Daffodil
Senior Member
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- 5,875
Here, someone relays their experience with Fecal transplants he got at the CDD in Australia. He was treating digestive issues and bipolar:
"After receiving this letter with no name or return address in the mail one day last year, with a list of phone numbers and names of doctors, clinics and researchers, I found an amazing gastroenterologist at a clinic in Sydney on this note. He saw me, performed a colonoscopy/panendoscopy and a raft of tests prior to him performing the FMT at CDD. He was basically checking to see if there was anything else that could be an issue that could perhaps be affecting me or that could possibly affect the FMT. A lot of what he did was Medicare covered, however, this is not the case at CDD. Private insurance does the heavy lifting financially at CDD as it’s a private day hospital.
The FMT process:
Firstly, more tests to rule out other issues. Stool testing (which was dropped off at a specific pathology clinic in Macquarie Park), blood tests, colonoscopy/panendoscopy or other necessary tests. If it all comes back negative but symptoms persist, then FMT is likely to be discussed.
Secondly, you go through CDD’s pre-FMT processes - I do think their customer service needs a bit of improvement in this area, but they’re doctors and nurses, not customer service reps so you can’t really expect them to worry too much about this, they get the job done. The first step sees you being put onto a month long course of two antibiotics Vancomycin & Rifaximin in conjunction with a super low-fibre (less than 10g a day) diet and no alcohol. I ate a years worth of meat in one month
Next, the FMT nears. You undergo some serious bowel preparation in the days leading up to the FMT. You go from eating no fibre to eating nothing but soup or clear liquids in the 24-48 hours before, in conjunction with two bowel prep kits. That’s right, two straight days of intense diarrhoea
it’s eventually just water. Flying out of you up to 16 times in the day.
On the day, you take some Imodium to retain the FMT. When you arrive at CDD you undergo a Microdacyn colonic washout. Something to note about the microdacyn colonic, it left me feeling like I’ve never felt before. I had never been so clearheaded in my life before. Like, unbelievably clearheaded. I was finally able to sit still and feel relaxed for once, finally connected to the world around me. There was no traffic in my mind, it was amazing. This wasn’t Ritalin, this wasn’t Valium, or Xanax, it was an antibacterial colonic that did this. Unbelievable.
The physical results:
The first two weeks saw me lose 4kg from 98kg to 94kg, eventually over the next few weeks down to 91kg. I’m 190cm tall and workout regularly, so I suppose this BMI is not bad.
My appetite radically shifted immediately, I’m no longer hungry when taking seroquel, no longer ravenously hungry in the morning, let alone at all during the day.
My palate has shifted to a largely vegetarian diet, went from drinking alcohol regularly to barely at all now & I also can eat stuff now that I could not before due to its effects. I also seldom drink caffeinated coffee now too, let alone any caffeinated beverages.
My gut symptoms are amazing
perfect dumps 99% of the time.
The mental health results:
Day 0, I was a completely new person. Refreshed, calm, clear-headed. Greatly reduced anxiety, nervousness gone. Like, it’s saved my life.
Day 0 also left me feeling confident enough to get off of my mood stabiliser Epilim (Sodium Valproate). However, I was on a very low dose, so it wasn’t much of an effort.
I’m currently down to 75mg of my other medication from 225mg of Seroquel, this has been a lot trickier as I’ve had sleep issues my whole life. But seroquel has horrible withdrawal associated with it.
I no longer experience the extreme highs and lows, not even minor ones.
Social anxiety has largely disappeared
The irrational thought patterns associated have also largely dissipated.
I occasionally have episodes of irritability, and the occasional day where I can’t concentrate etc. But now, I’m a completely different, more resilient, rational & personable person. Everyone who knew me before has noticed a remarkable shift in my temperament.
Meditation works for me now
I can read books again - Ben MacIntyre ftw
I can’t seem to watch Netflix, YouTube, or other stuff, I just don’t want to do it unless it benefits me in some way.
I enjoy silence a lot more, before I needed music first thing in the morning, in the shower, in the car, fullblast. Now, I just enjoy silence as I’ve never been able to do so before.
When I need to concentrate, I’m largely able to unless it’s boring as batshit or I genuinely don’t want anything to do with it. This has my current degree difficult as it’s boring as fuck.
When I study, I no longer have something on in the background, I have Lo-fi at most.
I’m better with my money, even if only a little bit.
I’m able to control impulsions much better.
I hope that helps, sorry for such a long ass answer
"
"After receiving this letter with no name or return address in the mail one day last year, with a list of phone numbers and names of doctors, clinics and researchers, I found an amazing gastroenterologist at a clinic in Sydney on this note. He saw me, performed a colonoscopy/panendoscopy and a raft of tests prior to him performing the FMT at CDD. He was basically checking to see if there was anything else that could be an issue that could perhaps be affecting me or that could possibly affect the FMT. A lot of what he did was Medicare covered, however, this is not the case at CDD. Private insurance does the heavy lifting financially at CDD as it’s a private day hospital.
The FMT process:
Firstly, more tests to rule out other issues. Stool testing (which was dropped off at a specific pathology clinic in Macquarie Park), blood tests, colonoscopy/panendoscopy or other necessary tests. If it all comes back negative but symptoms persist, then FMT is likely to be discussed.
Secondly, you go through CDD’s pre-FMT processes - I do think their customer service needs a bit of improvement in this area, but they’re doctors and nurses, not customer service reps so you can’t really expect them to worry too much about this, they get the job done. The first step sees you being put onto a month long course of two antibiotics Vancomycin & Rifaximin in conjunction with a super low-fibre (less than 10g a day) diet and no alcohol. I ate a years worth of meat in one month
Next, the FMT nears. You undergo some serious bowel preparation in the days leading up to the FMT. You go from eating no fibre to eating nothing but soup or clear liquids in the 24-48 hours before, in conjunction with two bowel prep kits. That’s right, two straight days of intense diarrhoea
On the day, you take some Imodium to retain the FMT. When you arrive at CDD you undergo a Microdacyn colonic washout. Something to note about the microdacyn colonic, it left me feeling like I’ve never felt before. I had never been so clearheaded in my life before. Like, unbelievably clearheaded. I was finally able to sit still and feel relaxed for once, finally connected to the world around me. There was no traffic in my mind, it was amazing. This wasn’t Ritalin, this wasn’t Valium, or Xanax, it was an antibacterial colonic that did this. Unbelievable.
The physical results:
The first two weeks saw me lose 4kg from 98kg to 94kg, eventually over the next few weeks down to 91kg. I’m 190cm tall and workout regularly, so I suppose this BMI is not bad.
My appetite radically shifted immediately, I’m no longer hungry when taking seroquel, no longer ravenously hungry in the morning, let alone at all during the day.
My palate has shifted to a largely vegetarian diet, went from drinking alcohol regularly to barely at all now & I also can eat stuff now that I could not before due to its effects. I also seldom drink caffeinated coffee now too, let alone any caffeinated beverages.
My gut symptoms are amazing
The mental health results:
Day 0, I was a completely new person. Refreshed, calm, clear-headed. Greatly reduced anxiety, nervousness gone. Like, it’s saved my life.
Day 0 also left me feeling confident enough to get off of my mood stabiliser Epilim (Sodium Valproate). However, I was on a very low dose, so it wasn’t much of an effort.
I’m currently down to 75mg of my other medication from 225mg of Seroquel, this has been a lot trickier as I’ve had sleep issues my whole life. But seroquel has horrible withdrawal associated with it.
I no longer experience the extreme highs and lows, not even minor ones.
Social anxiety has largely disappeared
The irrational thought patterns associated have also largely dissipated.
I occasionally have episodes of irritability, and the occasional day where I can’t concentrate etc. But now, I’m a completely different, more resilient, rational & personable person. Everyone who knew me before has noticed a remarkable shift in my temperament.
Meditation works for me now
I can read books again - Ben MacIntyre ftw
I can’t seem to watch Netflix, YouTube, or other stuff, I just don’t want to do it unless it benefits me in some way.
I enjoy silence a lot more, before I needed music first thing in the morning, in the shower, in the car, fullblast. Now, I just enjoy silence as I’ve never been able to do so before.
When I need to concentrate, I’m largely able to unless it’s boring as batshit or I genuinely don’t want anything to do with it. This has my current degree difficult as it’s boring as fuck.
When I study, I no longer have something on in the background, I have Lo-fi at most.
I’m better with my money, even if only a little bit.
I’m able to control impulsions much better.
I hope that helps, sorry for such a long ass answer