I wanted to start a discussion on whether anyone here is experimenting with “edgy” longevity protocols. By “edgy,” I mean protocols that are more experimental or unconventional than what is currently available in the mainstream longevity community and what most of us here are doing (I.e. Rapa + x,y,z etc.).
I am curious to know if anyone in this forum is experimenting with anything they might consider comes under the umbrella of “edgy" or if you know of any other unconventional approaches that are not yet widely known.
What are your thoughts on “edgy” longevity protocols? Have you tried any yourself?
In many ways Rapamycin is quite “edgy” in that it suppresses the immune system. I think people try a wide range of things. I am quite willing to experiment with things that seem reasonable, but I do a weekly blood test particularly to see if I am doing any harm.
I am not sure I would describe any of the things I do as being particularly edgy. I do from time to time take a lot of melatonin. However, although some people say an overdose is over 20mg, my experience is that this is not true.
Because of your posts and some reading I have done, I have been taking 60 - 80mg of melatonin every day. I take 60mg before bedtime and take another 20 if I wake up during the night. Because I consume large amounts of fluids during the day this happens occasionally.
The main surprise to me is that it did not cause any daytime drowsiness. I only get blood tests 2 - 4 times a year so I don’t know yet if it will have any effect on my biomarkers.
I think the full potential of melatonin as a life-extension supplement has yet to be realized.
Sadly, I’m rather conflicted about it right now… because I haven’t noticed any difference over the past few months… if anything I feel less well than I did when I was on rapamycin (I stopped prior to the trial, and have not yet started up again). I will post a longer writeup in another thread.
If it acts to reduce senescent cell load slightly then the effects will depend upon your initial senescent cell load. CRP at the lowest level tends to indicate the level of IL-6 particularly from SASP so it gives an idea of your senescent cell load. Can you say what your CRP level is?
@John_Hemming do you have any before and after data to share at all about the impacts of this protocol?
Also, where did you start in terms of dose and what led you to the point you are at now?
@RapAdmin have your numbers changed (either good or bad) since the trial?
When you resume Rapa will you go straight to 6-8mgs or ease into it 1mg a week?
I don’t know yet - need to get a blood test next week to find out. When I relaunch rapamycin it would probably be something like a 2/4/8 mg per week ramp. After using rapamycin for 3 years, I’m really finding how that its almost like taking an aspirin - I don’t notice any effects, whatever the dose is. Anywhere from 2 to 28mg / week has no obvious effect that I can determine without a blood test. I wonder if this is a common scenario for people - a sort of “acclimatization” to rapamycin over time?
I’m up to 8mg a week and in a similar situation in that I’ve noticed no real effects apart from in the bloods (slightly raised lipids and ALT, slightly decreased WBC)….
I’ve just booked in for Echocardiogram and CAC next week. Then bloods in another few weeks time (going to see what the addition of Acarbose has done….been taking this for a week now).
Really interested to see if there are any changes in the Echo as I had one last year (before Rapa) that showed some slight functional declines……let’s see what 6 months of Rapa has done!