Fecal transplant log Part I

Ok here comes the poo protocol again

curl3d's administration procedure (the Poo-Ga):
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Equipment:
1 enema bottle (100 ml) emptied out of contents
saline
blender
baby wipes (great for wiping hands etc)
vaseline

Procedure:
Try to empty your bowel as much as possible prior to procedure. I get up early (5am) and eat breakfast to give me enough time. I even drink a bit of espresso sometimes just to kick start the stomach but you should probably avoid this if you are not having solid bowel motions.

Get the feces inside the blender as fast as possible after donation. Pour the saline in it as quick as you can because a) it smells less yucky and b) you'll preseve more of the bacteria this way since it will be exposed to oxygen less time while you get yourself ready. Make it about 35% poo and 65% saline. It needs to be easily pourable. Make sure you have covered the feces with saline before starting the blender and mix the feces for no longer than necessary to make the solution pourable (max 20 secs) as this increases the risk for exposing the bacteria to oxygen (as previously mentioned, as oxygen may kill some of the bacteria due to osmotic shock).

Pour the mixed solution into the enema and put the tip back on. Put some vaseline on the tip. Place a towel on the floor and get down on your knees with face down on the floor. Get the enema between your legs and get it into your bum as far as the tip goes. Just be careful and make sure you point it slightly downwards as this is how your colon will be aligned. Squeeze the enema with a long consistent squeeze. Don't let it stay in there after you finished squeezing or it may suck the contents back into the bottle again. Stay in this position for 1-2 minutes and massage left side of tummy gently from bottom upwards. Imagine your colon going from bottom to the left and then up and right (picture: VIEW IMAGE). Get up and fill up the enema with whats left. Repeat injection procedure. Aim to get 300 ml (I could never empty the enemas completely but almost). Massage tummy from bottom left to upwards (for a minute or two) after injecting second time.

When I first told my doc about that I wanted to do the FT he said that I would never be able to get the administered solution past the first curve in the colon, I thought I'd be darned if I can't, so time to get a little acrobatic. First, start off by having your bum in the air face down and massage your left side for a few minutes. Then turn on to your left side and massage for a minute or two. Now, the ideal posture would be to stand on your hands right? But I can't do this very well at the moment and it wouldn't be possible to perform any massage like that so instead I put my back against the wall and crawl up with my feet leaving me in a yoga like position with my tummy completely veritical to the floor (VIEW IMAGE). Massage for a few minutes and then turn to your right side. Perform this whole massage procedure for 30 minutes turning to each side for a few minutes and massaging your tummy.

Rinse all equipment in hot water
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Post Edited (curl3d) : 3/21/2012 5:50:08 PM (GMT-6)

You are sooo creative..I am doing this as well and my wonderful husband does all the poop mixing..Ya know what..My husband bought an inversion table years ago for back problems and I use that after I administer the enema..I think it works:). Otherwise I would be standing on my head as well because I am really very convinced being upside down works.

Hi Donna, I agree that lying inverted with your head down really does make a difference. Do you rotate your body too while lying down? BTW your husband sounds like a keeper!

Curl, keep going bud! You're almost at the end of the month. I agree with Trojen you should taper off the FTs by doing every other day, then every 3 days, then one a week and so on. It sounds like you've perfected the procedure so it should be routine now!

Hey Curl, I started Sunday the 11th. I have done 8FT'so far. I just found out Prunes work to make my husband produce everyday:). Before I started I was on steroid enemas for a mild flare but I have been in a contant mild flare for some time now and use these enemas way too much as Rowasa just does not keep me under control..So, after the first FT I was constipated the next day which is strange for me. After the 2nd FT, my stool was almost normal..no mucous, solid,. After the 3rd, it has been normal. My stool has been normal the last 7 days. I am trying so hard not to get excited. I am nervous that when we stop it will come back. Biggest draw back for me is I've gained 3 lbs!:).

Hi Edbar, I do not move from side to side..for some reason, just never thought about it, but I will now. I can only do inversion for about 7 minutes as I feel my head is going to explode. I then lay on the bed for about 30 minutes..I lay on the left then right. I try not to move around too much for about an hour later as I don't want to poop it out. Which I have been able to retain every FT till the next day. I do not do as much as Curl..I do 133ml's as that is the size of my enema bottles and I just can't imagine doing much more than that. We have to go out of town this weekend so tomorrow will be number 9.. We will start up again Monday and will continue for that week. That's what I'm thinking so far.

The great thing about my husband is he's pretty super healthy. He eats great, and does all he can to take care of his health. So, I imagine he has some great bacteria in that colon of his. He did have his colonscopy 2 years ago and it was perfect. Yeh, We've been at it for 20years..I'm thinking I may have to keep him:).

Today's update;
No blood and almost no sign of the white mucus dots today either

EATING: According to SCD
SYMPTOMS: 1-2 BM/24h, no blood, no urgency, no discomfort, tiny white dots of mucus
MEDICATION: 15 mg prednisone (been eating for 34 days now, tapering down), Asacol
WEIGHT: stable around 74 kg (I'm male, 1.74m tall)
FECAL TRANSPLANT DAY: 24, performed 23 so far

I am so bummed...I was bit by a dog today..Long story short. I was at the animal shelter which I'm there a lot. I gave a treat to a young dog through his cage and he got my finger instead of treat..I of course pulled away and it looks kinda yukky. Dog has to be quarantined but they absolutely assured me he will be safe. I am there often and they know it was my fault..I am absolutely sick about it. Anyway, looks like I may have to get antibiotics...I am doing so well with my FT's. I am guessing I would discontinue FT's while doing antibiotics? Seems like all those days were wasted if I take antibiotics. I don't do well at all with antibiotics. That is why I chose not to do them before FT's..how ironic. I am hoping I wake up tomorrow and it looks great! I am supposed to go out of town tomorrow am as well..JEEZ!

Sorry Donna, hope you are ok. Just started fecal transplant, not having results, I can,t retain them for some reason. My rectum is pretty inflamed, which may be why.

My son was one week post FT colonoscopy when he got strep throat. We put him on abx and were devestated, thinking it would wipe out the FT we just did. We did stop the ongoing home FTs while on the abx as suggested. He did not clear the strep with the first round of pennicillin, so we switched to amoxycillin. After a 3rd diagnosis of strep, they suggested a tonsilitis. Since he already had 3 scopes in the past year, we chose to wait on the tonsils.  His GI suggested azithromycin as it is stronger than the other abx, but easier on the gut.  Well, the strep finally cleared and never affected his remission.  

Long story short, the FT has created a new healthier gut flora.  Don't sweat the abx if you need to go on them...just make sure to get one that is easy on the gut.  Also, research abx alternatives like gargling with wild oil of oregano to kill strep.  Every day is a learning experience with UC.      

Post Edited (trojen) : 3/23/2012 3:45:12 PM (GMT-6)

i just got a prescription for flagyl today and started taking it. i am going to do a sort of fake borody protocol of FT since nobody will be my at-home donor. i plan on taking 1000 mg a day of flagyl along with a low fiber diet and lots of fluids. after 10 days, i will do a full day of all liquids and a clean out procedure. then i will do my own version of fecal transplant. i am mixing psyllium husk, saline solution, and capsules of probiotics into an enema. this is the best option i have at the time since my hospital won't do fecal transplant for me. i will make a post about it when i start my own "FT" transplants.

banana,

if I read you right you plan on doing a transplant with no donor just probiotics?

If that is the case I believe you are wasting your time. Human intestinal flora has 500+
species & 30,000 sub species of bacteria, the 15 strains you might get from probiotics is probably
similar to planting a few shrubs after wiping out the amazon.
Borody also says probiotics cannot adhere to intestinal walls due to laboratory manufacturing.
They have studies confirming this.

tankor, i basically thought of it because i have no donor. even though my family knows how sick i am, nobody will help me. it's a horrid feeling. i just don't know what else to do. obviously, probiotics dont have nearly the great bacteria that stool does, but can you recommend a second best option? i keep telling myself that i need to find a husband because a spouse would have to help me haha i've also been tempted to use my cat or dog's poop but i dont know if that would help. i already get injections of mouse antibodies so my body is used to animal products.

Maybe if you tolerate vsl at first, add another probiotic and keep adding. Get as many and as much of a variety as you can in there.
It SUCKS that your parents won't help you. I can't figure that one out. Odd, since our GI is fully supportive of trying FT and on children no less (they are generally very conservative) - maybe you could show them some medical research (ie. from Science or Nature or even Dr Borody's articles).
Some people use friends - can you move in with a friend for a few weeks and try that?