Is a H. pylori Stool Antigen Test worth it?
What it costs, whether to test at home or at Quest, and how to read your results.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD — updated July 2026
The short answer
Worth it when the question is 'do I have an active H. pylori infection right now?' — persistent indigestion, gnawing stomach pain, or a known ulcer — and when confirming the infection actually cleared after treatment. The stool antigen test detects active infection, which blood antibody tests cannot do.
Who should order it (and who can wait)
Worth it if you...
- •Persistent indigestion, bloating, or burning upper-stomach pain that keeps coming back
- •A history of peptic ulcers or gastritis where H. pylori was never formally ruled out
- •Confirming eradication 4+ weeks after finishing H. pylori treatment - the test most guidelines recommend for exactly this
- •Anyone quoted $349+ elsewhere: it is the same CLIA-lab stool antigen assay (CPT 87338) at $299.99 self-pay
You can probably wait if you...
- •You have alarm symptoms - black or bloody stools, unintentional weight loss, trouble swallowing, or severe pain. See a provider promptly; that needs evaluation, not just a stool test
- •You are still taking a PPI (omeprazole, pantoprazole) or finished antibiotics less than 4 weeks ago - both suppress the bacteria and cause false negatives. Time the test after the washout window
- •You only want to know about past exposure - a blood antibody test shows that, but it cannot tell you whether the infection is active today
We would rather you order the right test than the most expensive one.
At-home vs Quest vs Labcorp
The most common question we get. The short version: the lab and the result are the same - you are choosing where the blood is drawn.
Walk into a lab
Get drawn at any Quest location - thousands nationwide, often same-day. Best for speed and lowest cost.
At-home draw
Not recommended for this test - it needs a lab-based collection to be accurate.
Same result
Whichever you pick, it is run on the same CLIA-certified analyzers with the same reference ranges.
This is a stool test, not a blood draw, so mobile phlebotomy does not apply. You collect a small sample with the provided kit and return it to a Quest location. The analysis is the same stool antigen immunoassay a GI clinic would order - $299.99 self-pay on TestWell versus $349 at Quest Direct and roughly $500 hospital-billed.
How to read your results
The markers that matter most and what an out-of-range value can mean. Reference ranges vary by lab, age, and sex.
| Marker | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| H. pylori stool antigen | Negative = no active infection detected | A negative result means no H. pylori antigen was found - either you were never infected or a treated infection has cleared (assuming you respected the PPI/antibiotic washout). A positive result means an active infection; treatment is a provider conversation, typically a short course of combination therapy, followed by a repeat stool antigen at least 4 weeks after finishing to confirm eradication. |
Frequently asked questions
Ready to order your H. pylori Stool Antigen Test?
$299.99, physician-authorized, results in 3–5 business days. No insurance or doctor's visit required.
About this guide
Reviewed July 28, 2026. This is general health information, not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reference ranges vary by laboratory, age, sex, and clinical context - always interpret results with a qualified healthcare provider. Lab analysis is performed at CLIA-certified Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp facilities.