NeuroTalk Support Groups - Gastric Problems

The White Rats in the previous BT looked into the role of H. pylorii in absorption of medication. It seems if you have this parasitic bacterium in your digestive tract, you not only might get stomach ulcers (yes, the unknown cause of them for many eons), but your absorption gets poor.

There are related studies going back to at least 1996, this one came out in Neurology (very big prestige) less than two months ago. Search http://www.pubmed.gov for more.

Quote:

Neurology. 2006 Jun 27;66(12):1824-9. Links
Helicobacter pylori eradication and l-dopa absorption in patients with PD and motor fluctuations.
Pierantozzi M, Pietroiusti A, Brusa L, Galati S, Stefani A, Lunardi G, Fedele E, Sancesario G, Bernardi G, Bergamaschi A, Magrini A, Stanzione P, Galante A.
IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Department of Neuroscience, Tor Vergata University, and S. Raffaele Hospital, Rome, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication could make an effective and long-lasting improvement in the pharmacokinetic and clinical response to l-dopa in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and motor fluctuations.

METHODS: In a group of 34 HP-infected, motor-fluctuating patients with PD, the short-term (1-week) and long-term (3-month) beneficial effect of HP eradication (n = 17) was investigated ...[method is given]

RESULTS:...the HP-eradicated patients showed a significant increase of l-dopa absorption, which was coupled with a significant improvement of clinical disability and with a prolonged "on-time" duration, ...

CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate a reversible Helicobacter pylori (HP)-induced interference with l-dopa clinical response related to the impaired drug absorption, .... Therefore, the authors suggest that HP eradication may improve the clinical status of infected patients with Parkinson disease and motor fluctuations by modifying l-dopa pharmacokinetics [drug action].

It might be worth asking your MD about it.

Jaye