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Faecal transplant - anyone tried it?

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
When a thread started up on faecal transplants a couple of years ago, it mostly got a lighthearted response because of the novelty, the yuk factor and because it seemed fairly "out there". Of course now that we all know about the huge role that the microbiome may play in immunity and in our disease and now that we're all familiar with how effective faecal transplants have been in treating C. diff. infections, we all realise it's a serious treatment.

Dr Thomas Borody published a paper claiming a high success rate for transplanting 13 strains (I don't know which) isolated from human donors into CFS patients:

The GI microbiome and its role in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A summary of bacteriotherapy.

Journal of the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Volume 31 Issue 3 (Dec 2012). Borody, Thomas J1; Nowak, Anna2; Finlayson, Sarah3

Abstract: Introduction: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has a complex and multifactorial etiology making treatment and definitive diagnosis, currently made through exclusion, difficult.

Current therapies, such as cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercises, are inadequate and targeted to address symptoms, rather than the underlying disease pathology. Increasing evidence implicates the microbiota of the gut in a number of conditions previously thought distinct from the gastrointestinal system.

Previous work with bacteriotherapy in CFS has suggested a link between the condition and the composition and health of the gut microbiota.

Here, we review and further examine a larger cohort of CFS patients who had undergone bacteriotherapy for their CFS.

Method: A total of 60 patients from the Centre for Digestive Diseases presented with CFS. Of these, 52 patients had concurrent IBS and 4 patients additionally had constipation. All underwent initial transcolonoscopic infusion of 13 non-pathogenic enteric bacteria. 52/60 patients undertook an additional rectal infusion a day later and 3/60 undertook an additional 2 rectal infusions.

Results: 35/60 patients who underwent initial bacteriotherapy responded to treatment. 10/15 patients who failed this course were offered a secondary transcolonoscopic infusion followed by a rectal infusion or an oral course of cultured bacteria. Of these 7/10 responded, giving a total of 42/60 (70%) patients who responded to treatment.

Contact was achieved with 12 patients after 15-20 year follow-up. Complete resolution of symptoms was maintained in seven of the twelve patients and 5/12 did not experience recurrence for approximately 1.5-3 years post bacteriotherapy.

Conclusion: Bacteriotherapy achieves initial success rate of 70% in CFS and a 58% sustained response. Given that manipulation of the colonic microbiota improved CFS symptoms, bacteriotherapy for CFS warrants further investigation and may provide further insight into a possible etiology of CFS.​

Dr Sarah Myhill (UK ME doctor, for those not familiar), says about faecal bacteriotherapy (transplant):

The idea of faecal bacteriotherapy is to replenish the gut with friendly microbes. This treatment is of established benefit in inflammatory bowel disease and clostridium difficile infections. It is also used in the veterinary world to treat animals with a range of gut symptoms.

The difficult bug to replace is bacteroides because this does not survive for more than a few minutes outside the human gut. In addition, I suspect there may be a viral element involved in the health of human gut.Up to 15% of microbes residing in our bodies may be viruses - not the more familiar human pathogens which are responsible for viral illness and infections, but viruses which predate on bacteria. These are called bacteriophages. Phages have been greatly studies and used in Russia and Eastern Europe as natural antibiotics. Even the gut has its own predator-prey balance! More details on Wikipedia - Bacteriophage.

Phages and obligate anaerobes, like bacteroides, do not survive easily outside the gut. So the only way to replenish this is to use fresh material. There is now also evidence that this therapy is beneficial in Chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr Borody has recently published a paper on this - The GI microbiome and its role in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A summary of bacteriotherapy. In this paper 70% of ME patients see clinical benefits of bacteriotherapy.
Indications for use

I would suggest trying this for people who lack bacteroides in the gut since this is the only way they can be replenished. Since the main problem is with bacteroides, I would want some evidence this bacteria was lacking. One can look for this by doing a Microbial ecology profile at the American laboratory Metametrix/Genova. Bacteroides does not show up in the Genova lab test Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis .​

Dr Myhill links to a clinic that does this in the UK (amazingly - we never seem to have anything in the UK):

http://taymount.com/

Has anyone tried faecal transplant/bacteriotherapy (as opposed to probiotics) for their CFS or know anyone who has? If so, what have the results been?
 

globalpilot

Senior Member
Messages
626
Location
Ontario
Yes I have and it brought my persistent low E coli and bifido which both tested at 0 or 1+ on CDSA to 4 and 3 respectively. I went to a doctor in Tampa, had 3 of them 3 days in a row as well as pills. I tested 4 months after the transplants.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Yes I have and it brought my persistent low E coli and bifido which both tested at 0 or 1+ on CDSA to 4 and 3 respectively. I went to a doctor in Tampa, had 3 of them 3 days in a row as well as pills. I tested 4 months after the transplants.

Did it have any effect on your ME symptoms?
 

globalpilot

Senior Member
Messages
626
Location
Ontario
No, not at all. BUt my symptoms I think are caused by my overgrowth in bacteria in the upper small intestine. Idid the transplants b/c I've taken so many antibiotics and will have to continue to take antimicrobials until the upper gut is sorted. So, for me, it's more of a measure to fix a side effect of treatment.
 

SB_1108

Senior Member
Messages
315
Has anyone tried faecal transplant/bacteriotherapy (as opposed to probiotics) for their CFS or know anyone who has? If so, what have the results been?

Sasha - Here is the link to my experience here: http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/fecal-transplant-diyers.28574/

I will say that I although I still have CFS, my IBS is much better (better than anytime in the last 15 years). And also I've noticed less vitamin deficiency issues - specifically I was having terrible ridges on my finger nails and a lot of undigested food in my stool, but those issues are pretty much gone now. Also my need for digestive enzymes and l-glutamine is much less.
 
Messages
23
The short:

Has anyone found FMT to improve other co-existing conditions such as Eczema, mood/anxiety etc?


The long:

Hope you don’t mind me posting here. If there is a better place please let me know. Maybe I should start a new thread? Sorry I’m tired and I hope the following isn’t too wordy or confusing.

I have been weighing up whether to have FMT for many years and went through with colonoscopy a few years back and was offered the treatment but did not pursue it at the time. I have ME and plenty of gut problems. I also developed Clostridium Difficile infection after antibiotics but this cleared up according to further testing. In the meantime I have developed eczema.

The treatment is constantly in back of my mind as a last hope. I think if it didn’t work it would be a major blow for me as I have held onto it as last straw of hope for improvement. I know it is highly successful for C diff and I would probably jump at it if I was to develop the infection again but I’m not sure how helpful it would be for the other issues. I can’t even face the thought of having another colonoscopy or getting to appointment etc but if I knew it was likely to help atleast I can work towards it perhaps in the future.

I would expect it would have benefits for my gut & digestion but whether it would last I wonder? I would hope it would improve my ME but I’m not convinced it would. However the other thing which I hold hope for is for improving or curing the eczema which I have since developed. It is so bad I can hardly concentrate on anything. It itches and burns permenatly. I believe the gut can contribute to all sorts of conditions and is an important piece in over all health and I am aware of the possibility of FMT improving conditions such as eczema but I would love to hear experience from someone who has had FMT and found benefits for issues which are not directly related to the gut such as eczema. I’m sure the gut has large part to play but I hope you know what I mean. Also I wonder if anyone who has had FMT has noticed improvements in mood or anxiety?

A few years back I asked about this on an eczema blog or forum (not sure which site) but the only response I got was from someone else saying they wanted to know the same thing. I’ve also done a lot of reading over the years but it always just touches on the edges of the possibilities FMT may have on other conditions. I can’t face reading much more but I would really love to hear actual experiences of whether anyone has found FMT has improved any coexisting conditions other than the obvious gut issues.

I wish they would hurry up and develop / offer the capsule alternative.