Here's some basic info to start with. You can find more information and post below. Are you convinced about the merits of this treatment?
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gastroenterology_hepatology/clinical_services/advanced_endoscopy/fecal_transplantation.html
Video about transplant
http://thefecaltransplantfoundation.org/what-is-fecal-transplant/
http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/22/fmt-film/
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/12/01/excrement-experiment
http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/sell-your-poop-13k-year-and-help-worthy-cause
First things first, in the second link there is a a major amount of false advertisement going on. No one should be that happy to be swallowing someone else's feces. However, reading a couple of these articles i am becoming more and more convinced that this is an actual thing. However, im still sticking to my guns when i say a turd is a turd no matter how clean it is. I wonder why it was called yellow soup in china? I have also texted my mom and asked if when i was an infant if they helped stimulate my colon. The numbers remain low, however with the FDA recently backing FMT Im sure the numbers of patients will rise. The success rate being at 90% is really high. I couldnt believe that fact. But geez i hope i never have to have FMT done to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Austin this is defiently not a procedure I would ever want done to me. After reading the articles it seems like it is a legit thing and does help some people. I just hope we have other ways to solve problems of this sort
DeleteI first learned about the Fecal Microbiota Transplant in Microbiology my sophomore year. At first it seemed disgusting to me too, but as some medicines seems to fail in treating illness like C. diff and E. coli the only option tor stop these painful processes is a fecal transplant. I recall reading many articles in microbiology on FMT and the ones that were done, had promising results. I work in the hospital, I see many patients who have C. diff and it isn't a pretty site. Often times their butts get really red and sore from pooping so frequently. Sometimes they don't realize that they have pooped and are sitting in their feces. With my experience, C. diff is an awful pathogen to have and it can take months before patients are test negative for C. diff. I'm sure the last thing they want is to have a FMT but it is better than being incontinent around the clock and having control of the bowels.
ReplyDeleteLauren, I see where you're coming from when you say that if this weird and disturbing procedure works and stops people from being in pain, i'm glad this procedure is out there, though I sure hope I never have to experience it!
DeleteWow! The fact that you have actually worked with these kinds of things before is interesting. I agree that while it is a disgusting process, I would rather have this done than to not have control of my bodily functions.
DeleteThe first thing that struck me about the video is that there is nothing pleasant about the process of Fecal Microbial Transplantation. When the criteria for needing this kind of procedure are conditions by names such as Clostridium Difficile (Which leads to Clostridium Difficile Colitis.) and Toxic Megacolon the idea of employing feces as a treatment does not seem out of character. It was said that a common method of insertion into the colon is the use of a Colonoscopy. On the bright side at least you know the poop sample that you are being injected with has been screened for infectious diseases. It says that 90% of patients have been successfully treated through the employment of Fecal Microbial Transplantation, but I am not sure whether this figure accounts for recurrences. (Which the video gave figures for in relation to the method of treatment by antibiotics.)
ReplyDeleteI liked the illustration in the last link that shows the ratio of poop size to the number of people treated. Apparently 50g's of poop is enough to treat one person. It was also explained that not only do you give your sample when you go in to donate, but you also have to give a series of two blood samples. (On the first couple of visits as a screening process.) It goes on to say that the going rate per donation is $40.00 a day with a $50.00 kicker if you come in five days a week. I wonder what they will think of to put into the colon next if the Clostridium Difficile develop an immunity to foreign feces.
Although it is easy to laugh at, the process of Fecal Microbial Transplantation seems to be very effective in treating the Clostridium Difficile bacteria. On the surface it seems to be a process that carries merit; albeit a very nasty and unpleasant one.
Like you said Tommy there is nothing pleasant about this video at all. I am just glad they used animation! Like you said it is definitely an easy video to laugh at. I am glad that I do no more about this and I can now share this with my friends even though they won't believe me. I will just finish up by telling them how affective such an odd treatment like this is.
DeleteI like how you phrased the end of your second paragraph, "i wonder what they will think of next..." which is true. The human body is amazing in the fact that it can adapt and form immunity to certain drugs and possibly foreign stool.
DeleteNice response Tommy! I think it is a gross but awesome way that we can treat people now. My sister is studying to be a nurse so she tells me stories of how uncomfortable her patients get when they have C Diff and I think this is a very effective way of curing it!
DeleteTommy, I completely agree with you that this video was not pleasent at all to watch. I was amazed that this is an actual thing in medicine. My question was how did some one figure out that this worked in the first place?! But since they claim 90% of treated patients claimed this worked then i guess its a good thing someone tried this out.
DeleteWell that was definitely an interesting video to watch. I did learn something but I am not sure that I really wanted to know all of that. The Fecal Microbial Transplantation is not the pettiest procedure out! What has me in a bit of an aw. Is how the video was presented. It shows an animation of how the procedure will be done and the guy that is talking in the back ground acts like this procedure is totally normal. For this procedure to be highly effective it makes it very interesting. But I am not surprised after looking at the first article that this procedure is low cost and not covered by insurance. I just hope that I will never need the option of getting this procedure done!
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the animation of this procedure it does make me feel much more accepting of the concept of donating fecal matter to another individual. Extremely strange and bizarre, but nonetheless, it does seem like a very applicable procedure to go for when the dosage of antibiotic cycles is not working. I am not entirely sure as to how simple or manageable a procedure this is on the human body, but definitely does carry merit from my understanding. Don't be that guy who has a toxic megacolon.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you colin on being more open about the procedure now that i have watched the video and some of the articles. It still weirds me out that there is even any procedure for this but it sounds like it is effective and gets the job done. the first article shows me that this procedure can be trusted and has been successful when it says it has been around for 100 years. So thanks to this video and articles i have become more aware of the procedure and still hope that it never happens to me.
DeleteI agree with you Colin, I was pretty hesitant about the whole process but seeing that it actually helps its astonishing. As i was opposed before to even thinking about that procedure, now I think i would be willing to do that for someone if it was going to truly help them because what do we do with our poop? nothing just flush it down the toilet, but if it helps someone why not donate it? It seems gross but until something bad happens and causes one to go through a procedure like this, does one have a true understanding about things like this.
DeleteI agree with you Colin that there is merit to this treatment when antibiotics no longer work, its really strange and unusual but if it works it works. It is easy for me to reject this now because i dont have this illness but given this illness and the decision to get treatment by another individuals feces i would probably have a more open mind to it. I think its kind of cool that people are donating there poop and making money from it, i like what Haley said that if there is something they can do with our poop then why not, we just flush it down the toilet anyways. This is definitely a weird alternative treatment but if it cures C diff then i dont see why not.
DeleteI agree with you. I think it helped me accept the concept. The concept seems gross and strange but its very promising. Though I have become more accepting of this procedure, I do hope nobody I know needs a fecal transplant
DeleteAlright the sarcasm in the thread… Real funny Dr. Cate. But this is something that is just absolutely bizarre to me. As I have said any times in class. This is probably a procedure that I would have a really hard time going through with because it is just disgusting. Getting somebody else's fecal matter in your body, taking pills of poop… No chance. but I'm sure people in history have said the same things i have and I am sure down the road it will be a more popular thing and will not seem so weird. But until then no way would I ever go through wight this procedure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in some aspects Blake. The fact that people in history may have said some procedures are disgusting yet they are a common practice amongst doctors today. However, this is not the grosses procedure I have ever heard of. There is this procedure for people with amputations. If their nerves are still intact to the severed body part, they will attach that part to another healthier part of the body so it can recover and hopefully get reattached to the correct part of the body. I think this is every more traumatic that "taking pills of poop" because of how intense and ludicrous this procedure is. But, some doctor must have thought about this over time and someone had to be the first patient to experience this.
DeleteAnother addition: If it means of saving your life or saving a body part, I would try anything I could no matter how gross it is!
DeleteI honestly think almost everyone on this forum post would at least consider FMT after, or while experiencing a C DIff infection. C diff is pretty much an infection in the colon that causes explosive diarrhea. I've had patients with C diff and they just poop 24/7, its not pretty. Yeah eating a poop pill is gross but so is explosive diarrhea. I guess its just relative to the situation, people aren't just popping poop pills just for fun. There is a good and reasonable reason for it and it is actually quite effective.
ReplyDeleteA relativistic look at this would be saying that this is gross and I would never do that. But, putting aside any foul thought. If it proves to be beneficial to the patient then poop for all
ReplyDeleteCatch me on the toilet dying of CDiff before you stick a poop pill in my mouth.. Having said that, to each their own...
ReplyDeleteWell, I would certainly not be the first to try this treatment. You probably wouldn't even catch me being one of the first couple of thousand. But, if there is enough data and evidence to support this treatment, well, it's pretty hard to argue against it.
ReplyDeleteThis is just weird, but apparently people are using poop to cure a C diff infection in the colon. This is really strange and the thought of having to do this is gross, my condolences go out to the people that have and will do this treatment, not this guy, no way am i putting someone else poop in my body, not now not never.
ReplyDeleteI would think that a lot of people would think that this is weird at first and that they wouldn't want to do it, but if it is to cure any type of disease then i think that a lot of people would be up for it if it is proven. It is easy for any of us to say that we would never do it because we don't have this disease and we aren't in the position to say whether or not we would go through it or not. I kind of wonder if they could make like different flavor poop pills too?! now that would be something that i wouldnt mind trying.
ReplyDeleteThese articles are absolutely disgusting and this procedure makes me gag. At this point in my life, I would say no way I would take this pill; but if it means saving my life or something to that extent, I think I would try anything. It seems that this procedure seems to be productive, so maybe there can be an adjustment for how the fecal matter is consumed.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Jensen on this one, the only way I'm ever considering taking such a pill is if I were to literally have no other option or if it was a guarantee to overcome some sort of illness. I also agree with Ford that this is just a really strange procedure. I'm still confused on who even thought to try this and how they know that this pill is actually curing any infections. It just boggles my mind that people try some of these experiments.
DeleteI am not sure about which this issue has much not to do with the subject of philosophy of science but I will add my two cents into the equation. As a pointed out a fellow student's grandmother was troubled with a intestinal infection when her bacteria in her gut went bad and this was the recommended treatment, This is one of those treatment no matter how successful the treatment is it will also have the connotation of beings "nasty" until the general public is better educated about the physical specification of the treatment, Despite the nasty nature I would think that if I were at the point of death's door and this treatment would save my life I would have to take the treatment.
ReplyDelete