Three steps. Sequenced like a workup.
Welyon's investigation runs in the same order a clinician would order it. Test for the organism. Read the relevant guide. Engage a supervised protocol — only if indicated. Each step has clear scope, a clear cost, and a clear answer about what it does and does not establish.
A non-invasive test for the active organism.
The Welyon test is a monoclonal stool antigen assay — the same diagnostic test gastroenterology departments use in clinic, packaged for at-home collection and mailed return. It detects H. pylori-specific antigens shed in stool: a marker of active, current infection, not historical exposure.
A monoclonal antigen assay
A non-invasive at-home stool collection kit, processed in a CLIA-certified US laboratory. The same assay class used in clinical gastroenterology workups — formatted for home collection.
Antigen detection in stool
The lab applies monoclonal antibodies to detect H. pylori-specific antigens shed in stool during active infection. Results return as binary — positive or negative — with the assay's sensitivity and specificity (both ≈ 95%) printed on the report.
Active infection, yes / no
A positive result establishes that H. pylori is currently colonising the gastric mucosa. A negative result establishes that it is not — within the assay's accuracy and within a recent prep window free of PPIs and antibiotics.
Bacterial load · virulence · causality
The test is binary. It does not quantify bacterial load, identify CagA-positive virulent strains, or establish that H. pylori is the cause of any specific symptom. Those questions belong to the next two steps.
- PPIs Pause proton pump inhibitors (omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole) for at least 14 days before collection. PPIs suppress antigen shedding and produce false negatives.
- Antibiotics Wait at least 28 days after the last dose of any antibiotic course. Antibiotics suppress the organism without eradicating it and produce false negatives.
- Bismuth Stop bismuth-containing preparations (e.g. Pepto-Bismol) for at least 14 days. Bismuth has antibacterial effect against H. pylori.
- H2 blockers Famotidine, ranitidine and similar do not need to be paused. Continue per your physician's instruction.
Read the investigation that matches your symptom.
A positive test answers the first question: is the organism present? It does not yet answer the second: is the organism relevant to my specific symptom? That is what the investigation guides are for. Each of the eight guides maps one condition to the mechanisms by which H. pylori has been associated with it — and gives a clinical-conversation script for the next appointment.
A clinical investigation guide
A 30–40 page PDF for one condition. It maps the mechanism, the standard workup's blind spot, the secondary labs to request, and the questions to bring to a physician.
Map result to symptom
If your symptom is refractory iron deficiency, the iron guide applies. If it is unexplained fatigue, the fatigue guide applies. Conditions can overlap; readers commonly use two guides in parallel. Every claim is tagged with one of three evidence tiers.
A structured clinical question
A workup the patient can bring to their physician — labs to request, mechanisms to consider, the evidence base behind each. The next appointment becomes a clinical conversation rather than a search.
Diagnosis · advice · prescription
The guides are educational content, not medical advice. They do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe. Clinical decisions belong to a licensed clinician with access to the full patient record.
A physician-supervised eradication pathway.
The Foundation Protocol is engaged only when (a) the test returns positive, and (b) the relevant guide is clinically applicable. A US-licensed clinician reviews your history, selects an eradication regimen appropriate to local antibiotic resistance patterns and your individual contraindications, and supervises the course end-to-end — including post-treatment confirmatory testing.
A supervised eradication regimen
A guideline-concordant 14-day eradication course (bismuth quadruple or PPI-based triple, selected per local resistance), prescribed and monitored by a licensed clinician. Includes post-treatment antigen re-test at 8 weeks.
Triage · prescription · follow-up
A clinician reviews your test result, the relevant guide context, your medication list, and any contraindications. The regimen is selected, prescribed, and monitored — with adverse event check-ins, completion confirmation, and an 8-week re-test.
Eradication, confirmed
A successfully completed protocol establishes — via post-treatment antigen testing — that the organism is no longer detectable. Condition-specific markers (e.g. ferritin, anti-TPO, urticaria activity score) are re-evaluated against the relevant guide's timeline.
Resolution · cure · guarantee
Successful eradication does not guarantee resolution of the condition that prompted the investigation. Symptoms may persist for reasons unrelated to H. pylori, or because the gastric pathway was one variable among several. Welyon does not promise outcomes.
A negative result is also an answer.
About two-thirds of test results come back negative. Welyon does not sell anything additional to a negative-result patient. No "borderline" interpretation, no protocol-light option, no follow-up funnel. A negative result establishes — within the assay's 95% accuracy — that H. pylori is not currently the active variable to investigate.
What a negative result establishes
H. pylori is not currently colonising the gastric mucosa at detectable levels. Within the assay's sensitivity and the prep window followed, this is a reliable answer — not a "maybe."
The eight conditions in the investigation series have additional documented causes beyond H. pylori. A negative result narrows the investigation; it does not close it.
What to consider next
- Continue the standard workup. Iron deficiency, fatigue, thyroid autoimmunity, brain fog and the others have multiple documented pathways. Your physician's existing differential remains the priority.
- Re-test at 12 months if symptoms persist and the index of suspicion remains. Sero-conversion can occur; the assay window matters.
- Read the relevant guide anyway. The guides cover the differential for each condition — most of which is not H. pylori. The investigation framework is useful regardless of the result.
- Pre-test prep matters. If you were on PPIs, antibiotics, or bismuth within the listed windows, your result may be a false negative. A repeat test off those agents is the standard recommendation.
A few honest questions.
Do I have to buy the test to read the guides?
No. The guides are sold separately. They are content — written to inform the conversation with a physician — and stand alone whether or not you proceed with Welyon's test. Many readers test through their existing physician or insurer; the guides cover all three test types and what to ask for.
Is the Welyon test the same as the one my doctor would order?
Substantially, yes. The Welyon kit uses a monoclonal stool antigen assay, the same diagnostic test gastroenterology departments use in clinic. The difference is collection logistics — at home, mail-back, no office visit — and the report format, which is plain-language by design.
Is the Foundation Protocol covered by insurance?
Coverage varies by plan and state. Welyon's clinician network can provide an itemised superbill for the protocol; many plans reimburse out-of-network with the appropriate codes. For patients without coverage, the protocol fee is published upfront with no surprise billing.
What if I'm already on a PPI?
Discuss with your physician before testing. Stopping a PPI for 14 days requires medical judgment — particularly for patients on it for ulcer prophylaxis or significant reflux. The guide for your relevant condition discusses the trade-off, and your physician makes the call.
Why a stool antigen test rather than a breath test?
Both are first-line in clinical guidelines. The stool antigen format ships, returns by mail, and processes in a standard lab — making at-home delivery practical at scale. Urea breath testing typically requires an in-clinic device. Both have ≈ 95% sensitivity and specificity for active infection.
If I test positive but the symptom doesn't match any of the eight guides, what then?
Active H. pylori infection is a clinically meaningful finding on its own — the standard gastroenterology recommendation is eradication regardless of the original symptom prompting the test, because the literature on gastric cancer and ulcer risk is independent. Discuss with your physician. The Foundation Protocol is available regardless of which condition prompted the investigation.
Order the test, or start with the guide.
Most readers start by buying the guide that matches their symptom and discuss the test with their physician from there. Others start with the test and read the guide once the result is in. Either order works.