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The Doctors are issuing a strong warning against DIY at-home fecal transplants.
While fecal transplants might sound unappealing, the new medical treatment is being used to treat C-diff infections (Clostridium difficile infection) by transferring a stool sample from a healthy donor into the digestive tract of a recipient through a colonoscopy or enema in order to replenish good bacteria.
Watch: Mom Injects Son with Feces!
Some online are claiming a fecal transplant can cure irritable bowel syndrome and other disorders. Some are even taking matters into their own hands and injecting stool samples from family and friends in hopes of treating their medical issues. There are even step-by-step instruction videos detailing how to do this at home.
The Doctors note that medical experts feel this is dangerous and could spread disease and infections including possibly hepatitis and HIV. Proctologist and colorectal surgeon Dr. David Rosenfeld echoes this, saying, "For me putting someone else's stool in your colon is like sharing a needle. It's dangerous."
He explains that some people develop C-diff infections after taking antibiotics and in some of those cases patients can benefit from donor stool being placed in their colon, but he stresses this should only be done by a professional like a gastroenterologist. He adds, "The stool has to be checked the patient has to be checked." He again stresses this treatment is only used for C-diff infections. ER physician Dr. Travis Stork adds, "The DIY fecal transplants just have to stop."
Additionally, Dr. Rosenfeld shares some tips on improving your microbiome, which include:
- Watch the food you eat, especially animals which are fed antibiotics like turkey, chicken, and, beef.
- Adding probiotics can help and he suggests eating yogurt and sauerkraut or taking probiotics pills to restore the good bacteria.
