My 2. FMT experience (20yo)

If you have had or are considering an FMT please share your experiences here.
Alex13
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Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:42 am

My 2. FMT experience (20yo)

Postby Alex13 » Tue Jun 19, 2018 10:22 am

Hey!

I hope someone can take the time to read my story!

I'm a 20 year old female, from Germany.
In 2017, after endless courses of antibiotics for UTIs, Dental cysts, tonsillitis and the list goes on, I started having digestional issues, after never having had problems with my gut whatsoever for the first 19 years of my life. I used to be able to eat anything at anytime, no allergies, never gaining weight etc. The only time I had ever vomited was after too much alcohol as a teenager, I had NEVER had diarrhea since I could remember.
This changed after the last 2 week course of amoxicillin I got in a hospital after surgery. I started to experience extreme bloating (are u pregnant?) and occasional cramps after eating sth like ice cream or pizza and frequently got constipated. Of course those problems were nothing compared to cdiff or diseases like Morbus Crohn, but they were still affecting me and I knew the cause had been the antibiotics ruining my intestinal flora (I'm a med student but of course I don't think I'm a doctor). I've read close to every scientific publication about the microbiome and fmts that is available to the public and decided to seek out help from a doctor who does FMTs.
(Here in Germany, health insurance is universal and covers all medical needs so thankfully money wasn't an obstacle I had to face. Also, FMT is not only done for cdiff but also for IBS, Crohn's, Ulcerative C. and so on)
After testing negative for every intestinal infection contractable, also for cdiff, we did the FMT under the diagnosis "IBS/dysbiosis" and it worked! I was back to normal.

Fast forward to 2018. Working in Nicaragua on a volunteer project of my University, I contracted amebea, had be hospitalized in a public hospital and treated with 2 different antibiotics for 2 weeks. The hygiene standards there of course were non-existent, no disinfectant, no cleaning, no toilet paper, 40 puking, bleeding, sick women in one room etc. I left this hospital cured from the amebea but had picked up cdiff... Since returning to Germany I've been treated with vancomycin 3 times, the last time as a gradual reduction scheme and am now back at the hospital that amazing doctor who gave me my first fmt works at, after receiving my 2. FMT.

I am currently 4h out of the procedure and would like to keep you guys updated so maybe someone can benefit from my experience in the future!

Alex13
Brand New Poster
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:42 am

Re: My 2. FMT experience (20yo)

Postby Alex13 » Tue Jun 19, 2018 10:47 am

FMTs here are either via nasojejunal tube or colonoscopy. In my case we chose colonoscopy.
The way it works is that the doctor admits you into the hospital for one night and schedules the procedure. I had to take my vancomycin up until 2 days before the procedure.
Since hospital stays, medical procedures and any medicine are covered by insurance, they thereby also cover the FMT.
The donor at this place is a 25 year old girl from this city, who volunteered to be the donor for this hospital. They screen her before every FMT, she is lean and she doesn't take antibiotics, and hasn't done so in the last 10 years.
They had me do the bowel prep 2 (!) days before coming so I had enough time to wash it all out before the procedure (otherwise the residue of the prep causes patients to not be able to hold the watery implant in, is what the doc says). So coming here I hadn't eaten for 2 days.
At 5am I had to take 2 Imodium, then 1 right before the procedure, 1 afterwards and 1 more this evening. Tomorrow morning I will be taking a last one.
While this can cause constipation, it secures that you can hold the implant for at least a day which is what they aim for.
Right now I'm feeling fine, light Belly rumbling and you can see that it's full of water. It has already gone down from right after waking up from the procedure and the doctor says by tomorrow my colon should have absorbed all the water and only the bacteria should stay behind.
They gave my a light dinner and tea.

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: My 2. FMT experience (20yo)

Postby beth22 » Wed Jun 20, 2018 2:12 am

Thank you for posting this information. That's wonderful that the FMT is done in Germany for problems other than c difficile. I, too, had FMT and in 2008 it was not easy to find someone to do it. I have relatives in various parts of Germany, so that is something to consider. Insurance covered my FMTs here, but no one will do them for dysbiosis, etc. Only for c difficile.

Good luck to you and please update us and let us know the results.

Bobbie
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Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 8:00 pm

Re: My 2. FMT experience (20yo)

Postby Bobbie » Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:42 pm

Thx for info. Hope you continue to do well.

I had a FMT five years ago. It took a long time to "kick in" but eventually worked.

Ask the doc about adding fiber later.

Best of luck.


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