Tuesday, March 20, 2012

FECAL TRANSPLANTS


Yes, you heard me right.  A fecal transplant.  It's a procedure where somebody else's fecal matter is transplanted into your colon to extract the health benefits from that person's intestinal flora.

In what situation would this bizarre transplantation be a viable treatment?  Well, if your intestinal lining is infected with a tough, antibiotic resistant bacterium known as Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, you may not have a choice.
The net-net is that our current batch of antibiotics is failing.  The bugs we fall prey to are resistant and more powerful than ever.  So, you get sick.  You eventually discover that all the broad spectrum antibiotics don't work, so your doctor will start on stronger, more powerful drugs.  They will make you feel sicker and by the time you discover they don't work, you will have killed every last helpful strain of bacteria from your intestines.  Then you are screwed.  You will need someone else's flora.
You will need it, but you will refuse this bizarre treatment.  This will lead to violent and persistant diarrhea. Your muscles will begin to waste away and your body weight will collapse like a folding chair.  At that point, a fresh bowel-ful of someone else's turd will seem like manna from heaven.

The good news is, as distasteful as this sounds, it is actually quite successful. So, next time you can't seem to kick that case of traveler's trots, you might need a fecal transplant.

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