Generally a pretty middle of the road type of article - not strongly bringing research to light about all the positives we’ve seen with rapamycin, but also not negative.
The fact that that rapamycin has worked in giving healthy life extension in every organism tried, from yeast, to worms, flies, mice, etc. and is looking good in monkeys and dogs…
Didn’t mention that there are likely Tens of Thousands of people already using rapamycin, many reporting very good results (but some dropping it after negative side effects).
But I guess the good news is it wasn’t a “hit job” as some people had feared it might be, after they talked with the journalist.
Is this theorized to be due to mTORC2 inhibition, inhibition that is theorized to be more likely with prolonged and constant mTORC1 inhibition? Or is this community reporting their ApoB increased in labs since starting weekly relatively low dose rapamycin? Asking as a person with a bad genetic role of the dice regarding ApoB who has just started weekly rapa.
I don’t remember or know what is causing it specifically, but I think there was some theory that it is up-regulating PCSK9 which thus would degrade LDL receptors faster and increase serum LDL or apoB.
Using rapamycin and optimizing mTOR while lipids are suboptimal is like rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic.
True. I’ve lowered my ApoB substantially to a good level with statin and ezetimibe (reducing dietary saturated fat has had minimal impact), and hope rapa doesn’t have an impact.
My total cholesterol actually dropped almost in half whilst on rapamycin. Granted I am in my late 20’s but it does show that its very possible that diet/exercise can reverse high cholesterol while taking rapamycin (I didn’t take any cholesterol lowering medications). Just cleaned up my diet, lost a few pounds and exercised more
Ive been on rapamycin since sep 2022, and my blood results are from october so 1 month after i started rapamycin, you can see my results over the years.
4.9, 5.2 , 6.1 and now 3.9. When it was 6.1 (highest its ever been) I was still taking rapamycin, however I was eating lots of junk, weight gain and not exercising enough, I was thinking it might of been the rapamycin as elevated lipids is a common side effect, however before stopping & blaming rapamycin, I decided to clean up my diet/exercise and I managed to drop my cholesterol to 3.9 while continue to take rapamycin.
Two things really stand out for me about this article.
First of all, it’s obviously a well researched and balanced write up, which I really appreciate. There is nothing new is in the article for anyone who has been here for a while, but thats to be expected. This is the type of article I will (and am) sending to friends who know I take rapamycin but who have been slow to follow m. I encourage people here to do the same.
Secondly I was surprised that the journalist used a biohacker who buys his rapamycin from India as the key “user experience” in the story. Usually major news periodicals don’t feature biohackers so prominently, and I am glad they did. Our poll of our visitors suggests that the India pharmacy route is around 50 % of the people and perhaps increasing as we hear about health insurance rejections due to longevity medicine use by our members here.
I will also just make a note for people… I think we are hitting the inflection point for longevity drugs going mainstream. In the past year we have seen articles covering (or at least mentioning) rapamycin from The Economist magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fortune Magazine, GQ magazine, USA Today, and now The Washington Post. Last year I also heard that The NY Times had a journalist contacting people as part of a story on rapamycin, but apparently it never ran.
The trend line is clear. We’re still at the fringe of the healthcare market, but the fringe is growing…
It might be a good time to lay in a couple-year supply if you buy from India.
Consider the scenario where this increased visibility prompts scrutiny of India drug importation from some US government agency. Feds in turn tap the India government on the shoulder and say ‘Clamp down on this shady business.’
Or a case where somebody has a highly-publicised negative experience with rapa sourced from India. (Or any other India-sourced drug, for that matter.) Leading to a clamp-down.
My thoughts exactly.
Or some pencil-necked low level bureaucrat will read the article and show it to his boss, hoping to score some brownie points. The boss will, in turn, initiate a clampdown on mail from India containing medicines.
Ah yes… thanks! Not enough information to really be of any value to anyone. I love Consumer Reports for getting unbiased reviews when buying products. This area seems to be out of their depth, sadly.
Metformin
This prescription drug for type 2 diabetes is linked to a reduced incidence of cancer, improved heart health, and some cognitive protection. In animal studies, it appears to extend life span and health. Researchers are exploring whether it might do the same for people, but they don’t know if long-term use is healthy for everyone or how to reduce side effects such as diarrhea.
Prevagen
This supplement is widely marketed as a memory booster. But some doctors say it’s overhyped and unproven. Its makers have settled several lawsuits regarding their marketing assertions. And in an ongoing government case, they’ve been charged with making deceptive health claims. As with other supplements, like Focus Factor and Neuriva, Prevagen’s makers did not have to prove its efficacy and safety before putting it on the market.
Rapamycin
Discovered in Easter Island soil, this molecule is now a prescription drug given to kidney transplant patients. Rapamycin appears to activate the same pathways as calorie restriction, which extends life in animal studies. Early evidence suggests that it may help prevent some cancers and improve cardiovascular function—at least in mice. But its immune-suppressing effects may weaken your defenses against infection.
September 2023 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
My link to this site (Rapamycin.news) takes me to the news page, so this story has been in my face for many days and it always makes me cringe a bit, just because I find Rapamycin not cheap at all. From the headline it sounds like it’s a dollar per standard dose or something. Since I’m getting my generic rapa from an Rx and a regular pharmacy, cheap just doesn’t jibe with my experience. I wish it was “cheap.”
How much are you paying? Price is going to vary by source and ease of acquisition. The online tele-prescription services in the US are easiest to use, and perhaps more expensive.
From our poll a year or two ago, about 50% of people here were buying from India, etc. at about $1.10 to $1.35 per mg average price (approx.).
GoodRX has the pricing of the generic sirolimus in the US from a pharmacy in the US, for about $69 for 30 tablets, or a little over $2.00 per mg.
Or - you can buy the branded Pfizer Rapamune for $1,000 per 30 X 1mg tablets, for about $33 per 1 mg tablet.
Generic prices seem pretty inexpensive, though of course it all depends on your budget and purchasing options available to you in your area.
Using my Rx from Dr. Green, my best price has been $3.78 per 1mg pill. That works out to $22.69 per week and around $90 per month for my 6mg weekly dose.
Come to think about it, I guess that’s not too bad. Doesn’t feel cheap to me though when I’m shelling out approx. $300 per refill. For now, I can’t use the online pharmacies due to only having access to the hardcopy Rx script.
edit: I should clarify that my refill is for 78 1mg pills
You don’t need to use online pharmacies to get a low price. Just use GoodRX to get a coupon (print out, or a digital coupon on your phone) and give it to one of the pharmacies that you go to (or is close to where you live - e.g. Walgreens, CVS, etc.): Check it out: https://www.goodrx.com
Yes - people are doing this as a precautionary approach to guaranteeing their rapamycin supply for the next few years. This is my year to build up a 3 or 4 year reserve I think: 2.5 year rapa supply ordered, thanks for the advice!
Late to the party on this article, and I have been considering Rapamycin, for some time now.
A few things if you can assist please?
I wondered where I am best to buy it from - being based in New Zealand, and what I am best to read to establish the optimal dose, please? If you have any suggestions info?
Also - just to check (while I’m commenting), if there are any other New Zealand based readers here? If so I’d love the opportunity to meet someone who’s taking it already? (I’m based in Wellington)
From what I have heard it’s rather hard to get in your country. Dosing is typically around 6mg once per week for males if average size. We have a search feature at the top of the home page. Also search on FAQ for the most commonly asked questions and answers.
