From Insider:
A man who was hospitalized by debilitating Crohn's disease found relief after putting his mom's poop in his rectum in a DIY treatment — but was surprised to experience her menopause symptoms, too.
Charlie Curtis, from Toronto, Canada, who's in his mid 30s, did DIY "poop transplants," or fecal microbiota transplants, for over four years, he told filmmaker Saffron Cassaday in the new documentary "Designer $hit."
FMTs usually involve a doctor taking poop from a healthy donor, and blending it with a saline solution. In FDA-approved procedures, the saline and feces mixture is then inserted into the recipient's gastrointestinal tract through an enema, or taken via oral capsules (it can also be done via colonoscopy or upper endoscopy).
The recipient absorbs healthy bacteria from the donated stool, and this repopulates the bacteria in their gut, which might be depleted from using drugs such as antibiotics or illness, according to Cleveland Clinic.
It actually ended up helping him, but there was one problem…
Charlie Curtis experienced some unexpected side effects from the FMTs: sweating, hot flashes, and mood swings, similar to what his menopausal mom was experiencing.
"At the time, I was going through menopause," Sky Curtis said in the documentary. "And so was he!"
It turns out his condition was influenced by the hormones present during his mother's menopause, which were also found in her feces. It seems that if you're considering this approach, it's crucial to ensure that the person isn't experiencing any hormonal imbalances. Probably best to steer clear of DIY methods and leave these matters in the hands of medical professionals.
