Saffron Cassaday lived with ulcerative colitis for 15 years, an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and ulcers in the digestive tract. The condition caused her daily struggles, especially with the sudden and urgent need to have a bowel movement. This affected her life, making her afraid to leave her home at times.
The medications she was taking to control her condition were becoming less and less effective. While researching alternative treatments, she learned about fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), which showed promising results in clinical trials for treating IBD and other conditions. However, she couldn’t access the treatment as it wasn’t FDA-approved for ulcerative colitis.
Out of desperation, Cassaday chose to take matters into her own hands and tried DIY FMT, using her healthy partner as a donor. Her bravery and determination paid off as she is now symptom-free after doing over 100 fecal transfers over the course of two years.
Dr. Ari Grinspan explains that FMT, also known as intestinal microbiota transplant (IMT), involves transferring a healthy microbiota from a screened donor to someone who doesn’t have a healthy microbiome. It’s already proven effective in treating C. diff infections but has had moderate success in treating ulcerative colitis.
He also notes that while there’s excitement and hope surrounding FMT, there’s also a lot of hype and the need for more research.
Though DIY FMT is risky and not recommended, participating in a clinical trial is the best way to explore FMT for health conditions beyond C. diff. As Grinspan emphasizes, finding a safe, rigorous testing environment is crucial to ensure the treatment’s safety and effectiveness.
