Hmmm.... wonder what else was living in their microbiomes. Was it identical between patients? Doubtful. Killing off too much strep sounds like a good idea, but what else is being killed, too?
Also, patients symptoms improved, but the treatment didn't cure them.
Though I believe that its difficult to get well without having a diverse microbiome with lots of happy bacteria and little to no unhappy bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses, there's more to it.
Various bacteria in our microbiomes convert various nutrients into bochemicals needed by our bodies' systems, like B12, serotonin, etc. If we lack those bacteria, and therefore those biochemicals, it's a problem. Candida and parasites can impact the ability for the body to absorb the nutrients/biochemicals, too.
And then the right amounts of those biochemical need to do their jobs in the body. Naviaux's metabolomics studies found a lot if biochemical abnormalities, so its silly to think our compromised biochemistry would be fixed in a few weeks to cure ME/CFS.
Some bacteria tend to hang out with certain others and some bacteria are hostile to others. Its a dynamic environment that changes over time.
Some people are tying to manipulate the microbiome using various probiotics, insoluble fiber, antifungals, antibiotics, and fecal transplants but we are a long way from knowing exactly what we're doing, as no one knows what the ideal microbiome is.
I'm still very skeptical of using antibiotics for the gut. The risk is too great for unintended kill off if strains you do want, and you end up with reduced diversity, not good.
The strategy of feeding the strains one needs, along with the food/insoluble fiber they like to eat, while eating a varied organic diet with a wide variety of vegetables is a good one.
As an involuntary N=1 experiment, I've had my microbiome impacted from chemotherapy and antibiotics, but after the chemo, my doctor found I had one of the best stool tests he'd seen after I'd used the above strategy to restore my gut flora, then had my gut blasted by 2 antibiotics for a chronic infection, which was a lot harder to gain diversity back, as well as bifidobacteria, escherichia, and several lactobacillus strains. My ME/CFS symptoms were worst when I had the great gut diversity, but were a lot better when I was still working to get the bifidobacteria back.
Gut health is definitely a foundation for getting better, and worth working on. A lot of us are put on antibiotics without careful thought of the possible unintended consequences or a plan to mitigate them.
