We’ve had ongoing interest in the topic of fecal transplants from readers of our bowel disease series, and we’ve recently had comments from two biomedical professionals reminding us that it is desirable to have fecal transplants performed by doctors after screening of the stool for pathogens.
Coincidentally, The Scientist ran a nice story today on fecal transplants. [1]
Fecal transplants are effective against C. difficile, ulcerative colitis, and probably other inflammatory bowel disorders:
By producing sturdy spores that can linger in the intestinal tract even after repeated antibiotic treatment, C. difficile can continually give rise to new toxin-producing colonies that wreak havoc on the colon. But these colonies prove no match for fecal transplants, which boast a cure rate of up to 95 percent….
Borody did his first fecal transplant back in the mid 1980s, when he was confronted with one of the most difficult cases he had seen at the time: a woman who had vacationed at Fiji and had developed an incurable colitis through an unknown pathogen.
While searching the literature for alternative treatments, he stumbled upon a paper published in 1958 in the journal Surgery that described four cases in which a similar condition was cured by infusing the inflamed guts of the patients with fecal samples from healthy donors. “So I looked at the method and I kind of made up the rest of it,” Borody said.…
The stool, now turned into slush, was administered to the patient — who had her gastrointestinal tract previously flushed — via two enemas over the course of two days.
The results were nothing short of surprising, Borody said. Within days her colitis was gone, never to return.
It’s a well-proven procedure in animals. Veterinarians don’t bother to screen rumen fluid for pathogens, and yet the procedure is almost always healthful for the recipient:
The procedure, which has deep roots in veterinary science, has been tried and tested in animals for centuries. Farmers handling livestock have long realized, for example, that indigestion following a change in diet in grazing animals, such as cows, can be treated by feeding the sick cow rumen fluid that has been sucked out of a healthy cow’s stomach.
Yet it’s hard to find doctors who will perform the procedure for any ailment except C. difficile infections:
Currently, while most fecal transplants in the U.S. are performed exclusively to treat C. difficile, a growing list of doctors, such as Lawrence Brandt, chief of Gastroenterology at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, are beginning to expand to other gut disorders such as inflammatory bowel diseases….
“It is currently considered a last resort,” he said. But he hopes that will soon change. “It’s relatively simple, relatively inexpensive, and it’s very rapid in its actions.”
Conclusion
In chronic infections of the colon, fecal transplants should be among the first treatments resorted to, not the last resort.
This is one treatment where experience with animals and human patients, demonstrating that fecal transplants are fairly safe and often highly effective in colonic disorders, should trump the normal regulatory barriers to new procedures.
However, given the cautious nature of regulators and most doctors, it seems unlikely that the therapy will be widely available any time soon.
It’s good to hear that there is a “growing list” of doctors who will perform a fecal transplant. Anyone with a seemingly incurable colonic disease should seek one of them out.
References
[1] Cristina Luiggi, “Same Poop, Different Gut,” The Scientist, Nov 3, 2010, http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/57795/.
via this link:
Although the preliminary data looks promising, double blind RCTs should be done for chronic colitis, Crohn’s, IBS and autoimmune diseases. There should be three arms: fecal transplant, placebo and reinstillation of subjects’ fecal contents.
I think it’s a bit too premature to pronounce this as a highly effective, minimal risk procedure without much more rigor on the investigational end.
On the plus side, these studies would be pretty straightforward, wouldn’t be incredibly expensive, wouldn’t require inpatient stays, and the results could easily be followed longitudinally.
Thanks, annie. Hopefully your and Jesse’s comments on the earlier post give readers a sense of the risk.
It would be wonderful if trials were arranged. Are you aware of any being organized?
i wonder why some pharma companies don’t just develop a “poop surrogate” for these procedures. i mean, it’s pretty likely that 99.9% of the “healthy” to be transplanted poop is actually just rather passive matter which carries the really essential colonies. should be rather easy and cheap to find out what passive components and active bacteria are needed to create artificial poop that still works, and then has the big advantage to be standardized and independent of the availability of a healthy donor. maybe even a thorough cleanse and washing out of the “sick” poop, and then doing an enema with water carrying some of the more hardcore probiotics like boulardii and coagulans, together with a nice mix of the other well known members could be similarly successful.
Hi qualia,
I think the real thing is going to be better. Some probiotic bacteria that thrive in the gut won’t culture outside it.
But it is possible they might switch at some point to donor animals, instead of donor humans. That would permit a greater industrialization of the process.
Or some savvy entrepreneur could open up a “Stool Bank”!
Having SEVERE Ulcerative Colitis since 2000, Ive had every treatment to date minus the full colectomy which is looming so I’m willing to try anything. But I see some questionable stuff here.
First off, this “treatment” is obviously for a sick person or one in a flare. When I’m in a flare and going anywhere from 10-30x a day, how does anyone expect me to “keep” or hold anything placed in my colon?
Conventional treatments for colitis are steroid or asacol enemas. During a flare and after administering these enemas (which are suppose to be held overnight) I’m running to the bathroom within minutes/seconds. It is IMPOSSIBLE to “keep” anything in there during a flare. I don’t see how this fecal transplant would be any different. In order for it to work, its gotta stay in there to do its thing.
With 10 years of experience I dont see how this is possible.
Sewing me shut or a serious cork arent options either.
Hi Severe Colitis Guy,
No, it’s not for dealing with a flare. The goal is to end the disease, not a flare.
In the doctors’ ones, they begin with a fast and enema to clear as much as they can, and then add the bacteria. I would assume they would want you fairly stable before doing the procedure, so that as little as possible of the new bacteria enter the body as a systemic infection and as much as possible reaches a commensal state in the gut, in cooperation with the immune system.
Article in Slate on fecal transplant: http://www.slate.com/id/2282768/pagenum/all/#p2
Hi Eugene,
I’ve de-activated the plugin. Unfortunately it didn’t have any editable settings, so I had no way to change behavior.
Sorry about that.
For anyone interested, an Australian science-based television show ‘Catalyst’ did a segment on fecal transplants in their latest episode. You can read about it and watch the story here:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/catalyst/2011/07/human-probiotic-infusion.html
I have had Crohn’s disease for 16 years. Following 18 months of very low/ zero carb diet I started PHD in mid November 2011. After lots of reading on this site and others, and weighing up the risks outlined on this site, I decided to go ahead and do a home faecal transplant.
My donor was my 16 year old son who has had no anti-biotics and is very healthy. My only concern was that when I got Crohn’s I was 7 months pregnant with my son, and so wondered if he too might be missing some bacterial species if I had been deficient in them at the time of his birth and breast-feeding. However he has shown no signs of ill-health at all.
I did the transplant on 22 December 2011. I didn’t fast or do a bowel cleanse as some recommend (having Crohn’s is like one non-stop bowel cleanse anyway!) But I did it at 9am in the morning before breakfast and my bowel was empty.
Skip the next paragraph if you don’t want the icky details.
My son produced “on cue” and within 10 mins the stool was in the blender, sieved and into the enema bowl. It was reasonably thick at 1 part stool to 3 parts water. I used a 12 inch soft rubber colonic tube and was able to fully insert it. I’m therefore confident the specimen was inserted at the top of the descending colon. I meant to insert 200 ml but it was a bit slow initially so my assisting husband jumped onto the edge of the bath to gain more gravity pressure and then suddenly it was away! So I ended up with 250ml. The challenge then was to hold it in. I lay sloping head down for about an hour in the hopes some might get into the transverse colon. Then had a lazy day. I held it for 5 hours but I’m sure it wasn’t all lost in that bm. The next bm was 22 hours after the transplant. That one and subsequent ones had the same odour as the donor specimen (very different from my odour) so I feel confident of a “good take”.
The next day I felt good, clear-headed and not tired. By early afternoon I had some diarrhea and pain. By the following morning (24 Dec) it had gone and I felt great. Christmas Day was probably the best Christmas I have had in 16 years in terms of well-being. I felt normal and for once wasn’t struggling to keep going so as not ruin the day for others. I was generally very disciplined regarding food but my sense of well-being lead me to have a few things I would normally avoid. The 26th was another great day but by 5pm on the 27th the diarrhea hit with force. I don’t know if it was the Christmas indiscretions which carried over to the 27th (chocolate!) or a reaction to the transplant. I think it was a combination of both. It took about 10 days for things to settle.
I’m glad I did the transplant even though it hasn’t cured everything immediately. It’s part of a whole raft of changes. I definitely have more energy but that could be due to diet and supps. I’m sure it has increased my probiotic species because my bowel motions still have a hint of the specimen stool odour 18 days later.
Kind Regards
Joan
Hi Joan,
Thanks for posting your story… I admire your courage! My older brother has had Crohn’s for probably 30 years (He’s 45 now and has had it since he was a teenager). I read your other comments because I saw where you posted on the Q & A page that you had Crohn’s so I was interested in anything you had to share.
I can’t really write a detailed account for my brother’s case but for sure I know he’s been on the steroids on and off, had several operations, had an emergency procedure where they had to (I don’t know if I have the story exactly right here…) create an alternate “drain” from his colon because of some kind of blockage (I assume from inflammation) and that somehow from that he got some fistulas which have not healed for a few years. Despite all that, you wouldn’t know all his unspoken pain by talking to him or looking at him. He’s a trooper!
Anyway, I’ll look out for anymore posts you do on how things are going for you on this diet. I would like to encourage my brother to try it. He did try gluten-free a couple years ago and said he thought it helped some. I think he stopped because he found it difficult and possibly he didnt have enough support near him (which might make it hard since he doesnt cook and has 3 young children and 2 businesses to run!). But in my reading on this site and others, I am beginning to understand that some of these issues, like Crohn’s, will probably require a lot more patience and time. I hope I can convince him to hope again because I know this to be true, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” I can’t wait to hear of your healing too!
Thanks again for sharing! Very encouraging 🙂
KH
Hi KH
Thanks for your encouragement.
Yes, I can understand how hard it is for your brother. I’ve been very fortunate to have avoided the necessity of surgery; although once I was all prepped for surgery for a toxic megacolon. I’m so grateful that in the end the surgeon decided to wait a little longer and it resolved. Surgery further complicates the healing process I’m sure. I’m also fortunate to have a very supportive husband who has stood with me through all the various diets and treatments I have tried over the years.
Gluten-free would be an excellent first step for your brother to take. Even small improvements can make life more bearable. Perhaps your brother would read Paul’s Bowel Disease posts. I found them really helpful.
I should have mentioned in my post about the fecal transplant that my Crohn’s has been observed by colonoscopy to be in my colon. It may also be in my small intestines but I don’t know that for sure. If it had only been in my small intestines, which is a common pattern with Crohn’s, I may not have done the transplant. However, being in the colon, lead me to think it would be of value.
I wish your brother all the best. Your quote from the Book of Proverbs is so true.
Kind Regards
Joan
FWIW
I know Paul has mentioned LDN (Low Dose Naltrexone) and there is some evidence for its helping some people with Crohn’s. I don’t have it myself so can’t speak from experience but thought I’d pass the info on in case you weren’t aware of it.
Regards
Darren.
Dear Joan,
Thank you for the report. Did you use an antibiotic to remove pathogenic flora prior to the transplant?
Hi Darren
Yes, LDN is great. I have been on it since March 2010. I’ve written something of my experience with it on the results page but if anyone would like to know more, please ask. There are some great websites and forums about it too. I would certainly recommend anyone with Crohn’s trying Low Dose Naltrexone.
Hi Lilian
No I didn’t. I’m a bit wary of anti-biotics as I’m sure they are the cause of some of my problems. However, I do intend to look at stool testing in a few months and target any identified pathogens with appropriate antibiotics.
Kind Regards
Joan
Question: Does anyone know what would cause an inordinate amount of stiffness and soreness after exercise? I have recently added back yoga to my exercise regime after a period of time off from it due to other pain issues that I think were related to menopause. I’ve always been very limber, and never had more than slight discomfort even after the most advanced moves, but I now struggle with pain after even the most benign yoga sessions. Maybe I’m just “getting old”, but I wonder if it could be due to something else. Am I missing something nutritionally? I’ve been PHD since April 2010. Thanks!
Sorry, I posted the above on the wrong page. It should be on Q&A. Too many tabs up, as usual. 🙂
Hi Joan,
Thank you for posting your experience with fecal transplant. My husband, whose UC is in remission via PHD, hasn’t had to go there yet, but we’re keeping it in the back pocket in case the need arises.
I’d like to take you up on your offer to share your thoughts about Crohn’s and LDN. It’s something that my husband would consider in the event of a relapse. Seems that LDN has indisputable benefits but I wonder about long term safety (he’s only 30 y.o.) and whether data on that is available.
Paul, you’ve mentioned wanting to post about LDN. Are you aware of any significant risks to taking it long term?
Joan, thanks again for your open-spirited participation on this site. Surely I am not the only one benefitting from your contributions. These exchanges are a valuable commodity – we’re accumulating evidence and experiences in short order that would take science decades to offer.
Hi Bella,
I’m not aware that there are long-term risks to LDN. It makes you feel lousy for a few hours a day while you’re taking it, but I think there are no lingering effects after you stop it.
Hi Bella
As I shared on the results page LDN gave me an immediate improvement to my flaring Crohn’s. I won’t repeat what I posted there but will make the following additional comments:
I found the LDN and VLC diet worked together. Several times I tried one without the other and consistently I got an increase in Crohn’s symptoms. Others have noted this too.
The most troublesome side-effect of the LDN for me has been the vivid dreaming. It took several months for this to ease initially but never fully went away; and then hit again forcibly 17 months after starting LDN when I was experiencing glucose-deficiency symptoms. I gradually lowered the dose and have settled on 2.25 mg which is half what I started on. I’m not sure that this is the best dose for my Crohn’s but the dreams were resulting in restless sleep and severe day-time tiredness.
There is quite a debate in the LDN community whether night-time dosing is important. Some very qualified Drs in LDN are now saying timing makes no difference. For me, even day time dosing results in vivid night-time dreaming. Now, I take my dose at approx 3-4am (whatever time I wake).There are also many who find the “normal” dose of 4.5 mg is intolerable and have found much smaller doses effective or even alternate day dosing works best. Experimentation is the key. But, as Paul says with other therapies ,“start low and slow” would seem best.
Paul mentioned that “It makes you feel lousy for a few hours a day while you’re taking it”. I have found the drop in mood is barely discernible (not at all if you are asleep). Occasionally I have noticed when the endorphins have kicked in, but it’s not a big rush.
I’m not aware of any long term harm. Some have been taking LDN for 20 years with no negative long-term effect. You must remember that LDN is only about 1% of the dose of “normal dose” naltrexone.
I will certainly keep taking LDN; even at 2.25 mg it is still having a marked impact on my Crohn’s symptoms. I do, however, have a number of unanswered issues:
1. My CRP has not lowered even when I was symptom-free on LDN
2. What is the interaction of LDN with fungal infections?– all the forums attribute the initial flu-type symptoms commonly experienced to “stirring up candida”. I would like to understand this.
3. I get an awful reaction if I take melatonin and LDN at the same time.
If Paul or anyone else can throw any light on these I would be very grateful.
I agree, Bella, this is a terrific site and provides such an opportunity to learn from each other and particularly from Paul and Shou-Ching.
Kind Regards
Joan
Thank you, Joan.
Do you mind sharing what your “not lowered” CRP was when you were symptom free? I ask because we just got CRPs done and are trying to interpret them. I’m a little confused about what an optimal number is. Is the goal 0? Is that even realistic? Do healthy people have zero inflammation?
In a recent post about inflammation Mark Sisson said:
““Normal” CRP levels are supposedly 10 mg/L. Absent infection or acute stressors, however, ideal CRP levels are well under 1 mg/L. You want to stay well below 1; you don’t want “normal.” Between 10-40 mg/L (and perhaps even 1-9 mg/L, too) indicates systemic inflammation (or pregnancy), while anything above that is associated with real acute stuff.”
My lab’s reference range is 0-4.9 mg/L, so I’m confused by Mark’s statement about 10 mg/L being supposedly normal.
DH’s was 1.0 after he’d been symptomless for 2 weeks, though symptoms had been decreasing for a while. Safe to take that number as a probable sign of little bowel inflammation? In comparison, mine was 0.4 and I have no known inflammatory disease. But for all I know, maybe 0.4 is bad.
Part of the reason I ask is because DH needs to schedule a flex-sig to convince the doc that the remission is not just symptomatic. Doc is sure that DH can’t “cure” his UC with diet and is betting that the flex-sig will expose a flaming colon. We’re using CRP as a guide for when to schedule the test. Wondering if a 1.0 is our green light… Don’t want to go in prematurely and give the doc ammo to push the meds again!
Paul, Joan, anyone… thoughts on interpreting this CRP?
Hi Bella
I would say that if the CRP is within your lab’s reference range all is ok and especially at the lower end as your husband’s is at 1.0 mg/L.
I would be ecstatic if mine was that low. My lab’s reference range is 0 – 7 mg/L. My CRP before starting LDN with flaring Crohn’s was 51 mg/L. Last September when I was virtually symptomless it was 33 mg/L. I guess that’s an improvement but certainly a long way to go!!
Kind Regards
Joan
Hi Bella,
0.4 and 1 are fine for CRP. You can have problems and low CRP at the same time, but your CRPs are certainly not indicating that you have problems.
There’s also two types of tests:
CRP: http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/crp/tab/faq
hs-CRP: http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hscrp/tab/test
Joan,
Could be that your Crohn’s hasn’t completely resolved yet because there are damaged tissues along your GI tract that still need to heal. I hope you continue to give updates on your progress. Seems like re-colonizing the gut with healthy microbes and then staying on a nutrient rich diet so that your tissues can rebuild and repair as Weston A. Price put it, is a good strategy.
My daughter is healing from rheumatoid arthritis with a WAPF diet and has regained normal function after a year. She still has clicking in some joints so I’m intrigued by fecal transplants and whether they have been used for RA. Paul, do you know of any reports?
I’m guessing that my daughter’s issue is more adrenal burn-out (she was a 3 season endurance athlete all thru high school) rather than gut dysbiosis, so I’m not sure she would be a good candidate for effective healing via fecal transplant.
Paul,
I’ve been living the PHD for around a year now. The intermittent carb/protein restricted fasting with coconut oil in particular has worked well for me. In fact, I generally feel best when fasted for 16+ hours.
However, I still have ongoing issues with mental clarity (executive function waxes/wanes) and sleep productivity (I sometimes wake early, or simply do not sleep well). I believe these issues are related to gut dysbiosis. I’ve tried GAPS and bone broth soups, fermented cabbage mixes, and high meats, all which help but none of which are completely curative.
At this point, I’m thinking I need to see a GI doctor to see if perhaps I can lick this thing once and for all. Any suggestions on how I might locate a good GI doc in So FL?
Hi Charlotte,
I’m not aware of evidence about fecal transplants helping RA. It stands to reason that they might in some cases, but it’s not a common procedure.
Hi Steve,
I do think a GI doc is a good idea, but I’m afraid I don’t know how to find good doctors. I think a stool test like the Metametrix microbial ecology test is a good start. It’s more important that the doctor be cooperative and willing to work with you on an experimental basis than that he be a great/brilliant doctor. Every case is different so the doctor needs to be flexible and willing to explore.
Hi Paul
I haven’t posted for a while but continue to be an avid reader of your blog. I thought an update was due.
Quick background: Crohn’s for 16.5 years. Steroids for most of that time as other Crohn’s meds ineffective. Got off steroids in Oct 2011 after 14 months on an almost zero carb diet. Glucose deficiency symptoms led me to your site. Added in safe starches in November and started to implement PHD with recommended supplements. Did a home fecal transplant in December.
I’ve particularly concentrated on raising my Vit D levels (supplementation) and optimising thyroid function (selenium and iodine and increasing thyroid hormone). Both are now in the normal range.
All these things improved my general sense of well-being and energy levels but the Crohn’s was still a problem.
I did a Metametrix GI Effects Stool test in March hoping to find something significant. The results were disappointingly good: no pathogens; commensal bacteria were all present (a result of fecal transplant??). I did have high inflammation and red blood cells present, indicating active Crohn’s.
During this time, since coming off steroids, I was able to observe the nature of the Crohn’s without the confusion of medications. My observations convinced me that it was an infection and research indicates mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) is the most likely pathogen. High E.Coli counts in my stool test seem to confim this.
So, re-reading you assertion that intra-cellular bacteria can only feed on glucose not ketones, I realised that the exacerbation of the Crohn’s was due to coming off the ketogenic zero carb diet and adding in too many starches (300 – 400 cals). For the last month I’ve dropped back to 200 cals, kept to a daily 6 to 7 hour feeding window, and added in BCAAs and MCT oil (I was already taking coconut oil). My Crohn’s symptoms have improved steadily. I have very little tummy pain now. I do still have some diarrhea but that is probably due to the high fat content of my diet.
It is very unlikely that anti-MAP antibiotics will be made available to Crohn’s patients anytime soon, therefore I’m convinced a ketogenic, low-fibre form of PHD is the best way to manage my Crohn’s. Thanks for all your information, Paul. I’m thrilled with my progress thus far.
Regards
Joan
Footnote: When I switched to your recommended supps, I swapped a B-50 for the individual B vits excluding folic acid and niacin. My last blood tests showed me with folate-deficiency anemia. Whether due to low dietary intake or poor absorption, I obviously require folic acid supplementation.
Footnote2: My sister continues to be free of eczema. Thanks so much, again.
Hi Joan,
It’s great to hear from you. Thanks for the update! Very interesting.
Please give my best to your sister.
Best, Paul
I’m thin and have good gut bacteria, more than happy to donate my feces if anyone wants a transplant 😉
Hi Paul
I first wrote you back in 2011 when my son, who suffers from ulcerative colitis, was heading off to college. He survived freshman year, and though he has still not achieved remission he is managing pretty well thanks to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. He has been on Remicade for the past year but will be coming off that as it has really not helped and we are concerned about the serious side effects.
I first became intrigued by the idea of fecal transplants after reading about it here, and finally found a trial, in Canada, that my son is going to try to participate in. I found the info here:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01545908
Unfortunately it is only open to Canadians. There is also a trial getting underway in Michigan for pediatric IBD patients:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01560819?intr=%22Fecal+transplant%22&rank=4
This is a great site for locating clinical trials.
If my son is accepted into the Canadian trial I will let you know how he did.
Thanks again for your great site and book.
Thank you for the update, Suzanne. We wish your son the best! Fecal transplants do work very well for UC, so if he can’t get in the trial maybe he can find a doctor willing to assist.
Best, Paul
Hi Paul
My son did get into the trial, and had weekly infusions, via enema, from a screened donor (he was supposed to have a total of 6 but ended up with 5 due to a cancelled appt). He reported some initial improvement after the first infusion but then nothing other than a bit of nausea after subsequent treatments. A follow-up sigmoidoscopy afterwards showed no improvement in his lower colon. The trial is still underway so I can’t get all the details, but apparently my son was one of only a very small group that did not see some improvement as a result of the treatment. Though it was very disappointing for us, it’s encouraging that they are seeing positive results, and we hope this will lead to fecal transplants becoming standard treatment for people with UC. As for my son, he is trying to stick to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, as that has been most helpful in keeping his UC under some control.
Hi Suzanne,
That’s very disappointing about your son, but at least he got into the trial and now you know. Even negative results can be helpful in understanding your personal condition.
My best wishes to him.
A fecal transplant healed me from ulcerative colitis in October 2012 after 3 1/2 years of suffering.
Read my blog -http://healed-from-uc.blogspot.com
It WORKS!
I am symptom free and drug free!!!
Paul, do you think it’s possible for humans to have a succesful fecal transplant from an animal, say a healthy dog?
Also, are there any conditions in which a fecal transplant would be contraindicated?
Hi Juan,
It’s probably possible, but why would you do it if good human donors are available?
Yes. Any condition in which there is bleeding would probably indicate against it. I’m sure the doctors who do these would know of other contraindications.
Maybe if there are no close good donors (healthy). A dog’s enviroment and diet may be more easily controllable than that of a human. Also, it could be an out if someone lives in an enviroment in which obtaining a donor is difficult for cultural reasons.
About the bleeding contraindication, does it apply to a case of occult blood in the stools? For instance, if there’s no evident bleeding nor a strange coloration of the feces, just some occult blood along with infections, etc..
Hi Paul
In addition to being on PHD, I performed a fecal transplant at home a couple of months ago, using my healthy next door neighbor as a donor, with excellent results to date. Prior to the procedure I’d used an herbal regimen to rid myself of yeast overgrowth, pathogens and H. Pylori imbalance. Within a couple of days following the procedure there seems to be not only resolution of some slight, lingering IBS symptoms (that PHD alone had already mostly resolved), but subjectively, better daytime energy levels, increased dream vividness and more restful sleep, and loss of visceral abdominal fat (I’ve lost 12 pounds in 8 weeks and weigh 163 pounds as I did in my 20’s). The change in gut bacteria along with eating by PHD principles is making a huge difference in my health.
Thanks so much.
That’s great news Jack! Thanks for sharing!
Hello Paul
I would be interested in your thoughts on the use of low-dose naltrexone in treating ulcerative colitis. My son is 3-years post-diagnosis. He has not been in remission at all, saw no improvement with medications including Remicade, and fecal transplants he received through a clinical trial failed as well. He remains functional enough to attend college thanks to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet but he despairs of ever having a normal life again. Since he is busy pursuing his degree I continue to search for therapies for him to try, and LDN seems promising…I read your post regarding LDN for cancer but wondered what you thought of it for UC?
Thanks so much!