Background and Aim: To study effect of FMT in patients with moderate or severe IBS.

Methods: Patients with IBS for more than one year were offered three sessions of colonoscopicFMT in addition to standard of care. Severity of disease, psychological distress and QOL were assessed by IBS-SSS, HAM-D, HAM-A and WHO-QOL scores. 

Results: Ten patients with IBS (IBS-D 5, IBS-C 4 and IBS-M 1) were studied. Median IBS-SSS reduced from 313.5 (SD ± 66.8) at baseline to 163 (SD ± 84.5) at 1 week (p = 0.0005), 216 (SD ± 79.3) at 2 weeks (p = 0.003), 201(SD ± 86.6) at 4 weeks (p = 0.005) and 262 (SD ± 69.4) at 8 weeks. Median IBS-SSS at 12 weeks and 24 weeks was not significantly different from baseline. Reduction of IBS-SSS severity was seen in 8 (80%) patients at one week, 6(60%) at 2 and 4 weeks, 3(30%) at 8 weeks and 1(10%) at 12 and 24 weeks. weeks. Of four patients with depression, there was improvement in two patients at 2 and 4 weeks and one at 8 weeks. Quality of life improved in four patients at 2, 4 and 8 weeks, two patients at 12 weeks and one at 24 weeks. Three patients reported marked improvement of symptoms at 12 months along with change in stool odor to donor type. 

Conclusion: FMT results in short-term improvement in global symptoms of IBS, psychological distress and QOL. Repeat sessions of FMT did not accrue additional benefit.