H. Pylori causing Iron Deficiency

sarasage ♦ July 30, 2020 ♦ Leave a comment

Summary:

Iron deficiency in a 40-year-old male turned out to be due to Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori). After H. Pylori eradication, all symptoms disappeared, and the iron levels became normal.

 After many blood/stool tests, upper GI, and colonoscopy. H. Pylori was diagnosed via a stool sample test and eradicated using a 2 antibiotics regime for 2 weeks. Note stool sample shows an active infection while a blood test can stay positive even after clearance.

Additional details:

The patient complained of headaches, dizziness, and feeling like he was about to pass out. This happened several times, and he was taken to the clinic. The blood tests showed his deficient iron levels (and low Vitamin D). Subsequent doctor visits and lab tests showed no issues with blood in his stool or urine, nor was he positive for any parasites or Celiac disease. There were other tests, such as ultrasound of kidneys, etc.   The doctors finally concluded that this was likely related to his diet. They ordered him to eat high-iron food, stop taking iron supplements 3 months after he started, and for 30 days, go without any iron supplements and test again. He wanted to take the diet factor out before doing more, such as a colonoscopy, to look for any bleeding in the large colon and upper GI.   After stopping the iron supplements, his iron dropped again. Upper GI and colonoscopy showed no issues with his stomach or colon. Doctors decided to look at his small colon. This was when we insisted on an H. Pylori test and, when the results were positive, proceeded with eradication that ultimately led to a cure.

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