Info about FMT

[likes2laugh]

Hi, my name is Annie. I'm finding some good ways to halt my IBS- D, but have occasional flare ups when I haven't made any dietary changes from the day before. Perhaps an additional supplement, but ones I've gotten away with many other times. I'm not willing to take prescription drugs as I don't think the side effects are worth it when I can almost always get the same benefit from the correct supplements.

What I want to ask about is FMT (Fecal Microbial Transplant). Has anyone looked into this or, more helpful, tried it or know anyone who has?

[b1b1b1]

I believe that is done for c. difficile, which has not responded to antibiotics and can become life threatening. You can easily be tested for c. diff. if you are worried. It can occur after a hospital stay or taking antibiotics.

[likes2laugh in reply to b1b1b1]

Thank you for your reply. Yes it is used for c-dif , which I don't have, but is now in the very early stages of use for IBS with some permanent positive results. The reasoning is that you might just need a new beneficial bacteria that you're unable to produce. My tests did not show any recognized causes and I suspect it could be a spasm sensitivity as I have that issue in other areas. Antispasmatics have been recommended but I'm not ok with the side effects. I have decreased my spasms elsewhere with increased magnesium and that may be helping with my IBS if spasms are involved. But someone mentioned FMT to me and I did look it up. It's just so new, and I don't want to mess up my now good gut bacteria. On the other hand it sure would be a relief to eat more normally (healthy, of course)

[b1b1b1 in reply to likes2laugh]

I am in the US. If you have it, I would be very interested in the results. Have you been checked for SIBO? This is all just such a murky area with no easy answers. xx

[BabsyWabsy in reply to likes2laugh]

Here in UK, there are a couple of private clinics which are reporting good results with CDif and other illnesses using FMT. FMT is not as simple as it sounds and needs 'donations' from healthy donors, who then have their health monitored for a period of time to ensure they are not incubating any diseases which may appear further down the line. The donation is also extensively tested for the types and numbers of organisms. There is a problem with this, in that some of the organisms cannot live outside of the gut environment, making laboratory testing a very specialist procedure. The live organisms are then removed from the fecal matter and held in a substrate which keeps them alive and allows them to be given to the patient. It is a long and expensive process to do it safely. You can't simply ask a friend or relative for a sample, tempting as that might seem. I am sure this technology will develop over time and become easier and less costly. In summary, it is possible at the moment, but very expensive. I think it is now available in a few NHS hospitals too in UK. Good luck .

BW

[Eastbourne11]

Hi I know nothing of FMT. I use the low FODMAP diet. Certain "sugars" irritate the bowel you can eat small amounts of food e.g. pasta with no reaction, but if you eat a larger amount it will result in diarrhea because pasta has sugars in and you exceed the amount that can be "smuggled" through. I hope this helps. Good luck.

[LCat]

I totally agree that prescription drugs are not a good idea. Let’s face it : there is no drug that cures IBS as doctors don’t know what it is nor how to cure it. Whatever I’ve been given and tried just made things much worse. Which supplements do you take that you find to be good for you ? I’ve been reading a lot about the subject of faecal implants and it sound like a good idea to me as the microbiota seems to be ever so important. As you probably know : If the composition of the microbacteria is in a bad condition ....I e if you have more bad microbacteria and not enough beneficial ones ... the result seems to be all sorts of illnesses. It would be very important to know which UK Clinic is the best as it is crucial that they screen their donors to a high level. The donors are, of course, young individuals that are in top shape. I’m sure it’s not a complicated procedure (whilst the screening before is of course highly complicated). It needs a bit of courage to try it and also ‘a bit’ of money ... a few thousand pounds 💷..... but theoretically .... it may be life-changing. What the probiotics are unable to do : a permanent change of the microbiota (as you know .... as soon as you stop taking them ... your microbiota goes back to square 1) ...however with a faecal implant it is a permanent change.