Helicobacter Pylori Blood Test
A private H. pylori blood test that checks for antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, the stomach bacterium behind most ulcers and many cases of persistent indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. £105 at one of 200+ Goodbody clinics, or £135 with a nurse home visit, and no fasting or preparation is needed. Results emailed in 3 to 5 working days with a GP report that explains the result and your next steps.... Read more
A private H. pylori blood test that checks for antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, the stomach bacterium behind most ulcers and many cases of persistent indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. £105 at one of 200+ Goodbody clinics, or £135 with a nurse home visit, and no fasting or preparation is needed. Results emailed in 3 to 5 working days with a GP report that explains the result and your next steps.
Key facts
- Price: £105 at a Goodbody clinic; £135 with a nurse home visit
- Measures: IgG antibodies to Helicobacter pylori in a venous blood sample
- Fasting: not needed
- Results: emailed within 3 to 5 working days with a GP report
- Good for: finding out whether you have ever been infected; a first step when you have indigestion, bloating, burping or upper stomach pain
- Not for: checking that treatment has worked; antibodies stay in the blood for months after the bacterium is gone, so a breath or stool test is used for that
Your questions answered
How do you test for H. pylori?
There are three common tests. A blood test looks for antibodies your immune system has made against the bacterium. A stool antigen test looks for the bacterium itself in a stool sample. A urea breath test detects the bacterium's activity in the stomach from your breath after a special drink. The blood test is the quickest and simplest to arrange and does not need you to stop acid-suppressing medication first; the stool and breath tests are used to confirm active infection and to check that treatment has worked.
What is the most accurate test for H. pylori?
For a current, active infection, the urea breath test and the stool antigen test are the most accurate, at around 95 percent, provided you have stopped proton pump inhibitors such as omeprazole for two weeks and antibiotics for four weeks beforehand. The blood test is around 85 to 90 percent accurate for detecting that you have been infected, and it is unaffected by medication, which makes it a practical first step. A positive blood result is usually confirmed with a stool or breath test through your GP before treatment.
Can H. pylori be detected in a blood test?
Yes. Infection with H. pylori prompts your immune system to make IgG antibodies, which this test measures. Antibodies usually appear within a few weeks of infection and remain detectable for months or longer after the bacterium has gone. That makes the blood test good at answering whether you have been infected, but not at telling whether an infection has been successfully treated.
What does a positive H. pylori blood test mean?
It means you have been infected with H. pylori at some point and your body has made antibodies against it. Most people with a positive result have a current infection, especially if they have symptoms and have not been treated before. Because antibodies persist, a positive result can also reflect a past infection that has cleared. Your GP report will explain this and, where appropriate, recommend confirming with a stool or breath test through your GP, who can then prescribe eradication treatment.
What are the first symptoms of H. pylori?
Many people have no symptoms at all. When symptoms occur they are usually those of gastritis or an ulcer: a gnawing or burning pain in the upper stomach, worse on an empty stomach or at night, bloating, frequent burping, nausea, loss of appetite and feeling full quickly. Unexplained weight loss, vomiting, black stools or difficulty swallowing need prompt GP attention regardless of a test result.
Is the H. pylori blood test good?
It is a good first test when you want to know whether H. pylori is likely to be behind your symptoms, particularly because it works while you are taking antacids or omeprazole, which interfere with breath and stool tests. Its limitation is that it cannot distinguish current from past infection, so a positive result is confirmed before treatment and it is not used to check that treatment has worked. A negative result makes H. pylori an unlikely cause of your symptoms.
Do I need to fast or stop medication before the test?
No. Eat and drink normally and keep taking any medication, including antacids, omeprazole or other proton pump inhibitors. Unlike the breath and stool tests, the antibody blood test is not affected by acid-suppressing drugs or recent antibiotics.
Can I buy an H. pylori test to do at home?
Home stool antigen kits are sold by pharmacies, but they are affected by acid-suppressing medication and rely on you handling a stool sample correctly. This blood test is taken by a trained phlebotomist at a clinic or in your home, analysed in an accredited laboratory, and comes with a GP report so you know what to do with the result. A finger-prick option is not offered for this test.
How long does an H. pylori test take?
The blood sample takes a few minutes at your appointment. Results are emailed within 3 to 5 working days of the sample reaching the laboratory, with a GP report explaining what they mean.
Should the whole household be tested for H. pylori?
Routine testing of family members is not usually recommended unless they have symptoms. H. pylori is often acquired in childhood and passed within households, so if one person tests positive it is reasonable for others with indigestion or stomach pain to be tested too. Anyone with a first-degree relative who has had stomach cancer should discuss testing with their GP whether or not they have symptoms.
How is H. pylori treated?
With a one-week course of two antibiotics plus a proton pump inhibitor, prescribed by your GP, sometimes called triple therapy. It clears the infection in most people. Because antibodies persist, a repeat blood test is not used to confirm success; your GP will arrange a breath or stool test at least four weeks after treatment if confirmation is needed. Take your Goodbody report to your GP to start this process.
How much does a private H. pylori test cost?
£105 at one of 200+ Goodbody clinics across the UK, or £135 with a nurse visiting your home, including laboratory analysis and a GP report. No GP referral is needed and appointments are usually available within days.
What happens next
Your results and GP report are emailed to you within 3 to 5 working days of your sample reaching the laboratory. The report explains each marker in plain language, flags anything outside the reference range and says what to do next, including when to take the result to your own GP. All samples are analysed by a UKAS-accredited laboratory.
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Book online, receive your kit and take to your local Goodbody clinic.
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Send your sample in the post to be analysed at an accredited laboratory.
Get results.
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory, with guidance from our support team.
Available testing locations for Helicobacter Pylori Blood Test
Aberdeen Clinic GCI Advanced Aesthetics
Abergavenny Clinic Amatsu Centre
Airdrie Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Aldershot Clinic Wellington Pharmacy
Alton Clinic Four Marks Pharmacy
Andover Clinic Dr Malaika Clinics
Anniesland Clinic Amiry & Gilbride Pharmacy
Arlesey Clinic Waterloo Farm Wellness
Armadale Clinic Dears Pharmacy
Ascot Clinic Ascot Pharmacy
AshbyDeLaZouch Clinic Aeternum Aesthetics
Ashford Clinic Breakspear Pharmacy
Aveley Clinic Doctor B Aesthetics
Aylesbury Clinic Aura Body Clinic
Aylesbury Clinic Pearlfect Care Pharmacy
Aylsham Clinic North Norfolk Ear & Skin Care
Ballingry Clinic
Barnet Clinic Co Wellbeing
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More Information
How our blood tests work
Have your blood taken in-clinic by one of our skilled phlebotomists and check multiple biomarkers in one go. Many of our tests can also be done in the comfort of your own home with one of our easy-to-use test kits.
Testing
Take a test, either in the comfort of your own home, with a nurse visit, or at one of our clinics nationwide.
Analysis
Your sample is analysed in the clinic, laboratory or using your home test equipment.
Results
Get your comprehensive detailed results report from the laboratory.
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is right for you?
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Experts you can trust
Meet our Goodbody Experts
Our team of professionals has decades of experience so you can be sure you’re getting the best tests and support to understand and improve your health.
Get in touch with Our Team
Dr Lebeth Jacob
BSc (Hons) MBChB
Registered GP & Lead Medical Advisor
Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev
MA, PhD, FRSM
Clinical Support Advisor
Dr Cheng Boon
MBCHB, MRCP, FRCR
Consultant Oncologist
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