 20 years ago w. amoebic dysentery as a teen and think that may have been the beginning of gut problems. the drs. took out my perfectly healthy appendix having decided in 10 min. that that was the cause of excruciating pain (dang drs. so quick to cut!) and finally ran tests and kept me for another month in hospital with mega dose antibiotics. have had low immune system/ health issues ever since.
    Only a year ago, went to a naturopath with complaints of gut pain and bloating (having done parasite cleanse already) and she was first to educate me to h pylori saying I had severe case and I bought ‘gastro health’ from her. researched and also took a little pepto-bismol. she thought it could also help my long term complaint of a bloated stomach. (have been mostly gluten/sugar free for @ 5 years. still have cream in my morning cup of coffee with xylitol as sweetener.)
    the gastro health alleviated pain but gut remained.
    then a week ago crippling esophagal pain began. like a lump of coal in there. went thru a bottle of pepto bismol (which really took the edge off the pain) before I got back in her office and she muscle tested positive for h pylori.
    couldn’t tolerate any food for 3-4 days, but drank sips of very healthy veggie juice from the juice stand in my town that includes tumeric….my teenager walked and got me fresh juice everyday. what a blessing! I found my self craving it and think it was for the tumeric. think that got me back in the land of the living and off to health food store today for mastic gum. thank you for this advice. hope my story helps someone.
    my question to you: any thoughts on long term h pylori being part of the bloated stomach I’ve had for last few years? it’s the bane of my existence on many levels and am focused on healing this summer before teaching begins in late aug. (had 2 surgeries in abdomen/ preg/appen/ and have symptoms like burping etc.) dedicated to ‘housecleaning’ my gut this summer. thank you ahead of time for any ideas.

    thank you so much.

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  67. Hi Thea,

    Thanks for your article that has inspired me to start with Mastik Gum By Jarrows tomorrow. As for my story, it all started 2 years ago, I had undiagnosed occasional nausea and bouts of bloated stomach with belching like once in every 2 months. I used to simply treat it with antacids and it would get better everytime. I got all tests done for nausea and it all came out normal so i decided to live with the occasional nausea blaming it to my female harmones. In Dec 2013 the belching bloating episode got real bad with an inflammed stomach and pain. Painkillers made it worst but finally i came out of it with antacids and diet correction. The next disturbing pain episode happened in June this year and I saw a wise doc who recommended h pylori test that came positive. I took the usual 10 day course of antibiotics and ppis ( amox – 2000 mg, livofloxin 500 mg ) and was symptomless for a good 15 days, so resumed normal eating, but just after 5 days of stopping the medicines the pain came back worse than before and unlike previous times , it just wont go away this time, so i wonder if antibiotics mde it worst.
    Now as I had gone for a blood test which only proves the presence of antibodies, me and my doc have decided to wait for urea breath test to confirm h.pylori before the 2nd round of antibiotics. For urea test one has to stop all antacids for 4 weeks and though the doc said I can have rinatidine and occasional pentaprazole, I am not a medicine lover so I decided to cure it through diet correction and natural remedies. 1 week of home remedies that include turmeric, coconut oil, aloe vera juice, probiotics , vitamin supplements,licorice powder, oregano have healed my pain which is now reduced to a slightly blocked chest and burps after meals. So I am waiting for another 3 weeks before I take the urea test and have decided to start mastic gum tomorrow as per your 3 week schedule
    While I understand mastic gum could affect blood test results, I doubt it should affect urea test results. Please let me know if it does. I shall keep you posted on the outcome. 
    Thanks again for the article and goodluck to all other pylori hosts with mastic gum..Stay positive , avoid stress, it only makes it worst.

    Besties,

    Annu

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  68. Hi Thea, I have heard that Dragon’s blood, another type of resin also works in eradicating h pylori. What are your thoughts on it?

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  69. Hi Thea, Thank you for sharing your treatment. I was first dx with Hpylori last year and had failed triple therapy, then quadruple therapy that eradicated the bug (confired via testing). However, recently I started having intense reflux (constant feeling of food crawling up my throat) and bloating and cannot keep any food down, and was retested for the bug- and yes it is back. My doctor is recommending Quadruple therapy again- I am very hesistant as it took me many months to recover. Along with Mastic gum did you do any other modifications or supplelements? (I am doing gluten free, dairy free diet, manuka honey and coconut oil). Have you seen it recurring in your practice with your clients- and if so what is the best way to treat? Thanks

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    • I have not seen it reoccurring, but that is not to say that it can’t. One can be re-exposed or have an overgrowth for a variety of reasons including unhealthy gut bacteria due to overuse of antibiotics. I would highly recommend using mastic gum and then reevaluate.

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    • Hello Lilly, I did not have much in the way of die off symptoms but it can cause nausea. I have also heard that if the infection was severe and long standing causing stomach lining damage that some people react to the mastic gum as they are not able to digest it. Always take with warm water.

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  70. I have been diagnosed with H-Pylori from February this year, and my doctor have ben giving me antibiotics treatment, after finishing the batch after 5 months, still the damn thing is inside me, the pain is still there but it come at times, am bloated a lo and I pass out gas. so this Mastic gum and can just go to a pharmacy get it over the counter no doctor prescription, I cant tell you how much I have been frustrated with this damn thing in my stomach I just want to get it out. and live normal,

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    • While you can buy mastic gum online and in most health food stores what really needs to happen is that doctors need educated in herbal medicine. Please be sure to share your results with your doctors and keep us posted.

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  71. Hello Thea.

    Just finished reading your blog. Thank you, very informative , nicely composed and most of all gives hope and confidence to me.

    I have been experiencing stomach discomfort with belching, bloating , loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, mild pain and discomfort in the chest for the last 6 months or so. This caused me to be pretty depressed with a lot of anxiety.

    After visiting a few doctors with no relief in my symptoms , I underwent an endoscopy in April this year which tested positive for H Py and was put on the standard antibiotic course for 10 days . After that I was on H2 blockers for 6 weeks.

    I have been quite careful with my diet , reducing sugar , spicy & oily food , no diary, while increasing the veggies particularly broccoli , cauliflower and carrots , and yogurt. I am also careful not to over eat.

    However, while there has been good improvement in my condition and the frequency and intensity of my symptoms is much reduced , it has not gone away totally. I think that the H Py still is there in my system. I am now going to start the mastic protocol you have recommended and am hoping to get rid of it once and for all.

    Will keep you posted. Thanks.

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  72. Thank you for this article. Please include in your citations the New England Journal of Medicine article “Mastic Gum Kills Helicobacter pylori”, to which you’ve referred.

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  73. Hi Thea, can I start mastica gum while on antibiotics or how long should I wait after I am done with antibiotics to start taking mastica? Thank you so much for this blog!!! Wished I had known about it before taking the antibiotics.

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  74. Hello Thea, thanks for the good work…I have been fighting stomach ulcers for more than 6 yrs now, I did the stool test, urea breathe test and blood clot test some years back and I tested positive to Helicobacter phylori. ( The doctors gave me the usual triple therapy thing, 2 antibiotics and an acid blocker…which only masks the symptoms for a while, and I’m back at it again….then the doctor said I should use omeprazole 20mg at night for 2wks.

    I did that, after about a month or 2, I’m back at it again…but I continued to use omeprazole to manage and mask the symptoms for a longer period…but I just couldn’t stand the side effects of omeprazole anymore…cause I begin to experience weakening and thinning of the bones…so I stopped and started searching for natural remedies.{I’ve tried cabbage, aloe vera..etc.)I have been on mastic gum for about 2months now i got two different mastic gum brand a Jarrow fomular and solaray.

    I started with the Jarrow, the first two days felt a lil shaky…but after the third, fourth day i started feeling much better and my stomach felt much relieved of the usual pains. I noticed sometimes my stomach cools up and feels calm…then the first week went by, i started noticing like mastic gum was reparing my duodenum and colon area…I started feeling some tight contractions around that region day after day….Then sometimes I had some unusual erections.

    I started the second bottle which is the Solaray brand of mastic gum..I’ve been on that for the past 2wks (my usual dosage 2 capsules 1hr before breakfast). And I’ve been experiencing weak erections and premature ejaculation….I really do not know why I’m experiencing this….I’m feeling mastic gum is the cause(I’m really not sure)but I still really think so….And what do u advice and what other natural remedies really helps heal Ulcers and strengthen the stomach gut…..Thanks alot in advance Thea, I sincerely appreciate your effort. May God reward you abundantly(Amen).

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  75. Thanks for the reply but the instruction on the bottle says two capsules 1 hour before breakfast. I’ not getting the protocol Thea? (how much more should i take?)Thanks for the recommendation.

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  78. Hi last 2 years I have hp I did the doctor treatment and no more 2 months ago I have the same symptoms against did blood test it is positive yesterday the doctor called me to start antibiotic but I refuse that please can you tall me how I m gonna do the treatment because I start this morning 2 cupsols of magic gum please answer

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  80. Thank you so much tea today the nurse called me again she said the doctor she is not sure if I have hp but my symptoms it is looks like I still have it can I still kip do all the treatment you suggest
    And thank you again Thea 🙂

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  82. It’s worth noting that there is a stool antigen test for H. Pylori. This will tell you whether you currently have an active H. Pylori infection right now. The blood tests test for antibodies which can be elevated if you’ve ever been exposed to H. Pylori. And if you’ve had an active H. Pylori infection for a long time, the level of antibodies may have reduced and so the blood test will return a false negative. So after you complete your protocol of choice, you might want to consider the stool antigen test to determine whether the H. Pylori is really out of your system. Of course, you can also do the stool antigen test up front or in combination with one of the other tests to determine whether you need to treat this at all.

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  83. Hello Thea,

    I want to thank you for trying to help others, I think that speaks volumes about a person. I’m 37 years old, I recently went through an episode just like the rest of you. I did not know what to do, so I started reading the internet. I finally went to see this doctor my friend recommended. Long story short, after my visit doctor gave me free samples of anti acid pills and told me take it for a month. I requested full blood work with H pylori test. After the third day I stopped taking the meds because I couldn’t digest my food anymore, I felt bloated. After not getting a call back from my doctor, I decided to head down there to get my results. It turned out that I positive for H pylori. Doc gave me more antibiotic meds to take, by this time I did not trust this doc so I came home and saw your article online. I will be trying it out starting from today 8/28/14 and I will keep everyone posted about my results.

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  84. Thank you for the info. I do wish others that have posted would let us know how Mastic gum worked for them. I do believe it is working for me. I won’t bore you with my long history of stomach problems, although they weren’t as bad as some I’ve read here. Suffice it to say at age 16 I was on Donnatal. I’m 57 now. After a bout with back spasms caused by snow shoveling back in February, my doctor recommended Advil and omperazole (because of my past stomach problems) to help protect the stomach from the 800 mg of Advil a day. After a week, I became very dizzy and stopped both the Advil and omperazole. The dizziness went away as well as the spasms, but I was now having terrible heartburn again, after being symptom free for years. Not sure if I can blame the Advil or the omperazole for the problem. I have turned to my Mastic gum which helped me in the past, but never took it as per your protocol. I just found your blog and had already started taking 4 a day for a week, so I guess I am ahead of the game. My only side effect (if you can call it that) was that after the first 3 days on it my stomach was doing a lot of gurgling. Also, I had recently developed a strong smell to my urine, coinciding with my heartburn and acid reflux. After a few days of Mastic gum, I can say that the smell is gone also. Have you any experience with urine smell and H Pylori? I will admit that I have never been tested. I can get a blood test or stool test on line through Direct Labs without my family doctor, but it is expensive. I fear going through my doctor and insurance since she will tell me to take the antibiotics and PPI’s or be considered non compliant. She gave me that ultimatum when I refused to take cholesterol lowering drugs. My cholestrol was around 230, but my triglicerides were extremely low, HDL was very high , LDL was elevated, but no heart disease in my family and ratio was great. So doctors scare me. I did get the cholestrol down with red rice yeast and my good ratio was still the same, but it pleased my doctor . My stomach feels much better after just a week, but will continue for 2 more weeks. Again, any insight on the urine smell? And follow up for anyone out there?

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  85. Hello everyone,
    I have just started my second week of Mastic Gum with the written instructions above. I have not had any Sid effects that are worth putting up here, everything seems to be going OK. Thanks Thea!

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  88. Hi, I hope you can give me some advice. I have completed the protocol and most of the time my stomach now feels fine. However, I still occasionally have an episode of the burning pain — maybe a couple of times a week. Should I continue using the mastic gum longer until I don’t get any episodes at all? I really do think it’s helping, but it seems like my stomach hasn’t fully healed yet. Also, can I do anything else to help the process along? I’m ready to be done with this once and for all.

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  89. Just one question. I’m hearing that Mastic gum comes from a small region of the world and is protected, but is it possible that ALL Mastic Gum comes from this region. If you do any shopping on line for Mastic Gum, there are countless brands and a seeming unending supply. How can we be sure that we are actually getting REAL Mastic Gum? I am in my 3rd week of taking it and I do get a small burp of pistachio flavor, but is this stuff what it claims to be?

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  92. Hi!I have been treating respiratory problems for two months now but the pains persisted.It was only last Sunday that I tested h.pylori positive and I was put on triple therapy of antibiotics.There is no change and I still suffer from chest pains,headache,muscle pain and shortness of breath.Just wondering if I can start using mastic gum and stop using the antibiotics and the anti-acids?

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    • I would never advise you to stop the course of antibiotics once started. I am sorry for your suffering. The mismanagement of H. pylori in the medical world is astounding. Please get with a local practitioner who knows your history and can support your healing journey.

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  93. Hello Thea,

    I have been dealing with H. Pylori for a few years. My stomach had a recent flare up and I decided to get a stool test done and it came back positive. I started taking Mastic Gum and I have a couple of questions. During the first week you suggested taking 1 gram. Would it be okay if I spilt the dosage up during the day, by taking 500 mgs an hour before breakfast and another before lunch? I also noticed when I take the pill I start belching quite a bit, is that normal?

    Thank you.

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  94. Hi Thea,
    I think (although not sure) that there is a difference between mastic gum capsules such as by jarrow formula and “mastic gum extract” capsules as by source natural. Is it true?. The extract is probably without the gum polymer and therefore can dissolve in the stomach. That is my wild guess. The jarrow formula is probably pure mastic gum powder. While extract is more concentrated form???? If you know please kindly do tell. That is taking mastic gum capsules (i.e. by jarrow formula) vs mastic gum extract capsules (i.e. by source natural). I am so confused since I can get jarrow easily and by tomorrow but source natural will take weeks. SO any clarification will help.

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  95. I’ve done two antibiotic treatments for h. Pylori and my dr wants me to try Plyera which sounds extremely scary. Typically when I do the antibiotics I have to wait 30 days to do the breathe test, when would you recommend doing the breathe test after I complete the 3 weeks?

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  96. Hello! Is it okay to take mastic gum in the morning and then a probiotic at night? this is what I have been doing and I feel much better. I had an endoscopy and they found a hiatal hernia. Is it a normal routine for them to test for H. Pylori during the endoscope? thanks!

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  97. Thea…enjoyed reading your post…have h.pylori so been thru the triple therary to no avail. Have had a sore throat for 5yr off and on but got worse a week ago with stomach issues for the lst time. For years have had dizziness and last 4yr (4 days after endoscopy when HP diagnosed) have had sore joints and muscles with tingling and numb sensations in arms & legs which I believe to be from h.pylori…but my GP and gastroenterologist said “what’s in the stomach stays in the stomach and would not affect other areas”! What is your opinion? Originally, I thought arm & leg symptoms due to propofol anestetic used.
    I, again, started mastic gum 500mg Sept 22/14, 1 in AM and 1 at bedtime plus probiotic 2x/d (Nature’s Way Primadofolus 35B CFU w/14 strains). Also use ACV, aloe, VCO and DGL.
    After reading your site a couple of days ago, I switched to 2 mastic AM – throat & stomach (diarrhea stopped) felt better that day and at night after I took PROBIOTIC which I take 1hr prior to mastic, I felt DIZZY, so took only 1 mastic at night. This AM I took 1 MASTIC when I got up and felt DIZZY again and shaky so did not take probiotic today.
    Took mastic (1-AM & 1PM) and freeze dried probiotic 30B CFU 8 strains for 1mo in July/Aug/14 and did not have dizziness at all.
    Do you think dizziness could be from detox? Do you think I should stop probiotic while taking mastic and take it after 3wk protocol?
    Which probiotic do you recommend, freeze dried or live and no. of CFU and strains? Live are 4x more expensive! Also is enteric coated a problem which I have now?
    Did Bee Wilder sugar free candida diet (including no fruit, dairy or bread) for 2yr about a yr ago…still had issues so went back to fruit & bread, do not use refined sugar or white bread, flour or rice. Do you eat fruit and non-white bread…do you think they are bad for you?
    Would appreciate hearing back.
    Thx. Lynn

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  98. Thanks, Thea for your post. I find it very helpful. You say that mastic gum is specific to h. pylori. Does this mean that it will not damage the probiotic I feel I need to take and can therefore take them at any time, even at my first meal of the day and not concern myself with thinking the mastic gum will also harm the probiotic? I am just now starting to try your protocol and will let you know how it goes.

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      • I am a person that does not like to take medications prescribed by doctors, therefore I chose not to have any testing done for h. pylori or take any antibiotics, but instead came to the conclusion that h. pylori was causing me digestive problems after somebody asked me if I was suffering from an ulcer because of my description of my symptoms. (This seemed to start after I ate some tainted food this summer) (My digestion has always seemed to be a problem for me, and has been greatly improved since I stopped eating gluten and other foods,such as corn, 5 years ago). I then found this posting of yours by searching on the internet. I am so happy I did. I tried a product that my naturopath suggested but it did not seem right for me. It only had 400mg of mastic gum in each capsule and also 200 mg of potasium nitrate as a non medicinal ingredient. So I went to my health food store and was given a product that had 500mg of mastic gum in it. I decided to try your protocol except I only did each dose for 5 days so that I would just finish off the bottle of 60 capsules. I felt better after starting this, and I was OK for about a week after finishing that, but then started feeling poorly again, so decided to buy two more bottles and followed your protocol with each dose for one full week of two a day, then a week of 4 a day and the final week with 6 a day. I started feeling better right away, and continued to take a probiotic as I regularly do. By the time I had about 2 or 3 days left in the 3 weeks, I was feeling a little off but continued with the mastic gum anyway. As soon as I stopped taking it, I felt normal again, and have done so since then which is about 2 months ago. Maybe at the end there, I was having difficulty digesting the mastic gum.
        Thank you so much. Your post has been a great help to me.

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      • Ruth, Thank you so much for sharing this with us and I am so happy to hear that are feeling better. When you say “feeling a little off” can you be more specific? I wonder if you were experiencing die off. It is also important for others to realize how important it is to follow the protocol so that you don’t over do it by repeating different protocols. It also makes it easier for others to duplicate and share their results.

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      • In response to your question of what I meant about feeling a bit off when I was just finishing your protocol, it is difficult for me to pinpoint. It could have possibly been due to die-off of the bacteria and that is why I decided to continue to take the capsules in order to finish the protocol, but I have never had a die-off feeling described to me. I think I felt slightly naseous or bloated at times. I had not been bothered with these kinds of symptoms during most of the time of using the protocol. The next day after finishing the protocol, my abdomen felt no pain or bloating what so ever. What I felt before I started taking mastic gum was a bloated painful acidic feeling and feeling like I did not wish to eat.

        Oh, I wonder if you could confirm that h. pylori is a bacteria pretty common to many of us but not everybody will be affected by it depending on ones health. Also, what can you say about it being transmitted from person to person.

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      • That sounds like die off, especially the nausea. H. pylori is one of the world’s most common pathogens affecting at least 60% of the worlds population and the answer to your other inquiries are contained in the blog post.

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  99. It works ! I had a stomache ulcer and ‘Barretts osophagus’ I read about the benefits of Mastic gum, so thought I’d give it a try after the antibotics didn’t work. Quite simply both conditions completely disappeared after treatment. This was confirmed with an endoscope and biopsy, this was 10 years ago, this stuff is amazing and saved my life.

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  101. Hi Thea,

    Recently came across your site as I have had the pylori symptoms over the month. Tgank you for the well written informative article as well as all the comments/Q&A. Has helped tremendously in my thirst for knowledge.

    My story….Unfortunately I do not have a primary physician and have had to go instead to random GI specialists. The first Dr brushed me off and my concern with HP saying bc I was born outside US I very likely have it and sent me home with Prilosec OTC and probiotics. day 9 of this not symptom changed and felt worse. Saw another Dr for 2nd opinion and he didn’t diagnose but rather gave me Xifaxan and told me to double up on prilosec, along w 18 blood tests, gastroscopy, ultrasound and colonscopy. Accidentally I forgot to take prilosec for the day and felt great. As soon as I took it again I felt stomach pain. I stopped taking prilosec after day 10 as I didnt see any results. So I am on day 4 with xifaxan pain has subsided a bit.

    Am a big believer in natural remedy and came across various articles and took mastic gum & coconut oil for first time and I felt awesome albeit for 2-3 hours (then fell asleep). My question to you…should I continue taking Xifaxan with mastic gum? I understand I shouldn’t take probiotics due to large # of die-off. But doesn’t mastic gum work better w a probiotics?

    Any thoughts would be appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Christina

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  102. Anita, I cannot remember the exact dosage but I think it may have been two capsules three times per day for three weeks; it was a while ago now, but what I will say is that it works, the results were amazing. I’m a pretty sceptical kind of guy so as you can imagine, I was totally blown away with the results. Good luck

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  103. I had posted previously and just wanted to follow up, I did go for the H Pylori blood test through Direct Labs. It was expensive and I had to pay for it out of pocket, but I had to know. After years of treating myself based on the assumption that I had H pylori, my blood test came back negative. I know the blood test isn’t fool proof, but the misery I was in for the few months after taking prilosec , I should have had lots of antibodies in my blood if I had H Pylori. What I found that really worked to help the burning feeling was to bite on a Vitamin E capsule (400IU) and swallow the liquid, avoiding eating or drinking anything for a while to let the vitamin E kind of lay in the esophagus and stomach. After a week of this I feel almost back to normal. I realize this is not Mastic Gum related, but those searching on the internet for some relief, may be able to use this, perhaps along with Mastic Gum therapy. Also avoid trigger foods and stay away from PPI’s and H2’s. Worked for me anyway.

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  104. Thank you Jane for following up with a blood test. Always good to know what you are dealing with. Have you tried using Aloe Vera gel inner filet? or Slippery Elm bark? Both are soothing to the esophagus and intestinal tract.

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    • I do drink slippery elm bark tea regularly. I purchased something called distilled aloe vera , but was much like water and not sure it did anything. Never heard of aloe vera gel inner filet, but will look for it. I am happy to say my stomach is back to normal, but will certainly take better care. I am convinced I had a flare up starting with my doctor recommending me take the proton pump inhibitor, for protection of my stomach from the advil I was taking for back pain. After a month or more of taking that and zantac, I stopped since I had stopped taking advil. Acid rebound from the acid reducers is hell. Both stomach and back feel great now. Thanks!

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  105. Thank you for your article. I am positive for h pylori and have purchased mastic for myself but 3 of my kids are demonstrating similar but less severe symptoms that I have. How can I find the dosage of mastic for them?
    Thank you!

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  106. Hi , got H Pylori 2009 had antibiotics never cleared it , had bad symptoms the past six months , took triple meds didn’t work got worse with bad stomach ulcer pains , acid , headaches , sleepless nights , flu symptoms , and foggy mind. Negative thinking , made it worse. Followed Thea’s mastic gum regime in this forum , drank bottled water dropped refined sugar and bread in my diet , and its gone ,cleared . Had follow up tests and all is NEGATIVE. A big thank you to you Thea , God Bless .

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    • Thank you Ned for taking the time to give this feedback as I know it will give hope and healing to many more. I am so glad that you followed the protocol and are relieved of your suffering. Many thanks to the plants that heal and the wisdom that guides us.

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  107. Thea are you saying that Antibiotics will not cure H. pylori? If this is the case than why do doctors prescribe the antibiotics. I feel hopeless now, especially since you seem so confident that it makes it worse. I just started my adco-metronidazole 400mg coarse along with another antibiotic and reuterina probiotic + altosec 20mg to help heal the ulcer. Am I wasting my time? This post has made me completely anxious.

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    • I am not saying that antibiotics will not cure H. pylori. I am only sharing what my experience has been and you can read the experience of others and decide for yourself what the best course of action is for you. I hear that you are feeling hopeless and anxious. Navigating our way through health care (or disease management as the case may be) can be daunting. You should follow your own inner guidance – the same inner guidance that leads you to a doctor that you trust or a blog post that might offer an alternative. Gathering more information from sources that you trust may be useful. I wish you the best in whatever course you decide to take.

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  108. I’m curious to know what your diet was like when you were curing yourself. I don’t feel hungry at all, quite possibly because my stomach feels hungry but anytime I eat it’s just constant pain. Any tips?

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    • I did not change my diet other than what I stated in the blog. In your case eating more soups and broths and well cooked rice would be advised as they are easy to digest. Using Aloe vera juice as stated in earlier posts to help heal the gut would also be useful.

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  109. Thea,
    Your blog was a ray of sunshine in the dark, My endoscopy turned out to be Positive for Hpy, i am on my 5 th day of the triple dose antibiotics. I still can’t figure out my symptoms increased or decreased for sure head ache was there first 2 days now it gone but the Stomach inflammation is just like before or more , but its bearable.
    Should i start the Mastic Gum after the Antibiotics are over or Can i take it simultaneously . Also please advise , can we take wheat , bread and Rice .

    Thanks
    Ams

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  110. Thea,
    Thank you so much for all of this information. I have H Pylori and the antibiotic regimen didn’t work for me so I am going to try some natural remedies. The Mastic Gum along with Manuka Honey. I was wondering if you would recommend giving my husband Mastic Gum also, just in case he picked up H Pylori from me? Would he take the same reccomened dosage even if he has no symptoms? Thanks for you help.

    Aiden

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  111. Hi.
    I have been searching like crazy for what it is I might be feeling and so far I think its narrowed down to ulcers. This past October I went to the Dr. Due to constipation and stomach discomfort. Told me it was probably just stress so took laxatives and nothing. Was suffering for about two months so finally went back in January only to explain how now it was abdominal pain and belching and feeling sore or tender. After mentioning my horrible diet she mentioned it is probably just an ulcer and I needed to change what I eat. She gave me Omperazol to help so in the first three weeks I felt like I was living again. I am 21 years old who went from 230 pounds to 213 from early January to now after starting this diet, working out, and the medicine.everything was great, but then came what I now know to be side effects. Sever dry mouth and difficulty swallowing. So I stopped, two days after the Dr said I could due to my follow up. Within the first day of stopping I felt like I had food stuck in my mouth and acid reflux as well burning in my nose and ears. So I went back to it and surely everything felt better, except for the one chronic discomfort in my upper left abdomen area. This time I ended up stopping due to another side effect. Dry mouth but now with muscle cramping and spasms. It was bad. I looked up how apple cider vinegar eases things so that is what I an starting and it helps a bit with the medicine withdrawal process. But now I have major abdominal pain that I have never experienced before on top of everything else. So I think the medicine may have made everything worse. I have s chronic feeling of stomach burning, as well as pain in the ribs so to me it all indicates ulcers, considering that my mom and sister had them.

    After looking up everything I think I might get blood work and a breath test, since I cannot afford endoscopy which is what I really want to see, in order to determine ulcers or.perhaps something worse. But for sure I think I am going to start the mastic gum process and add the licorice to help gerd like symptoms. I just woke up and as I type this my stomach is burning with no relief in sights. Ultimately I don’t want the antibiotic cocktail treatment due to side effects. I hope everything turns out for the best. One question though, what are probiotics and jf I do this where do I introduce them?

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    • Omar, Please get tested for H. Pylori. Follow the protocol for Mastic Gum and then see how you feel. You must eliminate sugar. Probiotics feed the healthy bacteria in your gut and are similar to what you would find in yogurt only more concentrated. Please let us know how you make out so others don’t have to suffer.

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  112. Hi, Thank you so much for putting up this information. I used your protocol and it worked for me, I was suffering for more then three years. I tried everything
    from antibiotic to all natural remedy. But nothing helped I tried Mastic gum before but taking one tablet 250mg a day didn’t help. Once I came across your article I tried Mastic as you suggested for three weeks after a week an a half I lost my hope I was still in pain. But I stick with protocol and now I’m writing after 2 months of finishing Mastic gum I feel great since I finish until now. I’m writing to thank you and to give others the hope that there is light at end of the tunnel. Mastic gum truly help for H. pylori if you follow the protocol stated here. Good luck to all

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    • Sear,

      Did you have a follow up stool test to confirm that you are h pylori negative? I ask because I started the protocol last week. I am already feeling better, but I know I will have to stay on the protocol for months when I will be tested.

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  113. What shocks me about h pylori is so many people who post on various internet sites have failed to eradicate it using standard antibiotic therapy, yet antibiotic therapy is touted to have a high success rate. I had a horrible experience on this therapy, after 4 days of quad treatment I had to go to the ER, because I was either sweating/having chills, hyper-ventilating, intense stomach burning, gnawing pain, dehydration-despite consuming lots of water, having severe anxiety to the point I wanted to die, painful teeth, blistering lips, nausea but since I had no rash I doubt I was believed. Within a few days off the protocol I felt considerably better.

    There are multiple reasons why this therapy can fail, yet few are informed. Different h pylori strains are resistant to certain antibiotics, but most patients do not have their particular strain typed before being prescribed an antibiotic cocktail. Also, a person’s antibiotic history is a factor. It is likely that your pylori strain is resistant to antibiotics you took in the past, the exception being amoxicillin. I was given two drugs I had taken before, one I actually said I did not want to take. Unfortunately, I did not check the prescriptions and blindly took them. It wasn’t until I was a raving mad woman that I looked at what I was ingesting and realized it wasn’t the requested amoxicillin. Another factor is how a person metabolizes a PPI. It turns out I am a rapid metabolizer of the first generation of PPI (Prilosec) which means that I was taking a pill that could not do the intended job.

    I started mastic gum on Monday. I am hopeful.

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      • It helped alot. I took 2 pills every morning 30 minutes before breakfast for 2 months. I used Jarrow mastic gum brand
        Now drinking kombucha tea every morning 20 minutes before breakfast and feel so much better. You have to start slowly with kombucha tea if you decide to try it.
        Start with 1-2 oz and work up to 4-8 oz daily
        some drink up to 16 oz – were all different so what feels right for you do some research Google
        Many people say that 4 oz daily is enough.
        some drink once a day others twice a day
        Good Luck

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  114. Hi,

    I read your article and found really useful, I would like to thank first… I am going to try mustic gum, but could not decide which brand to choose, could you help me, please, which of them is better?

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  115. Hi I suffered from H Pyori for a good 15yrs had many antibiotics but i could not get rid of it. My sister told me about. mastika which I purchased and took as recommended since then I have had no symptoms.. this being the longest time without any. It’s 4 months now. What I would like to know is ….has anyone’s blood pressure raised since taking Mastika. My blood pressure has gone up so high the Doctors are worried about it. It could just be a coincidence. Thanks. X

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  116. Hello,
    I’m glad I found your forum,
    firstly sorry for my writing, I speak french
    and I use goolge translation to write to you,
    I am sad to see a large number of people live the same as me
    for H Pylori, I took antibiotics and also since I am even more weak and sick, nausea, dizziness etc … and I’m very happy to finally have an alternative that I will follow to the letter with the Mastic gum, and wanted to know if it was a good idea also to use Manuka honey

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      • Thank you for your reply,
        I’m at the beginning of 7 days with honey,
        I also ordered the gum mastic I should get soon
        and to tell you my life is hell since i take antibiotics,
        if i have known I would have never taken them !!!!
        Now 3 months ago my nervous system is still tense, stress is a huge stay in my body
        I take vitamin C, B complex Magnesium I also cut the sugar from my diet,
        but nothing stops this anxiety in my body,
        if you have a suggestion for this I would like to have the support

        Thanks again and I give you news of my experience with honey and gum mastic also
        xxx

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      • I too was very ill with H Pyori many of the symptoms you are having I suffered also. I took 4 x 250mg of Mastika tablets at night for 4 weeks and now on 2 x 250mg at night for 12 weeks. You also need to take a probiotic tablet daily. You may get a funny taste in your mouth a couple of weeks in….they say that’s when the H Pyori is dying off…. I like to think it was, but you can’t be sure that’s what is was. . I hope it works for you as I know how ill you must be feeling. Let us know how you are…..xx

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    • Hello,
      I have another question regarding nausea
      do you have a suggestion to reduce the symptoms
      I used ginger but it is not effective enough
      Thanks in advance
      Xxxx

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  118. I used this method last September and it worked great; but now, six months later, the symptoms are returning. Is there anything I can do this time around to make sure it’s a permanent cure? I’m so confused and frustrated that this is returning again.

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    • Nancy, You can do another round of the protocol and you can also take a maintenance dosage per instructions on the bottle once you finish the protocol. I wouldn’t continue, however, for more than three months following the protocol and then see how you are feeling. It is also important to eliminate refined sugars, take a probiotic and not use antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Is it possible that you have taken any antibiotics recently as they can cause an overgrowth?

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      • Thanks for your time, Thea. I am so grateful that I found your site. I already eliminate refined sugars and avoid antibiotics so that’s no problem. I also eat plain Greek yogurt fairly often. Is that okay for probiotics or is there something specific that you recommend? I don’t think the brand of mastic gum that I use says anything about a maintenance dosage, but I’ll have to check when it arrives. What would you recommend?

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  119. Hello,
    I have another question regarding nausea
    do you have a suggestion to reduce the symptoms
    I used ginger but it is not effective enough
    Thanks in advance
    Xxxx

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  121. Thankyou so so much for sharing this information…I have been chasing an answer to my illness for 6 years now and wasted so much hard earned money on doctors and specialist with most of them gladly taking the money while telling me their is nothing wrong with my organs. ….I was on the edge of insanity from depression from living with an invisible sickness and it wasn’t until my 11 year old son got very sick with stomach pains and body aches. ..I took him to one doctor that did blood works for gluten dairy intolerance worms etc but not for h pylori….everything come back ok and we were sent off with …then it was just too much for him ..so I took him to another doc and told him he had all these other test. …that I had cut out dairy and gluten so what other can we test for and he went silent for a few minutes while looking at his pc and said we’ll do a breath test for pylori. …we did and it come back positive…he gave us precipitation for 2 antibiotics and said he had to have gaviscon 3 times a day. ..I put the scripts in to be picked up the next day came home and stayed up till 1am researching. ..the next morning I rang up and cancelled the scripts. ..I now have mastic in my pocession along with manuka honey ….I have mastic as in your first photo..the hard droplet style . ..the answer that I am searching for now is how much can you give a 11 year old boy that weighs 34 kilograms? ??? Thanks again xx

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    • Also I have found that lemon balm helps with stomach pains nausea and anxiety. …I grow it to save money and give my son 3 leaves a day morning noon and night. ..the noon one I cut up and put it on his watermelon for school lunch and at night we have a variety of herb teas like licorice, fennel, ginger, camomile, lemon peel, peppermint etc ….whatever we feel like at the time or need for how we feel …we make it then pour our glass and then I refill the pot with what’s left of the tea with filtered water and let it sit until bed time and then I pour into ice cube trays and freeze for cold water drinks during the day hope this helps someone. …the only caution I know of is lemon balm blocks thyroid medicine so if you are on any thyroid meds don’t use it. ….I have hasimoto as well so I have to steer clear of it 😦

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  122. One month later after using the mastic gum protocol my stool test was negative for h pylori. The doctor says this test is accurate. Should I continue taking the mastic gum for a few more weeks?

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  123. Hello Thea, Another sufferer! I plan to start your recommend protocol as soon as I can buy the mastic gum. I have found the loose powder and would like to know if I can use this instead of the capsules. Maybe mixed into water or tea? It’s just that it’s easier for me to obtain this. Thank you so much! God bless.

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  124. Hello,
    I have been going through hell since January of this year but the last 3-4 weeks been feeling better.
    Today I got bad news – Urea re-test 2 months after completing HP PAC came back POSITIVE.

    Background:
    Age,34 male
    Bad constant stomach pains. No interest in food, etc. Cant sleep ..Always tired.
    started TECTA – PPI
    Did blood test Jan.25= h.pylori postive.
    Finished 7 Days of HP PAC on Feb4. ( Had blood in stool during these 7 days and Felt like death, hardly slept)

    Feb.6 went for Endocopy and Colonosopy.
    Gastro found wounds in stomach that appeared to be healing, no active ulcers.
    2 weeks later. Biopise came back saying : Chronic Gastritits. They did a Silver stain on the bioposie and said NO SIGN of h.pylori.

    Feb.17 -Lost 15 lbs to date. started feeling bad chest pains throughout the day,, Mostly right center of chest — somtimes pain on left side. Went for xray/echo/stress test/ etc ALL CLEAR… Cardiologist said my heart was great. Chest pain doesn’t appear to be heart related.

    March.10.. stomach pains have greatly improved. started eating more and trying to gain weight back.
    Stopped TECTA PPI

    March.29 – stomach feels better. maybe not 100% but much better. Still have chest pains — Family doc thinks its ANXIETY related chest pains. and for me to relax and come back if not improved.

    April.10th. – Still feeling chest pains .. mostly right center.. Doc prescribes Trazadone for sleep and relief of anxiety.. I fill the prescription but dont start it. Decide to take some herbel for sleep(Called Sleep8)..

    April.18th – Still chest pains but Light and less frequent… Stomach much better.. gained 8 lbs of 15 lbs back… eating more and hitting the gym.

    April.20 – Physical — Doc checks me out.. ALl good.. No BP issues.. Blood is great… Still have light chest pains but doc thinks i should give it more time.
    Before i leave, i mention to him … Should i get re-tested for H.pylori? Sure why not.. sends me for UREA breath test.

    Today: I am still H.pylori positive and suggested I do another 7 day antibiotic therapy.
    But this time Quadruple therapy.
    omeprazole, bismuth subcitrate, metronidazole and tetracycline

    I’m feeling the best Ive felt in MONTHS… little to no stomach.. light chest pains but my attitude has improvied.. sleep improved a bit.

    Now this… Positive H.pylori.. Not sure what’s next … I find it odd that my Endoscopy was negative but i test postive through the UREA(over 2 months later)

    Im worried about starting the Antibiotics again — Defiantly the worst week of my life — In between the worst 3 months of my life.

    Thought I was on the mend!!! I’m trying to stay positive but this just threw me a curve ball.

    Thinking of giving mastic a try, are there any solid studies that show it working? I’m thinking of giving it a try for a month and getting re-tested again before I start the antibiotics.

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    • You have a lot to consider here. Please read some of the posts and the results that others have achieved using Mastic Gum. Also, please read my blog in its entirety so you understand the risk of another round of antibiotics – especially if you are asymptomatic. H.pylori antibodies can stay positive for months after treatment which would explain the different test results. I would trust the endoscopy.

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  125. Hi just want to know what do you mean by 2 in the afternoon on an empty stomach does it mean that w do no have to eat anything in afternoon.

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  126. Hello Thea, I would like to start taking mastic gum for my heliobacter infection as per your instructions. Do I need to change my diet as well?

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  128. Hi…im from malaysia…last year dx with hp…completed a course of 2 antibiotic + nexium..was okay for few month but about 6 mth ago were having sour mouth and mild heartburn…were given ppi…symptoms still there..recently started on pariet 20mg per day..thinking of taking mastic..but could not find it in capsul form..all they have here is gum arabic..is it the same…but i found a shop which are selling mastic gum in raw form..how do i take this and in what dosage ..and also can i take this whit ppi…thanks..

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    • Dear Rahmat, Please follow the protocol in the blog post. I am sorry for your suffering. You should be able to purchase Mastic gum from a reliable online resource. Gum arabic is NOT Mastic gum. If you can find follow someone to follow your progress that would be advisable. I can not give you medical advise as what to do or not do with regards to prescription medications, but I think you can see where that is going to get you by reading the post. PPI only address symptoms and should not be taken during a course of Mastic gum, but then again, consult your knowledgeable practitioner. I recommend Aloe Vera Juice for healing the lining of the gut. You probably don’t have an overproduction of stomach acid, it is just that the stomach acid you are producing is irritating the ulcers caused by the H-pylori.

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  129. Hello. I have taken a 7 day course of antibiotics for H.Pylori and I still don’t feel well. I am doing another breath test today but I feel certain I’m not cured. I intend on using the Mastic Gum, as those antibiotics were horrible. Am I able to take probiotics at the same time? What about slippery elm and DGL? Will these affect the Mastic Gum treatment? Thank you.

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  130. Hi there
    I was diagnosed with h pylori this past February, I unfortunately did not know enough to find alternative medicines such as the mastic gum. I have not been the same since prior to getting sick. I had horrific brain fog, muscle aches, nerve spasms, light sensitivity, headaches, nausea, vomiting, heart palps, feet tingles, skin sores, vitamin deficiencies and a few other things. Long story short I thought I was dying. For a year prior to being diagnosed my primary kept blaming it on anxiety and depression, I wasn’t convinced in the slightest because I was very happy and in a great place in life before waking up feeling like i was drunk all the time. I have tested negative twice since February but still just feel off very tired. My daughter started having stomachs aches and complaining of aches and pains a few months ago after 3 visits to the Dr and a request for her to be tested for h pylori, the Dr summed it to growing pains and called me 3 weeks after stool test with a positive result. He has prescribed her omeperazole and said to come back in 3 weeks to be retested. As an avid researcher I know omeperazole itself will not cure the h pylori and can cause a negative result on a blood, stool and breathe test. My question after a fairly long story is can I give mastic gum to my daughter and if so any recommendations on how much? I have searched but was unable to find much on the subject? She is 6 and about 68lbs. Also would mastic gum still help me with the tummy troubles I have after antibiotic eradication? Also, I have not given her the omeperazole due to researching having a higher chance of heart attack being on a ppi, she had open heart surgery at 2 days old. ( coarctation of her aorta) I’m very concerned for her and feel helpless as I can’t even seem to get myself better! Any information feedback or recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

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    • Thank you Varenas for this account of your struggles with H-Pylori. Your daughter can take Mastic Gum and you would follow the same protocol giving her 1/2 the dosage and monitoring closely. I always recommend working with an alternative health care practitioner in your area that can monitor and support. Aloe Vera gel/juice inner filet may help to heal your stomach lining along with a bland diet of easily digested foods. A course of Mastic Gum may also help you resolve your H-Pylori once and for all as it did me. Please keep us posted.

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      • Hi Thea, Thank you for this article. I am curious about the viability of my son taking Mastic Gum. He is a big kiddo (12 years old, 5’3.5″ tall & 105 lbs). However, he has anaphylactic nut allergies (including to pistachios). I saw Mastic Gum comes from the pistachio family. Is this something he can safely take?

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      • Hello Joni, I wouldn’t chance it, but a knowledgeable physician or Naturopath should be able to test him for sensitivity to mastic. I’ve not heard of any sensitivity, but again, best not to risk it without supervision. Please let me know how you make out so I can share with others who may have this same concern.

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      • Thank you. I will.

        When I took it I had significantly increased heartburn during the treatment. Just finished and am waiting to retest. Since stopping the mastic gum heartburn has diminished a lot. Is this common?

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  131. Hello and thank you for such an informative article on mastic gum. I found this page via google search “mastic gum and LPR”. I have been dealing with silent reflux/LPR for a little over 3 years now. In October I went to my gastroenterologist to request an upper scope so that he could check out how everything looks and to biopsy for hp, candida and anything else. After asking me my symptoms (phlegm in my throat, throat clearing, congested in the a.m., some times my throat feels tight, wheezing when the LPR episode is particularly bad). He gave me an Rx for a PPI to “Take for 1 month. If you feel better, we know you have too much acid.” I told him I was not comfortable taking a PPI because they cause more harm than good. He told me, “Stop reading so much on the internet.” He also gave me an Rx for Klonopin for “that globulous feeling in your throat could be anxiety.” I threw both Rx’s in the trash and I will never go back to him. All I wanted was a scope to check for a few things. I am very frustrated and feel alone in this.

    I order Mastic Gum and began it on Sunday per the bottle instructions 1 between meal and 1 before bed. Today, day 5, I have felt miserable. Had headache all day, upset stomach and heart burn this morning – which I never get. I took some Braggs ACV in a glass of water and within 20 minutes the heart burn cleared. Could the headache and upset stomach be a die off? I have decided to start in the morning the protocol you listed in your blog here. I have Nurtricology brand, 1 cap is 500 mg.

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    • Hello Briana and thank you for sharing your journey with us.It is important that you actually get tested for H-Pylori so that you can give your doctor accurate feedback and help to enlighten others. Please keep us posted.

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      • Thea, today I had an appointment with my primary care doctor. He, like the gastro doc, immediately wanted to put me on Nexium. I requested to be tested to see if I had h pylori, hiatel hernia or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. He said since I did not have “pain”, then it was unlikely that I have h pylori. The appointment was a total waste of my time. I am utterly frustrated with western medicine and the options I have in health care, and in particular Navy healthcare. Tomorrow I begin week 2 of your protocol. I will continue to completion, continue on a diet from the book Fast Tract Diet (which was created for these specific issues – acid reflux, LPR, Gerd) and do my best to manage what has been chronic anxiety all my life. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. – Briana

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  132. I was told by my doctor that I was border h-pylori. I had a breath test done afterward and it came out negative. I have been suffering from severe LPR and burning in my stomach for over a year. Could the breath test result be false? Is borderline h-pylori dangerous and should I start taking the mastic gum. I need your input please since I feel very sick and refuse to take conventional medication. Thank you for your caring and advice

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  133. Is there anywhere that I can find a definitive answer on using mastic gum while pregnant? I am currently trying to conceive and really want to do the full three week treatment.

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    • Dear Hannah, It is not always possible to find a definitive answer on the use of certain herbs in pregnancy when not enough research has been done. Pregnancy is a congested state (Chinese Medicine) and bitter herbs that break up congestion can be contraindicated in pregnancy. Mastic gum is not bitter and has no known contraindications so I don’t think it would pose a problem for you. That said, you have to follow you own intuition and guidance and seek the guidance of a qualified alternative medicine practitioner in your area who knows your history and can support and follow your progress. Hope that helps.

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  134. Thanks you so much! This helped me alot. I went through antibiotics that left me feeling worse! I went to a nutrition store and the nutritionist introduced me to Mastic gum. Thanks for your helpful testimony!!

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  135. My dad, a Greek doctor who’s had stomach problems all his life found that the only thing that worked for him was mastic. Being a doctor he’d tried every drug on the market before coming to that conclusion. All he does is put the resin in a bottle of water, leave it to infuse for a couple of days and then drink a glass of water every day. The resin very slowly dissolves in the water though it stays in the bottom – you just top up the bottle every day. Takes about a month but you see long-lasting results.

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  136. I take meds for hypertension and blood clotting issues i have had h pylori got tested with and endoscopic test found h pylori doctor strartes treatment with all the medication they said would work did what i was told went back to gastro did a balloon test put back on meds did the meds never went back for testing a year and a half later i have to go to er for sever stomach pain c.t.no issues put on stomch medicine for pain and nausea till i go back to the gastro doctor for another endoscope i took some mastic gum iis helped on my first dose but im concerned about the clotting and blood preasure thank you very much

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    • I am sorry for your suffering Ernest. I know of no contraindications of Mastic Gum with hypertension and blood clotting meds, but that said you should make sure that your doctor knows what you are taking in the way of herbal supplements. Please keep us posted on your progress.

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  138. I am praying this is the answer to 9.5 months of MISERY for my daughter who has been misdiagnosed the entire time (& now some of my other kids are having the symptoms.. and so am I). She was JUST FINALLY tested for HP & came back as high negative, but our pediatrician said she wants her treated for HP because this has gone on with the moronic “ped GI specialists” for far too long and the symptoms are all clear now that we know it’s on the radar. The ped didn’t consider HP because she knew they should have checked for HP when the specialists did a colonoscopy & endoscopy too. NOPE!

    To say I am am angry at the incompetence doesn’t even come close. So-called specialists claimed they tested her months ago but never did according to the test results from the scopes. I am disgusted & praying for healing!

    I am so thankful for you sharing your experience!

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  139. First of all, thank you so much for providing such valuable information that could help save lives. I’ve steered clear of antibiotics for 4 years now and stopped taking Nexium over 7 years ago after realizing how much damage they have done to my body.

    My lab blood tests came back positive for h pylori a year ago [84.8] and also a week ago [95.0]. My doctor asked if I wanted to confirm with the urea breath test last year but did not push and I didn’t do it at the time because although I have mild to moderate symptoms that come and go, I’ve had digestion problems all my life and didn’t realize how serious h pylori was. I didn’t get the urea breath test done this year either because I wanted to wait until after I tried natural treatment options.

    I started taking mastic gum exactly as per your protocol (started 3 days ago). I feel better already and would like to know if I want to get tested with the urea breath test after this protocol ends, can I get tested right after or do I need to wait a period of time (and how long)? I would appreciate it if you could help and offer some advice. Thank you.

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    • Thank you Mia for reaching out and letting us know your process. You should wait 4 weeks after finishing the protocol to get retested. I am glad you found this blog and please let us know your results and how the protocol worked for you so that others can also benefit.

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  140. My solaray mastic gum says its 35% mastic acid and masticoresin. Do you have any idea to what this is? Most I see around don’t mention this

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      • Thank you so much. God bless you. Do you think drinking it with unsweetened cranberry juice is a good idea? I also only took abt a 230-250 mg dosage. Being my 1st time trying it. I’m looking out for unwanted side effects.

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  141. Hi, thank you for this very informative article. I’ve had stomach problems for about 20 years, H.Pylori and a healed ulcer was diagnosed about 4 years back. I’ve taken Mastic Gum as you recommended. I certainly felt better while I took Mastic Gum, but most notably it also seemed to help with my sleep. I slept through the night and did not have to get up to go to the bathroom (which I usually do after about 6 hours of sleep). I also think it might have had a positive impact on my hot flashes, I had none while taking it. I have to add that I do take some other herbs for the hot flashes which helps greatly but the Mastic Gum seems to have had an additional positive effect. I’ve stopped taking Mastic Gum after the three weeks but will start taking it again and “test” if it was really the Mastic Gum that helped me sleep better. I can write an update in a few weeks. Do you think it can have an impact on sleep and menopausal problems?

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  142. About how much water would you drink when taking the mastic gum in the morning on an empty stomach? Or does it really not matter?

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  143. I was diagnosed with stomach ulcers in February 2016 after endoscopy, prescribed PPIs by GP told to take for two months, symptoms seemed a lot better but within a couple of weeks started to come back again. Went back to GP prescribed 3 months PPIs, again seemed to get better but symptoms came back within a few weeks. Read this article about mastic gum and convinced I had h-pylori, although tested negative after endoscopy, did the three weeks treatment recommended in this article ending with 3 mgs on third week. Felt better than on PPIs but still had to watch my diet however, been off mastic gum for about six weeks and improving all the time, can almost eat anything now and not getting heartburn or rumbling guts so much, acid taste in mouth almost completely gone. Would recommend the mastic gum as a last resort if medication fails to work, as it has worked for me. Thank you.

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    • I will start by saying that my case is not typical and I am not suggesting anyone try my route. I’m 59 and have had what I call a sensitive stomach most of my life. As a freshman in college, I began to have stomach problems and went to a doctor who prescribed Donnatal. Luckily, I was off it in a month or so. My stomach felt somewhat better but I began keeping antacids by my side all the time. Then of course through the years, the marketing for antacids and osteoporosis began, so I figured they were good for me. I too felt by the time I was 40 that I must have h pylori. Stomach was in discomfort upon eating many foods. But I lived with it and took more antacids and the acid reducers that were relatively new at the time. About 2 years ago after hurting my back, my doctor prescribed 800 mgs Advil twice a day. Upon telling her I didn’t think my stomach would take it, she also prescribed the purple pill. Well, my back still was a mess (later found out it was a BAD case of spasms although not one medical professional looked at my back at the time. But that’s another story). I found myself passing out, apparently that’s a side effect of the purple pill. Mastic Gum helped in the past, but I wanted to find out what was wrong. I sent away for the on line blood testing for a H pylori. Came back negative. I decided to stop all advil, purple pills, antacids, acid reducers, after talking to a friend that had been on the purple pill for years and now had major stomach problems, some sort of “mass” in his stomach that was being watched. Thought I was going to die for about a month after stopping all forms of antacids and pain relievers. My stomach felt so bad, I was thinking I would end up with esophagus or stomach cancer. Was about to get checked for that when my symptoms gradually disappeared. I had read about acid rebound after taking antacids for so long, and I think that my have been my problem, but part of the road to a normal stomach. After two years, I never take any sort of ant antacid or motrin or advil, at this point in my life I’d rather have an ache or pain, then go through that again. My stomach feels great. I don’t get that awful feeling after eating Buffalo wings, but I do stay away from things like lemon aide and drinks with citric acid in them. Mastic gum did help me through the years in protecting my stomach, but look seriously at the amount of antacids you may be taking. Like I said, in my case , stopping all that worked, but everyone is different.

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  145. Can we take mastic gum(mastagi roomi in hindi) in the resin form(the yellow color crystal gum we get). I powdered the mastic gum.! I take around 500mg of the powder with warm water 2 times,one in the morning with 2 glasses of warm water and one in the night before sleeping. And also i take dried ginger in the morning 1 hr later to taking the mastic gum. please comment if anything is not appropriate in my procedure.!

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  146. Thank you for such valuable information. I’m currently treating myself. I’m looking forward to see the end result. I hope it works.

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  147. Hello

    Does anyone have any knowledge on how long you would take mastic gum if you only take 2 500mg first thing in the morning. I cannot take more then this my mastic does not handle it.
    Someone mentionned somewhere that you need to do it for 3 months ? if only taking 2 500mg a day. I wait 40 minutes is that long enough or an hour is what is necessary.
    Been taking it for 5 weeks now 2 pills each morning upon awaking, im seeing results 🙂 still sensitive stomach but alot better. Also taking dgl morning lunch dinner before bed. But think will cut back on dgl and let mastic do its magic. Anyone doing mastic gum and dgl ? wonder if they interfere with each other ?

    Thank you very much for all the information and sharing it is so helpful.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

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  148. sorry typo above – suppose to say I cannot take more then this my stomach does not handle it – feel nauseous – i may try again that was at the beginning …….. Is there a reason to take throughout the day instead of once a day only ?

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  149. I have started mastic gum 6 days ago, and I can barely go washroom now. I have been constipated since then with some weird feeling in my stomach. I was fine before using mastic a week ago, and then I had one bowel movement the first day I started, but was pebble like and seemed more green in color (sorry for the discretion). Please help, I do not want to stop now on my 6th day because I want to cure h pylori after one failed triple therapy attempt. Should I stop it? Please help!

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    • Nazir, I would stop using the Mastic until you can determine the cause of your constipation and correct it, and then consult with a physician or health care provider who can monitor you. Are you drinking enough water and fluids? You may need to start out again slower with the Mastic with one a day for a week and then slowly increase while making sure you are drinking enough water. Also make sure that you are using a pure product without additives or fillers.

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      • Thanks a lot for your reply Thea.
        I just I’m desperate to feel right. The stool are coming a small piece at a time but soft (sorry again), and I do drink a lot of water. If I stop now, is the effect reversible? I’m kind of concerned. I noticed I always managed pylori with probiotics where I would feel good when I’m on them. Then with the triple therapy, I had minimal side effect cause I was using probiotics but didnt work. With Mastic a I’m getting some stomach pain and the bloating and constipation. I still burp Everytime I eat something. I feel like it’s not working but people on the net say that these are normal side effects and it means it is working. I really wanted to continue with this. Thanks!

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  150. Hi Thea – Did you say you used Solaoray Mastic Gum Extract or can I use any type of Mastic Gum such as Jarrow Mastic Gum – to do the same type of treatment you did … I have H Pylori (had endoscopy done) and none of PP1 antibiotics agree with me (make me feel very ill).
    Also what kind of Align Probiotic did you use and what amounts. I have had extreme Nausea and some stomach pain … this all started last Aug/16 and was also in the hospital for one week because of the H Pylori. I do eat proper – lots of fruit, vegetables etc. – don’t drink coffee anymore.
    Thanks for your reply – Patricia

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    • Hello Patricia, I’m sorry to hear about your difficulty. Both brands are good. There are many good probiotics on the market and the sales personnel in most health food stores are fairly knowledgeable, so I would ask them for a recommendation. If you are having nausea and pain you may want to use Aloe Vera gel, inner filet, 2 oz. per day in water or juice to help heal the stomach lining. Please let me know how you make out.

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  152. Hi Thea – thank you for your help and will check out probiotics – also the Aloe Vera Gel. Oh yes, I tried (once more) to take my Pantoprazole my Specialist has me on this morning with my breakfast food, instead of half an hour before on an empty stomach … will see how I feel by tomorrow.
    If I am still feeling nausea and stomach pain, my Son is going to take me to the Hospital Emergency, to see what they want to do.
    Will let you know how I make out and thank you again, Patricia

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  153. Hi Thea, I came across this site when looking up natural cures for H Pylori infection. I was found infected with this bug last Oct after suffering from lots of belching/burps and short of breath symptoms for over 6 months, The endoscopy shows I only have mild gastritis and the bug is the culprit. I already went through 3 rounds of antibiotics since last Sep but am still +ve. Now I am prescribed with the 4th round of antibiotics which the doctor mentioned if this still does not work I would need to go for culture biopsy and antibiotic sensitivity tests etc. While I still tend to go for the 4th round to combat this bug with antibiotics, I am keen to explore more natural cures in case this fails as I am tired of taking all these horrible pills.

    So my question is if this mastic gum regimen you’ve written would still work for patients like me who had tried so many antibiotics given that the bug may have mutated to being antibiotic-resistance ? Do I need to ramp up the dosage to ensure the gum can kill all bugs ?

    Any other food or supplements to add on to the regime to boost up eradication rate ? Would appreciate any info as I am getting more and more frustrated fighting this bug.

    Thanks! ~ Emmie

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  154. I read about Mastic gum in the NEJM and Manuka honey on the internet, my acid reflux came at a time when I was under major stress not sure what the trigger actual was but I am also not a believer in these pharmaceuticals either especially the purple pill, I did take and the minute I did my stomach was worse and since I took it its been harder to get rid of my GERD I have recently been taking mastic gum and manuka honey for 6 days and Its working I am not 100% yet as I am slowly weaning myself off the zantac and rolaids as well….but it is most definitely helping with the esophagitis. 6 days ago I had hoarseness and today I don’t I had tenderness in my throat and now I do not, I had buring in my throat when I woke up in the morning and now I do not. I believe you still have to change your diet because the h.pylori feeds off sugar. I cured myself also of Lyme disease with Steve Buhners protocol. If I was younger I would become an herbalist myself as I believe that is the best way to go with most minor health issues. Thanks for you story! Thea

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  155. Thank you so much for your post.I was just diagnosed positive with Helico Pylori. I have many of the stomach symptoms. The doctor gave me a prescription for four different antibiotics to take. I took two doses and felt terrible. I went for an acupuncture treatment and was given Mastic resin by my acupuncturist and told to take one gram a day. I am chewing it and wondering if anyone else used the resin itself. Thank you again Thea, Simcha

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  156. Hi Thea
    I posted in December saying mastic gum had cleared up my gastric symptoms unfortunately right after Xmas it all gradually came back with a vengeance. Don’t know whether to take the PPI route again, as the symptoms came back after stopping that too or try mastic gum again. Only a hunch that I am infected with h-pylori virus as endoscopy biopsy showed negative as did other stool test a few months later but sure the ulcers have come back. Will mastic gum heal the ulcers and how long and at what dose should use?

    NIcky

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    • Hi Nicky, A blood test is much less invasive than an endoscopy to confirm H pylori. You can certainly try another round of Mastic Gum but I recommend knowing exactly what you are dealing with as there may be other factors in play. Aloe vera inner filet, 2oz. 2-3X/day as directed can be very effective in helping to heal the stomach lining and is alkalizing. Hope that helps.

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  157. Hey there,
    Have come across your article because am so sick and tired of this misery that i have been living in for agood eight years. I havr taken antibiotics after antibiotics i have also used some herbal liquids but nothing seem to be working. Sounds like i have the most sturbbon kind of Hpylori and it has taken away any peace in my son. Am in uganda Africa and would like to find agood genuine supply of this mastic gum. Am so desperate looking to heal this thing otherwise am due for an operation has my ulcers are turning chronic. Please help me !!😢😢

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  158. I am living in Turkey and I can only find the Mastic Gum in crystal form. Will it still work if you chew the tears?

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    • This is a good question. In herbal medicine different plants can have the same common name making identification difficult. This is why it is important to know both the genus and species name of a plant in order to positively identify. I hope this Link helps you. There is also additional information online to help you know the difference and positively identify. Mastic Gum is not Arabic gum even though the names are interchanged with Arabic being a common name for Mastic. Arabic, however comes from a difference genus and species.

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  160. Hi, I finished three weeks of treatment with Mastic Gum Resin. I crushed it into a powder and drank it with water. Each dose was 1gram. I took it once a day for one week. Twice a day the second week,and three times a day the third. My stomach felt fine almost immediately, and continues to be fine. I can eat normally and not suffer any discomfort. The only disappointment is that my latest stool test came back positive for Helico Pylori bacteria.I waited a week after finishing the Mastic Gum treatment to have my stool tested. Do you think I should start another round of treatment? Do you advise that I get the commercial Mastic Gum, rather than using the resin?
    Thank you, Simcha

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    • Hello Simcha, Thank you for your positive report. It may take longer than that for a test to come back negative. If you are symptom free I would a couple of months before getting another test. It sounds like the resin worked fine if you are symptom free.

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  161. Hi Thea.
    is there a real difference between ibs and h pylori?
    i was diagnosed a year ago with endo-Scopy that i am h pylori positive, but i seem to have lots of gastric issues at night

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  162. Hello,

    I have been struggling with h pylori for months. After 2 rounds of failed antibiotics I found mastic gum. I began taking 500mg in the morning, 500 in the afternoon, and 500 at night before bed. I immediately felt better but then 3 days after taking I became extremely nauseous and it hasn’t stopped since (about 4 days now). I continued to take 500 in the morning and night but took out the 500 in the afternoon. Should I up my dosage? What do you think? Thanks for your help!

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  163. Hello,
    Unfortunately, I did not know of this remedy before I took the Quad Therapy. I was diagnosed with h pylori that also caused gastritis. While I notice that your regimen may take care of the h pylori, what recommendations do you have for the gastritis? Currently I was told to take Prilosec for months in order to reduce acid to allow stomach to heal.

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  165. Hi Thea,

    Thank you very much for your informative article. I was diagnosed with h pylori it’s been since March and I chose to try cure it naturally first.

    I came across your blog and read your article and started your suggested protocol and things went great except for the last week which I am on now as I suddenly started to feel foggy brain and some nausea it is very discomforting I still have 3 days to go. Could these be a die off symptoms?

    Would you advice me please what to do?

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  166. Hi. Thanks for sharing your story it gave me hope. It’s been 3 years I am struggling with clinicians and different diagnosis. Some said gastritis other said IBS or leaky gut syndrome. I did specific blood test and stool test for H Pylori and it was always negative until this week a new Doctor decided to do a biopsy through endoscopy and finally found a positive result.

    Of course he gave me right away the triple treatment and said I should take probiotic with it.

    I have mastic gum under it’s natural form in my kitchen. You mentioned taking it by capsule. In my case should I swallow it like a pill? And how many pieces should I take?

    Thanks !

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  167. Aloha!

    I just started the mastic gum 4 days ago, feeling relief but was wondering if I should also be taking a probiotic at the same time? Just read about something called Pylopass. Does this supplement work?

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  168. Thank you so much for your post and your time answering my question below.
    I found out I had h pylori after an endoscopy in 2014. I took Mastic gum (exactly as the protocol you mention) instead of the antibiotics prescribed by my doctor. It worked very well.
    Two months ago, after experiencing high stress and poor diet for three weeks while traveling, this nasty bug came back very aggressively and my symptoms are much stronger than the first time.
    I’m on my third week of the protocol and all of a sudden, my feces turned pale yellow. Could it be that I am not digesting the Mastic Gum this time around and the powder from inside the capsules are tinting the feces?

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    • Jade, I suppose that could be possible, but you may want to be seen by a doctor to rule out it being an issue with something other H pylori and your stomach. Sometimes issues with the small intestine, pancreas, or gallbladder can cause pale stools. Please let us know what you discover and how you are doing.

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  169. Hi thank you for writing this blog. How strict is protocol to take 1hour before food…in other words, would 30-45 min be ok and/or can one drink fluids while waiting to eat? Also did you supplement (or would you recommend supplementing) mastic with other herbal such as Manuka honey, thyme, garlic, etc. Thx!

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  170. Did any one here experience really bad breath with h pylori? Am taking the masic gum and menuka honey every day i hope this takes care of it.

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  171. Very useful – I had mastic gum in the fridge and have only juust started chewing it for gastric ulcer as well as looking up what items of diet help as I want to avoid gastroscopy in hospital in the pandemic. Struggling with M.E. too and seeking natural herbal solutions to ongoing stress. Shielding alone very isolated + lonely. Any support gratefully received. God bless you.
    Heather

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  172. Hi Thea, thanks a lot for this very informative blog. I have started drinking cabbage juice and following your mastic gum protocol to treat a peptic ulcer and H. Pylori infection. Do you think it’s ok to have both the mastic gum and cabbage juice at the same time? Many thanks.

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  173. After finishing up a one-month regime of omeprazole, many of my symptoms were gone but still had gas but now I had s with a burning in my stomach that I had not had before. My doctor told me to start taking probiotics but after one month of probiotics, I was still the symptoms and that is when I discovered Mastic gum. I started taking Mastic gum Capsules (450mg 3 times a day) and I have been taking it for 10 days now (along with the probiotics) and have to admit, it is working very well. While the first week was rough, the constant burning has stopped and so has the gas. I still have a bit of a sensitive stomach here and there but it is never the whole day and never anymore burning.

    Now that I have discovered your article, I have a question concerning the dosage. Should I continue at 450 mg x 3 daily or should I switch over to your regieme at the end of the 2nd week? If I were to use your dosage, I would skip week one and begin on week two, then week three. However, if I were to stay on my current dosage, how long would you recommend I continue?

    Thanks!

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    • Michael, I am glad you found your way to mastic gum and are getting relief. I can only recommend that you follow the protocol. If you need more support, and other recommendations, please consider booking an appointment with me. Thank you for reaching out and letting us know what is working for you.

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  174. Hello! I am so glad I found this site!! I have not been tested for H Pylori but I have been plagued with unexplained stomach issues. Whenever I eat, my food sits there like a rock unable to digest. HCL does not help. I ordered some chewable mastic gum and it has made a difference even at the small dose I’m using. I am experiencing some nausea and gas. How do I know if this is die-off or simply the effects of how mastic gum affects me?? Thanks!

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  175. I suppose it is possible but I don’t know of anyone who has experienced this. H pylori erodes the stomach lining so a good many things could cause stomach discomfort that normally wouldn’t. Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux and affects the esophagus. Best to get tested and then take it from there.

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    • Most definitely will get tested! Thank you again. I do want to add that while I experience an increase in discomfort in stomach area since starting Mastic gum, my stomach has however flattened and is no longer as distended. I can only see it improving even more with usage. This has got to be very telling about what might be going on in this area.

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    • Hello again. I can’t believe it’s been so long since my last reply and I’m still dealing with this. Due to pandemic I couldn’t get any tests done. I finally found out that there are spit/plaque home tests that show H.Pylori. I purchased these and low and behold, I’m positive. Albeit it didn’t show extremely positive pertaining to the colour red on the test but it’s positive nonetheless. My mother tested and it didn’t change colour but she also had a stool test that confirmed she didn’t have H.Pylori, so these tests are accurate. I’ve been feeling in the dark and I am finally able to start on some mastic gum protocol but I am still afraid of the heartburn. I think H.Pylori really did a number on my stomach lining. There aren’t many anecdotes about mastic gum causing stomach pain. Unless this die-off symptom is common and I’m unaware of that literature.

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  176. Trying this on my 3rd week, using jarrows brand 1000mg capsules, slippery elm, vital 10 probiotic. Brown rice, baked chicken, avacado, crackers unsalted. There is alot of mis-information on diet that goes with this. I am starting to see changed hopefully I can be rid of this pain soon its only been 2months of misery. I take my capsules 8 hours apart. 7am 3pm 11pm.

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  177. This was absolutely mind blowing and very enlightening….. Our Plant friends have all the answers, thank you for shedding this light. 💕

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  178. Hi! I have a quick question: Why didn’t you include probiotics during the protocol? Why only afterwards when it was over? Here’s a quote to a study that you can access by doing a Google search “According to the literature, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and Saccharomyces boulardii can effectively eradicate H. pylori infection”. So I’m doing Mastic gum but also taking probiotics daily. Thoughts? Thanks!

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