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Detox and replenishment of gut microbiome in order to alleviate severe IBS symtoms

Detox and replenishment of gut microbiome in order to a address severe IBS symptoms and alleviate ME symptoms generally.

Background: Hi, this is not a science paper but follows that format. I posted on the blog recently about a decline in health i.e increase in ME symptoms. This experiment was intended to address that decline.
Having experienced a wonderful 3 months of remission following 3 weeks of Ayurvedic treatment in India in January 2017, this experiment attempts to replicate in part the first week of Ayurvedic treatment.

One element of the pre-treatment in India involves daily increasing doses of Panchagavya over 5 days. Panchagavya consists of 5 cow products, including cow dung and urine which has undergone a fermentation process. I replaced Panchagavya with a number of probiotics.

Abstract: 24 hours restricted diet followed by application of a strong laxative and application of 6 defferent probiotics was used to replicate Ayurvedic techniques. The method targeted IBS symptoms and ME symptoms generally. 1 week past experiment IBS symptoms have resolved completely and ME symptoms have moved positively from moderate to mild grade.

Introduction: I reported on 3 weeks of Ayurvedic treatment in the Introduce yourself section of the site, , blog and photos section. I also included a speculative piece of work on ME. The detox element of the process is standard prior to the beginning of treatment proper.

Ayurvedic detox consists of restricted diet x 2 organic rice gruel meds daily, 1 hour medicined 2 oil massage daily, 1x30 steam box following massage daily and drinking a Panchagavya mixture first thing in the morning daily(increasing dosage in 5 steps).

Panchagavya consists of cow dung, urine, milk, curd and ghee. The product has a high microbiotic load. Identification of organisms from sequencing of 16s RNA.
  1. Acinctobactoer jonsonii
  2. Klebsiella pneumoniae
  3. Bacillus licheniformis
  4. Escherichia coli
  5. Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus
  6. Pseudomanas stutzeri
  7. Aromonas veronii
  8. Lactocollus lactis
  9. Acinetobacter indicus
  10. Macrococcus coscolytions
  11. Aspergillus tubinggensis
  12. Penicillium oxolicum/Aspesgillus funigates
Given, recent western science findings that implicate gut microbiome deficiencis in ME patients (decrease load, decrease in variety), potential of leaky gut resulting in (viral?) pathogen/toxin entry into bloodstream and resultant immune system activation and proliferation (see abstracts from this year's Invest in ME) my attempts in this experiment are centered on detoxing the gut then immediately enhancing gut microbiome.


Method:
I am returning to India this November 2017 for a further 3 weeks of treatment refined by findings from western science. However, for most ME patients I outline in this experiment is available to all ME patients, since all materials can be purchased online.

Materials
:
1 Picolax laxative as used pre-endoscopy. This is a power for oral solution. 1 sachet taken at 2.00pm, a further sachet taken at 8.00pm. 4 litres of water consumed during this time. Administered according to NHS protocol.

2 Kefir starter culture from the Kefir company prepared 48 hours prior to application of Pioolax. Typical probiotic bacteria incude
  1. Lactococcus lactis
  2. Straptococcos thermophilus
  3. lactobacillus helueticus
  4. Bifiolobacterium bifidum
  5. Lactobacillus Kefiranofaccin
  6. Lactobacillus acidophilus
  7. Lencnistic species
  8. Lactobacillus ddelbrecikii balgaricus
3.Nu U restrition Bio-cultures Complex -
  1. Lactobacillus acidophilas
  2. Streptococcus thernophilus
  3. Lactobacillus rhamnosus
  4. Lactobacillus salivarius
  5. Bifidobacterium bifididum
Note 3 cases of replicated organism with Kefir.

4.Kimchi -by Chonga
16s RNA Sequencing
  1. Flavobacterium
  2. Vibrio
  3. Sphingomanos
  4. Kluyrera
  5. Shewannella
  6. Comamros
  7. Pediococcus
  8. Enterococcus
  9. Lactococcus
  10. Weisella
  11. Lactobacillus
  12. Leuconistic
5.Yakult drink
  1. Lactobocillus casei shirota.
6.Activia Yoghurt
  1. Bifidus activegularis
Experiment: 24 hours prior to application of Picolax laxative, diet was restricted to 4 clear soup meals and 3 litres of water.

Between first and second administration of Picolax (2pm/8pm) 4 litres of water was drunk. Between 4pm and 10pm there were 10 increasingly loose bowel movements.
At cessation of bowel movements I drank 500ml of Kefir, took 2 Bio-dultures complex tablets, ate a heaped spoon of Kimchi, drank 1 small bottle of Yakult and ate 1 small pot of activia.

(Following week, same doses of probiotic products daily.)

Results: In the week following the experiment IBS symptoms (for me, violent diarrhoea following main meal) have resolved completely. Further, ME symptoms have been downgraded somewhat - no muscle pains, little sensitivity to sound, greater energy (working 3 x 6hour days in a NHS laboratory), much less brain fog.

Discussion: This western style detox was a relatively easy and non-taxing procedure. In contrast to the Ayurvedic detox the probiotic loading took place post bowel purge. In Indian protocols there is at least 5 days of pre loading of increasing doses prior to application of laxative.

Also, Aurvedic protocol requires 5 days of restricted (semi-fasting) organic diet. In this experiment I restricted diet for 24 hours only. Ayurvedic treatment during detox also involves massage and steam bath. I may incorporate these elements in a further extended experiment at a later date.

In Varkala, Kerala, India in January I found the detox process difficult, though I did not "crash" I felt unwell. At the end of the detox however I felt a definite surge in energy levels and lessen ring of ME symptoms. the extent of this lifting of symptoms following this experiment is, I subjectively estimate at 30% of Ayurvedic levels.

However, as in India, IBS symptoms have resolved. Therefore, I would consider this experiment a success. 1 week post treatment I am excluding Yakult and Activia and will cease probiotic tablets. These products are costly and with regard to value for money the Kefir cultures represent outstanding economy and the Kimchi when eaten in moderation.

Moreover, Kefir and Kimchi contain a total of 20 individual bacterial species, as against 2 in total for Yakult and Activia and 3 for the probiotic tablets. (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum are present in Kefir).

I propose that Kefir and Kimchi could be incorporated beneficially into the diet of a ME patient. Those with IBS symptoms would likely see a cessation of symptoms and I believe it possible that general ME symptoms may experience some degree of alleviation.

Confounding factors - following the crash I reported on earlier in the blog section. I sourced 5mg predinisolone tablets an began self dosing after a week of being house-bound at 15mg/day. This continued throughout this detox/microbiota replenishment process, though I have begun reducing to 10mg/day over the week follwoing the detox.

I have intermittently used steroids when particularly ill with ME after the first your of diagnose by a NHS infectious disease consultant following 4 months of excluding hospital tests. This diagnosis was 6 years ago.

Conclusion: I consider this to be a successful experiment in simple detox of the gut and microbiotic replenishment. The procedure is open to the majority of ME patients at relatively small cost and inconvenience. I would recommend setting aside 48 hours for the procedure.

Thanks to my wife for taking the time to translate my scribble.

Comments

Great , thanks for sharing.
I had a hard time tolerating probiotics like kefir & kombucha, until just recently I made some honey kombucha. This is giving me no side effects and I'm going to continue with this.
Interesting you got a steamer. I got a portable sauna last year too.
Whats this Panchagavya ? IS that something you can buy, and is there a trusted vendor?
 
Hi Bansaw, interesting that honey helped. i have a teaspoon in peppermint tea a couple of times a day. I have acces to a steam room at the local sports centre, I don't have one at home. Panchagavya is an Indian concoction that is prepared carefully. In India it is not only used as part of detox but has lots of agricultural uses. I don't think you can find it in the West and wouldn't recommend trying to make it or buy it. In ayurvedic medicine it's administered by a qualified doctor. There are some practitioners in the West but I doubt panchagavya would pass our health and safety rules!
 
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have some similar experience and this is my first report about it. I shall start a new thread about it later.
Before adressing my gut issues, I could tolerate 4 working days a week but at the end of the day I had to go back home. There was no mway I could do anything else, for example, stop at the grocery store to do some shopping after work.
I talked to a colleague, who is a gastroenterologist and she referred me to a nutritionist with lots of experience in auto imune diseases and IBS
She started me on a anti inflamatory diet: No gluten,no milk,no sugar, lots of protein, vegetal oils, nuts, glutamin, green juices, propolis and some carbs.
After one week I was already feeling significantly better, as a matter of fact, I was not feeling sick at all.
One week later I started on probiotics, she filled me a prescription and I had it prepared in a pharmacy. I take one pill at night and one in the morning. They are expensive; I will write down the formula later.
Negative point: I was feeling so much better that I lost control of my limits, so I crashed!!!
It´s been 3 weeks since I crashed and I´m improving slowly.
So adressing your gut inflamation/IBS is not going to cure you but it can improve your performance level.
 
Hi JPCV, I agree, sorting IBS is not a cure for ME...the method I used has stopped all symptoms of IBS. I maintain a very healthy diet most of the time and will outline it some time. With regard to cost of probiotics if you read the experiment you will see I recommend the kefir starter cultures for 2 reasons; number of organisms and cost. If you renew the culture every 2 days you get up to 30 litres or 1 months supply of probiotic from a grain kit costing £5. This is the cheapest method.
 
Hi 62miles
I´ve started Kefir and it´s helped me. Thank you so much
Do you use water or milk kefir?
I´m also taking oral probiotics in cpsules, but I have felt that adding Kefir was better.
Here goes the list:
in the morning
L. Salivarius/ L . Rhamnosus/L. Plantarium/ L. paracasei/L. Casei/L. Brevis/L. Acidophilus/B. Longum/B. lactis/B. Breve
B. bifidum

At night:
L. Bulgaricus/ L Casei/L. Delbrueckii/L . johnson/L. paracasei/ L. Plantarum/L. Reuteri/L Rhamnosus/B. Breve/B. Lactis/B.Longum/Sacharomices Boulardii
 
Hi JPCV, that's great if you are getting some benefit-I use the kefir grain kit which is mixed with a litre/quart of semi skim milk. It self perpetuates which is cool and very economical. I think the kimchi is just as effective (I use both) and I only have half a fork am and pm.
 
Hi Hilary, I went vegetarian about 2 years ago though I do eat seafood quite often. I will put my mega breakfast recipe if I get the chance!
 
Hi 62miles how are you doing? Would be interested to hear about your mega breakfast recipe if you get a minute but no prob if you're busy. Vegetarian plus fish sounds likely to be good for me too. I had a delicious steak on Saturday........ been unwell ever since with digestive problems and headache.... ugh. Thinking of seeing an ayurvedic practitioner a friend has recommended. Hope you're doing well.
 
Hi Hilary, sorry I've been tardy with the mega breakfast recipe. The base is 500ml of kefir (which just keeps on regenerating if you hold some back over 24 hours and is therefore practically free of cost). I add a cupful of frozen berries and then throw it in a blender with a kiwi/banana/apple. I then add a heaped spoon of protein powder, likewise freeze dried vegetables (14 veg as a powder from Bulk powders) freeze dried fruit, maca powder, flaxseed, powdered walnut and brazil nut, chia seeds, turmeric with black pepper and d-ribose. If I've got any I usualy adda yakult or other probiotic drink. This washes down the 20 tablets I take in the morning- and then 2 days a week its off to work. I eat a lot of nuts and fruit and veg and supplement protein in the diet with tofu if I'm not eating fish. Hope that's helpful.
 
Hi 62 miles - no problem at all and the recipe looks great. I'm about to embark on an exclusion diet to see if there's anything I really should actively avoid but my instinct tells me I need lots of veggies and fish - shame about the steak...
Will be interested to hear how you do in Nov. Hope it's as successful as last time.
 
Thanks Hilary. One of the PR members is over there now and is in the final week of treatment. She is doing really well after 17 years of ME. I can't wait to get back there. Will let you now how I get on but the PR member might do a write up on the forums.
 
Hi 62 miles, already in India?
I´ll start a 5 day veggie , detox diet and on the last day, laxative and lots of probiotics.
I´ll report later.
 
Hi, fly out tomorrow. Can't wait to get stuck in tho not looking forward to the detox. Good luck with your detox!
 

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62milestogojoe
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