By Nicole Asher
There is growing evidence faecal transplants could be causing some patients to take on the physical and mental traits of their donors, including body shape and even symptoms of depression, an expert in infectious diseases says.
Faecal transplants are becoming an increasingly popular treatment for conditions like chronic fatigue, Parkinson’s, autism and irritable bowel syndrome.
More commonly, they are used to replace the gut bacteria of people who have complications after prolonged use of antibiotics.
The treatment involves transplanting a donor’s faeces into a patient’s bowel to improve the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria.
Associate Professor Patrick Charles, from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Austin Health, has presented evidence of the unusual side-effects to specialists at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians congress in Melbourne.
Dr Charles said the treatment had been used in modern medicine since the 1950s, but doctors are still learning about its effects.
“It’s a very successful way to fix … an overgrowth of the bad bacteria causing terrible diarrhoea,” he said.
“What we’re learning about this now is the change in the mix of bacteria when you get this transplant can alter the person who is getting it to take on some of the characteristics of the donor sometimes.
“There have been people who have taken on the shape of the donor, such as if the donor is either overweight or underweight they’ve become more like that.