I agree with Canadian...
that\'s to the best of my understanding, too.
what you could do is apply to a u.s. consulate for an H-1 visa while in your home country, which, if approved, will be stamped in your passport. you can use that to re-enter the u.s., and thus preserve your H-1 status.
however, if the reason you don\'t have an H-1 visa stamp in your passport is that you initially entered the u.s. in a different status (e.g. B-1/B-2), landed yourself a job and changed status to H-1, then by all accounts applying for an H-1 visa in your home country would be a hazardous exercise... so you might be better off using your AP to re-enter.
I must add the disclaimer: please do not consider this legal advice, for which please consult a lawyer. this is simply the course of action i would take in my own case.