FMT C Diff
Fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) refer to stool from a healthy donor being transplanted into the intestinal tract of a patient to immediately change the recipient’s microbial composition. It provides a massive infusion of healthy colonic bacteria, which has the potential to ultimately cure a multitude of digestive issues. It is instantaneous and can often be proven successful after 1 treatment. Side effects of the procedure are minimal and often resolve on their own after typically 24 hours. The procedure involves collecting stool samples from a healthy donor (usually from a centralized stool bank), suspending the specimen in water or normal saline, and administering it to the patient, most frequently through the use of an enema. However, the advent of a capsule form has seen a rise in popularity due to the ease of use, convenience, and cost effectiveness compared to its more invasive counterparts.
Other forms of transplantation include via colonoscope, nasogastric or nasoduodenal tube, or rectal tube, but a retention enema is typically the least invasive option and can be performed most comfortably at the patient's bedside. For patients who don’t tolerate colorectal delivery or have conditions that make this challenging, there is a capsule that can be ingested, essentially reducing procedure time, cost and prep. According to a 2019 article in Clinical Endoscopy, “there is a comparable efficacy of capsule-delivered FMT to that of colonoscopy-delivered FMT,” with many researchers concluding a 5-10% higher cure rate in the colonoscopic administration.
FMT Is FDA Regulated to Treat C. Diff
Fecal microbiota transplantation is acknowledged by the FDA to treat Clostridium difficile (also known as Clostridioides difficile, C. difficile, C. diff, and antibiotic-associated colitis). This is a bacteria that causes colitis, an inflammation of the colon. Clostridium difficile colitis results from disruption of normal healthy bacteria in the colon, often from antibiotics.
An overgrowth of C. diff can often be found in patients who have had a recent hospital admittance and/or antibiotic treatment. The infection typically presents with one or more of the following symptoms:
Watery diarrhea
Abdominal cramps, pain or tenderness
Fever
Pus or mucus in stool
Nausea
Dehydration
According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of infection is contagious and can be transmitted from person to person by spores. It can cause severe damage to the colon and even be fatal if left untreated. In a study appearing in Anaerobe in 2008, clinical microbiology research shows that FMT has a 90% success rate in curing Clostridium difficile–associated chronic diarrhea, colitis, and pseudomembranous colitis. This is a significant finding, and further research and practice can help alleviate the difficult symptoms of conditions like C. diff.
While the fecal microbiota transplantation procedure is not new, it has become the new standard of care for treating C. diff. According to an article in Harvard Health Publishing, over the last 6 years this has become the most effective treatment of this bacterial infection, with a cure rate of 80-90% after a single treatment. However, some patients might require further treatment. The window of recurrence is typically eight weeks and it is important for patients to be monitored; therefore, follow up treatment can be performed if deemed necessary. The stool transplant procedure has been well-documented to show a high degree of safety in its methodology and patients seem to tolerate the procedures involved with it very well. Those aspects, coupled with the high cure rate and potentially life saving results, prove that FMT may be the best treatment option for recurring C. diff.
Physicians who intend to use this procedure to treat their C. difficile patients are required to obtain adequate consent, which should include a statement that the use of fecal transplant for C. difficile is investigational and include a discussion of its potential risks.
Promising Results for Progressive Application
FMT also has the proven ability to treat, and potentially cure, many other conditions and disorders across the spectrum. While all of these findings are contained to clinical trials and laboratory studies, it comes highly recommended to treat gastrointestinal issues such as ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and chronic constipation. According to a 2019 article in Clinical Endoscopy, a study shows FMT has been considered effective in preliminary treatment of some autoimmune disorders, certain allergic diseases, metabolic diseases and neurological disorders.
The future of fecal microbiota transplantation is promising, as evidenced by both the clinical studies that have been done on the efficacy of the procedure, as well as patient anecdotal evidence that can be found all throughout health and wellness support groups, message boards and chat spaces online. There are even many historical records in medical journals and literature indicating FMT being used as far back as ancient China to cure diarrhea, and in the 1700s to treat dysentery. Further, veterinary medicine has been employing stool transplant methods of treatment for centuries with notable success.
If you are interested in finding out more about the health benefits of FMT, Purety Family Medical Center has the answers you need. They live and breathe holistic medicine and their core philosophy revolves around the body’s innate ability to heal itself through proper lifestyle and natural cures.
There are times when the body needs extra help. That’s where they come in. In their office, they perform pre-treatment and provide the retention enemas and oral capsules of FMT to help cure people of recurrent C. diff infections. In addition to FMT fecal transplants, the unique tools they are currently using include regenerative therapies, ozone, personalized IV drip therapies, chelation, injection therapies, and bioidentical HRT. Their therapies have shown benefit in conditions such as acute and chronic infections, autoimmune and neurological conditions, pain and chronic injuries, hormone imbalances, immune deficiency, and addiction. See if what they have to offer could be the right choice for you.
Sources:
https://ndnr.com/gastrointestinal/fecal-microbiota-transplantation-for-ulcerative-colitis/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075996409001309
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6453848/#__sec1title