How long do the symptoms of H.pylori infection last?

Hi doctor,

I used to be fit and healthy, but lately, I have been struggling big time, so I just wanted to use this as an outlet to diary my thoughts. Around six weeks ago, I was under a lot of mental stress (work and life) and possibly had a bout of food poisoning as I had diarrhea after eating oily foods or sushi the last day. This was accompanied by mild fever. In addition, I had a very mild gnawing pain in my upper right quadrant.

I have been prescribed Amoxicillin. I thought it was a gallbladder infection, but it was stopped after a few days as it played with my gut. The moment I stopped, I noticed persistent bloating, belching, and flatulence; when I lay down, I felt a bubbling sensation as if the belch was trying to escape (NB: not acid reflux), and after I ate, there was a feeling of trying to burp but failing to. My stools also changed - they became semi-formed, floaty at times, with undigested fiber bits. As well as loss of appetite.

Bloods came back regular twice; ultrasound came back clear - with distended gallbladder and some potential hemangiomas in the liver, which were later confirmed benign via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); MRI revealed everything else in the upper abdomen to be expected.

Fast forward two weeks, I did stool tests for food poisoning and H.pylori.

By this point, my anxiety was sky high, and my appetite was gone, and one night I developed a fever, night sweats. So I completed triple therapy (1000 mg Amoxicillin and 500 g Clarythomicin) for a week tand have been on 30 mg of Lansoprazole.

The good news is that:

1. My night sweats stopped
2. My appetite has essentially returned (this came back after my antibiotics finished)
3. I had been a bit adventurous with food since this happened, but I have since realized that it was a mistake and reverted to bland mainly.

My symptoms remain as follows:

1. Nausea when waking up.
2. Nausea when lying down or sideways.
3. Nausea after exercise.
4. Sometimes nausea after eating (Although this may be diet related).
5. Excessive belching (over 100 times a day, more so after food/drink).
6. Feeling of wanting to burp but cannot.
7. Feeling of air bubbles trying to escape through my throat when lying down.
8. Persistent bloating with lower abdomen distention.
9. Abdominal cramps (mild pain and infrequent but feels like gas as it relieves when I fart).
10. Gnawing feeling under the sternum.
11. Severe anxiety - as if my life is about to end.
12. Occasional cold sweats during the day, occasional mild fever (around 37.5 degrees Celsius).
13. General feeling of being unwell.
14. Headaches around the eyes and sometimes blurry vision (although my optometrist suggests this may be due to dry eye).

I am seeing a gastroenterologist and have one more week of PPI to finish and a two-week wait to test for eradication.

I have been on a low-acid diet the whole time and recently introduced a no-FODMAP diet to accompany it, as certain foods make me feel worse. I take a multivitamin pill with cod liver oil, Symprove probiotic, and plant-based protein shakes daily. I have certain moments in a day where I am relatively comfortable but other times it feels like hell (mainly driven by the Nausea and bloating feeling).

I have not yet had an endoscopy, colonoscopy, or stool FIT test. I have not noticed any blood or weight loss before this ordeal. My gastro suggests the next step is to test for eradication and perhaps anti-nausea medication.

I am struggling with ideas and have not lived an everyday life for six weeks. Does this sound like H.pylori? (well, I know it is, but I have heard that a lot of people have it and are asymptomatic)

Is this post-H.pylori gastritis or ulcer? Could it be something else?

How long should I expect to be living with these symptoms? Is there anything else I should be doing?

Thanks for listening.