4 months post-FMT and symptoms are strong

If you have had or are considering an FMT please share your experiences here.
joedoe34
New User
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:59 pm

4 months post-FMT and symptoms are strong

Postby joedoe34 » Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:26 pm

I had my FMT in December 2017. In the days after, I immediately felt relief (which was true with the vancomycin too). However, over the past 4 months, I've had constant ups and downs, but no week has been without frequent diarrhea. The near-constant upper-abdomen cramps have not lessened. I have some weeks where some of my BMs are formed, and other weeks where none are. Past week I've had diarrhea 3 times a day and the cramps are as bad as ever, yet I tested negative for c-diff yesterday. The real kicker is I know it can't be diet (i've tried multiple elimination diets and am on a very limited one now, and the multi-day long episodes of terrible D come and go without any dietary changes). Have any of you had a similar experience this far (over 4 months) out from the FMT? I never thought anything would be a quick fix but I feel like I have almost no improvement over so long.

MKW
Regular Contributor
Posts: 392
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:49 am

Re: 4 months post-FMT and symptoms are strong

Postby MKW » Thu Apr 12, 2018 9:04 pm

Hi, most importantly - you tested negative for c diff 4 months out. This is good. It seems some have their FMT, go right back to normal, and go right on with their lives cured able to eat whatever they want. Others of us... not so lucky. I have been on this board since August of 2016, and during that time have seen many varying outcomes of IBS and food intolerance problems following people's FMTs. ... I ended up with SIBO, which kept getting labeled as PI-IBS for 8 months. But better late than never I got a diagnosis. SIBO is very food related, and symptoms greatly worsen with fermentable carbohydrates. So a low fodmap diet works for me. I believe some of us are just damaged after. The root cause of SIBO is a motility problem for example. You need to work with a doctor at this point as someone with IBS-D, and try to determine the cause and medicines that will provide symptom relief. I feel if I had been more assertive each time I was told "oh, you just have post c diff IBS", that I wouldn't have had to suffer for so long. The GI doc I ended up seeing just kept making me feel like it would just take time to heal. But "recovery" should be some type of gradual improvement. If that's not happening you need treatment. I think post c diff it's important to be realistic healing can take time, but at what point is it not "recovery"? I can't answer that question, but I do know their are medication options that could give you relief. I think there is no "normal" after FMT.

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

Re: 4 months post-FMT and symptoms are strong

Postby beth22 » Fri Apr 13, 2018 1:22 am

I had SIBO too and a very bad case of it. I had to treat with Xifaxan. But, you can also treat with diet as MKW pointed out. I also have chronic pancreatitis after c difficile. Some people got gall bladder issues and a few, like me, pancreatitis. If you haven't been checked for this, I would talk to your GI and see if you can have blood tests to check the pancreatic enzymes. Both gall bladder and pancreas can cause D and problems.


Return to “FMT Discussion”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests