In the Loop

News and views from across Mayo Clinic

June 23, 2016

Power of Poop: Fecal Transplants Offering Innovative Treatment for Mayo Clinic Patients

By In the Loop
Stephanie Bennett with VICE reporter Thomas Morton.

Stephanie Bennett with VICE reporter Thomas Morton.

Here at In the Loop, we often cover stories making headlines, adding our own spin and some thoughts from those making news. Since Stephanie Bennett, an intern in our department, is one of the subjects in tomorrow’s episode of the TV show VICE and has a great story to tell, we figured we’d let her do all the work this time.


In September 2015, I woke up to uncontrollable nausea and constant diarrhea. After these symptoms persisted for a week, I started to worry. I felt frail, was losing weight, and had a complete loss of appetite. At the time, I was attending school at the University of Iowa, and it was hard to get back home to Chicago to see my primary care physician. So for eight weeks, I was vomiting and having abnormal bowel movements up to 10 times a day.  

When I returned home in late November, a stool sample test showed that I had contracted a bacterium called Clostridium difficile, commonly known as C. diff. I immediately went through a series of antibiotic treatments. I thought my symptoms up to that point were bad. They got worse. I was too weak to get out of bed for 14 days, lost more weight, and couldn’t keep anything in my stomach besides water. After three rounds of antibiotics, the C. diff bacteria still prevailed.

I felt like my final option was to seek assistance at Mayo Clinic. I needed to rid my body of this horrid bacteria, which had taken control of me for 28 weeks and caused me to lose 25 pounds.

I contacted Glenn Alexander, M.D., a gastroenterology specialist at Mayo Clinic. He immediately referred me to Sahil Khanna, M.B.B.S., who was conducting a clinical research trial on fecal microbiota transplant. In the procedure, researchers takes healthy donor's feces, blend it into what they call a "slurry," and place it into an unhealthy person’s colon, where the good fecal bacteria overcome the bad bacteria. At first, I was grossed out, as anyone might be. Thinking about the relief I would have post-transplant, however, outweighed any of the unpleasant thoughts.

Along the way, I was approached by Mayo’s Public Affairs team about the opportunity to be featured in an episode of the HBO series VICE about the miracles fecal matter can do in the human body. I agreed, hoping to spread awareness of this unconventional treatment.

The VICE team followed me throughout my experience, beginning with my initial consultation all the way through the procedure. I was a bit skeptical at first about letting a camera crew videotape me in such a personal environment, but the VICE team made me feel comfortable and presented my experience in a fun and innovative way. They asked how I was doing, checked to see if I was at all uncomfortable with what they were filming, and even teased me with food a few times — all in good fun.

My favorite part of the experience was to see and film the fecal "slurry" being made and being handed over to me in the procedure room. Many would think this was the grossest part, but for me, it was awesome to be able to see what was going to cure me.

Within a week, all of my symptoms disappeared, and I could resume a normal life. Fecal microbiota transplant has a 90 percent success rate in curing C. diff. Who knows what else it might be able to cure? There are endless possibilities through the power of poop!

As the VICE episode approaches, I tell anyone willing to listen that I think fecal transplants are going to be the next big thing in the medical world. A lot of people are fascinated by this genius, yet relatively simple, idea. I'm still amazed by it every day.


With the help of HBO’s VICE, you can check out this ground-breaking clinical trial this Friday, June 24, at 10 p.m. CDT. You can see VICE's preview of the segment below. (Remember, it's HBO.) Then share your comments, and share this story with others.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Smg93MrKwc&feature=youtu.be

Tags: C. difficile, Fecal Transplant, Patient Stories, Research News

I'm wondering if this could be used in patients with Crohns disease? I've read several articles on this and saw a news report from Vanderbilt saying it could also cure crohns, I have suffered from the disease for over thirty years, and I am very interested. Thanks for your time!

REPLY

Hi @Ianabell, I am an intern here at Mayo Clinic and was actually the patient/writer of this story! I contacted Dr. Khanna who performed this procedure and he informed me that Mayo Clinic does not yet use Fecal Microbiota Transplant as a protocol for Crohn’s disease but hopes to have one implemented next year.
There is currently a study that can be found at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02417974?term=crohn%27s+disease+and+fecal+transplant&rank=7 that is using FMT for Crohns patients and is recruiting now out of Boston Medical Center! I hope that this helped!

REPLY

We have an adopted son who is Asperger Autistic. He is 28 years old. He has a masters degree but still can’t find a job because of his presentation. I understand you have started fecal transplant with pills which have helped autism. If so how can we get him in your program?

Editor's Note:
Thank you for writing. Unfortunately, we cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this website. If you would like to seek help from Mayo Clinic, please call one of our appointment offices (Arizona: 480-301-1735 Florida: 904-953-0853 Minnesota: 507-284-2511) or visit https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments. You might also consider looking into our Mayo Clinic Connect website (http://connect.mayoclinic.org), where you can communicate with others who may have had similar experiences. You can also read Mayo Clinic expert blogs and take part in educational events. In the Loop editors

REPLY

So what you have said here is this still the case .. or have they use it in crohns patients

REPLY

Think of it this way - the microbiota in your gut create the initial nutrients and/or toxins that become you. The anecdotal (and, now, clinical) evidence supporting one of the most obvious medicinal treatment for a host of issues is becoming irrefutable. An interesting scenario (sadly) for the future of holistic treatments, this one being at the top of the "not a hoax" list, is how pharma will respond. If a fecal transplant (or a custom culture now being prepared at emerging companies in this area) can "cure" C difficile and have a pleiotropic positive impact on a spectrum of gene-metabolism related syndromes, there will be the usual economically (rather than health logic) driven tug of war and people will suffer unnecessarily. My view - set up fecal transplant mini clinics like Starbucks did for coffee and make people healthy - the procedure is so trivial as long as the source material is quality controlled.

REPLY

My son has become overtaken by yeast. He has been treated for exzma for over 2 years by 3 different dermatologist, has seen an allergist and now being referred to a nutritionist. The Dr refuses to listen about the yeast. If he has anything with even the smallest amount of sugar or sweetner he breaks out head to toe. I read about this procedure and would love to see his gut get healthy again. He has lost 55 lbs and sleeps almost all the time he is not working. Would love to have them try this for him.

REPLY

Hi I have khrons for the past 4 years and I have been suffering been on steroids 5x already and now they want to put me on imurane or the biologics medication. I would love to go through this procedure to insert the microbiota in my gut.could you please let me know what can I do to be able part of your project.
Thank you

Anna

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.
Contact Us · Privacy Policy