Do You Reveal What You Take and the Source?

#1

Question:
If you have found something such as off-label empagliflozin, rapamycin, etc. that improves your life, health, sense of well-being, etc., do you openly tell your friends? Or do you tell them about some of the things you do if they mention that you seem to be looking good and having plenty of energy?

My Answer:
I generally do not. Many years ago, I had an experience where I shared personal information, and it became the subject of gossip that spread from one person to another. Since then, I’ve been much more selective about discussing my health regimen.

If a friend comments that I look healthy or energetic and asks what I’m doing, I usually avoid discussing things like rapamycin, off-label empagliflozin, etc. or where I obtain them. My concern is that many people would see these treatments as unusual or even radical. Rather than researching the evidence for themselves, I think most would mention it to their friends or their physician, often with skepticism or surprise.

For those reasons, I prefer to keep these aspects of my health routine private rather than risk misunderstandings, unnecessary attention, or becoming the subject of conversations that I have no control over.

Your Response?

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#2

Jay wrote: “I had an experience where I shared personal information, and it became the subject of gossip that spread from one person to another. Since then, I’ve been much more selective about discussing my health regimen.”

Exactly… the fountain of youth, or in our case dirt rejuvenation is a Woo! Woo! topic.

My enthusiasm for saving the world is more selective. I will share with the right minded people, otherwise, it is casting pearls to swine.

Easily mocked by someone with no intention of improving. So, I will just outlive them. :laughing:

That said, I do have a growing following in my day to day life contacts. With the upcoming University of Arizona - Ken Coit 12 million human clinical trial with rapamycin… it’s a much more believable sell.

Link: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.pharmacy.arizona.edu/news/2026/u-launches-rapamycin-clinical-trial-philanthropic-support-alumnus-ken-coit&ved=2ahUKEwiSq6_vvNqVAxVqoysGHQvKEj8QFnoECCgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw18ptrjmN3suqgzlSbMgZ7i

Link: https://trial.medpath.com/news/university-of-arizona-launches-12-million-phase-3-trial-testing-rapamycin-for-healthy-aging

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#3

My friends aren’t interested. Who was it? Louis Armstrong? who famously said “There are some people who if they don’t know you can’t tell them.”

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#4

Yes - that’s my approach. Some are very health oriented and open to these types of things. Others not so much, so no reason to broach the topic.

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#5

Agree. That’s my approach too. I carefully vet whom I talk to about what. If someone is not interested in health, architecture, music, film, painting, scuba-diving, what is the point of discussing the topic with them? I certainly gain nothing, nor do they. Furthermore, some subjects are very contentious and here too there are barriers. Someone may be interested in health, but their orientation is more toward fads and cults - I don’t have the time or inclination to, for example, argue with an anti-vaxxer or statin/cholesterol denier. In general, this applies not just to health. Politics and religion too. Not good subjects for discussion, period, most of the time you’ll convince nobody about anything, but might generate personal animosity. And finally - I almost never give unsolicited advice about two things: finance or health. If it’s a dear friend, and I see they are about to fall for a financial scam (I’ve seen it!), I might offer an unsolicited warning. Otherwise, unless it’s a really good friend, when it comes to finances or health, I will not offer an opinion even if it’s specifically and insistently solicited. Take finance - or health - often the advice is very complicated and dependent on multiple conditions and impossible to explain in one conversation… your friend will surely misunderstand something and then blame you (perhaps secretly) for whatever undesirable effect “he told me to take this medication!”. Life is simpler when you stick to minding your own business when it comes to these topics. My one exception is if I am talking to someone who is very knowledgeable in that subject - say a cardiologist - and then I don’t frame my conversation along the lines “this is my opinion”, rather ask questions, listen, follow up non-confrontationally “if you say x, then what is your view of this study here that says non-x?”. YMMV.

“You look amazingly good for your age!” “Thank you, did you see that new David Hockney exhibit at the MOM?”

Anecdote time. I have a good friend who had fairly extensive dealings with Wally George, Rebecca De Mornay’s father. Wally George was a very controversial character to put it mildly and Rebecca De Mornay had a pretty adversarial relationship with him and was loathe to be linked to him at all. So, one day my friend was at a party where Rebecca De Mornay was present and since he had dealings with her father, he approached her and asked her about her father. She looked at him and went “Do you know where the bathroom is?”. LOL. I often thought that a good question to ask if approached at a party with the subject of health, lol.

If you knew me IRL, you’d never guess that I had any interest in health at all - meanwhile, when in the company of like minded people who share an interest in health - I am very active indeed (rapamycin.news).

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#6

I used to. Sometimes the passion to help grips me again and I do.

But I, too, am increasingly selective. Not because they might talk about me, not because they might mock.

More practical: I’ve learned the hard way that bodies are so very different that my advice might cause more harm than good if I’m not really on top of their situation. And to get on top there is actual work. They either have to be a very good friend, or it’s a job. Usually I’ll just drop a clue. “You might want research LDN on that. See what pops.” Let them do the lifting. Let them decide what risks to take.

I know enough to be useful. I also know enough to cause problems.

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#7

No, and oddly very few (none) of my friends and family seem interested in the topic. If someone asks me directly about a supplement, I will tell them what I know.

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#8

These things are quite complex. I express a willingness to help, but I leave it for people to ask me.

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#9

I’m quite passionate about various longevity, healthspan and biohacking interventions. I tend to talk about them more in isolation than specifically my experience. If I’m deep diving on a particular intervention I will be looking at studies, anecdotes and possibly eventually my own experience and I tend to tell certain people.

Not everyone is interested, but for the people who are they find it fascinating. I like these kinds of people, and when I share things with them they share things with me and tend to ask interesting questions.

I’m hesitant to recommend anything to people unless I think it is particularly benign. Perhaps something like NAC, creatine, beginning a moderate exercise routine, methods of improving sleep, encouragement/methods for sobriety from alcohol/drugs, etc.

Things that if they fail won’t be catastrophic or put them in a worse position than they already were in.

For things like rapamycin, or GLP1RAs, or TRT, etc. I will speak of not from a perspective of recommendation but on information I find fascinating, and if they seem interested I am willing to share more information with them to look at in their own time.

Now if someone has a particular health problem I might recommend they speak to their doctor about GLP1s or TRT, but I’m not going to say “hey go to the grey market and buy this powder in a vial from some random Chinese vendor you don’t know and then mix it with special water from the internet and inject it to lose weight” lol.

I’ve got a number of people to legitimately get on GLP1s and they are doing better because of it, but that was me telling them about it and getting them to get a prescription from their doctor.

Sometimes if I really care about the person I will look up a telehealth specialist clinic specific to their condition that can prescribe what they might need and can help them manage their condition. I think this is a much better move than trying to coach someone without a medical license on the use of drugs that require prescription.

We have a lot more options these days and I’m grateful for it.

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#10

I love this thread! I’m picking up some helpful pointers too.

As most of you know, incorporating what I’ve learned here has drastically improved my health and life. So when neighbors comment on it, I’m eager to share and pay it forward

But alas, it usually goes nowhere. Someone might even ask their doctor about rapa, get the green light for a prescription, and then… never follow up. Or a friend complains they can’t sleep, I mention that a cooling mattress changed my life, and they never try one.

Other times I’m met with, “Oh, I’m really into longevity too, I’m on metformin.” What am I supposed to do with that? :slight_smile:

So yes, I’m learning to stay in my lane. Still hard to do, though.

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#11

I wouldn’t discount that. You can mention how it seems to have been surpassed by superior longevity medications if you felt it has been.

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#12

Observe the reaction when you mention to someone you take Lithium

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#13

Thanks AL, I actually do. I usually mention I used to take it too but then learned about a different class of drug that looks like it might even have greater benefits… but, human nature being what it is, people like to believe their sources are the best ones… David Sinclair, for example.

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#14

I am not an evangelist. Not friends, not doctors, not nobody.

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