Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

We spend a lot of time talking about the bad news in this discussion group - here's the spot for the good news. If you've had c-diff and are now well, please tell us about it here.
shawnmulligan
Brand New Poster
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:16 pm

Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby shawnmulligan » Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:20 pm

I contracted C. Diff either during a hospital visit or as a result of antibiotics.
My symptoms were common: frequent BMs, variety of loose/watery/mucous-y/bloody stools, pain/cramping, bloating – at times extreme, nausea, headache, fatigue, sweats, etc... Sound familiar?

... And now for the good news.

I’m fortunate to live in Calgary Alberta where Dr. Louie practices (Google him), and luckier yet to have received his FMT treatment – capsules, by mouth!

The day before the treatment (Monday) I stopped taking Vancomycin. The morning of the FMT began at 5:30 a.m. with an bowel cleanse (again by mouth) followed by the actual procedure at around noon.

The procedure consisted of Dr. Louie’s assistant filling half capsules, by pipette, with the pre-prepared flora. The doctor then capped these halves and encased them in a larger capsule. I swallowed the capsules one-by-one with water – taking around 40 in total. That’s it!

The next morning I felt unexpectedly good. My mental clarity and acuity was also positively stronger. Dr. Louie mentioned that other patients had commented on this ‘clarity’, adding that researchers have noticed a ‘gut-brain’ connection that it unexplained.

So now it’s Sunday, five days later, and I still feel great. Without the treatment, my symptoms would be back, a fact proven by history. So I’m very thankful to Dr. Louie and his team.

One last point.

In Canada, at least, we take the ‘free’ and readily available nature of health care for granted. But FMT procedures ‘fly under the radar’, in a system that is too ignorant to realize/accept their value in terms of costs - both financial and personal. So there is no compensation for donors or the process – supplies, time, etc. Money is unofficially ‘redirected’ from other sources. All the more reason to be grateful.

shawn

Bobbie
Administrator
Posts: 12688
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby Bobbie » Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:01 am

Congrats., Shawn, and thanks for the information. Post again and tell us how you are doing in a couple of weeks. This is the most important forum because it gives people hope.

I have heard of Dr. Louie and know he has a fine reputation.

AThurston
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 638
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:58 am

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby AThurston » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:07 pm

I also want to add "Congrats Shawn", hope you feel better every day. Thank you for sharing.
Alletta

shawnmulligan
Brand New Poster
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:16 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby shawnmulligan » Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:02 pm

Hi All! And thanks for the supporting words.

Well it's been 2 weeks and here's the update:

I felt great the day or two after the procedure... and it felt like it was coming back on the 5-7th days... but now I feel great... still a "slight" battle going on... but I know I'm over it.

Lastly, the Dr tested me again for C. Diff and it came back negative.

So I'm 100% behind the Dr. Louie procedure and my wish is that everyone finds their solution... Now that I'm better I realize how much I missed of life. I'm back to the gym... restarting hobbies... getting out more... and, significantly, the bathroom is no longer a scary/sad place to be -- for everyone involved :-)

Hope this helps...

Shawn

getwellsoon
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 3301
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 8:33 am

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby getwellsoon » Sat Jun 29, 2013 5:36 pm

So glad you have beaten the beast. Thanks for posting, it gives others suffering so much hope. Please continue to let us know how you do and I pray you never see CDiff again. Take care now. Carol
CAROL

shawnmulligan
Brand New Poster
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:16 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby shawnmulligan » Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:08 am

Thanks Carol... and, again, to all who offer support!

I look back and can't really believe how much Flagyl and Vancomycin I took... for months... then one treatment and the nightmare was over.

I hope everyone finds "their" cure.

Shawn

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby beth22 » Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:15 am

Yes, Dr. Louie is great. I was in touch with him a few years ago and he sent me the protocol to do the stool enemas. He was just starting to develop the capsule form at that time. It sounds a lot easier to do it that way. Thanks for posting the information.

Bobbie
Administrator
Posts: 12688
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby Bobbie » Tue Jul 02, 2013 1:16 am

Think I'll move to Canada.

KateC
Regular Contributor
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:49 am

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby KateC » Sat Jul 13, 2013 3:16 pm

This is very exciting news- congrats to you shawn and I pray your success continues- I suspect it will! I read about the capsule form of
FT being studied but didn't know they were using it yet.
Will most likely take a very long time here in the US since it will hurt the profits of drug companies.
that's the way things work over here , sadly.
I read that ideally, in the future they will be able to know what good flora needs to be replaced and capsules will
be custom made.
This would be come treatment for many illnesses, not just c diff.

It's funny- I have been researching where to go live as an expat & I just mentioned to my husband yesterday that we should
seriously check into Canada since it won't seem so foreign.
Now I'm thinking a trip to Canada may be necessary!
Kate

seekingcure
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1907
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 1:28 am

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby seekingcure » Sat Jul 13, 2013 5:56 pm

This is my cynical side talking, Kate, but have no fear, the drug companies in the US will patent the oral FT capsules and charge us an arm and a leg for them, like they do now for Vanco capsules and Dificid. It's all about the money.
Bea

BananaSlug

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby BananaSlug » Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:05 pm

wow, thats awesome!!!! yeaaaah, i wish we lived in canada. the healthcare system is here is beyond messed up and corrupt, and taking advantage of people suffering and people with no insurance. its like "get ill, and go bankrupt! good luck!"

well, at least this gives more options and knowing there is something out there other than just flagyl, vanco, FT, and surgery! and dificid.

i would totally go for trying that. i was talking to my manager's "natural/homeopathic" whatever doctor about this recently and he said he was looking into being one of the ones trying it once they okay it here in the USA. i guess its not even being attempted here??? at all??
he said he didnt wanna be one of the first to do it and the patient die, etc. so he was gonna wait to see what happens and when it starts getting the ball rolling here.

i cant see how it could be that dangerous if the flora/fecal material is sterilized and prepped the same way as the FT would. its just thru the opposite end and probably safer!!

lots of older patients get one of those "drug field trips" to canada so they can get all the meds they cant afford here. they just need a script.

hopefully they don't try and outlaw US citizens from obtaining these. like vanco can cost just $4!! the pills! they already tried or already did enforce people in the states from buying prescription meds and some other stuff via the net from other countries.

i think its sad what the government here and the "big pharm" is doing to its people. just makes me sad.

beth22
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 10852
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby beth22 » Sun Jul 14, 2013 2:51 am

The capsules the poster had are not "produced" except in the lab where Dr. Louie works. He makes them himself. A few years ago, I contacted him and he offered for me to go up there, which was very kind of him, but I found a doctor here who did my stool transfer. Dr. Louie makes the capsules from the donor's stool - yes,under lab conditions where it is sterile, etc.

There was a poster who made her own a year or more ago - got a fever and felt sick for about 3 days and then got better and cured her c diff. Not really advisable. Someone I know just did this a couple of weeks ago with very bad results - she now has daily D, multiple times a day, despite having had her donor tested. It is one thing to do your own enemas, but something that is swallowed is best left to the doctors to do. Dr. Rubin in Duluth, MN has been doing the ng transfer for many years with a lot of success. I was not one of his success stories unfortunately. I had this done first and relapsed and then opted for a colonoscopy transfer.

Some places in Canada do the transfers - in Ontario I believe, but in other parts, hospitals won't allow it. Near Quebec and Montreal there are facilities where it used to be done. I don't know about now. The FDA has made things more difficult here. Perhaps it is harder in Canada too. I have not researched it lately.

shawnmulligan
Brand New Poster
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:16 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby shawnmulligan » Fri Oct 04, 2013 6:23 pm

...just an update...

It's 3 months now and the C. Diff is still gone and I feel great.

NBC News did a story on Dr. Louie and I participated. You can read the article by Goggling:

NBC news health

Story Title: "Poop pills are latest way to cure dangerous C. diff infections, new study shows..."

I hope all who still suffer find their cure!

Shawn

AllisS
Long Time Contributor
Posts: 1889
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2012 10:52 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby AllisS » Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:00 pm

The article is in our Media section here on site.
If your illness was preceded by use of a medication, e.g., an antibiotic, please fill out an FDA Adverse Event Report at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm

ppp67
Regular Contributor
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:22 pm

Re: Oral FMT cure worked for me - By capsule!

Postby ppp67 » Fri Oct 04, 2013 11:39 pm

Great news.
I felt that getting the gut flora back in order was the true cure. Antibiotics wipe it out -- the best cure is to undo the damage. Probiotics help but just aren't the real thing! I'm better today because I'm taking them, at least that's what I think. But the best bacteria mixture to ingest should come from "the source".

Don't be too surprised. Anyone one with dogs and horses out there?
Ever see how doggies love woofing it down? No, they aren't wacko. It probably does them good [in most cases].
Don't argue with millions of years of evolution! Just hope they don't get tape worms, etc.
We're the crazy ones who believe too much in cleansing. We take ATX that kill everything because we might get sicker if we don't.
I'm sure our ancestors ate the stuff thousands of years back. Well, I'm not sure, but it would not surprise me if they did.

No, I don't live in a pig pen.
But I got CDIFF and my experience has been "you -- keep away you filthy...".
I don't want to repeat that.
If I relapse I'd like to go this treatment route.
Oh, isn't that discusting? No, CDIFF is discusting.


Return to “Success Stories”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests