Home FMT using relative

Hello. I'll try and keep this short.

Some of you may know that I've had some difficulties this year. After 6 FMTs at the CDD, my colon has healed but I have severe IBS. Today has been one of my bad days (6 - 7 urgent BMs all yellow diarrhea, significant gurgling and bloating during the day, gassy feeling).

A while ago, I decided to try and attempt some home FMTs, but this time, instead of using an anonymous donor, to use my sister. I have consulted with her and she has agreed to be my donor after having her stool tested. She has had no gut problems, rarely ever has taken antibiotics and is in good health. She has a BM once every 3 days or so but that is largely because she eats very little (she weighs in at about 43 - 45kg). She has agreed to try and improve her diet (more veggies and fruits) during my transplants to hopefully provide more frequent and better donations.

I have had a phone consultation with the CDD in Sydney regarding all of this and they have provided me with the stool test referral and general advice on how to perform the procedure. I have a copy of their home FMT protocol. I have described how I will be conducting the procedure (distilled water + salt, blender, rectal syringes/enemas etc.) and they approve. They told me that, aside from my mother, my sister is the next relative who will have almost identical gut bacteria to how mine was originally (prior to prolonged antibiotic use and FMTs).

I will also be preceding the procedure with a course of Flagyl + interfase plus biofilm enzymes.

I am posting this thread just to ask if anyone has any constructive advice or ways I can better improve my home FMTs. I have read cur3l's posts and others online and am quite confident I know how to perform this on myself. All constructive advice welcome.

MaxMillian--I'm also glad you're giving this another try! My FMT process didn't work for me until the SECOND cycle I did. I hope that will be the same for you.

I do have a piece of advice I think will really help (I wish I would have done this the first time). Is there anyway you could use a water enema or, even better, do a scope-like prep? It really started working for me the day after I had a colonoscopy when I did an FT because everything was clear. The first time I basically refused to do it. I strongly suggest this, even though it seems like a total pain.

Good luck, I'll be praying for you!

To those that have done it and have found success, How long did that success last? Asking for my 17 year old daughter, we are trying to find her facility that will perform FMT under medical guidance. Thanks

I wouldn't use the stool of someone that does not ave healthy elimination. Once every 3 days is way way too putrifying. I fear it will not have species that would be healthy for someone with an already compromised system.

I suggest fasting as much as u can before. You want your existing flora
weak and practically dieing imop. Juice fast for a bit, which is basically like
no fiber. Then switch to a water fast and try at least 1 day. That, along with
the antibiotics, hopefully clean things out as much as possible. The fast too
really empties your colon before first infusion. You could also do enema, or
colonic if you feel you can safely do so.

I too feel like once every 3 days isn't ideal, you may struggle for donations. But
if thats the option you have available, then I would definately take it. If you have
the option, do them for months & months.

I somewhat disagree with Borody's diet recommendations. I feel like you should
just eat the foods that are safest for you. Don't do anything to agitate your colon.
Then maybe after a month or more, if you feel like things are improving, then you
can try some new foods out. Good luck

Max,
That's not what I was thinking. My suggestion is just to do a cleanse before your first transplant…not between the first two. So if you do a natural cleanse, just do it like you would a colonoscopy (24-36hrs). I'm not saying this is proven to help either (nothing really is for FMTs except C. diff), just saying what I believe from my experiences/the science behind it.

By the way, I completely disagree with quincy…Like I said, it took 20+ FMTs for it to work for me, and if you truly believe in the science around it, that will make sense.

Hill Hunter: thanks. Ill consider that.

They dont know. My small intestines had mild ulcers in the TI (which only healed after FMTs despite the solution not being administered there). I have seen 3 GIs, one says possibly crohns, two say ulcer in TI without any other small intestine problems doesnt prove crohns and still say I have colitis. Functionally I am worse now even with a fully healed system.

Just before the FMTs i didnt have any colon involvement. I just had the TI ulcers. The biopsy from the TI showed no abnormalities. My proctitis, prior to pentasa use was limited to the rectum. No sigmoid involvement. My cecum and TI werent inflamed at the same time. Initially my cecum was, then that healed. Then my TI flared whilst my cecum remained healthy.

Intermediate colitis might be a better classification i think though drs have never used that for me.

probably because the anitibiotic kill all gut flora and it takes 3 months to establish a new strong one, i think doing fmts now will be like shooting blanks but then again people been using their kids under 16 as their donor and still had success you just probably have to try and see if it will work for you. i don't think it will make your situation worse

i am better thanks, using salofalk suppositories so hopefully restart fmt tomorrow

Well I did my first FMT enema 2 nights ago using my sister's stool. She is still on the antibiotics (amoxicilin) but her tonsilitis has improved.

I held the infusion in for about 36 hours, a record for me I think, (thanks to 2 imodiums and having fasted prior to the infusion). I didn't get as much in as I had hoped but I would say I got in about 100ml. The mixture was a soup like texture (very runny) so I don't think I got the consistency right. When I do the next FMT, I'll add less distilled water.

Anyway, this morning, was my first BM after the infusion. The first portion of the stool (obviously the infused fecal matter) was a perfectly formed stool. Colour, smell and texture were all perfect. After that though, followed some yellowish loose stools that were more like my normal stools. about 30 mins later I had to have another BM. This was also yellowish loose stool. about 2 minutes ago I had my 3rd BM for the day and it was yellow loose stool as well (with junks of undigested potato I think...)

I am a bit disappointed but I think the BMs today were partly due to: 1) my increased fibre intake to nuture my supposedly new bacteria. 2) lingering side effects from the antiobiotic and biofilm enzymes that I used to prep my bowl for the infusion. My own yellow stools really don't have a scent so I must have wiped out a good portion of any bacteria in my gut. It was only the FMT portion of my BM that had any scent to it.

I still have the sensation to have a BM when I eat, which was the primary symtom I hoped would disappear. I am not sure when my sister will be donating again (possibly in 2 days time). I know she doesn't go very frequently but when she does go, she gives a decent amount. I am thinking of freezing her stools for use on the days she is unable to donate. I know the quality of the bacteria won't be as great but its better than nothing.

Its really hard to assess FMTs based on my current experience thus far because: 1) My sister is taking antibiotics which makes her an unacceptable donor for the next 3 months yet I am still using her stools. 2) Its too early on to really assess the success (it can take a month to see any signs of improvement). 3) I may be having too infrequent infusions (though I see this less as a problem).

So to summize, I am abit (or rather, quite) disappointed. I was really hoping this would help change things for me or I'd at least see some improvement. I will still be doing the infusions whenever my sister donates but I already feel less confident about the procedure. It may be a case where I will have to redo the procedure later in 2014 when my sister has recovered from the antibiotics. I suspect that I may not be getting enough 'good' bacteria because she has killed them off with the antibiotics.

Hi NSG. From my understanding, a colonoscopy is a more thorough and quicker means by which to distribute the bacteria into the recipient. A enema can work but it takes time, nuturing and repeated enemas for the good bacteria to work its way up the colon. I remember subdued and she had pancolitis.

I wasn't flaring to begin with. My primary purpose of doing this FMTs was to cure or get rid of my IBS (which I ironically only had after doing my first round of FMTs with an anonymous donor - hence why I am using my sister now).

I've heard that too (about relatives potentially being less effective) since they have the same microbial species as you originally had. The doctors at the CDD in Sydney explained that my initiative to have the FMTs administered with my sister's stools would theoretically make me flare once more because my body attacked my original gut bacteria, hence my IBD. I disagree though because my IBD began after a prolonged course of antibiotics, which I believed wiped out good bacteria that was preventing me from getting IBD and IBS. Once those species died, I flared. I strongly believe that reverting my gut bacteria to its original composition should, at least hypothetically, bring me back to pre-antiobiotic use status.

So far, I haven't seen much (if any) change... so I must admit I am feeling rather demotivated.