I’ve been taking varying dosages of rapamycin, at varying intervals, and with month-long rest periods, for about a year now, always wary of the risk of inhibiting mTORC2. For the past four months now, I’ve had at least four episodes of common cold (or possibly flu, can’t really say). All have taken ages to get better, with lots of ups and downs, and sometimes a fresh cold starts when the last one hasn’t even completely gone away. A friend - the only other person I know who has also been taking rapamycin - has been suffering rather similarly. Neither he nor I have ever been regular cold sufferers till now. Anyone else? Anyone with any thoughts?
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I hear this from everybody, it’s probably just the effects of the lock downs and loss of herd immunity
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Thanks for sharing. Can you share what dosing levels you’ve been doing (of rapamycin)?
I’ve been on rapamycin now for 3+ years mostly around the 8mg/week level and have had minor colds a couple of times (most recently in the past few weeks, ironically during a 3 month pause in rapamycin use). Can’t say I’ve seen any increase in infections.
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I’ve been doing 6mg once weekly for 2 months, then a 4-week break, then resume.
My friend was doing 8mg once weekly, followed by 4mg the next day, for 2 months, then a 4-week break, then resume. I don’t know where he got the 8+4 thing from but it does seem to me he may have been risking mTORC2 inhibition with that.
I was interested (pleased!) to hear that you’ve been getting on fine at 8mg/wk, seemingly without any negative effect on your immune system.
I’m not totally persuaded, however, that my issue is due to a cascade of immunity complications resulting from covid lockdown and release.
I have another theory, invariably dismissed out of hand by everyone to whom I mention it. In Nov-21 I had a Covid booster shot. Coincidentally, that day, I was in the very early stage of incubating a cold (you know, sore throat, oh no, is this a cold, can I fight it off before it gets a hold of me). The next morning I collapsed in the sauna, and over the following days I had the most extreme cold you can imagine, including dropping with absolute fatigue if I tried to do too much. And ever since then I’ve been getting colds like I never have in my life. My theory is that the Covid booster, entering my system with the mission to retrain my immune system, found that my immune system was just then turning its focus onto this embryonic cold, and said no, forget about that cold, it doesn’t exist - I have your attention now. And so ever since, my immune system fails to recognise colds. Ridiculous, I know.
Colinmb wrote: My theory is that the Covid booster, entering my system with the mission to retrain my immune system, found that my immune system was just then turning its focus onto this embryonic cold, and said no, forget about that cold, it doesn’t exist -
You know that might not be too far fetched.
Feeling great I got my second Covid Booster on Dec. 23 evening… next day 24th stuffy nose …scratchy throat… Christmas Eve. Continued scratchy throat… stuffy nose the 25th Christmas Day… tested on Monday… had Covid. Just a stuffy nose now… but seemed a long time in my nose…I tested negatve Dec. 28th… have felt great except for stuffy nose most of January. Hmmm???
You do realize that this is just how catching colds and the flu actually works?
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Exactly colds are similar viruses to covid.
Seemed odd that the booster happened when I was already infected. It certainly didn’t help. Lol.
My covid was mild only lasted a few days… so shouldn’t complain. Rapamycin might have helped as it is noted in articles.
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With thre kids under 5 years old in the house, I feel like I have a never ending chain of colds . . . they rarely get bad enough to keep me from exercising, but it’s just business as usual in this house
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I have a fairly bad cold just now. Unfortunately I have a history of sinus problems (polypectomy surgery etc) and often colds develop into a sinus infection which on 2 occasions has spread and ruptured both ear drums.
I’m curious as to whether others continue their rapamycin dosing schedule during such colds and if so what their experience has been. I’m due to step up to 5mg on Monday.
I understand all the caveats that go along with a single mouse study using an inbred strain and cold is not flu etc but this paper did make me pause to evaluate:
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I think it’s plausible rapamycin temporarily depresses our immune system, perhaps specifically by suppressing influenza hemagglutinin antigen-specific T cell immunity as suggested in the paper.
I just got a cold after my last dose (5 mg + grapefruit juice).
Perhaps extra pertinent to get a flu shot on rapa!
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Do you guys lower or skip your dose when you have a flu or cold?
Any observed effects?
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I feel a cold brewing so I’m skipping a rapa dose until it clears. I try not to feel any urgency to take rapa. A rapa holiday is a fine thing (I tell myself).
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Absolutely, it makes sense. Rapamycin primarily acts as an immunosuppressant: when your body is fighting a cold or flu, taking a break from rapamycin (a “rapa holiday”) can be a wise decision.
Interestingly, I’ve also observed a change in how my body responds to the flu/cold since starting rapamycin. Previously, a flu would typically last 5-6 days for me, but after beginning rapamycin, my recovery time has shortened to about 2-3 days. This could be an individual response…
As for recommendations, have somebody tried the astaxanthin-lutein-zeaxanthin trio during a flu? I’ve found that every time I use this combination when I have the flu, I experience an immediate and noticeable relief of symptoms. These antioxidants are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, which might be why they help alleviate flu symptoms.
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Many things affect the immune system, rapamycin is one of them.
My personal experience over the last two years is that rapamycin wards off most illnesses by improving general health.
I have for the most part taken relatively high doses of rapamycin, but now I take 5mg/weekly with grapefruit juice.
You would think at 82 I would be more prone to catching colds, etc., but I am not.
I am exposed daily to many people at the gym, grocery store, relatives, etc. so I have plenty of chances to catch something that is going around, but I have had zero colds, flu, COVID, etc. in the last two years. (Fingers crossed).
So, I don’t think rapamycin overall lowers my immune system.
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I agree that my resistance to colds has improved on rapamycin. I haven’t had a cold in the 6 mos that I’ve been on rapa despite having 2 kids in the house who are sick every other week. But, now that I feel a cold coming on (darn it), I am backing off rapa until it passes. It’s the same as I would do with an infection in my mouth (gum infection has happened) or on my skin (acne has happened).
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It probably doesn’t matter as the maturation time for most cells in the immune system is around 10-14 days
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Do you really mean the “flu” or are you generalizing with cold/flu? I only ask because I don’t think I’ve ever had the flu. I’ve had colds that lasted a week and colds that knocked me down, but every time i’ve been 100% sure I had the flu, the flu test was negative and I couldn’t get the antiviral med. I don’t bother with flu vaccines anymore in protest.
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Yes, I am generalizing when I refer to the ‘flu’. However, the last time I experienced symptoms, I did have a fever, but tested negative for COVID-19. The illness started with a fever for the first two days, followed by a complete relief of major symptoms by the third day. It’s quite common to confuse the common cold with the flu, as they share similar symptoms, but they are caused by different viruses. My experience with rapamycin and the antioxidant trio of astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin seems to have positively impacted my recovery time, regardless of whether it was a cold or flu. It’s interesting how our bodies respond differently to these illnesses and treatments.
Also, if anyone decides to try the astaxanthin-lutein-zeaxanthin combination as support of therapy against cold/flue and would like to share their experiences, I would greatly appreciate it.
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@RapAdmin I’ve had a chest cold for three months. It responds to OTC suppressants, but it always returns. I will stop the rapa now and see if that helps. I’ll also start wearing a mask again. A cold could open a side door in the lungs for the flu or covid to sneak in.
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I took my first ever starting dose of rapa on Saturday and in the week I’ve caught a filthy cold from my baby granddaughter - we’re both sneezing and coughing and laughing together. Now I’m not sure whether I should take the second dose or not (2 mg). If I hold off for a week, do I start over with 1 mg (dose #1)? I know no one has answers, but it feels better to make decisions informed by this commune 