What if the first regimen fails?

Salvage therapy per ACG, generally avoiding an antibiotic that has already failed. That is a physician's call.

Do I have to stop my PPI?

Before confirmatory testing, usually yes, for a defined period — follow the physician's instruction, not a website's.

Does my partner need testing?

Discuss it with the physician; household transmission is described but routine partner testing is not automatic.

Can you run the confirmation test?

Yes, same day. Come in at the correct interval after treatment.

How Do You Know the H. pylori Treatment Actually Worked?

Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director's name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy

Molecular fluorescence imaging — Auspicious Laboratory, Houston

Confirm eradication — always. Treatment failure is common and silent.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome

You test again. ACG guidance calls for confirmation of eradication in all treated patients, generally at least four weeks after therapy ends and after holding proton pump inhibitors as directed — because PPIs suppress the organism and generate false negatives. Rising clarithromycin resistance has also reshaped first-line therapy: regimens including bismuth quadruple therapy feature prominently in current recommendations.

Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

Getting the follow-up right

Rule	Why
Confirm eradication in every treated patient	Failure is common and produces no new symptoms
Wait at least 4 weeks after therapy	Earlier testing detects residual material or misses suppressed organisms
Hold PPIs as directed before testing	PPIs suppress the organism — false negative
Consider resistance if therapy fails	Clarithromycin resistance is a leading cause of failure

"I took the antibiotics and I feel better" is not evidence of eradication. Symptom relief and cure are different things — and the cancer risk tracks with the organism, not with the symptom.

We name drugs, never doses. Treatment statements follow ACG, AGA, IDSA and CDC guidance; dose and duration are a physician's decision.

Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 4:30 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 4:30 and 6:00 PM, a few minutes away. That window is reserved for patients tested here, and your slot is held the moment we take your sample — the slot is held, not hunted. On your own, a same-day appointment is nearly impossible; at an urgent care, you wait in the queue. STAT: ~2 hours, sample in by 3:00 PM.

FAQ

What if the first regimen fails?: Salvage therapy per ACG, generally avoiding an antibiotic that has already failed. That is a physician's call.
Do I have to stop my PPI?: Before confirmatory testing, usually yes, for a defined period — follow the physician's instruction, not a website's.
Does my partner need testing?: Discuss it with the physician; household transmission is described but routine partner testing is not automatic.
Can you run the confirmation test?: Yes, same day. Come in at the correct interval after treatment.

Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808

3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome

References

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