Probiotics, a popular gut health supplement, are live microorganisms that are said to have a variety of beneficial functions in our digestive system.
But for one elderly Japanese man, these tiny allies did absolutely nothing, causing a severe, potentially fatal infection and “deadening” his intestines.
According to medical personnel in Toyoake City, the man was found collapsed at home and was initially transported to the hospital by medical personnel.
Examination revealed that the man, in his 70s, had several health problems.
These included COVID-19, another bacterial infection in the lungs, high blood pressure, signs of alcoholism and severe kidney damage.
A CT scan of a Japanese man showed how probiotics caused gas to build up in tissues within his digestive system.
He had previously had colon cancer and was a smoker.
He went into cardiac arrest during initial treatment but doctors managed to revive him.
As part of his treatment, he was prescribed antibiotics for what was suspected to be bacterial pneumonia, which was confirmed by tests three days after his admission.
At the same time, the man, whose name was not revealed in the case report, was also given various medications to reduce complications from COVID-19.
However, during his hospital stay he developed diarrhea.
Writing in the journal BMJ Case Reports, the authors say that this may be due to antibiotics upsetting the balance of gut flora.
Antibiotics are an important part of medicine, but they kill both the bad bacteria that doctors prescribe them to target, and the good bacteria in the intestines that aid digestion.
The men were prescribed a probiotic treatment, Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) tablets, for one month to help restore their gut flora.
However, on the 58th day of his hospitalization, the man began complaining of abdominal distension and fatigue.
By the next day, his symptoms had progressed to persistent stomach pain and on examination, a doctor found his abdomen to be distended and tender to the touch.
The patient was immediately rushed for a CT scan as blood tests revealed signs of organ failure.
This revealed a buildup of gas in his digestive system, which resulted in the man being diagnosed with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI).
NOMI is a medical term that means the blood supply from the intestine has been cut off for reasons other than a blood clot.
A man in his 70s was prescribed a month’s worth of probiotic treatment Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) tablets to help restore his gut flora after antibiotic treatment (stock image)
Subsequent blood tests revealed the presence of C. butyricum in his blood, a condition called bacteremia.
Genetic analysis revealed that the bacteria was the exact same strain used in the probiotic treatment, leading doctors to conclude that the infection had caused NOMI.
“Probiotics are routinely prescribed to patients with a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms and conditions, but rare but serious adverse events can occur, as exemplified in this report,” the researchers wrote.
The patient rapidly developed multiple organ failure, but surgery was not possible given the extent of the damage and multiple pre-existing health conditions.
Instead, he was transferred to a palliative care facility where he died the next day, 60 days since being admitted.
The doctors also noted that other cases have been described in the medical literature where C. butyricumin probiotics have induced NOMI, but certainty about such cases is often obscured by the fact that the bacteria can also live naturally in the body.
They added that C. butyricum is widely used in Japan as a probiotic treatment for diarrhea, and their case indicates that its use needs to be reconsidered.
Probiotics are generally thought to benefit the body by balancing the gut microbiome, but the NHS warns that patients with existing health conditions or weakened immune systems should consult their doctor before taking probiotic supplements.
C. butyricum can be purchased in the UK from health supplement stores online as a probiotic and digestive aid, with a container of 60 tablets costing just £20.
Probiotics are generally thought to benefit the body in two ways.
Firstly, it aids digestion and reduces symptoms such as stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation.
Secondly, their very presence reduces the chances of giving enough space to bad bacteria that can directly make you sick to colonize our digestive system.
The NHS says there is some evidence that probiotics can help with digestive problems in some cases, but adds that health claims that they help with other conditions, such as eczema, are not scientifically backed up.
He adds that while they are safe for most people, patients with existing health conditions or weakened immune systems should consult with their doctor before taking probiotic supplements.
The Japanese doctors did not elaborate on when the incident occurred but said the patient’s family agreed to documenting it.
