Success with self administered fecal transplant

[Jim]

Guess I posted this in the wrong place before...so here goes again. I contracted C difficile when I took cipro for diverticulitus. Months later a diagnosis of c difficile. 4 weeks of high dose vancomycin and florastor didn't work. two weeks more. no luck. then 6 week taper of vancomycin. Did not seem to be working. Internet showed high success rate for stool transplants. Local gastro guy said no one in Az did them. Closest would be Washington state. Contacted a gastroenterologist back east who had done enema transplants successfully on C difficile patients. He talked me through it. With wife as donor did three transplants and no longer have diahreah. It works. No fun but it works and is well worth the discomfort. Why are gastroenterologists everywhere not trying this procedure if it works. Thanks to "feeling hopeful" for letting this novice know that I had posted my story in the wrong place!

[Hua Kul]

Congratulations Jim! Kudos for being bold enough to self-administer a proven treatment that worked for you at home. I don't think many would go that far but you proved it can be done. It also puzzles me why more doctors aren't doing this. A person could probably make a living doing it for others on a home visit basis. But to avoid arrest for practicing medicine without a license it would have to be classified as a something else, such as a "nutritional supplement."

[feelinghopeful]

I hope you stay well and can stay away from antibiotics for as long as you possibly can. It can take a long time for intestinal flora to fully recover after treatment for c-diff, or any antibiotic use, but my guess is you've given yourself a good head start. My best to you.

[feelinghopeful]

Jim, scroll to the bottom of this article and you will see:

"Tomorrow

* Fecal transplants and other icky remedies"

http://thespec.com/News/Local/article/436452

[Jim]

To "feeling hopeful". if you go to the website www.thespec.com and enter "fecal transplants" in the search box up pops the article about the success of fecal transplants in Canada. They are proposing a clinical trial, but it is "under review" for now. A C diff expert at Johns Hopkins "believes fecal transplants are the best C.difficile treatment. ...It's the only way to replace all of the 400 microbial species of flora in the colon"

[feelinghopeful]

I applaud the doctor who does the transplant both during a colonoscopy and through a tube at the same time. From my experience, the enema worked but left me with some issues - all of which probably would have resolved in time had I not taken an antibiotic which sent me into a tailspin. I imagine it's hard for the slurry to reach all the way around to the beginning of the colon so it probably takes longer for the slowly motil bacteria to get to where Borody feels the reservoir for spores often is - the appendix. Honestly, after what I've been through, I would have had my appendix removed if the transplant didn't work. The antibiotic cycle was getting me nowhere slowly. Having the transplant done during a colonoscopy, thereby having the doner material put right up to the cecum, has been a far quicker recovery for me. I was perfect for a week, had two days of minor distress, then free sailing since then. The only time I'd ever know I had c-diff, at this point in time, is when I skip a meal - I get minor sensations where cramping used to be. Who knows what the future holds for me (knock on wood) but for now I could not be happier and am praying I don't have to take an antibiotic anytime soon.

That Spectator is doing a phenomenal job at covering c-diff in Canada, isn't it?! After reading the first article I went back to read it again and noticed there were links to dozens more in a list to the right of that one. I felt like I'd hit the motherload. I don't know why but I cannot learn enough about this disease. I feel that all I've read and learned has been my savior. I would have felt hopeless without knowledge on my side. I first read of the fecal transplants here and am eternally grateful. This site is an incredible resource.

[feelinghopeful]

I was wondering, how are things going? I hope you're doing great. So far so good for me. Soon I will write another success story here. I'm being a tad more reserved about it this time. Friday will be a month... but how are you doing?!

[Jim]

I'm doing great. It has been more than two weeks since the transplants and I couldn't be better. Absolutely no c diff symptoms. No diarrhea. No cramps. Just as normal as can be. Instead of 8 to 10 times a day...once a day. I have been taking 4 Florastor a day. Will now cut back to two a day per the bottle dosage instructions. I've got my fingers crossed but I am very optimistic about the future!

[Kelleigh]

Hi Jim! Congratulations on getting rid of c-diff via transplant. As far as I'm concerned it truly is the best way to recover, especially if flagyl and vanco don't do the trick. Fortunately for me, I recovered, but I really dosed myself with everything I could think of that might help. Unfortunately, the round of c-diff I had seemed to weaken my immune system. I don't know if ending up with gastroesophageal reflux disease and fructose intolerance was a direct result of c-diff, but both hit me like a ton of bricks shortly after recovery. Since then, I've had the Hill posterior gastropexy surgery for reflux and am doing fine, but there's nothing that can be done about the fructose intolerance. There is an enzyme in the liver called aldolase B that allows digestion of high fructose corn syrup and other fructose derivatives. Unfortunately after too much fructose, the Aldolase B enzyme disappears and one can no longer eat fruit and many of the fructose containing vegetables, not to mention all the foodstuffs today that contain fructose. Thirty years ago fructose was introduced by food manufacturers rather than using granulated sugar as it was cheaper, however, today it's estimated by trials that 30% of people suffering with IBS are actually fructose intolerant. Needless to say I was worried when I had diarrhea again, but it wasn't the same and a simple test at the GI's told me the results. I have found one probiotic that has helped me more than any other on the market and is fairly cheap. It is made by Douglas Labs and is called Probiotics 4000. I have been taking only one a day now for several years.

My neighbor had his prostate removed back in May and was having trouble with too many potty trips after surgery. He finally had help with eating yogurt twice a day. I told him to try a bottle of the Probiotics 4000. He loved it...one a day and the potty problem was gone and he can easily carry it with him on vacations. I've found it truly does help in so many ways...a bottle of 90 is 25.10 from the supplier I get it from...they have a website too, but it is sold through health care providers only.

Check it out on Douglaslabs.com and if you can't find a supplier, call them up. It's really the BEST probiotic I've ever found. I'm so glad you're well.

Susan in NC also did a transplant with the help of her doctor and her 16 yr. old son as donor. As far as I know she's been well ever since and it's been several years. Thank goodness for docs that will help you with this...they know the results are always good and why they don't do more is beyond me...

[kcarlton]

Jim - not sure if you are still checking this thread but if you are, was wondering how you were sure that your wife's feces was healthy? Also, did you do any sort of prep like Dr. Borody suggests with fiber and such? Did you mix it with something and then how did you administer it? I have an enema bag.

Thanks,
Kristina

[debdee]

Jim, I too am wondering if you had any donor tests done. I have a donor that is willing, but this person is a friend and not a family member. Has anyone had success with a friend as donor??

Thanks,

debdee

[Kathy George]

Jim.... Such great news!!! I did the Enema Transplants as well. That was 15 months ago and remain C-Diff free. Just don't know why doctors don't encourage this method. It was a life saver for me!!!

[Jim]

debdee wrote :
> Jim, I too am wondering if you had any donor tests done. I have a donor
> that is willing, but this person is a friend and not a family member. Has
> anyone had success with a friend as donor??
>
> Thanks,
>
> debdee
Did not have any donor tests done, since donor was my wife. I knew she was not taking antibiotics, no hiv, no health problems. Don't really know about other donors. Good luck. It does work!

[Jim]

Kathy George wrote :
> Jim.... Such great news!!! I did the Enema Transplants as well. That was
> 15 months ago and remain C-Diff free. Just don't know why doctors don't
> encourage this method. It was a life saver for me!!!


Congratulations. I too am still C-Diff free....since Sept 2008. Agree that it is
terrible that Doctors don't embrace a therapy that works!

[debdee]

I read some old posts by Nengfriend. Dated August 23,20007. Does anyone know how she is doing? Also, her home infusion method seems a bit different than the Borody method. She posted something about her doctor's theory was to bind a healthy donor's stool along with your own. Does anyone know what her method and instructions are? The whole colon cleanse would be hard on my underweight exhausted body. It would be a good option for me to infuse without having to do the harsh colon cleanse.

Thanks,
debdee