Thanks for the Rapa DIY! What I am struggling with is what percent of Rapa to add to my cream. Isn’t your 0.1% a high level compared to other recommendations? Can you explain the range variation and why you choose that amount?
My concentration is substantially lower than that. A 0.10% concentration is the therapeutic level required for treatment of facial angiofibroma associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. My concentration tracks Dr. Green’s recommendation of about 0.04%.
Why add the cream at all? I make approx the same solution, transcutol, water, and rapamycin.
Crush tablets, dissolve, and filter through a small French press coffee maker. Fill small spray bottles and spray my whole head and the back of my hands.
This makes a nice pleasant spritz.
The lotion prevents complete absorption of rapamycin into deep layers of the dermis.
Ahhh, if the cream does inhibit the rapamycin absorption then I won’t use it. I thought if I used a cream, specifically Eucerin Anti-Pigment with a SPF 30 then I would be getting more benefits from a single composite each day. However, wouldn’t want to interrupt any of the rapamycin skin abilities if the cream would prevent it. if you wish to explain or link me with any information, much appreciated.
I certainly can put those on at separate times. Maybe putting the rapamycin solution on before bed and the Eucerin in the morning. Does that sound sensible? When do you put on your rapamycin?
Both approaches are fine - yours with Eucerin (or other simple cream, I used Cetaphil), or something like what @desertshores is using.
The research studies using rapamycin as a topical use a cream like Eucerin. Details here: Rapamycin for Hair Growth, Hair Pigmentation, Skin Anti-aging
I have 2mg Sirolimus tablets so I was anticipating grabbing the correct amount of milligrams specified by the tablets and just smashing them up in a mortar. Then I will use a hand mixer to blend everything together either with transcutol or a cream. I am assuming the outside of the tablets, included in the rapamycin mix will not have any effects.
When you crush the tablets, some of the filler material will not dissolve. That is why I use a small French press coffee maker to filter out particles that would clog my fine mist spritzers. The coffee maker has a fine metal mesh filter.
I tried paper filters but they did not work very well as they tend to clog up and take a very long time to filter through.
The spray solution goes a lot further than the equivalent amount mixed with a cream.
I usually spray it on first thing in the morning and sometimes again in the evening before I apply tretinoin cream.
I know many of you are trying to imitate the amount of rapamycin used in some studies, but what is the correct amount? Does anyone really know? I am currently using 12 mg of rapamycin into 20 mL Transcutol then diluting with 80 mL water to make a 100 mL batch of spritzer spray.
I am not treating anything but old age, so I am going with Dr. Blagosklonny’s opinion of max dose without side effects.
There is nothing scientific about my dose of 12 mg of rapamycin in 20 mL of Transcutol, it is just the next step up from 10 mg in 20 mL.
I’ve had zero detectable adverse side effects after using the 10 mg solution so now I am trying 12 mg. It was just convenient and the solution is refreshing and non-irritating to my
skin.
The rationale in the Drexel study was that a very low dose would work better than a higher dose to improve cell function:
"A notable aspect of this study is the use of such a low dose of rapamycin (10 μM, or 0.001%) for topical application. Topical treatment with higher concentrations (0.1–1%) has been employed for the treatment of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in adults and children and has shown efficacy in the inhibition of the benign growths associated with the disorder without serious adverse events … We chose to use rapamycin at a ten-fold lower dose because the concentrations used in TSC patients are intended to inhibit cell growth, while our aim was to improve cell function while maintaining proliferative potential and preventing senescence similar to our in vitro studies … "
That is an excellent point and echoes what Dr. Mark, a well-respected dude who often posts on https://forum.age-reversal.net/ says as well. His comment was “sometimes less is more”.
12 mg of rapamycin in 100 mL of transcutol/water is still a low dose.
Thats like 12mg in 100grams right… like .012%
desertshores, you mentioned a spritzer bottle. I assume you’ve found one that will not get clogged. Where did you get it or does it have a brand name?
Somewhere in this massive site, someone mentioned using a topical application which wasn’t doing any good, then upped the concentration and started seeing results. Our physiologies differ. Maybe more so for those of us beyond 75. I don’t want to suggest that the Drexel study is gospel.
I have bought several types from Amazon and found no correlation with price.
The ones I am using now are surprisingly cheap and so far everyone has worked well without clogging. Of course, you must filter your solution to get out any undissolved particles. I use a small French press coffee maker that has a very fine stainless steel filter.
Link to the bottles I am using.
Yes:
Transcutol’s relative density (water = 1): 0.99, so we will just assume 1 for simplicity.
My latest solution is 12 mg rapamycin in 100 grams of water. .012/100 = .012%
From Dr. Greene’s website: “I use a much stronger preparation (15 capsules in 3.5 Oz to make a 0.045% ointment for age-related and solar related lesions on my scalp with good effect”
Since I suffer from chronic actinic keratosis caused by sun-damaged skin, I am gradually working my way up to the dosage Dr. Greene uses on himself.
How many men use skin cream? I’m always going to mix my rapamycin in cream. Even if the rapamycin does nothing, from the skin cream alone, I will be ahead of 98% of the men.
Desertshores, are you massaging the spray into your scalp after you spray it? What’s the rationale for believing that adding a moisturizing cream would inhibit rather than enhance penetration into the skin?
So, were you thinking of just replacing the DMSO with the 20-30% of transcutol in the aloe gel? You can purchase DMSO gel, so what do you think of just putting the rapamycin into the DMSO gel? If you look at the ingredients it is primarily DMSO, with aloe gel and carbomer. DMSO 4 oz. Gel Three Jar special Non-diluted 99.995% Low Odor Pharma G