FMT Doesn’t Treat Methane SIBO
Clients often inquire about whether FMT or Microbiota Transplant Therapy can effectively treat their SIBO. The concise answer is that it typically does not, and we delve into the reasons why it could fail. Keeping in mind that until larger scale studies take place we cannot give a definitive answer, but i can provide evidence to strong theoretical answers based on the data we are collecting. Today, I aim to provide you with a an example of such a case and shed light on why FMT is generally not a solution for methane mSIBO.
To truly understand SIBO, it's important to view it not as a standalone issue, but rather as the culmination of various underlying imbalances. Many of my clients with SIBO also exhibit low levels of digestive secretions, such as insufficient stomach acid, pancreatic secretions, or bile. They may also have bottlenecked detox pathways, mold or metal toxicity, or slowed transit time due to pharmaceutical use or other underlying conditions. These are just a few examples, but the key point is that addressing these underlying conditions is crucial in treating SIBO, and should be prioritized even before considering FMT.
In particular, when it comes to methane-producing archaea, FMT is unlikely to effectively reduce their presence. These microbes do not thrive due to lack of diversity or competition, and this is the example I wish to illustrate today.
The graph presented here depicts data from before and after testing for a client who had methane SIBO as well as another health condition. Despite my recommendation to prioritize SIBO treatment as part of their FMT prep, the client opted to go straight for FMT to address their other health concern, citing lack of time or energy for SIBO treatment.
While the FMT did have some positive effects on the overall terrain, such as improving short-chain fatty acid production, enhancing diversity, and aiding in oxalate degradation, it did not have a significant impact on the levels of Methanobrevibacter, and the client continued to experience symptoms like gas, bloating, and food intolerances. Ultimately, we had to address the methane for the client after the FMT had settled in order for her to actualize all of her health goals.
This is an illustration of one of the many clients i've seen with SIBO whom choose to utilize FMT.
You can see that while FMT may have some benefits, it should not be solely relied upon as a solution for SIBO. It is crucial to address the underlying imbalances and tailor a comprehensive protocol that encompasses the unique needs of each individual to effectively manage SIBO and achieve lasting results.
Layers of Low-grade Infections
Your PCR test results won’t always demonstrate a straight shot to better markers. One such reason for this is that you may have pathogens hidden beneath biofilm. The biofilm kept them hidden from your baseline test result, but as you removed the first layer pathogens and biofilm, you revealed another layer.
Here is one such example.
This client had severe yeast overgrowth, which was promoting growth of the fungal metabolite consumer Prevotella copri. We know that yeast overgrowth goes hand in hand with biofilm. [Texeira et al; 2018, Nett et al; 2020] The Prevotella copri made up close to 70% of their bacterial biofilm when we first started working together.
Symptoms included:
Hyperability and poor focus
Mushy smelly stool
After working on reducing yeast and biofilm the client did note improvements to the mushy stool as the stool became formed and lost the foul smell. However, the follow-up to the baseline test revealed that there were other infections, which came to the forefront as yeast was reduced. Ultimately we would have to work on reducing the secondary infections in order to fully restore the microbiome.
Photo: Bacterial Microbiome Test 1 to Test 2
