Thanks for your question. Of course you can remain active and continue on with regular activities. Just follow through with the medication and watch what you eat so that you do not aggravate your belly. Once the infection is treated and the ulcer heals, you will be symptom free. Take care.

Hello again,

At least half of the world's population is infected with H.pylori. The infection can persist for decades and remain dormant (without symptoms) until eventually chronic gastritis develops into an ulcer. Most people get infected during childhood and the infection persists for life if not treated. The infection could spread from someone else who is infected with the bacteria and it usually depends on your conditions growing up.

From your description of symptoms, this is the most likely explanation for your underlying illness, as these are classic symptoms for an ulcer with is caused by H.pylori infection. There are other illnesses that can cause severe bloating with black stools, such as ulcerative colitis, crohn's disease, or diverticulitis. However your symptoms are associated with food intake and that is more of a symptom of peptic ulcer.

As I suggested earlier, the only way to know for sure is to get tested. I would advise you make an appointment with your gasteroenterologist and discuss the testing and treatment options I mentioned above. If you do discover an ulcer, a course of metronidazole (and maybe tetracyclines) work well if you stick with the medication. Please let me know if you have any other concerns. From the information I have so far, this is the best I can tell you. If you have any more information or any follow-up questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Take care.