I am 60 years old, I weigh 140 pounds. Dr. Green has told me to take 3 tablets once a week.
Because of my size, I have been taking a lesser dose, 2 pills once per week.
Does anyone have advice for me? Is this logical thinking? Overthinking? Should I go to 3 pills once per week?
Thank you
Hi Jeff,
Welcome to our forums. Dr. Green has more experience with rapamycin (over 1200 patients at last count) than any other doctor, so you’re probably fine with either 2 or 3 mg (once per week). For comparison’s sake, I recommend you read our thread on dosing. You’re already on the low end of the spectrum as far as dosing goes (admittedly your weight is also low, so that seems like a reasonable place to start). See this thread: What is the Rapamycin Dose / Dosage for Anti-Aging or Longevity?
I’m in your age range and about 20 lbs heavier. When I started I started at 1mg/once per week, and increased slowly by 1mg each week until I got to 6mg/week. Since then I’ve tested dosing levels as high as 28mg/ once per week without any issues. To be honest I (and in fact, most people) don’t notice much of a difference in the short term.
As a point of comparison, in the University of Washington Dog Aging Trial they are dosing dogs weekly, at approx. 0.15mg/kg of rapamycin , and to get that dosing level they had to get approved by an IRB (institutional review board) to make sure it was “safe”. If you dosed at .15mg/kg you’d be dosing at around 9mg/week, so you’re on a very conservative dose both at 2 and / or 3mg per week.
I’ve seen dog rapamycin studies (shorter term ones) as high as 1mg/kg. Also - in the marmoset primate studies using rapamycin (a lifespan study) they are using 1mg/kg… and the marmosets are doing well with minimal side effects.
If you haven’t reviewed our “Frequently Asked Questions” section, I encourage you to do so. You may want to review the “side effects”, and the “benefits experienced” threads just so you are aware and can watch for any of these in your experiment with rapamycin. See here: Rapamycin Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
And please post periodically on your experiences with rapamycin (good and bad).
Are the pills 1 mg?..……
2 mg is a very low dose. So is 3 mg.
Most people are aiming for the 6-9 mg range. You can get that using the grapefruit juice multiple of 3X. I take 3 pills weekly with grapefruit juice (3X3=9 mg equivalent).
Finding the dose that is right for you is an art. Most people will go as high as they can into the range above and back down if they experience side effects. However caution is always a good thing. Extra virgin olive oil or a fatty meal can increase absorption by 30% as well.
Your doctor is one of the best in the field. Trust him.
I’m 105 pounds and currently take 3mg/week. I started at 1mg weekly and increased as mentioned above without any problems. I could feel that 4mg was too much for my size so I backed down to 3. I’m so happy you are seeing Dr.Green!
Since Dr. Green often prescribes his patients’ Rapa using 2mg pills, I’m betting the question is between taking 4mg or 6mg. I’d continue taking 4mg per week if that’s what you feel most comfortable with. I like the idea of starting a tad lower than full dose, then after taking that for awhile - maybe 8 weeks? - then decide whether you’re comfortable trying 6mg/week, depending upon if you are getting any unpleasant symptoms. We are all just feeling our way here, and we should all feel significant agency with respect to our dosing regimen.