US woman performs DIY ‘poop transplant’ to cure irritable bowel syndrome troubling her for years

A US woman who endured years of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms shared her story in Netflix's new documentary 'Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut'. Daniell Koepke described suffering from indigestion, stabbing gas pains, and severe constipation since college. Despite years of doctor visits giving no relief, she took matters into her own hands by attempting a DIY faecal microbiota transplant. This experimental treatment involves introducing healthy donor faeces into the patient's gut to restore healthy microbes.

"It's really hard for me to remember what it was like to eat food before it became associated with anxiety and pain and discomfort," Koepke, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, said in the documentary.

It's crucial to note that potential donors must not have taken antibiotics in the past six months. They should also not be immunocompromised, at risk for infectious diseases, or living with chronic gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease.

"With faecal microbiome transplants, there is really compelling evidence, but the science is still developing. We're still working on if it actually has benefits for wider populations and if the benefit is long-lasting," Jack Gilbert, a microbial ecologist at UC San Diego, said in the Netflix documentary.

(With inputs from agencies)