by lsmith | Jan 7, 2015 | Heartburn, Human Microbiome, PPIs
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States, earning billions of dollars for pharmaceutical companies. PPIs markedly decrease the production of stomach acid as a treatment for conditions in the upper digestive...
by Brenda Watson | Dec 22, 2014 | C. difficile, Human Microbiome
“Give a sh!t. Save a life.” Literally. If you have yet to make end of the year charitable contributions, I have just the organization for you. OpenBiome’s slogan, although crude, couldn’t be more true. In an effort to raise funds the nonprofit organization is...
by lsmith | Oct 16, 2013 | C. difficile, Probiotics & Gut Flora
Fecal microbial therapy (FMT), or fecal transplant, involves the transfer of stool from a healthy donor (usually a family member) to the intestines of an individual suffering from an illness—usually Clostridium difficile infection, although other conditions have been...
by Brenda Watson | Oct 14, 2013 | General, Probiotics & Gut Flora
Antibiotics work by killing not only the harmful bacteria, but also the beneficial bacteria. It is relatively common for antibiotics to lead to gut infections that arise because potentially pathogenic bacteria are no longer kept in check by the beneficial microbes...
by lsmith | Aug 21, 2013 | General
Clostridium difficile infection is linked to 14,000 deaths each year in the United States and continues to increase each year.1 Antibiotic use is the major cause of C. diff infection, but other medications are known to increase risk, including proton-pump inhibitors...
