How to get a Rapamycin (sirolimus) Blood Level Test

I’m in the UK does anyone know wheres best to get a Rapamycin blood test? Alternateley does anyone know if I can I submit a blood sample from the UK to the US for testing or will it not survive transit?

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If you live near London you can get a test from Doctap for £164 plus the consultation fee which will be between £49 and £69 depending on time of day you go.

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Thank you! I assume you have to attend in person? I’ll certinally check it out. Are there any mail away test in the UK anyone knows of?

Yes, you are correct, you have to attend DocTap in person.
I don’t know of any mail away tests for Sirolimus.

@Agetron what brand of sirolimus do you use typically (I think it was Dr. Reddy’s at some point, is that still the case - or just whatever generic sirolimus they give at the pharmacy? e.g. Glenmark, etc. Have you ever had a “bad” generic sirolimus that did not show results on the blood sirolimus level test?

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Hey RapAdmin - Buddy!

Yes, I have always gotten my rapamycin/sirolimus through pharmacies.
Which in his recent “The Drive” podcast Dr. Peter Attia with Matt K. and David S. says emphatically: Always get your sirolimus from a pharmacy… to be sure it is real and of quality.

As you have asked, even using pharamceutical grade drug - have I ever had bad generic siriolimus. My reply is a definative NEVER. I know because I have had my blood panel and Labcorp test every 3-4 months.

My intial Pharmaceutical Company was Dr. Reddy for a 2-full years with the 2 mg, beige color triangle pill. Red ink printed RD 54 see pic below.
Rapamycin Sirolimus pills 2mg each

Then, in January 2023 my insurance company changed and I received from Pharmaceutical Company GREENSTONE RAPAMUNE.for 9 months.



Then today, after 3 years my Pharmaceutical Company has changed once more to now to ZYDUS with the olive green colored #21 2 mg



I guess I will have to check the ZYDUS brand for quality when I do my next blood panel in 4 months.

Again, as proof of legit medication here are my last 2 tests done this month. Both test while using the GREENSTONE RAPAMUNE

I have my Labcorp test from late August. 6mg with GFJ… was 33 ng/mL . My rapamycin was too high. I want 6 to 12 maximum.


Trough


C-max 2.5 hours later

Because I was seeing my physician a week later I did the test again… just got the results today.

For the test I took 1 Rapamune pill 2mg with GFJ and I got 8.6 ng/mL - perfect.


Trough


C-max 2 hours later

For me this is where I want to be dose-wise… and will do 1 pill of 2mg Sirolimus with one fresh squeezed Grapefruit to drink the pill down. Will do this for next 6 months and then do biological testing with TruMe and GlycanAge. see what is happening in inflammation/glycans and my DNA methylation.

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Thanks! You’ve confirmed what I was stating, all the generic tablet rapamycin is fine as far as bioavailability. I think Zydus is also likely fine, and Biocon.

This month I think I’ll do some dose response testing and will report back on blood levels also.

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Last Friday, I took 4mg rapamycin with grapefruit juice. As this was my first time with GFJ, I tested my blood level two hours after dosing. Results came back Saturday showing my sirolimus/rapamycin blood level at 31.9. Pretty high, especially as I had twice previously tested 8mg dose with no GFJ and results were 17.1. and 12.9.

Yesterday (Monday) I took another test- wanting to see how fast my blood level dropped. The test was about 75 hours after my Friday dosing. I just got my results back (Tuesday) and my rapa blood level was just 2.6. Apparently, my rapa half-life is much less than the 60 hour average that is commonly cited. I had planned doing another test this coming Friday before dosing to find my trough. Seems unnecessary now!

btw- I’ve been taking my dose every Friday morning on a mostly empty stomach. I was surprised that my 8mg dose tested once at 17.1 and the next time tested at only 12.9. The only difference was I took one oz olive oil with the dose that tested 12.9. Subsequently, I read that a high fat meal may slow absorption- so maybe my 2 hour post-dosing test was not my tMax?

Details:
I’m 68, 6’1" and 215 pounds.

I buy my blood tests from Marek Health (a good source RapAdmin has pointed out). It’s $59 + $5 puncture fee ($64 total). Marek emails you a coupon that you print out and take with you to LabCorp showing that your test is prepaid. I have six tests in the 10 weeks I’ve been dosing rapamycin and never had any problems with Marek/LabCorp.

I get my rapamycin from Maulik at Vallabh Enterprise/Shreeji Impex for just 60 cents per mg. I’ve made three purchases from Maulik (including Canagliflozen which I started yesterday). Never any problems, but I do have to wire him the money (he doesn’t accept Wise).

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No, you can’t know that from these results. Rapamycin has a biphasic half-life. The reported half-life of rapamycin of 60 hours is the half-life after it has dropped from the peak and stabilized. The drop from the peak in the first few hours will be a lot faster than the actual half-life after it has stabilized. If you want to find out your half-life you have to measure rapamycin after it has dropped down and stabilized from peak levels. I suggest measuring it at 48 hours and then 96 hours. The numbers you get from that will enable you to calculate the half-life.

You cannot read too much into these measurements. Trying to test your peak levels is largely a waste because you will never catch it accurately.

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However, I do casually observe from posts that the human half-life of rapamycin is probably closer to 60 than 80 hours.

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Yes, 60 hours is what I recall too from the studies. Btw personally mine came out at about 51 hours.

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Anyone know of labs in Scandinavia that test for Rapamycin in blood?

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@Krister_Kauppi would likely be the person who knows if there is one.

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@Daniel_Ronnstam & @RapAdmin: Sorry, don’t know but I’m very interested in this if someone has or is possible to get that info :pray:

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I think that for those outside of the US, it would be a good idea to make a list of countries (and the respective labs in those countries) where you can get a rapamycin blood test without a doctor’s referral. This may be possible in some private clinics where you pay out of pocket. With such a list, people that are traveling might use the chance and drop by to have a blood test or two. I’ll start by saying Synevo labs in Romania offer this.

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Yes - and please include the URL for the labs. I think this is the one you’re talking about:

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Yes that’s the one. They are in several places in Bucharest.

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Can you share how you decided the 6-12 ng/mL blood concentration was right for you?

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Hi Daph… Yes, so for the first year and a half. I used 6 mg just plain pills. No grapefruit juice or anything. My biological test showed me 13 year to 27 years younger than my actual chronological years.

I took 6 mg weekly because that seemed to be what was recommended by people like Matt Kaeberlein & Peter Attia. And, the various articles that were out there on rapamycin like Mens Health such. I upped my dose to 8 mg to 12mg for a few months and then went up drastically to about 36 mg every 7 to 10 days.

It was at those higher doses (36 mg) after 7 months, that I loss some biological benefit based on biological testing. When I reduced back to 6 mg to 12 mgs. I had a positive reduction in age after 4 months and even more reduction after almost 8 months. A complete reversal back to before the higher doses.

So more is not better.

Because of biological differences… I think women should go a little lower 4 mg to 6 mg. Research on rapamycin indicates that women can go on less rapamycin. Get the same benefits.

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Thanks, Agetron. I was more asking about your comments on the ideal blood concentration level. You said above that after taking 6mg with GFJ in August, it was was 33 ng/mL, which you considered way too high, and that you wanted the blood levels to be 6 to 12 ng/mL maximum. Then you tried 2 mg with GFJ in October and got 8.6 ng/mL, and considered that to be perfect. How did you arrive at that blood concentration range goal? Is that the same range you’d get by taking 6 mg without any GFJ? If so, that makes sense.

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