Side Effects of Rapamycin (part 2)

Actually after much reading and self analysis I think the side effects are the Metformin and not Rapamycin. I might have an underlying Kidney issue causing them. Stopping it immediately. Again, seeing Dr this week.

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I get skin infections on my shins after taking rapamycin. I’m in healthcare so I know what infections look like. They appear to be penicillin and clindamycin resistant. Doxycycline or azithromycin treat them well. I also usually have a little bit of tinea versicolor on my chest. The rapa eliminates it almost over night. By the end of my two week interval I can see it returning. Otherwise no other side effects.

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Sometimes there are benefits you are experiencing but are overlooking when taking rapamycin.
After replying to the wound healing question, I was thinking if there were other negative or positive benefits that I have experienced since starting rapamycin. I am ~81 yrs old, so getting a late start with rapamycin but, I have been taking various health food supplements since my mid-twenties, including some that later were found to have life extension or healthspan benefits, so all is not lost. I have been taking rapamycin at various doses for 5+ months.
Because I have been going to the gym on and off throughout my life and was an active jogger and tennis player for many years, I am in pretty good shape for my age. That is why I probably
overlooked some possible positive benefits.
Number one: I was pretty much at my desired weight goal of 175 lbs. (I am 6’2’) when I started rapamycin but had to watch what I ate even though I practice time-restricted eating. I have noticed lately that I am almost never hungry and have to force myself to eat enough to keep my weight from sinking too low. Maybe this is because of another side effect from rapamycin or some variant of Covid that I didn’t know I had. Anyway, food just doesn’t taste as good to me as it used to.
Number two: (and most important to me) A dramatic decrease in the number of new actinic keratosis on my face and scalp. I live in the desert and was chronically exposed to excessive sunlight in the days before SPF was a thing. We thought suntan lotion was a little iodine mixed with baby oil. So, I have what my dermatologist describes as chronic keratosis. This means even if I am never exposed to UV again I will still have actinic keratosis that has to be taken care of with chemicals and/or cryosurgery. It just occurred to me that I missed my quarterly appointment and it doesn’t look like I have any new ones that need taking care of.
I would really like to know if anyone else has noticed an effect on their appetite or skin since taking rapamycin.

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I started at 2mg., with 8 oz. grapefruit juice the night before and eight oz. of grapefruit juice the morning of taking rapamycin, and had no side effects. Each week I increasedthe dose by 2mg. until the third week. At a 6mg. dose with grapefruit juice, after 12 hrs, I had sore gums. I took one amoxicillin and the soreness stopped quickly. At thirty hours I was fatigued, had soreness in the shoulders and arms, and music welled up loudly in my ears, all lasting for an hour or two then went away. This could only be attributed to the rapamycin as everything else in my life and health was totally routine. If long lasting it would have been horrible, but was very short in duration. The next week, I reduced my dosage back to 5mg. with grapefruit juice, and never had a symptom good or bad again, taking bi-weekly for a year.

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Also my cholesterol numbers have gone up some, to which I take 5mg. of statin three times a week, which is minimal.

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Blagosklonny suggest increasing dose weekly until experiencing mouth soreness and then reducing the dose slightly. This is the method to determine what is considered your optimal dose. It’s also suggested that a minimal dose of antibiotic will cure the mouth soreness, and did for me. He also suggest taking a week off after three.

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Did Blagosklonny comment on the mechanism of the rapamycin-induced mouth/gum soreness, and/or why an antibiotic would alleviate it? This is the first time I’ve heard of this potential side effect of rapamycin.

The washout period seems to make more sense than Antibiotics which I believe are Counterproductive to the fact they disrupt the microbiome and one of the positive effects of Rapa is on the gut health.

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In my case, I took one amoxicillan only once when adjusting for my maximum dose for a mildly sore mouth. Never again did I need to do this, so no long term effects on gut biome.

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I am 62 years old, actually in a very good state of health, and taking Rapa for several weeks now, 4mg/week, with an overall good result, concerning energy, vitality etc.
Although the first time I had no side effects, the last two weeks I suffered episodes of diarrhoea, and also one very painful mouth ulcer(never had in my life before), but all that happened, when I was due to take the next dose, 6 days after taking Rapa, when the substance should already have leveled off…So I am wondering if actually Rapa was the cause, and want to ask if someone else has similar experiences, that the side effects appear a week after Rape has been taken?

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Yes, sometimes I have little tongue sores 4-5 days after my weekly dose, though sometimes it is sooner. It is not predictable.

My experience with high dosages: 20mg with grapefruit juice.
At this dosage, I experienced a lot of flatulence and diarrhea.
My next round will be scaled back to 10mg with grapefruit juice every two weeks.

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In my research, very many hours, consistent side effects are an indication of too high a dose. With a reduction just to the point where they stop, is where rapamycin is most effective.
Notes: from another blog:
It is pretty easy to determine the correct dose of rapa if you are a health person without many underlying conditions. I have been taking rapa for almost 3 years. The most common over dose symptom is mouth sores. I have had them a couple of times. They happen in the inner cheek for me and go away after 3-4 days. This is the first sign that your TOR inhibition is too strong and it is inhibiting TOR 2, not just TOR 1. In order to get the maximum benefit from Rapa treatment you want to inhibit TOR 1 to the max without inhibiting TOR 2 and getting overdose symptoms. It is in this area that you get maximum life extending benefits and a boost to your immunity without infringing into TOR 2 territory where you can get reduced immunity such as when kidney transplant patients go there frequently, So, I would suggest your start out at a specific dose, and if no overdose symptoms then up the dose 1 mg week until you get some sores. Skip a week and take 1 less mg per week and see how your body does at that dose. If no sores, then you are probably at the maximum TOR 1 inhibition without TOR 2 side effects. The Goldilocks area.

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“where rapamycin is most effective”

What you’re describing is simply a practical dose limiting toxicity threshold defined by mouth sores.

This in no way is associated with Rapamycin effectiveness for human longevity.

We have NO idea what the dosing regiment looks like to extend human longevity, there’s never been a mice like RCT in humans.

Not to mention several other important metabolic dysregulation markers that are associated with continuous higher doses (Hyperlipidemia, Lymphopenia, Hyperglycemia, Anemia, Infection, Pneumonia, Interstitial Lung Disease) that “may” impact mortality over a long period of continued use.

This is a powerful drug, one should be tracking as many biomarkers as possible to assess impact on your health.

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Yep MAC is correct in that you cannot predict much based on onset of side effects. Further to what he says…these below are not unique to rapa but general to all drugs (and supplements).

  1. You can be at dose which shows side effects and still be below maximum beneficial rapa dose.
  2. There may or may not be additional benefits to higher dosing than the dose at which you see some obvious benefit…eg. 5mg may get rid of aches, but may not be best dose for some other issues or for longevity.
  3. You can never feel a side effect and still be at the maximum beneficial effect dose (whatever that may be and we sure do not know).
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Just started this morning (April 24). 2mg to start, planning on a slow ramp up to 6mg/week. I’ve felt extremely dragged out and tired all day…shuffled around the gym getting next to nothing done, but this sounds typical based on some other posts here.

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I’ve heard of people who have your reaction, others with the exact opposite On day one. Either way, it shows that it’s a fairly potent drug with very real effects even at 2 mg. Hang in there.

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An unexpected side effect from high dosage rapamycin?

I just got my most recent bloodwork back and found an unexpectedly low uric acid level.

I don’t know if this is related to rapamycin because I have never had this test before.

Any thoughts?

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Finally, someone reporting taking Rapamycin with a drop below lab threshold as myself, in uric acid.

My last test was 3.1 mg/dL (lower cut off 3.7 where I am).

I was on 12 mg weekly with dual GFJ prior to this test.

Rapamycin LOWERS Uric acid. From everything I’ve read, this is a good thing.

The effects of mammalian target of Rapamycin inhibitors on serum uric acid levels in renal transplant patients

“It is suggested that elevated UA levels impair endothelial functions and stimulate proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, profibrotic and proinflammatory cytokines and reticuloendothelial system. Elevated UA levels have also been associated with hypertension and upregulation of the renin–angiotensin system. Clinical studies have proposed that elevated UA levels are a risk factor for coronary artery calcification, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, new cardiovascular events and mortality. Furthermore, elevated UA levels have also been implicated in the development and progression of kidney disease by inducing glomerular hypertension and blood pressure independent small vessel disease. Previous studies have indeed reported an improvement in GFR by switching to mTORi. However, our study further shows that this is accompanied by changes in UA levels”

Have you noticed other kidney/liver markers decreasing?

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Regarding the topic of uric acid, this interview may be of interest:

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