Two alternative H. pylori natural treatments for the bacterial infection include taking active manuka honey and/or mastic gum.
I’ve taken both and shared below some product background information as well as what has worked for me.
I have not taken them on blind faith or based on manufacturer claims, but have researched them as thoroughly as I can via other doctor’s opinions and scientific journal articles.
I am not one to blindly start taking alternative medicines just because so & so says so, “It works!” I thoroughly research products before I even consider taking them.
I have a science background and so I look for statistically significant proof, typically through peer-reviewed journal articles, behind any product claims or statements of “cures” or the like.
In my previous post about how H. pylori causes ulcers, I discussed a little about what the bacteria is and how the infection it causes is conventionally treated with prescription drugs if you want some additional background information.
Active Manuka Honey
Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) flowers of New Zealand.
Manuka honey was the first item I came across and started taking to eradicate H. pylori. Manuka honey is made from the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) flowers of New Zealand.
But you can’t just take any ol’ manuka honey.
Buy Active Manuka Honey with an UMF rating of at least 10+ or contains at least 100mg/kg of MGO (methylglyoxal).
It has to be Active Manuka Honey with a Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) rating of at least 10+.
The UMF rating means that the honey contains the non-peroxide antibacterial activity from methylglyoxal (MGO) needed to kill H. pylori.
Manuka Honey UMF vs MGO Rating
If you do not see a UMF rating, look for a MGO rating (measures methylglyoxal activity). MGO is a registered trademark used only by the Manuka Health New Zealand brand.
I’ve seen arguments for both sides of which measurement, UMF vs MGO, is more accurate. The general minimal recommendation for getting any anti-bacterial therapeutic benefits is to purchase active manuka honey with a UMF rating of 10+ or an MGO rating of 100.
An Explanation of the Manuka Honey MGO Rating
And note that some companies may state a rating on their label simply 16+, but if you cannot find any statement saying that it is tested, graded and certified by a lab to have that rating, don’t buy it. Just cause they stick it on the label, doesn’t mean it’s true.
What The UMF, MGO, NPA, or Active Ratings on Manuka Honey Means
When I took manuka honey everyday consistently for several weeks, I did see improvement.
Consistently meant taking a teaspoonful 20 minutes before every meal. But then I would get lazy when I started feeling better. And I could go for a month or two without any symptoms – for the first time in a long time which I never could when I was on the prescription acid-reducer (Aciphex), but then I would need to go back on it.
I’m not a real big honey fan, especially not taking a big spoonful of it and sometimes it was inconvenient to always have the honey with me before eating a meal, especially when traveling. The honey is a little expensive as well since it is made only in New Zealand from Manuka bush flowers which only flower 2-6 weeks annually. So I started to look for other alternatives. Here is a study from the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine with results of manuka honey killing H. pylori bacteria. There have been numerous others since then.
Mastic Gum
Mastic shrub, Pistacia lentiscus from which the mastic gum resin is extracted.
Mastic Gum is a resinous exudate obtained from the stem and the main leaves of the mastic shrub (Pistacia lentiscus) found in Greece. Research shows that it inhibits growth of H. pylori and acts as antibiotic. This became my best choice for treatment, based on supporting scientific research and for ease of use.
I took a total of 1,000 mg (1g) Mastic Gum daily, divided into 2 doses: one 500 mg capsule in the morning before breakfast and another 500 mg capsule in the evening before bed for 2 months.
You can buy mastic gum as a chewing gum, but it is also available in capsules which I prefer since there are not a lot of additives and I know I am just getting pure mastic gum.
I prefer to take mastic gum in a 500 mg capsule.
Studies have shown negative stool tests from patients on a treatment for as little as two weeks, but recommended dosage is usually a minimum of 30 days.
For prevention, I take mastic gum every six months for 30 days. For the prevention 30-day dosage period, I will take one 500 mg capsule in the morning before breakfast.
I have used NutriCology Mastic Gum and Jarrow Formulas Matic Gum which both contain 500 mg of Pistacia lentiscus resin per capsule.
Now you may want to read our next article which includes a list and description of other natural treatments and products I take for maintaining healthy digestion and prevention of future H. pylori infections: More H. Pylori Natural Remedies
Note: This article is not written to advise people to treat themselves. It is for informative interest only. This post is not for people who do not know for sure if they have a Helicobacter pylori infection. If you suspect you may be infected with H. pylori, you need to confirm it with either a urea breath, blood antibody or stool antigen test through your doctor for a positive diagnosis. Always consult a doctor before starting any treatment regime.
hi, thanks for sharing this information.
i have mastic in lumps. should i take 1 gm/day in 2 doses, just as with the pills. also, how should i take it? just swallow the lump? pound it and mix the powder with water? or some other way?
thanks for your time.
Joy – I don’t know exactly what product you have, so first I would say follow the directions on the package, if any. If not, then I would divide it into 2 daily does of 500 mg each as the research suggests. Some will grind the mastic pieces up and fill empty gelatin capsules. I personally would have a hard time swallowing a lump just as is, so I don’t know about that. And whether it would dissolve in water so you could drink it as a solution, I’m not sure. It is very resinous. Although I know a traditional Greek drink, soumatha, is made with mastic, almond milk and water so maybe dissolving ground mastic gum in water would not a problem.
Can I take Manuka Honey and Mastic Gum (1000 mg in the morning, 1000 mg at night)?
Together?
Thanks
Gabriela – I took a total of 1,000 mg of mastic gum daily divided into two does, 500 mg before breakfast and 500 mg before bed on an empty stomach. Since it is suggested to take the mastic gum and manuka honey on an empty stomach, I took them at different times.
But it is safe to take together, correct?
Can manuka honey and mastic gum affect your period cycle? I have been taking 2000 mg a day mastic gum and 400 mgo manuka honey at night for a week now. And I’m late on my period?
Please advise
Stephanie – There is no specific evidence that either manuka honey or mastic gum can affect your menstrual cycle. There are natural supplements that can affect your hormones and, therefore, your cycle, like black cohosh, chasteberry, soy flavenoids, evening primrose, etc.. but I’m not aware of such effects from manuka honey or mastic gum – not to say it’s 100% impossible that they cannot. Many factors can cause irregular periods such as stress, travel, excessive weight gain/weight loss, PCOS, thyroid disorders, over-exercising, etc.. More reasons listed here.
Wonderful website… For knowledge on fighting H.pylori!!
Just finished antibotics 8/16/2016…
My GI said he will do a breath test in 2 months…
What protocol can I do now to make sure this bacteria is gone?
I do take probiotics …. Does mastic gum kill off the good bacteria?
You can read this article (page you are on regarding Manuka Honey & Mastic Gum) or this one, more H. pylori remedies for possible treatments. There is no particular set protocol as everyone is different. The clinical studies have only demonstrated Mastic Gum’s antibacterial properties against H. pylori. Taking mastic gum is not like taking a prescription antibiotic that indiscriminately kills both bad and good bacteria. But taking probiotics will certainly help maintain and possibly improve the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
I’m seeking comfort … I just got done with my H.pylori Antibiotics 8/18… I was hoping that my stomach would magically get better and I wouldn’t feel so Terrible still!
I had a wonderful day yesterday w/my stomach not being all over the place! I also have minimal gastritis ….
I feel when my stomach acts out that it effects my moods…and I feel really anxious …
I can’t eat or drink something without feeling bad… Almost like it shocks my stomach!!
Could I still have the bacteria? 2 months will be a long time to wait for a breath test feeling this way?!
Please offer any kind of help…
Sane here I now use ginger root capsules and slippery elm to help with the aftermath of h pylori. I also read marshmallow root good
Hi,
I’m not a big honey fan at all. Can I put the Manuka honey in hot tea?
Dee – I don’t know how the heat would affect the antibacterial properties of the honey against H. pylori, although the Wedderspoon brand says this about their Manuka Honey:
My breath test came back positive a few weeks ago but my stool test came back nagitive… a couple of days ago….
Which is more reliable?
The stool antigen (HpSA) test is the most reliable for H. pylori.
I used 1000mg (mastic gum) in the morning, and 1000mg in the evening. The best result!
Hi 🙂
Thanks for sharing your findings. I’m interested in trying the manuka honey to treat h. pylori. I’ll be getting the UMF 18+, how long should i take it for? And what dose do you suggest?
Thanks a lot!
Hamada – One study had patients take four teaspoons of honey four times a day with food, one hour before a meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and just before going to bed. How long to take it for? Some suggest taking it for 2-4 months for complete eradication. You may feel better before then, but as with conventional prescription antibiotics, if you don’t consistently take the honey for the entire time, some bacteria may remain and your symptoms can return.
Hi,
Do I take honey and gum at the same time since both need to be taken on empty stomach before meals? Thanks 🙂
Anna – If you wanted to take both manuka honey and mastic gum, I assume it would be fine to take them at the same time. The suggested mastic gum dosage is twice a day, once before breakfast and once before bedtime. So the before breakfast dosage would overlap with the honey dosage. But I have never taken both at the same time and have not found any information regarding the pros or cons of doing so. I wouldn’t expect it to be a problem combining them, but I cannot say for sure.
You should have taken higher MGO/UMF grade, as 100+/10+ is the lowest active grade and it’s recommended mostly for minor colds.
H. pylori is sometimes extremely resistant to antibiotics and there are cases in which no combination of antibiotics works.
For those people, it is recommended the MGO 550+ or UMF 25+ which is the highest grade and the most potent Manuka honey (also the most expensive, unfortunately).
That’s what I’ve read online, according to multiple studies and first hand accounts from people who tried. I hope it helps someone to heal.
Lexus – Yes, I agree if you have a particularly stubborn case of an H. pylori infection, especially one that didn’t respond to a triple or quad therapy (antibiotics combined with other drugs), then you should try a stronger MGO/UMF Manuka Honey. I did in fact use UMF 25+ Manuka Honey for my own treatment. The MGO 100+ and UMF 10+ are the minimum ratings that have been shown to eradicate H. pylori. If one is not concerned with price, then they should purchase a stronger honey from the start.
Hi, after taking mastic gum did you test negative for H.pylori or did you assume you don’t have the bacteria because your symptoms disappeared. I am nursing my 3 month old and have recently found that I have H. Pylori. I would prefer to not take antibiotics. Would it be safe to do the 30 day mastic gum therapy while nursing? Are there any side affects from eating mastic gum. Thank you.
Saroj – I did not get a test for H. pylori after my symptoms went away. Unfortunately, I cannot find any study that says whether it is safe or not to take mastic gum while nursing. Web MD states this about using mastic gum while breastfeeding:
Of course you can ask your doctor if it would be safe, but my guess he/she would say no because very few herbs and their effects have been studied on breastfeeding infants. If you have a trained herbalist in your area, they may be able to give you more information about its safety. Just FYI, here is a list of herbs to avoid while nursing.
I’m experiencing symptoms of H. Pylori, but a recent blood test came back negative for the infection. I’m so stumped about the cause of my horrific halitosis and acid reflux. I literally have the worst case of bad breath which can full up an entire room, smells like ammonia. It’s has me so depressed I asked my doctor to put me out of work until next week. I have no clue what to do, so completely lost. Please help me, tell me what do you recommend? Also what brand of the Manuka Honey did you use and how much does it cost?
Leigh – What did your doctor recommend as a method to reduce your acid reflux since your H. pylori test was negative?
Hello,
Just to echo Leigh here, I’m having similar issues:
-Abdominal pain
-Heart burn or pain
-Constipation
-Lot of Gas production in intestines
-Horrid bad breath
-Weight Loss
Which all indicates person should be having HP. In fact I have had HP a year and half ago, I also went through lots of treatments but above mentioned symptoms never gone. Recently I did stool antigen test for HP which came negative so wondering how these symptoms are sticking with me still. Can u please research further and tell me how I can get rid of it. As I am feeling hopeless and helpless now.
Thanks, KP
KushP – What kind of treatments did you go through? It is possible to have a false-negative result from a stool antigen test for H. pylori if you were taking any medications (antibiotics, proton-pump inhibtors such as Prilosec, Prevacid, etc., and bismuth such as Pepto-Bismul) within the 2 weeks prior to stool collection.
Do blood vs. stool test. My blood test #1 was positive. Doctor ordered a stool test. It came back negative. Doc said “must have been a false-positive so don’t worry.” Now 7 mos later, blood test #2 shows ‘elevated h.pylori (4.1’)! Lesson: Consider the location of the stomach relative to the lower colon where elimination happens and all things in between. So a) why trust a stool test here & b) challenge doctors opinions.
Thank you for reply. Now my diagnosis is Pancreatic Insufficiency. Is this in anyway related to H.P.? Elaine
There has been some evidence that H. pylori can affect the pancreas, but more studies are needed to evaluate any direct correlations.
I have H.Pylori Infection and I am currently taking antibiotics . Whether I can take honey and antibiotics at same time?
Irfan – I am not aware of any issues regarding taking manuka honey and antibiotics at the same time, but I recommend you consult with your doctor first.
I have h.pylori and i have took the quad treatment twice and still have h.pylori…
I would love to try the honey which one would you recommend? Also what dosage and for how long?
Thanks in advance!
Meka – Buy Active Manuka Honey with an UMF rating of at least 10+ or contains at least 100mg/kg of MGO (methylglyoxal). This Manuka Honey fits that criteria. Take a teaspoon 20 minutes before every meal on a small piece of bread, cracker or something similar for 2-4 months. You may feel better much sooner than that but to completely eradicate the bacteria, you will need to take it for several months.
THANK YOU..!!!!!…
I’m allergic to wheat…Is there another way I can take it?
Your welcome, Meka. And you can take it with any wheat-free/gluten-free food you like.
You recommended 10+ Honey I got it today…..
Just a quick question is it going to be strong enough??.. Being that I took the quad treatment twice and this nasty bacteria is still here…!!…
Meka – The 10+ should be fine. Studies have shown that it is strong enough to kill the bacteria, but there are no guarantees since everyone is different. Just like the quad treatment works for some people, but in your case it did not. The same goes for the honey. Just remember to take it consistently for at least 2 months, some recommend four months.
Hello, can I take synthroid along with manuka honey 16+ and mastic gum at the same time in the morning? Also what is the dosage for the honey? This is to eradicate H. Pylori.
Thank you in advance.
Sally – There is no data I know of regarding the interaction of taking Synthroid with manuka honey and/or mastic gum. I would recommend you ask your doctor first. If you are able to take the honey, one common dosage recommendation is to take one teaspoonful 20 minutes before every meal on a small piece (1-2 inches) of food like bread, cracker, banana, apple or any food you prefer for 2-4 months. You may feel better much sooner than that but to completely eradicate the bacteria, you will need to take it for several months.
Hello, I am having problems of stomach pain (upper abdomen) and burping especially after meals, that leads to so much discomfort and sometime a lump-like feeling in my throat. I am having this problem since last year, October. Recently in August I had an endoscopy and was found positive for h.pylori and antral gastritis. I have completed my first triple therapy dose but no signs of relief is there. I lost my job because of this continuous problem. Currently I am on sompraz and normaxin medicine but I do not have any relief yet. Should I go for mastic and manuka honey? I ask my doctor for this but he didn’t allow me to take it. What should I do and should I also go for another test for h. pylori…. pls help.
Kam – What does your doctor suggest since the first triple therapy didn’t work? He does not want you to take mastic gum or manuka honey (not surprising), but does he offer you any alternatives? Or is he/she telling you to take the Sompraz and Normaxin for awhile and see if it helps? How long have you been taking those medications? It is possible to get false negatives for the h. pylori test, so yes, you could take another test, but you need to be off any medications before taking another.
I am taking these acids suppressing pills since last year and currently taking sompraz and normaxin since last two or three months after my triple therapy doses are finished but I want a permanent relief from this problem, one doctor also said that ur problem has nothing to do with hpylori. I dont know should I go with these mastic gum or not, as I have read so many positive reviews for it, plz help
And I dont understand y d doctr is not going for quad therapy, rather than these acid suppressing pills
Kam – The doctor that says your problem has nothing to do with H. pylori – what does he think is the source of your stomach pain? If your stomach problem is not caused by the bacteria (which perhaps is why your test is negative), then Manuka honey and/or mastic gum may not be the best choice for you. In general, they are both good for maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal system and for specifically eradicating the H. pylori bacterium, but if you have other stomach problems, they may need to be treated by other methods.
Hey there, just a question regarding the mastic gum and Manuka honey regimen. I am a young man (19 years old) and for the past 3-4 years I’ve had several GI issues including bloating, acid reflux, burping/belching, loose stools etc. I went to the doctor and tested negative for H.pylori, he said it was just IBS.. Didn’t really help me much, so I am kind of at a loss here and sick of feeling this way, just wondering if it’s okay to take these two natural remedies for a couple of months as recommended as a way to help with these symptoms even if I don’t have h.pylori and if it would be safe to take if you do not have h.pylori, Thanks for your time.
Cristian – Like other herbal supplements, taking Manuka honey and/or mastic gum may cause adverse interactions with prescription and OTC medications or may inhibit or increase the effects of some drugs. So if you are taking any medications, consult with your physician first before taking either. With that said, both Manuka honey and mastic gum are used for general digestive health (not just for H. pylori treatment) so I would assume it could help with your IBS, but there are no absolutes. There has been a study (pdf), however, that demonstrated regular use of Manuka honey can help alleviate IBS and ulcerative colitis symptoms.
Hello , regarding your reply….. “Kam – The doctor that says your problem has nothing to do with H. pylori – what does he think is the source of your stomach pain? If your stomach problem is not caused by the bacteria (which perhaps is why your test is negative),”…Here i just want to mention that my test for h.pylori was positive at the time of my endoscopy is done and also antral gastritis was found . Anyway right now i’m taking one tab of sompraz in morning and one tab normaxin in night before meal since last 15 or 20 days (one month course) as suggested by doctor….So here i just wanna know that should i go for another stool antigen test for h.pylori . whether this bug is eradicated or not?
Kam – So it has been a few months since you completed the triple dose therapy, correct? Since you have not had any relief from your symptoms, I’m guessing it wouldn’t hurt to take another stool antigen test. This way if you test negative after originally testing positive, then you would know that it is not H. pylori causing your gastritis. In regards to the antigen test, it is important to note that:
So should I wait for 2 or 4 weeks (after the medication course) before this antigen stool test?
Kam- If it has been more than 4 weeks since your initial triple therapy, then you would only need to wait 2 weeks after stopping any other medications before taking the stool antigen test. You will need to ask your doctor, however, since these are general guidelines and your case may be different.
Good day, I have had this bacteria for the past months, I am not even sure for how long…Currently I am on antibiotics treatment (Amoxycillin Trihydrate 500mg and Clarithromycin 500mg), tomorrow morning is my last dose.
Since yesterday I am taking Manuka honey 22. In your reply to Kam you cited the following “False-negative results may be obtained on specimens from patients who have ingested selected medications (antimicrobials, proton pump inhibitors, bismuth preparations) within the 2 weeks prior to specimen collection.”.
I wonder if Manuka honey is considered as anitmicrobial remedy. I was planning to take another test for H.pylori, but I am not sure how to proceed. I started taking the honey as I read so much about its positive impact on the treatment, but taking into account the above, I am not sure if I should stop taking any natural remedy and only then, after 2 weeks repeat the blood test. I would greatly appreciate your help. Have a good day
Yes, I would stop taking manuka honey for 2 weeks before taking the blood test.
Hi! Is there any difference between the nutricology brand and the Jarrow brand. I have been on the Jarrow brand for 2 months now. Thought I would try the Nutricology one since its vegetarian etc. Do you think it is okay to make the shift? After starting with Mastic Gum (I have had Pylori for 2 years now) I definitely feel better! Let me know about your experience with Nutricology.
Tora – I have taken both the Jarrow and the Nutricology brands of Mastic Gum and they both worked for me, I couldn’t tell any difference. If you prefer one over the other (i.e., vegetarian capsules), I don’t see any reason not to try them out. Glad you’re feeling better! 🙂
Hi! I am H.pylori positive after medication of clarithromycine and metronidazole and lansoprazole (Prevacid) used for 14 days and after one month I did a stool antigen test and it’s still positive.
Please I want to use herbal mediation like mastic gum so what is the procedure?
Shall I take week 1: 1 g mastic gum before breakfast for week
Week 2: 2 g mastic gum before breakfast and before lunch divided by two doses
Week 3: 3 g mastic gum before breakfast and before lunch and before dinner divided by three doses
And shall I used pure mastic gum swallowed with water or ? and can i also use a proton inhibitor like esomeprazole (Nexium) with mastic gum to get quick recovery? So please guide me.
Taifkhan – Since you went through the triple therapy, you may want to consider taking another stool antigen test because sometimes there are false positives.
If you want to take mastic gum, the recommendation from studies suggest taking a total of 1 gram (1,000 mg) daily for a minimum of 2 weeks. Where did you find the dosage information that you referred to – increasing it to 3 grams?
Yes, you can use pure mastic gum, instead of capsules, if you prefer. You can grind the resinous pieces into a powder and then swallow with water.
There are no clinical references as to whether taking esomeprazole (Nexium) in combination to mastic gum will speed-up eradication of H. pylori, nor if there are any adverse side effects when taken together so I cannot say whether or not you should take it or not. Were you taking any other over-the-counter drugs in addition to the 3 drugs you mentioned while being treated?
My GP gave me a blood test which came back negative, my gastroenterologist had me do a Breath Test which came back positive. Which is more accurate? He gave me a triple dose of antibiotics, with no relief. Have you ever heard of taking Manuka honey along with probiotics? Should I just take the honey or take honey and the gum?
Gilda – The urea breath test can have inconsistent results. The blood test is a little better, especially for negative results, but the stool antigen test (HPSA test) has been shown to be the most reliable. However, it cannot be taken if you are on any antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, or peptol bismol medications. You have to wait at least 2 weeks to take the HSPA test or else a false-negative result may occur.
I am not aware of any reason why Manuka honey cannot be taken with probiotics. I have taken both the Manuka honey and mastic gum with good results, but it’s up to you. Some people do well with just the Manuka honey while others have success with mastic gum.
Hi all like most of you I have the same symptoms and have had triple treatment, but nothing has worked. I’m now trying mastika and honey – fingers crossed. It’s a bit ironic that I have H Pylori, as I’m a nutritionist and teach food safety! For you guys that have symptoms but tested negative, you may have a yeast infection or eat too much processed carbs and sugar. I suggest cutting out sugar and reducing carbs for 30 days and try a Vit C supplement
Claire – Hope the mastika and honey combo works for you. Let us know how it goes. And good suggestion for those testing negative, but still having symptoms. Candida yeast infections can cause gastrointestinal symptoms similar to H. pylori such as heartburn, gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea, cramps, nausea, gastritis, colitis, etc.
Claire Bear – Im wondering how you got on with taking mastika and honey to help with H Pylori? Im just about to start both as Ive had an allergic reaction to the Triple Therapy and have researched alternatives to self help. Ive changed diet completely to cut out sugar and reduce wheat and dairy.
Since I have antibodies for h pylori and failed to finish a round of quad therapy due to it being intolerable, I am using mastic gum, triphala, cat’s claw, coconut oil, GSE, lemongrass oil, going gluten and dairy free. So far so good. Since I took peptobismol on the quad therapy I read on a medical site that in order to have a valid stool test I need to wait four weeks. Hopefully, I will report success.
Elle – Hope all goes well. You have an interesting alternative treatment plan. Let us know how it works out!
My 4 almost 5 year old daughter was just diagnosed with h pylori. The pediatrician also wants to test my 2 year old son who is not eating well and well both children put things in their mouths! They also said my husband and I should be test as we both also have some GI symptoms. I prefer a more natural approach to things and decided I would just put the entire family on a holistic regiment! My question: would I dose my daughter :37lbs and son:25lbs the same as my husband and I? Asking their pediatrician would be of no use! I’ve asked about more holistic treatments and lifestyle before and was SHUT DOWN!! Can’t change dr because of insurance ;)!
Concerned Momma – I would not assume to dose your children the same as adults. However, I haven’t yet found any specifics for suggested holistic dosages for children. Also, children may not tolerate certain alternative treatments like adults. For example, regardless of dosage, a study determined that children ingesting mastic gum may develop diarrhea (Ford R, et al. Mastic absolute. Food Chem Toxicol . 1992;30(suppl):71S-72S). Depending on which alternative treatments you want to try i.e., manuka honey, mastic gum, DGL, etc., I would ask the manufacturer directly for a suggested dosage for your children. And yes, I doubt you’ll ever find a conventional doctor prescribe you anything but conventional drugs.
Can I ask how this went? I was recently tested positive for h pylori and I have 2 children that I have been giving kisses to frequently of course! I am now worried they have it? Should I test them without any symptoms?
This makes me sad as I am going through all of this misery and I have a 5 year old and 2 year old! 🙁 How did this turn out for you!? Did you get rid of the nasty bug for them? Did your two year old test positive?
Hi, is it ok to use the honey and the gum without a diagnosis h pylori? I have really bad breath that I believe is caused from h pylori – I haven’t gotten tested yet. I have tried everything to alleviate the bad breath but nothing seems to work. Also, will they work while I’m currently on antibiotics (just had some teeth pulled)? Thanks!
Manuka honey and mastic gum is relatively safe to use, but I cannot say whether it is definitely safe for you to use. Each person must use precaution when using any treatment, herbal or otherwise. And without a definite diagnosis you won’t know for sure whether you are treating H. pylori or not. You can always try the suggested dosages and monitor yourself to see whether it improves you bad breath or not. There is no data as to whether prescription antibiotics will affect the manuka honey or mastic gum efficacy.
HI, can someone please tell me what is the name of this MASTIC GUM in Spanish? how is it named in Mexico? (if also some store that sells it in Mexico, great) Thanks in advance
Gilberto – Look for Pistacia lentiscus which is the scientific name of the Mastic shrub from which the mastic resin or “gum” is derived from. The scientific name doesn’t change and should be listed as an ingredient, no matter what country it is sold in.
My stool test was negative, but once the PCP heard that I used alternative medicine he said “You probably didn’t have it in the first place.” It is very disconcerting to have been treated with harsh antibiotics, which made me so violently sick that I went to the ER after only 4 days on them, based on a positive blood antigen test.
Since I was still having a bowel issue the PCP wanted me to have an endoscopy and colonoscopy, but I am delaying. Once I added malic acid to my diet, it opened up the bile duct normalizing my stool.
Omg! This DARN auto correct made me sound so illiterate lol…. I’m going to try this again. Doc put me on 5mg percocet for back pain after a fall. I don’t plan on staying on it long and I don’t take it every day, but I DO take my mastic and manuka everyday. Is there any interactions that you know of between the two?
Sorry, Niccol. I am not aware of any interactions between Mastic Gum and Percocet. Unfortunately, according to Drugs.com it says:
HH – Thank you for the information. I have been suffering from this illness for many a year now and I just can’t take it any more. Nothing from the medical world has cured me long term, the meds can be worse than the illness. I’ve been ER’d once and hospitalized another time to no avail.
On 7.9.2015 local clinic prescribed a battery of three different Rx’s – local Wal Greens pharmacy has quoted me, for all three, with all discounts applied..$335.00. Funny thing is as I’m taking the paper prescription from the Dr. she says “the treatment doesn’t always work the first time” – say what?! “We might need to try again…or maybe even super strong antibiotics.” been there done that no thank you. I’ll jump first, really!
I am all in on the Mastic Gum, the logistics of the honey just will not work. Ordered through our friends at Amazon.com. $17.95 way kool
I’ll update my status as I go.
Thank you
/gHr
Guy – Sorry you have been suffering with H. pylori for so long. Sounds like you are experiencing what many others have from using conventional treatments. I’m sure you have been prescribed all the usual meds – antibiotics, PPIs, acid-reducers, etc.. Was the $335 for similar-type drugs or for some other kinds of meds? Crazy expensive either way. Hope the Mastic Gum helps. We look forward to your updates.
Took all tests breath, stool, colonoscopy, was pre-medicated. Before tests docs still not sure want me to go for another stool test. I was very sick from antibiotics thought I was going to go to the hospital. I will take stool test but no more antibiotics. I started with mastic gum and 100 percent Manuka Honey – it was Kfactor 16. I hope it’s the right strength. Please let me know. Fran
Fran – KFactor is a proprietary “multi-stage authentication system” used by Wedderspoon’s brand of Manuka Honey. Currently, the first-stage indicates pollen grain amount. KFactor 16 guarantees at least 75% Manuka pollen grains in the honey. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us what the MGO (methylglyoxal activity) rating is, which is the antibacterial property that kills H. pylori. Wedderspoon states on their website that methylglyoxal will be identified in the “second phase” of KFactor, which is not currently available. I have contacted them to see if they can provide an equivalent MGO rating to the KFactor 16. I will let you know when (if) they respond.
Hi, I am from Mumbai, India. I am really tired of searching for real manuka honey online, kindly suggest me what was the brand you used for your treatment and also from where have purchased it?
As you say you have got good results. Even I want my problem (stomach problem with full symptoms of h.pylori) to be solved soon. Awaiting your reply. Thank you.
Majid – I have purchased UMF or MGO-rated Manuka Honey online from various brands and sources, including Amazon. However, I see that the Indian Amazon store has far fewer choices for manuka honey – I did not see one with either rating. I have purchased from Summer Glow Apiaries, which is based in New Zealand – where the Manuka bush grows, but they are somewhat expensive and I am not sure they will ship to India.
I’ve tested negative for h pylori via stool test. I think it might be Candida overgrowth because I can’t rid my oral thrush, excessive gas, skin rashes that look like ringworms, and worst, fart breath! I’ve tried so many supplements and practically became vegan, cut out sugars and yeast, but no luck! Any suggestions?
Daniel – Since this post is regarding H. pylori and you have tested negative, I’m not sure I can offer you any suggestions. What has your Doctor advised?
Doctor says my bb is from my mouth and to see dentist, but dentist says my mouth is fine. I don’t think conventional doctors here are really knowledgeable when it comes to this and it’s more of a guessing game along with antibiotics that I don’t want to take. I ended up buying some Manuka honey today. I hope it works, I’m at my wits end. I’ve heard of people saying it works for bb, but then again it depends on the source. I really think the link between oral thrush that won’t go away and skin rashes that came out of nowhere and now come and go have a contributing factor. I know my oral hygiene is great.
Ever since I got h pylori, my teeth have been getting much more plaque especially at bottom front near saliva glands…lack of saliva/excessive dry mouth.
My dentist tells me it will rot my teeth, but dentists don’t know it all. My GI doc said some GI issues can give you bad breath. I had it for years from other GI problems.
Talking a lot made it worse. Brushing the roof of mouth & tongue helped a little which I find also helps some stomach discomfort in the morning…almost kicks that gag reflex in, and maybe that is what helps my stomach? Or maybe its the mint or just getting the junk off the mouth and gargling for at least a minute helps too.
Hi all
I have had HP for 10 years! I tried to cure through diet and herbs, but had to take antibiotics.
The antibiotics make your gut unbalanced, so don’t take expensive honey. As it feeds the yeast.
Mastic gum is great, but you must take it for at least a month, then take it again for a month if you get symptoms again.
It can take 3 months for your gut to rebalance after antibiotics. A low sugar, low carb diet high in veggies (low in fruit) will help.
A PROBIOTIC will help with lose stools.
I thought I was going to be ill forever, but thankfully the mastic gum has helped me and I’m 90% well 🙂
Hello, I am HIV positive and I have had HPylori for 4 times. I am on my fourth round of antibiotic. I eat every healthy. Raw veggies daily, I even juice veggies daily. Question: should I stop the raw veggies because I have read that the h pylori can hide on the leaves of raw veggies. Should I cook all of my food to hear the pylori and kill the bacteria? I’m confused. Thanks for your help.
Bob
Bob – The only studies I have read concerning the transmission of H. pylori via raw vegetables is in countries where unsanitary conditions existed, i.e., irrigating crops with water contaminated by raw sewage. That doesn’t mean it is impossible for H. pylori to be on raw vegetables here in the U.S., but it’s not as common as in other countries. Also, I would guess the possibility of raw vegetables having H. pylori present would be higher if they were exposed and being handled more often by people in the stores. For example, tomatoes that customers pick over vs. a sealed bag of carrots. If you want to be 100% sure, then yes, you would have to cook your vegetables.
Hello, would the honey and gum be able to be taken along with probiotics?
Gus – Yes, you can take probiotics along with manuka honey and mastic gum.
What foods are safe to eat? I am having a hard time finding what to eat that wont upset my stomach.
Gus – In general, you want to eat a well-balanced diet. Foods to avoid would be caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic drinks; highly acidic and spicy foods as well as high-fat and fried foods. Also, reduce your intake of sugar and refined foods.
Thank you for your advise. My mastic gum and honey arrived so I will start the treatment right away.
Hello, I have about 2 months taking the Manuka honey with the mastic gum and i feel about 90%. I still have some symptoms …some gas, little nausea a few days…nothing major …should I continue with the Manuka honey and gum?
Agustin – If you are still having symptoms, then the bacteria is not completely eradicated. General dosage is for 2-4 months. If you feel that the Manuka honey is helping, then continue taking it until you feel 100%. It is advised, as with conventional antibiotics, to continue taking the honey even after you are feeling better to make sure the H. pylori is completely gone.
Agustin – If you are still having symptoms, then the bacteria is not completely eradicated. General dosage is for 2-4 months. If you feel that the Manuka honey and mastic gum is helping, then continue taking them until you feel 100%. It is advised, as with conventional antibiotics, to continue taking the honey and gum even after you are feeling better to make sure the H. pylori is completely gone.
Was also wondering if i should add DGL to the gum and honey.
Agustin – DGL won’t hurt. It may speed up the process, but there’s no way to know for sure.
Thank you so much for your help. I feeling much better. Hopefully i will be 100% in a few more weeks.
Acid reflux and a hiatus hernia. Eat breakfast at 8am, lunch at 1pm. No food after 2pm as the food comes up at night and I have bad attacks. And a serious throat burn and could choke. Took mastic gum for two months with no relief at all. Cannot find manuka honey. Any advice, S
Shirley – Were you tested for H. pylori? What dose of mastic gum did you take daily? Do you take any OTC or prescription drugs for your acid reflux?
Having a hiatus hernia complicates things since it it a physical abnormality. With the upper part of your stomach bulging (the hernia) up through the diaphragm, it allows food and acid to back up into your esophagus, causing the heartburn. Sometimes the only way to prevent that, without having surgery, is to alter how and what you eat, which you said you already are doing. This article discusses how manuka honey and mastic gum can treat an H. pylori infection which causes stomach ulcers. Not sure if it can help treat your cause of acid reflux. What does you physician offer as treatment?
Shirley – I have been receiving treatments from an osteopath for hiatus hernia and acid reflux with the burning throat- have seen great improvement. I really recommend seeing a good osteopath as well as taking the mastic gum and manuka honey. Good luck
I have a question. I was h pylori positive for 3 times. Tired of antibiotics. Now I take monolaurin, black cumin seed oil., mastic gum, Manuka honey, zinc. Does h pylori cause a acid reflux?? I feel coughing after eating a food. Do you think it’s because of h pylori? Or is there any other problem.
Thanks
Guru – There is some controversy over whether or not H. pylori causes acid reflux or GERD, in general. Some studies even say that if one has problems with acid reflux that an H. pylori infection can actually decrease the serverity of GERD symptoms since the pylori bacteria actually reduces stomach acid. But you may have problems with acid reflux that is independent of your H. pylori infection.
I am feeling better with this treatment. My doctor told me that h pylori causes gastric problems and reflux. Do you know what’s the reason of coughing after eating food. Doctor said it’s because of h. pylori. My other tests were normal and no Hiatus hernia.
Guru – The coughing may be due to your reflux which can irritate the throat. Did you ask your doctor about the coughing?
Hello there, I have tested positive for H pylori in China while traveling here for my studies, I understand the pain that each one of you have been through because this illness is so terrible, It didn’t let me focus on my studies nor enjoying my stay here, I took my antibiotics and felt a bit better at least I didn’t have my constipation as before; heaviness on my chest; heartburn!! But I still have acid reflux without heartburn so I started taking manuka honey +30 for 1 week now and I already feel better! I hope I can be free of my symptoms 100% very soon, thank you for sharing your story, I pray that everybody will be healed!
Hello , I also tested positive for H pylori. In Aug 2015 I took my triple antibiotics for 10 days. 4 weeks later antigen stool result negative. But I still have the symptoms – stomach pain, heartburn, gas, and nausea. The past week I feel so sick and tired. I took Manuka honey right after my triple antibiotics. Does the honey make a false result since I was on it during the time I was having the hpylori antigen stool test? I’m lost. Doc refused to retest. But I’m getting more sick. Thank you!
Mike – It could be possible to have a false-negative result from a stool antigen test for H. pylori if you were taking the Manuka honey within the 2 weeks prior to stool collection. It’s also possible to receive false-negatives results regardless. You could be retested to make sure. If your current doctor refuses, try another.
O.k. here I go. I bought Manuka MGO 400+ and the Mastic Gum February 22, 2016. Let’s see how it goes.
I had symptoms of H. Pylori and tested positive from colonoscopy over a year ago and my life has been a living hell since then. At 52, I have had a life of Gastro issues, but I knew the bloating and other symptoms were unusual. Somehow either the wicked antibiotics I took or constipation that maybe came from nausea meds sent me into a spiral of hell on earth.
A rectal fissure abscess formed and I had to have emergency surgery. The pain was crippling and I thought I was dying. It took over 9 months of healing. I could not work, walk, eat well, travel, barely get out of bed, go the the bathroom without a bullet to bite on & now a bidet to have to use..during which every horrible gastro problem you can think of happened. with no one to help me, it was murder…
To heck with the meds…I find no hope other than excepting my lot in life of a sudden invalid. I was as limber and athletic as a gymnast and active as the EverReady Bunny… now I need physical therapy because my back and muscles are so weak and crooked from bed recovery. I had to just about give up my leadership role at church with a mission humanitarian group… which is the hardest part… and my dog and my home are being neglected…and forget any love life…at times I can’t even bathe myself or comb my hair. I have every test it seems, so it appears to be all from the H. Pylori effects.
I am an active clean freak with many other irons on the fire so I sure pray this remedy helps. my love for great eating I changed also to bland chicken and fish….I thought I was doing okay for a while and then symptoms come back with a vengeance . each time the symptoms reappear, I get weaker and weaker and I seem to get further away from how I was a couple years ago.
I have new doctors and they just don’t get that this is not me! I feel like a heroin addict or something…when the pain & nausea is still not so bad, I still feel weak and lethargic. Yesterday I felt a bit better from some Dr Braggs vinegar, but I never know what really works because I am always recovering from some bought of horrific gastro issue so is it the pylori, or the constipation or diarrhea from it that is making me sick and weak. Either way, it is the pylori?
It’s been hard just to have a good day of enough strength to go buy and research remedies…so let’s see how the masitc & manuka work. I am tired of my doctors not knowing the first thing about holistic cures. My GI doc recommended Align which has proved studies, but that did not prevent the last episode.
So now I will try these. If they work I will share with my GI doc my results and then get new GI doc and new primary…neither know anything nor will discuss even proven holistic remedies. Probiotics might be holistic, but Align isn’t doing it for me and why did it take me, a layperson who they threat like an idiot when I suggest something, to find these proven results of the manuka & mastic.
Hi there, I have just stopped my PPI medication as I am waiting two weeks to have the breath test to see if I test positive or not for H. pylori. During this two week wait period, am I able to take the mastic gum as this is a herb rather than an antibiotic? Or will it impact on the results of the H. pylori breathe test? Many thanks
Sam – Do not take mastic gum or any remedy until you have taken the breath test as it can impact the test results.
What is KFactor? Is 16 k the same as UMF 10?
Jenny – KFactor is only used by the Wedderspoon brand of manuka honey. Is KFactor 16 the same as UMF 10? No, because Wedderspoon’s KFactor measures different components than what UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) measures in the New Zealand brands of honey. You can read more of the explanation about KFactor in our response to Fran here.
So far the honey from Manuka Health brand is the only relief I’ve gotten in over a year.. Probiotics did little or nothing and antibiotics just about killed me..so I’m sticking with Manuka Health brand for a while. I bought the Mastic Gum, but I’d like to try one at a time to see what actually does or does not work.
Jenny – Glad to hear the Manuka honey is giving you some relief.
What is the best of way of taking the manuka honey? Straight from the spoon or with either crackers or bread? Some says that it is best to take it with either crackers or bread so that it coats the lining of your stomach. I don’t like crackers or bread, so I take the manuka honey straight from the spoon,but always wonder I am getting the healing benefits for H.pylori.
Jane – Some do say to take the manuka honey with a small piece of bread or a cracker. For example, Professor Peter Molan of the Honey Research Unit of the University of Waikato, suggests taking the manuka honey this way. The general explanation is that it will allow the honey to spend more time in your stomach to fight the h. pylori. However, I cannot find any research that supports this claim or not. Sounds logical, but there is no clinical proof of this. Many of the studies have been in vitro and not on humans so that’s part of the problem. If don’t want to take it with crackers or bread, you can take it with any kind of food you like.
Hello! I’m from Spain (European Union), English is not my mother tongue, so I apologise for any mistake in my writing.
I’ve Helicobacter Pylori and I want to eradicate it from my system, but no with the antibiotics combo we all are aware of, so I’m looking for a natural remedy that doesn’t harm me. I’ve read your statement about the Manuka honey and Mastic Gum and I have some questions for you if you kindly want to reply them.
About the honey: The study that you mention is “in vitro”, and this means very little to me, if it was “in vivo” would be another story, as you well know. Another thing about honey is it’s sugar content (82 g. of sugar x 100 g. of product). Sugar sends my Helicobacter charge to de roof, I get sick every time I take honey, it feeds the bacteria and the discomfort is horrendous . Why should Manuka be different, having in mind that the microbial activity in vivo is not documented at all? It’s still sugar, isn’t it?
About the Mastic Gum: A few years back I went through a four months treatment with NutriCology 1000mg capsules, 1 capsule in the morning (2 hrs before breakfast) + 1 capsule just before bedtime (3hrs after dinner). I observed a very strict regime during the four months intake. Once the treatment was over, I had a breath test and, unfortunately, it came out POSITIVE.
The study you refer concerning the Mastic Gum was successful “in vitro” but, once again, had very poor results “in vivo”. In the study, a polymer was removed from the resin in order to achieve better results, which was successfully tested “in vitro”, but never “in vivo” because lack of time, but investigators add: “Equally, to date no epidemiological data exist to support such a prophylactic effect among the mastic gum-consuming population of Chios Island”. Not good expectations in view. Anyway, Is it worth the effort and money to take this treatment knowing that the polymer refered is not removed from the Mastic Gum now available in the market no matter what brand you buy?
My last question, not trying to be impolite, Why do you back your statement in such clinical studies not helpful at all ?
Thank you and best regards.
Antonio – Unfortunately, most alternative treatments (non-conventional, FDA unapproved) tend to have less in vivo studies, mostly due to cost and logistics. It’s certainly easier and more economical to test 1,000 in-vitro samples vs 1,000 patients. But then, as you ask, is it worth the effort and money to take natural treatments without the proof of clinical, in-vivo studies? In short, it’s a personal choice. What’s the alternative if you choose not to?
As you stated, you prefer not to take the conventional antibiotic therapy. But for what reasons? I’m guessing, like others who choose not to, it is because of the severe side effects and because it is not 100% effective in all cases, despite in-vivo, clinical trials that were done before this treatment regimen became the standard.
So if you do not want to take antibiotics, then the only other two options you have are either trying alternative treatments or doing nothing at all. You had no success with mastic gum, but I did. That would give us a 50% efficacy rate, but only a sample size of two. There have been more in-vivo studies with humans with mastic gum with about the same results. In this study, nearly half of the patients who took mastic gum for 14 days achieved H. pylori eradication.
When you took mastic gum, did you have any relief of symptoms? There are many people who have H. pylori, but are, or become, asymptomatic. Another consideration is the source of how you became infected with pylori in the first place. Many people who go through conventional or alternative treatments never get better because they are constantly exposed to the bacteria and become re-infected. The source of H. pylori can be present in their daily life – sometimes through transmission from family members, pets, contaminated food or water, etc…
Unless a better conventional treatment for H. pylori is discovered (they are currently working on a vaccine, for example), then your only other choice is alternative treatments. Which one is best? No one can say. Certainly the ones with more in-vivo studies would be preferred, but there aren’t any obvious choices. Mastic gum, DGL and Broccoli Sprouts (as mentioned in our other post) have more in vivo studies than manuka honey, but I don’t know if that automatically makes them better.
It might be worth your time to read this more recent article, Exploring alternative treatments for Helicobacter pylori infection, from the World Journal of Gastroenterology. In short, they concluded that although alternative or allopathic treatments may not completely eradicate H. pylori, they still may provide positive effects by reducing pylori colonization, inflammation and resulting gastritis symptoms, and overall improvement of the gastrointestinal tract:
Thank you very much for your time, I find your reply very informative.
Good day to Antonio and to the person who hosts this wonderful website. It’s a pleasure to read this discussion and the opinions of two intelligent people who raise interesting issues. I would like to share my story, but first interject my 2 cents.
Antonio has raised a very important question, and I believe that the reply, above, is very accurate.
The only ones capable of big, serious studies are the large pharmaceutical corporations and they would not touch any of those remedies, because of the simple fact that it’s a huge investment that they would never be able to recover it, since those natural products can not be patented. Pure and simple.
What we are being left with are small studies, some traditions, and anecdotal cases (thanks for the internet revolution). That’s why such website is so crucial, and I, and many others, thank you and appreciate doing such a great, serious work.
Searching for many years for alternative medicines and preventive foods I found amazing things that would, most probably, never be part of the greater public knowledge. You need a lot of money and incentive to bring such information to a larger group.
In the case of H. Pylori, I wanted to share some of my experiences.
About 6 years ago I was infected by another person who had it and developed many of the symptoms (such as stomach pain, gas, bloating). I came across Matula tea, and in 1 month the symptoms were gone, for the next 3.5 years.
I became aware of how lucky I was only 2.5 years ago, when after a long tooth infection, and antibiotic to treat it, I started to have the same symptoms and this time I tested and found that I am H. Pylori positive.
This time, unfortunately, the tea didn’t help, and although Mastic gum and Monolaurin eased the symptoms, I still tested positive, and decided to go for the antibiotic triple therapy (not a big fan, but between the risk of stomach cancer and antibiotic, guess what). The problem was, it didn’t help…
So, a month ago I went back to the alternative. This time I am using all the big guns, and every bit ammunition.
The treatment (just concluded one month) include: mastic Gum 3 time a day, total of 4500 mg (!) (2000 mg in the morning, 1000 afternoon and 2000 at night), Monolaurin- same amount 3 time, and a product called pyloricill that has, besides the gum, Zinc, Bismuth and Beterin Hydrochloride. I take the powder out of the capsules and mix it with water to ensure better absorbance (just to tell you how desperate I am…:).
I addition, I drink fresh cabbage juice 2-3 times a day, and just stated with concentrated green tea and turmeric. Diet is relatively strict, no sugar or refined flour, and only in the last few days some fruit.
This time, I am not taking a chance and would continue for at least 5 weeks total, before I lower the doses.
The results: So far most of the symptoms are gone! almost no gas, no bloating, no severe pain (some very mild stomach ache once in a while that may be more from the large doses of Mastic) and in the last week I noticed that I don’t have loose stool any more after a year or so. I was not aware that loose stool is an H. Pylori symptom, until after the fact…).
Was I cured? Not sure. I plan to go and test again, but don’t want to interrupt the treatment or risk false result. The main thing is that I feel a very significant improvement, and normal again.
So, to Antonio, I wish I could give you a better, proven advice, but what I have learned, so far, was that (like with antibiotic, which is thoroughly researched and yield different results) it’s not only the medicine, but the amount and duration that may make the difference. I am glad that some have managed to get relief with 1000 -2000 mg, and I am aware of the fact that (because of lack of studies) large quantities, like mine, may have side effects, but considering the alternatives I am on the ‘trial and error’ mode. I will keep updating after I am done.
thank you guys,
George
George – Thanks for sharing your story. It sounds like you are getting some relief. Fingers crossed for testing negative for H. pylori after your treatment is completed. Please do share your updates. Everyone’s story is indeed helpful here, especially to others who are looking for alternatives.
Hi, George: I was not aware of your reply till now. I thank you very much for your words. I’m glad that you are “normal” again, let’s hope it last for ever. I’m a bit better, I just take a medication (Flatoryl) to help with gas and motility and a very straight antiflatulent diet, also take some magnesium carbonate before bedtime to help constipation.
All the best to you
Antonio
Hi can you please let me know if it’s safe to take mastic gum while breastfeeding. My little one is 6 months. Thank you.
Oksana – Information regarding the safety of taking mastic gum while breastfeeding is lacking. Research has shown that angiotensin-converting enzymes, (ACE) inhibitors, are present in the leaves of the Mastic shrub (Pistacia lentiscus L.) which can be harmful to the fetus in the first trimester. Although ACE inhibitors are present in the leaves and not in the resin (mastic gum) which is what is used as a treatment for H. pylori, I would not recommend taking it while breastfeeding.
Thanks for the detailed information on manuka and mastic gum. I started taking manuka honey (Wedderspoon 16+, 1/2 teaspoon 30 min before b,l,d) a week ago and experienced drastic water retention/weight gain. I’m male and this weight is being distributed like my hormones are screwed up including breast enlargement. Any idea why, any one else experience the same?
Peter – Manuka honey does contain more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and unique antibacterial properties than normal honey, but I wouldn’t expect water retention and hormonal disruption as a possible side effect unless you are having some kind of allergic reaction to the honey. Have you ever had any problems eating other types of honey? I would stop taking the honey and see if your symptoms subside. If they don’t, you should see your physician for other possible causes.
Hi there,
I have been diagnosed with h pylori for the 2nd time. I had it in 2009 and managed to get rid of it with triple therapy, however it was horrid and I am currently delaing with anxiety following a virus at the beginning of the year. I am an acid reflux suffer so I take pantoprazole 40mg long term. I have recently started taking mastic gum, manuka honey & a probiotic supplement and I’m 5 days in, i have been experiencing more heartburn than usual, wind/gas, nausea etc, all of which I know are symptoms of h pylori but how long does it generally take to make any effect please? I did check with a GP and they couldn’t see why my medication would interfere in any way even though he knew nothing about mastic gum etc.
Emma – Your symptoms may be a die-off reaction (Herxheimer) and things may get worse than better for awhile. It could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Everyone is different. How long have you been taking Pantoprazole? I’m sure your aware that the drug also causes similar side effects such as gas and nausea.
Also, pantoprazole, being a proton-pump inhibitor, reduces stomach acid which in turn, especially with long-term use, can promote bacterial overgrowth, including H. pylori. And bacterial overgrowth is a major factor in heartburn and GERD (acid reflux).
From Chris Kresser’s post on getting rid of GERD:
I’m not suggesting that you stop taking Pantoprazole, but you should be aware of its effects on your gut flora, especially since you have had recurring H. pylori infections.
Hello, H pylori is a nightmare it hinders my life in every way. I was prescribed antibiotics but could not do them. So I read up on other remedies mastic gum and manuka honey kept emerging as a good remedy to kill it. I also buy probiotic items like kefir milk, naked probiotic drink I’ve also taken cranberry pills. I bought the Mastic gum Fri and manuka honey today I’ll utilize these two mainly plus some probiotics items from time to time hope I’m cured soon I want my health back asap I’m miserable. Does Mastic gum alone cure H pylori?
Andrell – There are studies that state using Mastic Gum alone is effective against H. pylori, but nothing is always 100%, especially not for everyone. This article from the New England Journal of Medicine stated:
I use mastic gum and manuka honey for h pylori and pepto I’m feeling better plus probiotic items etc, thank you for replying
I use y.s. eco bee farm manuka honey 15+ do u think that’s a good honey?
The Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Manuka Honey does not have either a UMF (for the 15+) or a MGO rating and their product label (that I can see online) nor their website states how or if the honey is tested, graded and certified by a lab for that 15+ rating.
Thanks! Which honey would u recommend? Wedderspoon?
I don’t recommend Wedderspoon because they use neither the UMF or MGO rating, but their own proprietary rating called KFactor which doesn’t tell us much. You can read more here about KFactor in response to Fran’s question.
Look for a honey that either has a UMF rating of at least 10+ or contains at least 100mg/kg of MGO (methylglyoxal), labeled sometimes as “MGO 100”. I’ve used the Manuka Health brand which uses a MGO rating.
Thank you so much. Do u know of any remedies to help with hiatal hernia issues???? I now think this hernia is causing me grief. I’m at my wits end I really don’t know if it’s that or another stomach issues every day I feel sick especially when I’m standing when I’m laying down nor so much.
You have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia? I don’t know much about it. From a quick search, I see that there are daily exercises you can do to force the stomach back down. And to reduce symptoms, it seems that eliminating caffeine and alcohol, eating small meals, avoiding cigarette smoke and other similar irritants, as well as avoiding spicy foods, citrus fruits, mint, garlic & onions, chocolate, and fried foods all will help too.
I also have been diagnosed with Hiatus Hernia AND Helicobacter. I commenced the triple therapy treatment and two days later had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin so stopped taking it. Then the following day had similar raised rash and ER said to stop the PPI also. (I’m on holiday at moment hence ER and not GP).
My question is can I commence taking Mastic Gum and Manuka Honey to start treating Helicobacter P? I intend to attend a homeopath or Chinese practitioner for Hiatus Hernia. Many thanks for such an informative forum. Do you have a Facebook page or website?
Gina – Did your physician offer any alternatives to the amoxicillin? It is not good to stop taking antibiotics once you start. I realize the amoxicillin caused an allergic reaction, but since you started an antibiotic treatment, you may want to consult with your physician about continuing with an alternative antibiotic before trying mastic gum or manuka honey for treating H. pylori.
The page you are on is our website. If you scroll up to the top of the page from these comments, you can see the original article on H. pylori and Manuka Honey and Mastic Gum treatments.
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Gina said:
Thanks for your reply.
I had scope last Tuesday 6th Feb and came on holidays Thursday 8th Feb. I started triple therapy on Tuesday evening and had allergic reaction Thursday evening. I’m still on holiday so only attended ER here so haven’t spoken to my GP since.
I’m so reluctant to going back on the protocol especially having read that lots still test positive having done it. Also because of my allergic reaction it has made me so anxious. I will be seeeing my GP either Friday or Monday next.
I also was diagnosed with Hiatus Hernia same day so I also have that to deal with.
If I do recommence triple therapy on a different antibiotic, how long after finishing it before I can start taking mastic gum and manuka?
Even if triple therapy works it is ok to start mastic gum and manuka anyway?
As I seem to suffer the side effects of lots of meds, are there side effects of mastic gum to be aware of?
Many thanks
Gina – Unfortunately, I cannot say when you can start taking Manuka honey and/or mastic gum and if you will have any side effects because there aren’t enough studies on these products like prescription drugs that answer these and other questions. I can only offer the information in the post about the honey and gum and how it worked for me.
From Gina:
Thank you very much. I’ll will order manuka honey, mastic gum and broccoli sprouts and see how I get on.
Regards Gina
I have struggled with stomach issues for many years to which I’m now finding h pylori as the culprit. Desperately looking for a natural alternative to antibiotics, I stumbled upon this page. It’s extremely informative. In my search of the best Manuka honey that contained all of the parameters outlined in this article, I came across a website for a particular brand. Please if any of you are considering using this as a regimen, I urge you to first read this: http://www.airborne.co.nz/Manuka.shtml#Activity
It explains what the UMF/MGO ratings really stand for and offers a clear warning about the negative effects/possible risks of using this to cure h pylori (or ingesting in general). Please let me know what you think after reading.
I’ve been on antibiotics for a few days now but I want to make the switch to manuka/the gum. Do you thinks it’s safe to do so? Also how soon should I expect to see/feel results while using the manuka/gum.
Also I’ve been using ginger and golden seal in efforts to soothe my HP symptoms.
If you are already taking antibiotics for an H. pylori infection, then you should complete the full course of your prescription. Do not stop taking them, otherwise it could make matters worse.
Hi!
I’ve been having horrible Stomach issues since February of this year. After an ER visit and suggesting to the nurse’s to test me for H Pylori since I was reading a lot about it, all blood work and CtScans came back fine however they never tested for the bacteria. 6hrs in the ER and results were: “it’s probably gastritis” . Omeprazole made me feel worse and I just had to stop eating almost everything. I brought up my symptoms to my Endocrinologist during an appt and he tested me for H Pylori and it came back positive. Of course he prescribed the antibiotics but im not too keen on taking them plus one of the Antobiotics is $140. I’m opting out of that , don’t want to pay to feel worse because of the strength of dose and side effects it causes.
While reading your article today at the The Vitamin Shoppe I bought the mastic gum with extract and Manuka Honey 400Mgo. I really hope this works for me because I can’t continue ignoring my symptoms and feeling the way I feel. It dampers most of my days and quite frankly I need coffee back in my life!!
I’m putting my faith in this posting and hoping this is as effective on me as it was on you! I will be taking the mastic gum in the evening and in the morning as I wake up and the Manuka honey right before I eat bkfst, before a snack, before lunch and at dinner if I have dinner. The instructions state 3-5times before meals!
I want to be relieved of this soon and I pray it works out for the best! Hope you have also been feeling better since you dealt w H Pylori.
Annie – Hope you find some relief soon. Let us know how it works out for you.
Hi
I was recently tested h pylori positive using the breath test.
I was on antibiotics for my 3rd time now. 1st was in 2012 and 2nd was in 2015 where I didn’t do breath test after my antibiotics course.
Would like to know if I can try the mastic gum & manuka therapy while taking my antibiotics or I should only try this natural therapy after my antibiotics course ?
If my breath test is scheduled on the 6th week from the day I started to take antibiotics. When should I start and stop taking mastic gum & manuka ?
All this while I don’t have any symptom of gastric, heartburn & etc except for constipation.
Please advise. Thanks.
Winnie – I would suggest not taking the mastic gum or manuka honey while you are on antibiotics in case they affect the antibiotics or vice versa. Also, you wold not want to be taking the mastic gum or manuka honey before you take the breath test because they could affect the results, i.e., false negative.
Can I take Mastic gum and Manuka honey at the same time? And how can both be combined?
John – If you want to use both manuka honey and mastic, take it at separate times during the day. Take the mastic gum before breakfast and in the evening before bed. Take the manuka honey with a small piece of bread (or something similar) 20 minutes before lunch and dinner.
Hi, I’ve been ill with gastric problems for 6 months. The typical bloating acid reflux in mouth and lungs, indigestion to the point of being sick. I’ve seen my doctor 6 times, useless! He only wants to give me proton inhibitors. Without thoroughly testing for anything, he keep saying gastritis. I tried, the meds like he suggested to no avail, my symptoms worsen twice as bad after 5 days. I started taken mastic gum today and feel relief, feeling much better and I’m getting tested on Monday for HP. But, I haven’t been able to find a place which do the stool test – all I found is the breath and blood test. Is that sufficient? Also, I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist which I’m paying for myself on the 7th September. It’s a $1,000.00. Should I go? I live in Canada with supposedly free health care – not… Unrelated main stream care is a disaster I have to get mad at my doc to do anything and to see a specialist in public sector takes up to 3 year!! Thanks for the help truly appreciated !!!
Steven – If you are getting tested for H. pylori, stop taking the mastic gum as it may affect the results. The stool antigen test is the most reliable, however, the blood test is fine if you have never been treated for H. pylori. The breath test can have inconsistent results. If your results are positive, will your doctor then treat you with antibiotics?
How long before do I need to stop mastic gum? No I’m going the natural route!
If you just started taking mastic gum, it’s unlikely it would affect the test and it would probably be okay to take it on Monday. I just would stop taking any more mastic gum until you have your results.
I have H.Pylori and have been trying to get rid of it for 8 months with Pyloricil (contains mastic gum), Matula tea, and triple therapy antibiotics (not all at the same time). Although I still have H. Pylori, my digestion is 95% better after changing my diet. The GAPS diet helped to eliminate most of my IBS symptoms in just a few weeks. I don’t eat such a strict GAPS diet anymore but I still eliminate most processed foods, food with added sugar, and grains except for white rice. Everyone should try changing their diet because it will help with other digestion issues like SIBO that you might have in addition to H. Pylori.
Hi – I was tested for H. Pylori in April 2016. I took one antiobiotic for 14 days 4 times daily. Then my doctor said I should of taken the full regimen which was 2 antibiotic & Prilosec for 14days. After that he had me get on Nexium. Which caused a lot of anxiety, could not sleep & could not stop shaking. I noticed I could not eat certain things anymore like bananas. I took myself of it & then experienced a lot of acid reflux. from then on I went to a health food store & met a lady that told me to get on enzymes, probiotics & recently got on this one called Acidic Stomach Alkaline Balance. Plus I changed my diet. & I also started drinking a detox drink of organic apple cider vinegar,lemon juice, cinnamon to balance my acidity. I have not had the extreme reflux but maybe some heartburn daily. I read in one of your comments that it takes days to weeks to get rid of the symptoms depending on how long you took the Protopumps, which for me was probably a month. I was told by the Dr. that since I took the full regimen I should be H.pylori free, but I was not tested again. I was wondering if this is something I could try (mastic gum & honey) or do you think I should retest myself first.
Leticia – Yes, I think you should be retested before trying anything new. The conventional antibiotic treatment regime does not have a 100% cure rate in eradicating H. pylori in all patients. I would ask to be tested again to know for sure before trying anything else.
I currently started DGL Licorice 3:1 deglycyrrhizinated. Should I stop taking this before taking the test?
Yes, just to make sure it doesn’t affect the results.
NSAIDs and standard treatment for h pylori have caused me endless stomach issues. Then I had surgery which required a daily aspirin and Plavix regimen, which led to 2x daily Zantac, but brought no real relief. Because I was able to ultimately rid myself of h pylori using mastic gum I decided to find a holistic way to solve my upset stomach, bloating, GERD. What helped? Eating a peeled apple every morning before breakfast. And yes I know the skin has nutrients and fiber, but the results are best without it. Also, if this is not helping, go to applesauce.
Is this brand good to take. I don’t see MGO or UMF rating. Manuka Doctor Bio Active 10 Plus Honey?
The “Bio Active 10” rating is meaningless. It needs to have an UMF or MGO rating, otherwise you don’t really know what you’re getting. This site explains it well:
Hello,
Thank you so much for your practical advice. I was wondering if if the honey would interfere with my candida. My functional med doc told me to eliminate extra sugars, even some fruits/vegetable high in sugar. Do you think the honey would feed the other beast so to speak? Thanks for your thoughts.
April
April – I would avoid honey if having Candida issues. You may want to try Mastic Gum or any of these other alternatives.
Hi that Manuka doctor honey is useless as it has a 10+ peroxide rating only, you are wasting your time and money with it
Yes, the Manuka Honey Doctor “Bio Active” rating is meaningless. Manuka Honey should have a MGO or UMF rating.
Hi
I was diagnosed with H Pylori yesterday. I have been emotional because I read it leads to stomach cancer. I had an upper endoscopy done last year which was fine. I started taking my antibiotics which I highly despised because I have been given antibiotics since January for UTI. I order everything off of Amazon (Manuka honey 550+, mastic gum, broccoli sprouts, and oregano oil). I was going to continue to take my antibiotics until the stuff arrives. Is that ok? I took my first dose of antibiotics yesterday and my stomach feels so upset.
Jasmyn – You need to complete the entire course of antibiotics if you already started taking them, otherwise you risk any surviving H. pylori bacterium becoming resistant to further treatment.
How long do you wait to eat after taking the mastic gum?
Kay – I took mastic gum 30 minutes before eating breakfast in the morning, and at least 2 hours after eating dinner in the evening before going to bed.
Hello, I am pregnant 15 weeks. I have a strange taste in my mouth and acid reflux, then I did a test about H. pylori and it was positive. My doctor doesn’t want to prescribe me antibiotics. he says that I have to wait until giving birth, but I’ m afraid to wait that long, so I bought the manuka honey to reduce a damage in stomach. Is it ok to take it during pragnancy and how many spoons should I take, pls respond me, I am very stressed out .
Safia – The New Zealand Honey Shop says this:
I would also consult with your physician.
Hi! If I use manuka honey and mastic gum how long does it takes to get rid of the bacteria?
Regina – It depends on how severe your infection is and everyone responds differently. It can take 2-4 months, perhaps less time or even longer. You would need to be tested for H. pylori to know for sure.
Hi
I’m taking 2 jarrow mastic gum 500 in morning 40 minutes before breakfast
Is it best to separate the dosage as you mention?
I drink a mild cup of coffee after breakfast. Should I wait till later in the day cause I take mastic in morning also?
Thanks for all the amazing info. You’re awesone ?
Mastic gum is helping me along with dgl. I’m so happy.
Annie – The dosage protocol in some studies have been to take one 500 mg of mastic gum in the morning, before breakfast, and one 500 mg at night, before bedtime.
Glad the mastic gum and DGL licorice is helping you.
Do you think digestive enzymes are ok
Yasmeen – Dr. Natasha Turner lists digestive enzymes as a natural treatment option for H. pylori overgrowth:
Dr. Axe has an informative article about taking digestive enzymes here. He says it may help those with digestive diseases:
I haven’t tried the Honey yet but I did try the mastic gum pills. I’m on the third week that was suggested in the article. Idk if anyone else feels like the pills makes the burning in your stomach feel upset at times or if I’m having a reaction. Mastic Gum doesn’t seem to be helping me out. It’s mainly worse when I’m lying in bed. I’m hoping the Honey works. I ordered the strongest one in a genuine bottle.
I have no problems with the gum. Take it on en empty stomach and a bit of honey. Then I have my morning coffee and fine. Then I start to wonder about breakfast.
Still a probiotic at nighttime.
Never been better.
After the jar of gum is finished I buy no other.
Keep the honey and PBS.
Lactose intolerance made my life miserable.
Now I am back to eating some cheese or cheese topping on chili.even had some chocolate again….just don’t over do it…
Hi can you help, I am now in my third week of taking the highest does of manuka honey and four mastic gum capsules per day along with probiotic capsules. Should I be starting to feel better? I know everyone is different but I feel almost worse, I’m so tired and still have the burning feeling in my stomach, throat and mouth. Does anyone have any idea how long it’ll be before I start to feel even a little bit better??
Mummy – Have you tested positive for H. pylori?
Mummy I have those symptoms too 🙁 I’m taking mastika third week now, 1000 mg in the morning and 1000 mg in the night , added Manuka two days ago only in the morning but my stomach is so sore 🙁 not sure if I’m suppose to stop it for awhile?
My best friend was diagnosed with stomach cancer stage 4 last month and no cure for her 🙁 she was positive with pylori too! I’m paranoid too (I’m 36, my friends are same age)
Hi! I had treatment for h-pylori more than a year ago, but my doctor said the bacteria could come back after several years. My question is: can I use the Manuka Honey treatment you presented to prevent that? Even though I don’t have the bacteria right now (as far as I know). I also have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, can it help with some of the symptoms?
Ana – There has not been any scientific evidence that states that taking Manuka Honey will prevent an H. pylori infection, mostly because it is hard to prove. Personally, I take mastic gum as a preventative every 6 months (500 mg/day for 30 days).
As far as manuka honey helping with irritable bowel syndrome, Dr. David Williams mentions this on his website:
Dr. Williams suggests starting with 1 teaspoon of manuka honey a day to see how it affects your IBS symptoms and increase as needed. You can read more here.
Thanks so much for your reply. I’m going to try Dr. David William’s recommendations. I just have one more question. You say Manuka honey should be over MGO 100 or UMF 10+ for an effective antibacterial activity. I found one certificated Manuka honey bottle, but it is MGO 100 and UMF 5+. I’m a little worried about the Umf rating… do you think it’s strong enough? (considering I’m using it for Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Ana – Can you give me a link to the honey you are referring to? It’s odd for a manuka honey to have both the MGO and UMF rating. MGO is a trademarked rating that is used only by the Manuka Health New Zealand brand and they do not list both a MGO and UMF rating on their labels.
The UMF is just on the web description. The bottle only specifies de MFO. Here: http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-564466781-miel-manuka-mgo-100-importada-umf-5-envio-dhl-gratis-_JM
Yes, that is the Manuka Health New Zealand brand so I would go by the MGO rating and not the UMF. They cannot say what the equivalent UMF rating is definitely without having it independently certified.
Sorry for asking so many questions. I’m buying the honey I showed you on the link. Now, I don’t really know for how much time should I take it, or how much time should I take a break from taking it. You said you took it for several weeks, is it any specific indication on it? Or is it just by monitoring your symptoms?
The how-long question is always a tough one. Dr. Williams is pretty vague about it – take as needed. This site states:
But for how long? They have references listed, but I went to each one of them and none mentioned anything about using manuka honey.
I took the honey until my symptoms subsided, then I reduced the amount each day until I wasn’t taking it anymore. But I was using it to fight a bacterial infection, H. pylori, and you are using it to treat your IBS, so I don’t know how it will affect your symptoms. The short answer is – yes, you’ll have to monitor your symptoms and see what works best for you.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with H. pylori and a hiatal hernia. I’ve been prescribed the triple treatment. But since I don’t tolerate antibiotics well, I’m going to try the mastic gum and/or honey. I haven’t started the antibiotics, but am currently taking omeprazole 20mg 1X daily. Should I continue taking this while using the mastic and honey? Do you recommend taking the mastic and honey as separate treatments to see which might be more effective? Or are they more effective taken together? Thank you. Hoping for relief!!
Renee – You can continue taking the omeprazole while using the mastic and honey. In the conventional triple therapy, PPIs are used not only to reduce stomach acid, but as a means to alter gastric pH which increases the efficacy of the antibiotics (more details here). PPIs may also then increase the effectiveness of manuka honey and/or mastic gum. Just be aware of the possible side effects when using PPIs, especially when used long-term. I took manuka honey, mastic gum, and some of the other natural products listed on our additional H. pylori remedies page at the same time. I didn’t find any reason to take them separately, but it’s up to you.
Hi ,
Appreciate your posting the details, its a relief to even find out there is a cure. I been on Antibiotic therapies thrice but H Pylori didn’t go away, it has disturbed my life significantly and increasing ever few days.
I would like to start the treatment with Mastic Gum treatment for H.pylori for 60 days but not sure where to start. Could you please share which Mastic Gum, maybe if its available off Amazon or any other store online, what potency like 500mg or 1g, dosage if its twice or once daily, best times to take, anything to avoid intake during the 60 day period, if mastic gum is the same as mastic oil, if I take capsules or oil, also I have heard some mastic oils are very pure and they burn skin which scares me for oral intake, I was also told to rub mastic oil on stomach.
Many thanks, sorry for the list of questions there.
– WJ
WJ – Like I mentioned above within the post under Mastic Gum, I took a total of 1,000 mg (1g) daily, divided into 2 doses: one 500 mg capsule in the morning before breakfast and another 500 mg capsule in the evening before bed for 2 months.
I have used NutriCology Mastic Gum, which is available at Amazon in capsule form (500 mg per capsule), but there are other brands that are probably just as good.
Oil derived from mastic gum resin is just one isolated component and may not have the same affect on H. pylori as when ingesting the complete resin.
Do you take the Mastic gum pill and the Manuka Honey together or separate to fight
against the H. pylori bacteria? I have been diagnosed and know that I have it and I cannot afford the $832.00 for antibiotics.
Ann – Personally, I took the mastic gum in the morning and at night (as explained in the post above). Since it is suggested to take the mastic gum and Manuka honey on an empty stomach, I took them at separate times. I only had the Manuka honey before lunch and dinner. But eventually I stopped taking the honey and just took the mastic gum.
I purchased the Manuka Honey and Now I have the mastic gum. I am taking the honey only once a day, Should I increase that and I’m going to start the mastic gum twice a day, one pill before breakfast and one at our dinner meal before bedtime. Is that Ok?
I cannot afford the expensive medicines from the doctor my insurance does not pay. Am I doing all I should to get this out of my gut.
Hi, yes that’s a good regimen. It helped me.
Hi
Last year I had stool test and came back positive for Hp. I had one treatment for antibiotics 14 days and after that 2 weeks mastic gum with Manuka Honey and one month matula tea. Now I had endoscopy biopsy negative and many times stool test all result is negative but still I have reflux and my weight not going back to normal. Do you think I still have hope? Now I start mastic gum with 24 Manuka Honey and the best probiotic .just want to know when the best time to retest it? I meant how long I stop mastic gum then I retest it? Do you think mastic gum can give wrong result? Thanks
Hi, it should be gone. It takes time for your weight to come back. I experienced that myself. I just keep eating foods that put the weight back and mastic gum increases your appetite so keep taking those. Acid reflux can only be controlled by eating and drinking right etc.. Look up ways to control it. Mastic gum is a savior. That alone can cure h. pylori etc.. I’m so glad I tried it. I went thru hell from that bacteria dysphagia etc. etc.. I was about to end my life. Good luck
Hello. I have severe case of peptic ulcer and H.pylori. I really want to take mastic gum to treat the H.pylori, but whenever I take the mastic gum, I get sick, nauseated with headache. Do you know what’s causing this? Is there a way to take the mastic gum without getting sick?
Hi, when do you take it? Before or after a meal? Manuka honey alone supposed to cure what you named. I used mastic gum, honey, pepto and some probiotic drinks etc. I don’t have h. pylori anymore, thank God.
Hello. What is the proper way of taking the Manuka Honey? Take it straight or Do you take it with the food?
I take it straight or on toast. It’s best to take it straight off the spoon though. I had h pylori last year I could not do the meds so I bought mastic gum and some honey plus pepto.
Thank you so very much for all your Great research and sharing THIS – natural treatment options with us!
Prior to now I had no idea what was wrong with me….been progressively having alot of other gastrointestinal struggles. PAIN & symptoms for about 10 months. 1st constipation, then started having SEVERE BLOATING then both bloating & upper abdominal gas that would boost me so SEVERE…thought it was gallbladder or pancreas & gallbladder.
Then progressives since doing and stopped being able go bm at all then finally got myself going last month so esp with saline enemas. I’ve been trying to focus everything on GI tract for months & been having extreme exhaustion fatigue for 3 months but now it’s very sever
then I just recently about 2 weeks started having symptoms in upper stomach area and only 6 days now… started having SEVERE PAIN in my STOMACH off the scale empty Gnawing Spasms & unbearable Pain.
I only had DGL Licorice on hand and Gotu Kola & L Glutamine & Grapefruit Seed Extract. been taking it for 2 days now and it helped the pain a little. I have Mastic Gum & The Honey & more DGL ordered, but STOMACH PAIN getting unbearable SEVERE !!
What do I do for the nearly constant SEVERE Gnawing & PAIN? (while taking the other to kill & heal)
Please, I need help with what I can do about the Gnawing & the PAIN. What HELPS the PAIN stop & begin just healing?
And WHAT HELPS for PAIN Relief now?
Please how can I treat H. pylori naturally because it causes backache.
Hi.. I’m positive h.pylori since November 2016.. and I can’t take antibiotics because make me nausea, loose stools also cannot eat.. I just take 3 days and stop until now.. and do a blood test and still positive.. can you help and suggest what the best honey should i take.. thanks
Hello, please send by my email telephone number to order the mgo 100+ and the mastic gum.
Here are the product pages for the Manuka Honey and the Mastic Gum.
Hi there,
I recently tested positive for h pylori–in the past few weeks before testing positive, I know I have kissed my husband and 2 small children frequently. I am not worried that they have been infected. None of them are showing any symptoms and kids are happy and healthy.
The pediatrician said no need to test them if they are showing no symptoms, but my concern is what if they DO have it and are asymptomatic–how will this effect them down the road? I hate to get them tested if it’s positive and put them on medication when they feel fine, but I also hate to ignore the fact that they might have it and I am doing nothing about it.
Please help!!
Nikki – This article is one’s doctor’s opinion about treating for H. pylori when you have no symptoms:
Nikki,
I recently tested positive most likely after experiencing contaminated water and orphanage conditions overseas during an extended stay. I rallied my doctor to test my 4 year old, 2 year old, and infant. My 4 and 2 year olds were positive, doctor was shocked.
I agree with Homemade Hints… I know this can cause non Hodgkin lymphoma and stomach cancer, ulcers, etc so I want my kids treated. They have never had antibiotics, I was so proud of that!! Actually, I think I’m going to try the mastic gum with that. Another website says you can give a child a normal adult dose.
I don’t want my kids to have all those drugs if mastic gum might work instead. You can totally have h. pylori without symptoms, hoping my baby is spared! I’m trying mastic gum first and will definitely do antibiotics if not helpful. I’m on triple regime myself.
Also, someone posted this regime above and you asked them where they got their advice- they didn’t reply to you. Well, I just found it accidentally. It is a site called Hollywood Homestead.
Mastic Gum Dosage
If you want to take mastic gum for dental health, then chew the gum. However, if you are taking mastic gum for other uses such as killing h. pylori or treating GERD or candida, you’ll want to take mastic as capsules. The capsule form means that the mastic gum will get into your stomach where it can provide the most benefits.
As little as 1 gram of mastic gum daily has been shown to have benefits. To get full benefits and eradicate h. pylori, follow this mastic gum dosage:
Week 1: 1000mg of mastic gum daily on an empty stomach
Week 2: 2000mg of mastic gum daily, divided into two dosages taken on an empty stomach (take in the morning and afternoon)
Week 3: 3000mg of mastic gum daily, divided into three dosages taken on an empty stomach (morning, afternoon, and evening)
Hello
I finished my antibiotics and now I’m taking nexium 20mg twice a day and I have chest pain and mild burning not like before and i’ts been 2 weeks that I’m taking nexium and I’m planning to take manuka honey, and my question is can I take manuka honey during my medication?
hello. I was just diagnosed with H pylor, and I am currently doing the triple therapy(Omeprazole, calrithyromicin and amoxicillin).
Is it possible for H. pylori to mess with your digestive enzymes? I ask because one of the worst things I’ve had to deal with the past two years was my stomach not digesting the food. Couple hours after I ate, my back start to hurt, my joints hurt, and my hair would turn gray overnight. It sounds strange but I remember eating mushrooms and my hair turning bright gray, not your normal gray, developing acne, my back hurting, headaches, depression, anxiety(I have never had depression or anxiety EVER) and I am 29 now… etc… I started to become sensitive to food.
Apples, grapes, fish, bananas, green tea, literally anything I ate would trigger all these symptoms. I lost about 40lbs in 2 years, mostly because I couldn’t eat anything. At the beginning, there was a lot of diarrhea but that stopped, and occasionally I’d have constipation but my symptoms were mostly joint pain, back pain(kind of like the Tissue in the feeling a wound to the touch), itching etc..
All of the symptoms would only come after I ate, and linger around until I am super hungry and there is no food in my stomach. But since I have to eat everyday, the symptoms were there all the time. It took me a while to connect the dots, but once I did, I bought digestive enzymes and that helped ALOT. It literally alleviated all of the symptoms significantly, albeit I couldn’t eat food like everyone else without taking a digestive enzyme with it. It’s like my body forgot how to digest food.
I should mention I have never had any problem before all this started. Before it all begun, I could even eat cheese, milk and other foods that people usually don’t tolerate but once this started, even green tea was causing me massive problems.
If anyone knows more, I’d like to know if h pylori can either suppress your enzymes or if they can render them unusable/useless? I haven’t checked my stomach acid levels yet, but I heard enzymes don’t work if the stomach acid is too low. Any other theories?
After some work, they found h pylori and my wbc are really low as well.
I was diagnosed with H-Pylori using the breath test a few weeks ago. They asked if I had used a ppi. I said I had about three Ranitidine (zantac) over the last month. I’m sure I had at least one within two weeks before the test. I wonder if that could have given a false positive. I’m taking the Mastic gum and Manuka honey and eating broccoli sprouts and the dgl licorice… I had two bouts of upper stomach pains within two weeks, they lasted about 4 or 5 hours. But I seem to fill up after not eating much and I feel heavy or bloated in stomach area. I don’t eat much and drink as much water and green tea as I can. Liquid fills me up as if I have eaten a meal. I’ve lost about 3 pounds in last two weeks cause I don’t eat much food.
I wonder about H pylori living in the plaque in my mouth. I read a study on this and it said to take LGM made by soleray, though others make it also. It is a combination of monolaurin and L-Lysine. The study said that this combo has been shown to work on the H-pylori in the mouth. Could this be why H-pylori returns to stomach in some cases? I’m sorry I don’t have the link cause my computer is so old and it takes a while to find out where I’ve been. I now clean my toothbrush every night in wild oil of oregano just in case h-pylori is on the brush.
Hi, I tested positive for h pylori in October after returning from a trip to Africa. Initial diagnosis was via blood test. I took the triple therapy and felt better for a month afterwards. Then the symptoms like stomach pain, stomach sounds, and burning at night returned. I went back to the doctor and did a breath test which came back positive for h pylori. The doctor then prescribed more antibiotics but I’m scared to take them because they didn’t work the first time and also destroy your gut. The antibiotics probably killed most of the h pylori but some might’ve been left over. I’m going to start on the mastic gum and manuka honey. In terms of diet, I’ve been trying to eat as healthy as possible. I’m only 21 so it’s hard to stay consistent with the diet and deal with other things in life. Do you have any advice other than mastic gum and manuka honey? Thanks in advance.
Hi, I was tested with H.Pylori several months ago. Doctor gave me the antibiotics and I didn’t take them, because I read how horrible they were for some or most people. I was belching periodically and that’s why I went to the doctor. I really was not in any pain, but needed to know what the belching was about. He did a scope/biopsy and that’s how it was found along with Hernia.
So, I started taking the manuka honey and mastic gum. However, after a while I stopped the manuka Honey and continued with the mastic gum. I was taking the mastic gum for several months. I just had a stool test and it came back positive. Of course the doc told me to take the antibiotics and I’m still resisting.
I want to try the manuka honey again w/a small piece apple. I also just started Seabuckthorn tabs and I have to take my synthroid. Can I take all tabs together in the morning and then 1/2 hour or so later take the manuka honey? . Please tell me how to proceed. My only problem is the periodical belching, sometimes after dinner mainly. I also like my pinot noir in the evening…should I let that go? Carmen
This is a very informative article. But I wonder whether you found other alternatives, perhaps home remedies, to treat H. pylori. Manuka honey and mastic gum are not readily available to the country where I live and I would really appreciate it if you could recommend some other alternatives. Thank you!
You might look up wild oil of oregano and h pylori. One has to dilute that in water, It can be poisonous alone with out water..I’d find someone who knows how much and how long. Some studies have shown oregano and cranberries…look that up (not the sugared up cranberries). Can you order anything from amazon? I get 60 tablets of mastic chewing gum for 15.00 in the united state…though it comes from Greece originally. I read of one person who became negative for H pylori just chewing the gum for two weeks. I sometimes chew the same one or two pieces for several days… I stop chewing and take it out and it hardens and then you gently chew till it gets soft again. I have tried to find out if that same overly used piece of gum is still medicinal but haven’t found anything about it.
It was all good to know
I had h pylori found in Jan 28
Took triple therapy antibiotics
Was done Feb 12 I still feel still do bad weak can’t eat much at like before check stomech after one month by scop found mild gastritis but they took piece what ever from stomech still don’t know if pylori still left or not
My symptom are very same 50% the way it started I order Manuka honey gold expensive but not more then health also order mastic gum
Hope this will give me my old days back this pylori is not joke I felt nearly killed by this
Will be back with result soonish starts taking
Thanks
Thanks for this important information to me. I have suffering from this nasty H. Pylori for the past 10 years now. I have taken alot of antibiotics to no avail. The last antibiotics (Pylera) I took three weeks ago almost damage my kidneys. So I stopped taking it on the 7th day. I will love to take the mastic gum. Please, advice me on how long I should take it.
Best regards
I use Jarrow mastic gum. Two pills are 1000 mgs and I took two in morning and two later in day. For 30 days. And then You can start over three months later. I supplemented with Manuka honey with an NGO of at least 10 and also DGL licorice tablets but I didn’t do that everyday. I also chewed the mastic gum that you can get on amazon.com called Elma… which gets rid of hpylori that hides in your mouth. Cost about 16.00 for about sixty pieces. You can chew one piece over and over. It gets hard and you chew till it softens. That was mastic made into gum pieces but a friend got the actual yellowish pieces of mastic gum in raw form and she chews that …as I did as a child when my grandmother made a holiday bread with mastic gum in it.
I have been having horrible stomach pains every time I eat and I was reading into taking mastika (pills) and Manuka honey. However, I am breastfeeding and there is no literature on the effects of mastika when breastfeeding. Is it safe for my baby if I take it ?
Could this be your gallbladder or something else going on?? If it happens when you eat, it may be something else??
I would suggest turmeric powder with a glass of warm water on an empty stomach for at least a month…gave me best result..from first day..
Hi,
Thanks a lot for this informative page.
I’m 45 years old male. I had fatigue, anxiety, mild to moderate IBR symptoms, increased appetite for many years (though not sure if the only h.pylori is to blame), and recently my symptoms worsened (I think particularly because of recent overeating occasions), my GP sent me to stool-test for h.pylori which came positive and followed by quadruple therapy prescription.
Long story short, I decided to take antibiotics first before the natural long-term preventive care or treatment (I really hope to get rid of h.pylori, but I know it’s not 100%).
I’m on my 4th day, feeling so so.
I was wondering if I can combine any natural treatment with antibiotics to increase the efficacy and I found this article
which suggests that honey reduces the resistance of bacteria and therefore increases the effectiveness of antibiotics:
And they seem to have used regular honey, not manuka (I believe there are non-manuka good honeys with antibacterial effects too).
Anyway, since my GP did not mention honey in the food exceptions, I’m taking manuka honey too (a teaspoon in the morning and a teaspoon before bed) to see what happens 🙂
Found comvita 263+ MGO at Costco in California.
Please share your opinion if any.