Joining the Rapamycin Club: My Rapajourney Begins!

#1

Hello everyone!

I’ve been a fascinated observer of this forum for quite some time, and I have to say it’s been the most valuable source of information on rapamycin for me (maybe right after Blagosklonny’s 2019 opinion piece). A huge shout-out to @RapAdmin for the incredible work in curating research and building such a positive, helpful community. As a former community founder and moderator myself, I know the dedication it takes, and I’m truly impressed.

Today, I received my Sirolimus, and I am ready to embark on my rapajorney. I plan to start with a weekly dose of 2mg and see how my body responds. If I tolerate this dosage well, I am considering introducing fresh grapefruits one hour before the dose, instead of increasing the dosage.

I have already done my preliminary blood work, and I will share the results here and on Twitter (AilliaLink) as soon as I receive them. These results will serve as a baseline for future comparisons. Additionally, I recently purchased a blood glucose meter after reading about some rapausers experiencing an increase in blood glucose levels. As a health-conscious athlete, I have realized that I don’t even know what my blood glucose base level is, so it’ll be interesting to monitor that.

My routine involves daily 6+ mile runs, calisthenics, and lots of outdoor sports – usually fasted in the morning with an 18/6 eating window. My daily routine also includes taking multivitamins, collagen peptides, and, during cold months, an EC stack as a pre-workout. I primarily consume low-carb superfoods, such as flaxmeal cacao microwave muffins with fat-free Greek yogurt and fresh or frozen organic berries with stevia as sweetener for my first meal. My second meal is typically a leafy greens salad with some protein, which could be poultry, beef, fish, or occasionally plant-based options like tofu or natto.

I do not take any meds except workout supps (never even tried Tylenol :blush: ), and I can’t even remember the last time I got sick. My go-to remedy has always been to fast and sleep as much as I can, which usually resolves any issues. That being said, I’m a bit nervous about starting rapamycin. I’d be so grateful for any advice on the best way to take it:

  1. Should I take it on an empty stomach or with a fatty meal? I’m confused because @RapAdmin posted studies showing the benefit of taking it with fat, but I’ve also seen of people here taking it while fasting.
  2. What is the best time of day to take it? I read somewhere on this forum that it’s not ideal to take it before bedtime. Are there any benefits to taking it in the morning versus the afternoon?
  3. What about exercise? Some members mentioned that it can affect exercise. Would it be better to take rapamycin after my morning fitness routine? Any known interactions with EC stack?

I apologize for my naive questions, and I am immensely grateful for all the useful information, links, and personal experiences that you have shared on this forum. Thank you all for creating such a welcoming and informative space. I’m excited to join you!

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#2

  1. Fat (like grapefruit juice) can increase the power of your rapamycin dose. Some people like this (it can save money vs buying more rapamycin). Others prefer the predictability of a fixed dose.

  2. This varies person by person. Taking it in the morning may be “safer” to minimize impact on sleep. However many people can take it at night and sleep just fine. It’s good to experiment and see what works best for you.

  3. This also varies person to person. While some are energized shortly after a rapamycin dose, it seems most people have less energy in the day following a dose. There is nothing wrong with exercising shortly after taking rapamycin, just as there is nothing wrong with exercising during a fast. It’s likely that building muscle will be more difficult on days when mTOR is maximally inhibited (shortly after each dose).

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#3

  1. Whereas Grapefruit multiplies the effective dose of Rapamycin by 3X-4X (or in some 6X), taking Rapamycin with a fat source increases the dose by 0.5X. It’s a significant boost, but not as significant as GFJ.

  2. Rapamycin may affect your sleep, so people take it in the morning. If you wish to try it at night, just be aware of this fact. Otherwise, I’m unaware of any other reason not to take it at night.

  3. Since MTOR is involved in building muscle, some individuals prefer to do their muscle-building exercises when there is less Rapamycin in their system. For example, you take Rapamycin at the beginning of the week and do your strength training towards the end of the week.

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#4

Thanks to your insights @HealthspanMaximalist and @DeStrider, it was super helpful and has given me some great insights on how to kick off with rapa. I’ll start taking Rapamycin on an empty stomach in the morning. I’m also gonna skip the EC preworkout and see if Rapamycin alone gives me an energy kick. In a few weeks, I’ll start playing around with boosting my dose naturally, first with fatty foods, then with GFJ. I’m not so much about saving money (although it is a nice side effect) as I am about keeping things as natural as possible, so your advice fits right in with my philosophy.

I’ll post updates on how it goes. Thanks again for all your help!

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#5

I’m on my 3rd week. I started with 6mg on empty stomach. Tomorrow for my 3rd try I’ll have 6mg with 250ml grapefruit juice. I noticed that in the first 2 weeks a day or so after my dose, my psoriasis started to clear up. As the week progresses it slowly comes back. My blood pressure dropped from 140/90 to 120/80 which I didn’t expect. In my first week it triggered my gout so for the 2nd week I made sure I drank lots of water and it seems to help. Hopefully this week will my psoriasis will be more dampen. I had no difficulties sleeping but then again I sleep very easily with or without. I’ve lost 3kg so far. Maybe due to the amount of water I drink.

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