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FMT: is there a reputable facility in USA (or Europe) ?

Bansaw

Senior Member
Messages
521
I'm looking into FMT.

I had a mammoth course of anti-biotics in 2013 which lasted 8 months and involved a rotation of numerous varieties of antibiotics.
I'm convinced they harmed my gut flora.

My doctor here in North Carolina is talking about starting a FMT offering in the future, but I was wondering if there were facilities that are highly regarded. Not just in the US, but also in Europe.
(I may be travelling to England in July for a few weeks God willing.)

I tried Keifer, Kombucha and they did give me a good readout when I did a stool test, but my Doc did tell me that there are just some important strains of bacteria that you can't get. She even said that the Lactobillus in milk is different from the strain that you get naturally from natural birth/breastmilk etc.

I'm convinced that my gut-made Dopamine, Serotonin etc. is minimal.

I'm unsure of the costs involved too. I hear figures from $500 to $2000...
I bet Europe would be more reasonable.
 

Bansaw

Senior Member
Messages
521
thanks
I think that humanmicrobes.org one looks interesting. But he's looking for stool donors and asks donors to fill in a questionnaire. BUt my question about that is: how does he know that the donors are telling the truth when they fill in the questionnaire. You might in theory get unhealthy people sending in stool donations who aren't honest in the questionnaire they fill in.
I'd like to know if he has some extensive quality control other than an online questionnaire.
In fact, I might contact the guy there and ask him actually.
 
Last edited:

5vforest

Senior Member
Messages
273
I believe those two websites might be connected? The guy who founded the first one was formerly employed by the second one, maybe?

Anyway. FMT is very interesting. I personally wouldn't want to use any sample without testing it first. Even if a donor is completely healthy, what's to say that they didn't eat something weird the day that they gave the sample?

Microbioma says "fully tested" but it's unclear what that means.
 

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,851
Location
Brisbane, Australia
I'm unsure of the costs involved too. I hear figures from $500 to $2000
FMT is available on a commercial basis at a few centres in Australia. The cost per infusion is about $700 but I'm not sure if you can have it done on a one-off basis and more common to have a series of 10 infusions I think, so it's more like from $7000 and up here.
 

Bansaw

Senior Member
Messages
521
FMT is available on a commercial basis at a few centres in Australia. The cost per infusion is about $700 but I'm not sure if you can have it done on a one-off basis and more common to have a series of 10 infusions I think, so it's more like from $7000 and up here.
Thats expensive. I was thinking of getting the things I need and doing it at home, but my Doc said people have been perofrating themselves and even there have been some cases of sepsis, so she is encouraging getting it done at a facility. It'll be more expensive but safer.
 

Bansaw

Senior Member
Messages
521
I believe those two websites might be connected? The guy who founded the first one was formerly employed by the second one, maybe?

Anyway. FMT is very interesting. I personally wouldn't want to use any sample without testing it first. Even if a donor is completely healthy, what's to say that they didn't eat something weird the day that they gave the sample?

Microbioma says "fully tested" but it's unclear what that means.
I got an email back from humanmicrobes.org - I asked them about the selection procedure of donors. I told him that a questionnaire might not be enough to establish an honest donor.
He said that he follows up with in-person interviews (or over vidoe link now) and donors must present vidoes/images social media proof of their fitness. ANd then they verify stool type , stool, and blood testing is done.

Microbiome is definately an area in which I think I've suffered. I've taken so many Antibiotics that I'm amazed anything survived. I'll keep pursuing this I think.