Trying FMT for healing

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:47 pm

OK, I thought I'd start a thread on FMT for MC, since there are two of us doing it now. The topic was introduced here.

last night my primary donor became eligible. So, I actually did FMT #4 last night (secondary donor), and #5 this morning. #4 went fine. #5 was the largest volume so far, and was my first morning FMT. It was a big challenge to retain it, which I only did for about an hour. I might've had more luck if I didn't have the stress of getting a child up and out the door, in addition to the stress of trying to get to work on time, but such is life.I don't think I lost it all, but my shock and awe campaign is off to merely an eyebrow-raising, or perhaps head-turning start at best.

Plan is to do daily FMT for a week, then back off a bit and see what happens.

Post by **tex** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 2:39 pm

Hi,

So that we're all on the same page here, and hopefully we'll be able to learn from your experience, are you doing this treatment series without any diet changes to avoid any food sensitivities?

And from an immune system perspective, do you happen to know your current vitamin D blood level and/or are you taking a substantial vitamin D supplement?

We appreciate your sharing this information with us, and I/we hope the procedure will be successful.

Tex

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 2:59 pm

I looked back in my previous posts, and probably should have mentioned this before. Apologies, and here it is for reference later:

I've basically spent the past two years slowly eliminating foods that I've found myself to be sensitive to. As a result, finally, I think I can say that I'm in remission on diet alone. No meds. To put it another way, I'm on a very strictly controlled, and very limited diet. I supplement with liquid Vit D, 4000IU/day, which was started after my blood level was found to be 25 (we're shooting for a high-normal--somewhere around 80 would be nice). Also take an Omega3 supplement. Interestingly, ginger root was the key to relief of my D--the day after I started drinking ginger honey tea, my D stopped. The other major symptom i have is fissures/hemorrhoids. Those finally went away about 5 months ago, and I'm very happy that they've not returned.

Since I'm on such a limited diet, and am basically in remission now, I think the only way I'll know if FMT is working is by a change in bowel function, or by introducing a new food. I've been following a thread in another group about the benefits of resistant starch, and so have recently added navy beans to my diet. I've never knowingly reacted to navy beans, but I'm treating it as a food trial, and going very slowly--1small spoonful a day for the past three days. So far, no detectable changes in my digestive system.

Post by **tex** » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:52 pm

Thanks for the information. I had mistakenly assumed that you were not in remission. You seem to have all your ducks in a row, but I agree that it may be kind of difficult to determine how well the treatment is working since you're in remission. I have the same goal for my vitamin D level, and a few years ago I had it up to 96.8. That was in July, so I stopped taking it for the rest of the summer (since I get a lot of sun), but I've never been able to get it back up there, since then.

The only resistant starch that has been mentioned on this board previously (as best I can recall) is a resistant corn starch.

Hi-maize Resistant Starch

Tex

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:31 pm

FMT #6 this morning. Smaller volume today. That, coupled with a slight schedule adjustment (eat breakfast before the procedure), and no retention problems today. Plus, I had my first possible hint that things may be changing in my microbiome. Its too early to draw any conclusions, so I'm biting my tongue. More tomorrow.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:40 pm

Plus, I had my first possible hint that things may be changing in my microbiome.

Ooh, now I'm curious. I'd expect a change in odor or color of the D. Maybe different gas patterns or odors? What else??

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 2:58 pm

Like in said, I'm basically in remission on diet alone. That means, believe it or not, I don't have D. I have one bm per day, and its largely normal (4 or 5 on the Bristol scale). The only unusual thing about them is that there's almost no odor. But that's all I'm gonna say for now.

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 3:09 pm

We're fascinated......... Also since you are basically in remission on diet alone are you attempting this to broaden your range of foods you can eat? Brandy

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Wed Apr 17, 2013 3:32 pm

Yes. That's pretty much the entire point.

humbird753 · Post by **humbird753** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 10:01 am

Others here of course know what FMT stands for. I'm not sure if I do. If this is the fecal transplant, I look forward to your future posts.

Thanks,
Paula

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Thu Apr 18, 2013 1:39 pm

FMT #7 today; fourth one in a row. Larger volume (same as #5), but this time I had no problems keeping it. The key is to make sure I lie down for about an hour after the procedure. So, all in all, the entire thing takes about 1.5 hours (I'm getting very pooficient).

Yesterday's initial promising results did not recur this morning as hoped. But I continue to hope for improvement anyway.

Yes, FMT is fecal microbiota transplant.

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:59 pm

FMT #8 today; fifth one in a row. Same procedure, same results (so far) as yesterday. Wednesday's initial promising results (better stool consistency) DID recur this morning

, which I'm glad for. I think most of it is because of the donor material

, though I know some of my own makes it in there because the huge glass of veggie juice I had the night before turned things a definite dark green hue (and the donor material didn't go in that color)

. No other changes, so I don't know yet if things are improving or just not changing.

For the record, I am slowly increasing my navy beans intake as well (resistant starch). Good news is that I've no detectable negative reaction to the beans thus far. It's been well over a year since I had beans, so hoping I can continue to have them.

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:07 pm

Hi OMF, for the record can you give us your age? Also I'm curious how long you had MC symptoms b/f diagnosis? i.e. 3 months? 7 years etc? Also I'm curiuos if you have a feel for what caused MC in your situation.

Thanks for sharing your trial. Brandy

ObsessedMrFixit · Post by **ObsessedMrFixit** » Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:21 pm

I'm in my early forties. Formally diagnosed with LC in October of last year. Been experiencing digestive problems for a bit more than 2 years now. Had some minor issues before that, but nothing that was significant enough to make me do something. I wouldn't say I had typical MC or LC symptoms at any point, else the doctors might have (emphasis on might) found it earlier.

I strongly suspect that two things played a major role in my developing LC. First, repeated antibiotics prescribed by a doctor that didn't care about his patients as much as he should have. I don't think I can get the medical records now, but I'm pretty sure I had antibiotics at least every other year during 1998-2008. And in 2005 or 2006, I had antibiotics (Zithromax, I believe it was) at least twice. A stool culture about two years ago confirmed I had nearly no gut flora.

The straw that broke the camel's back, though, was extreme stress. My son was born with major digestive problems, and we had to completely change our diet and how we cook food shortly after he was born. To me, this was a life-threatening situation, and my stress shot all the way to the moon. My body tolerated the stress for a year, then gave out and I developed "food allergies" (as we called it at the time). Another two years of worsening symtpoms, eliminating foods, and feeling like I'm going insane, and I think I finally hit rock bottom. Now I'm headed upward again (I"m basically in remission on diet alone). Hoping for healing, though I know to not count on it.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:54 am

More news today...I'm warming up to the idea!!

Fecal transplant may offer hope for pediatric UC

Researchers at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., said a clinical trial that included 10 ulcerative colitis patients, ages 7 to 20, showed fecal microbial transplantation led to a reduction in symptoms within a week for 78% of participants and elimination of symptoms in 33%. The trial, the first in the U.S. to evaluate fecal transplants in children, did not uncover any serious side effects from the procedure.

http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=675233