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hydrogen breath test??

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 9/14/2007 7:14 PM (GMT 0)
my GI doctor is sending me for a hydrogen breath test.. has anyone had this?? and if so, what should I expect? thanks!
Posted 9/14/2007 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Yes. Boardsjohn just posted he has just had one done, so I bet he can tell you all about it. From what I've heard, it's like a sobriety test; just breathe into the tube and that's it. The machine does the rest by figuring out what levels of what gases you are expelling; bad bacteria fart gas that good bacteria doesn't. If you have too much bad gas, you have too many bad bacteria. Pretty simple, really!
Posted 9/14/2007 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
I had one after I took the treatment. I did hear that once you have one you cannot have another one for a long time. i think I had to swallow something first, don't remember. I know I did have to be off the PPI's for at least a month but I could take Pepcid and that class. If you are not off the PPI's like Nexium it will not be correct. Takes only a minute.
Posted 9/16/2007 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
They make you drink a sugary substance and then at a preset time over a few hours they will have blow into a bag .  At that point, they hook the bag up to a machine which measures your levels.  I think the test can last either 2 or 4 hours.  I had the 4 hour test.  You cannot eat or drink anything the day of.  Its painless unless of course you react to the drink
Posted 9/17/2007 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Mine was the H. Pylori test. Sorry. this one is longer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_Breath_Test
Posted 9/17/2007 1:41 AM (GMT 0)
they told me mine will be 5 hours.. and something about drinking the sweet stuff and blowing into a bag and then lactose im nervous because im afraid my  ibs will act up or im afraid i'll have a weird reaction to it lol
Posted 9/17/2007 4:24 AM (GMT 0)
Try not to worry cause that will even make it worse. Remember most the people they do this test on have the same problems as you. The technicians, doctor or nurses are used to these things. Whatever can happen to you has happened before. I am sure there is nothing they haven't seen.
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