Pylera and Diarrhea: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• July 16, 2015

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "This is my fourth time trying to eradicate the bacteria and had never been given Pylera. After reading people's stories, I was horrified to take this medication. Let me tell you, it has been the hardest medication I have ever taken. I had vomiting, diarrhea, and every side effect. I am now on day 10 and could not be any happier. The mind is powerful, so keep positive and finish. I will update if it worked."

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2014

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I completed the 10 days of Pylera on September 18. The first few days were not too bad, though like others think, the sheer number of pills each day is inconvenient and overwhelming---especially when you take other meds as well. On or about the 4th day, things changed. I was able to go to work, but the last 6 days were really hard: explosive diarrhea, headaches, bloat, gas, extreme fatigue, irritability, inexplicable crying bouts, and loss of appetite. I felt a bit better the first few days after the medication was finished, but now one week later, I am still experiencing the side effects! I feel worse than when I started the meds. When does it stop? Please share experiences."

• Anonymous
• April 6, 2010

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I am finishing up my 7th day of the medication. Every website I have read made me extremely nervous about taking this medication. If I can give any advice, eat a full meal before you take the medication! If you don't eat, you will be extremely nauseous and throw up. I hate forcing myself to eat, but if it prevents the nausea, I will do it. You need to eat 4 meals per day. Drink plenty of water all day! The mornings are hard because you do wake up nauseous, but the first thing I do is grab a bottle of water and drink some. I ended up with darkened stool and diarrhea, but other than that everything has been going fine."

• Sai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2020

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I’ve been on Pylera for 10 days. Tonight, I take my last 3 pills. Yes, it’s been so awful. I’m tired, the headaches are awful, and the nausea is horrible. I’ve dealt with H. pylori for the last 14 years. Literally. I’ve taken multiple doses of the PrevPac, but it keeps coming back. I get severe stomach cramps, constant vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and so on with H. pylori. It’s like having an ongoing flu. Worst of all has been the lightheadedness and being dizzy. I hope like anything that after this it gets rid of the H. pylori. I can deal with 10 days of this if it eliminates the H. pylori. It’s tough, but don’t give up. It’s worth it in the end. Yes, I’ve been irritable because the headaches have been so severe. Hopefully, this works."

• hyv...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2021

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Just gotta say to everyone that we all have different experiences and reactions to medicine, the side effects people talk about shouldn’t scare. I followed through with the antibiotic + omeprazole, 12 a day/2 a day each, making sure to stay hydrated and eat very well before each dose, added natural remedies and probiotics onto the mix as well to surround the bacteria like they do in battle. I went through little to no side effects, the only ones I had were dark stools because the bismuth is strong and makes your stool either dark green or absolute black, a bit of cramps here and there on the first days, and that’s totally normal, minimal cramps mean the antibiotic is doing its job. Tons of water kept the nausea away, double the suggested amount. Fatigue wasn’t so prominent, I only felt very sleepy towards the end of the day. Now I don’t have as much gas, no more diarrhea, I feel refreshed and good."

• Mr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2019

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Today is my 10th and final day of taking Pylera (thank goodness). It is very powerful stuff and starts killing bacteria immediately! Unfortunately, the good ones too. The first 3 days or so, I had a lot of diarrhea, dizziness, numbness in my extremities, fatigue, and NO appetite. I was only able to eat fruit smoothies, dairy-free yogurt, and broth soups. As a result, I lost almost 15 lb of weight, and not the good kind. I had to call out of work due to my symptoms and lack of energy. Just be cautious if you take this antibiotic and get lots of rest."

• Rit...
• June 22, 2014

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Horrible experience! First half of treatment was manageable but not pleasant. Day 8 was by far the hardest, with extreme nausea, dizziness, heart flutters, bloat, and the usual diarrhea. For day 9, I battled with the thought of taking the pills for an hour. I felt like I was playing Russian roulette. Sitting here waiting for the agony. Day 10 can't get here soon enough! However, I'm thinking anyone who has undergone chemotherapy must think I'm such a wimp!"

• Man...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 28, 2019

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I was terrified to take this medication after reading about other users' experience. I did experience some of the common side effects, such as headache, fatigue (especially on day 8), some diarrhea, a bitter taste in my mouth, etc., but it was not as bad as described by others. It is critical to eat a full meal prior to taking it and a good snack at bedtime (one time I took it on an empty stomach at night and had bad diarrhea the next morning). Directions call for taking it with 8 oz of water, but I drank more. Having large scheduled meals and drinking a lot of water was challenging, but it seems to help with side effects. Staying away from dairy, red meat, and spicy foods was difficult. My doctor recommended taking probiotic Align for 1 month after finishing the course to restore good bacteria."

• Kel...
• September 17, 2015

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Day six. Watery stools. Loss of appetite. Shaky. Brain fritz. Sunburn. (own fault, should have known better) Food tastes odd. Tired and have nausea. Hope this works. My insides sound like two cats fighting in a burlap bag."

• Pyl...
• September 9, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I'm only on day 2, and I had to call out of work because I've felt nauseous all day. Yesterday I was nauseous, but today is 10x worse. I have chills, loose stools, woke up with a weird taste in my mouth last night, and I'm sick to my stomach. I've barely gotten out of bed all day, and I have no idea how I'm supposed to complete 10 days of this medication. I feel like I've been poisoned, and it's slowly killing me."

• Fir...
• September 23, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I’ve been on Pylera for 6 days now, and when I started, I was so scared because of the reviews, but I’m so glad I did it anyway. I’m a very sensitive person when it comes to medicines and new things, but I surprisingly had little to no side effects. I did have loose stools, but that’s about it. The only real struggle is the fact you have to take 14 pills a day. (Pylera with omeprazole)"

• Ear...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2018

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Last day on Pylera, and I am happy for this to be over. Overall, not bad at all. Diarrhea the first few days, followed by odd-smelling black bowel movements three times a day, every day. Weird taste in my mouth off and on. Today, I will say I am exhausted. I work a physically demanding job outdoors, and of course, the heat was high all week, but I was able to push through it... not bad at all, honestly."

• HPy...
• August 12, 2016

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Picked up a nasty H. pylori strain from a casual blind date, I know I should have gotten to know the person better. Took a while before symptoms showed up. Had a severe upset stomach, occasional diarrhea, nausea, and slow but steady weight loss. Took a long time and several doctors to diagnose my steadily worsening condition. Tried PrevPak first, seemed to work at first, but my infection came back. The new GI then prescribed Pylera after my third endoscopy. Pylera has worked, it's been a year, and I am still H. pylori negative. But it's been brutal and a very hard, long road back to recovery. Had severe side effects from tetracycline (in Pylera), my skeletal bones seemed to have absorbed it. Am still not completely detoxed, steadily improving."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 16, 2018

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I was given Pylera after being diagnosed with H. Pylori. I am a very active and healthy 41-year-old male. I'm 5'7" and 150 lbs. I will tell everyone that this medicine is TOUGH! All the way around. I'm on Day 6 of a 14-day regimen. I constantly have a metallic taste in my mouth, a slight headache, and severe nausea. I started the Pylera Saturday and have thrown up most every day and sometimes multiple times a day. I tried working on the meds, but I find it VERY difficult. I've had to use vacation days while on this medicine. I just physically cannot do it with the extreme fatigue and nausea/vomiting that I'm experiencing. I also have dark stools and diarrhea at times. My urine is also dark. My doctor did call in Zofran 4 mg for nausea on Day 4. The Zofran has helped. But I will say that my girlfriend says that I'm acting more like myself despite the severe side effects. It's like I'm being poisoned, is the best way I personally can describe Pylera. Good luck to all."

• CRZ...
• September 14, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "What an experience . . . By day 3, food was beginning to taste funny, and there was a metallic taste in my mouth. By day 6, my throat hurt, my neck hurt, swallowing was uncomfortable, my urine was darkening, and stools as well. By day 8, hives started, thrush in my mouth, and I had difficulty sleeping, mostly due to the itch of hives. After a couple of days after completion, hives were gone, but I am now almost 6 weeks past my last day of medicine and still have a bit of metallic taste, some foods still do not taste 'right,' and I am experiencing diarrhea on and off. Tough, tough treatment."

• mam...
• March 25, 2015

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I am on my 7th day at Pylera, and so far, everything is good. Yes, I feel a little bit tired, had a few headaches, especially in the mid-frontal head, and I had a metallic taste every morning; however, I've been eating better. I had some diarrhea the first days, and now my stools are better. It is annoying to take 12 pills a day and be on top of schedules. I also take probiotic yogurt, even though my gastroenterologist did not tell me about it. I hope this works."

• Use...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2023

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I want to write my experience with this medicine for the benefit to prevail. I was suffering from a strange pain in my stomach, and I always suffer from heartburn, even in the early morning, without eating anything, let alone the unpleasant gases. I went to a doctor who diagnosed me with Helicobacter pylori. He explained to me that it was better to take this new medication Pylera than the old combinations, the quadruple combination. I decided to take it and literally applied the doctor's instructions. Some of the symptoms I suffered from were heat, black stools. After completing the medication, there was slight diarrhea, but it increased significantly until after two months I did not see stools when going to the toilet. The reason is that the medicine killed all the beneficial bacteria that help the colon form stool, and thus the case is to bring back the beneficial bacteria, and my condition has improved a lot. A difficult medicine, in fact, if you suffer from pain, take it."

• Nev...
• May 31, 2015

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Never take this drug. There are other alternatives. I am on my 6th day, and I have numbness in my hands, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, extreme fatigue, and now I am breaking out in acne all over my body. Talk to your Dr about other alternatives. This is horrible beyond explanation."

• gra...
• March 27, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "It is a hard treatment to do. I don't know yet if it is effective or not. I'm on my 6th day taking this medicine. I'm not able to work. I have a lot of side effects: headaches, dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, black stools, dark urine, etc. I already read the prescription again, and it says: 'Do not have milk or dairy products while you are taking this medicine.' I'll avoid these products, and I hope to feel better."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 25, 2015

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I am on day 8. Finally starting to feel somewhat normal again. This medicine has made me feel horrible. The first few days, I was extremely agitated with crying bouts that are completely abnormal for me. My doctor told me that it's a side effect, but I have seen several people mention the same issue. I still have a general feeling of being anxious and feeling ill. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headaches have all been frequent. Stool is very black. Metallic taste and dry mouth. I can say eating well before each dose and drinking water seems to have helped. I wish my doctor had given me more information, so I was at least prepared. I won't know until 3 months if it works - for my breath test. If it works, I suppose it is worth it."

• Arr...
• December 26, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I was expecting the worst when I read the reviews here. I even threw away my original prescription due to the reviews here. But symptoms (fatigue for the last 4-5 years, lack of appetite, and occasional nausea) were getting too severe to ignore, so I had to bite the bullet and just go for it. As it turns out, this experience wasn’t nearly as bad as the reviews here. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest level of discomfort, I’d give this drug a 4. I had some diarrhea, weakness, and moments of nausea. But I never came close to throwing up. I’m not going to say it was easy, but it wasn’t all that bad either. It wasn't anything remotely close to the nightmare scenarios I saw written here. Maybe I’m just lucky?"

• jae...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 28, 2016

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I am on my 5th day of this drug treatment, and it has been hard. People say don't read the negative reviews before you start the treatment, but for me, it was helpful to know what to expect. The first 2 days were okay. But from day 3, I have been experiencing most of the side effects: nausea, vomiting, loose stools, stomach pain, bitter and sour taste in my mouth, chills, fatigue, foggy head, and bloating. I am sure only some people experience these symptoms, but I wonder if these side effects are, after all, just effects, not side effects. Sort of like going through chemo. For those who start the medication, please make sure to get off work and stay home! 5 more days to go, and I will stick to it."

• koh...
• April 30, 2021

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "What helped me was to be prepared for everything that could go wrong: - I talked to my doctor to prescribe me antifungal medication - I quit eating sugar (completely) - I took strong probiotics 2 times per day (about 15 billion live cultures), at least 2 hours distance from the antibiotics. - I made myself a plan with the hours when I have to eat/take probiotics/take medication. - I planned to start on a Wednesday, so that there is only one weekend in between. You can plan to have it over 2 weekends. Side effects: - The first night was bad, I shivered and had a terrible headache. The next day I got diarrhea and some fever. Took rehydration salts and a lot of mint tea. - Next days it got better, except for the metallic, bitter taste (chewing gum helped a lot), sometimes my tongue got darker and the stool was absolutely weird. For me, it was crucial to know why I need to go through this and to look at antibiotics as allies, not enemies. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor openly."

• umm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2022

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "I finished the 10-day treatment today. I had severe side effects including nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. The worst side effects showed on days 5 to 10. Sometimes, the dizziness and shortness of breath were so strong that I felt I was dying. But every person has a different reaction. I hope the med works because I don't like to take it again."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2017

For Helicobacter Pylori Infection "Currently on my 6th day of the treatment and it's the worst! Bloating, nausea, and diarrhea... can't wait until this nightmare ends. I have not been able to work for 5 days already due to this medication. Once you start the treatment, you can't stop it. For the diarrhea, I was told I cannot take any Imodium, which is worse. Good luck, people. Hope we all can survive this nightmare and move on..."