Wise20 Thanks a lot!
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I sent Berkley a message. Hopefully theyāll fix it quickly. Iāll report back here.
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FWIW, I skipped my last dose of rapa due to a gum infection (healed on its own now). That caused me to be on an every 2 week dosing for the last month. Perhaps related to that, I have felt amazingly good physically: recovery is great, almost zero muscle and joint soreness from lifting, lifting heavier with no more effort, more cardio exercise hours during the week. I have also been off metformin most of that time (using berberine instead). And Iāve been working on sleeping better with no evening supplementation.
Iām not sure why I feel so much better but Iām now thinking of shifting to more time off rapa and metformin to get more anabolic time on the schedule. Perhaps a permanent 2 week cycle. This is what Dr Levine does (a recent podcast episode).
Hmmmm.
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I just did something stupid.
I had a URTI for a week and had mostly recovered except for a dry cough. I thought it would be safe just to take 1 mg of Rapamycin without GFJ. Next day, sick as a dog with fever, chills, phlegm, and worse than a week ago. Now Iām on antibiotics for the bacterial infection.
If youāre sick, donāt take Rapamycin! Especially nothing if itās bacterial.
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Iām not sure if wise30 still works or not. I actually used that code back when you first told us about the podcast and product. I used it to make an account but never pulled the trigger. I decided today to go for it. Thatās when I realized the discount code no longer works. Thanks for checking on it.
U/@Joseph_Lavelle u/@DeStrider Thanks for letting us know about your recent ailments. Itās good to learn from others experiences. DeStrider I hope you feel better very soon.
Joseph You started to have me convinced about the 3 weeks on 1 week off schedule. I still think thatās a good idea. Iāve also been considering an every 10ish day schedule. I was thinking taking a dose every 10th day of the month, every 20th day of the month, then every 31st (if there is no 31st, then 30th, if there is no 30th then the 1st). Still not sure yet.
An update for me, I held my dose last Wednesday as some of you suggested. I took a dose on Monday. Took 5mg again. I figured I shouldnāt go up to 6mg yet. Feeling good. Ran 2.5 miles today. Hope to go up to 6mg next Monday.
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I must admit i have not tried metformin, but i do take berberine. To me fortnightly for rapamycin is still too frequent. I am currently using a 21 day cycle. Autophagy needs to be cycled.
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I wouldnāt be so sure it is 1 mg rapamycin. I always take rapamycin, I must say that in the last 9 months I had less infections than usual, especially since I work everyday with people and some come with colds and active respiratory infections. But you were experimenting with really large doses of rapamycin lately, didnāt you? Maybe that messed up with immunity in the first hand that you caught this URTI.
Last year I had a RSV infection before starting rapamycin and it took me three weeks to clear. First week or so seemed really mild and when I thought it is getting better it got much worse, from dry cough that almost subsided to reignite as a much worse cough with fever, chills and phlegm, just like your description.
What are your thoughts on that, can you give more why you think week or two weeks cycle is too much?
Because Rapamycin has a half life of 60 hours (ish) it really is not going to be out of the system for long. Most of the time I would like mTOR to function, but every so often I would like a spring clean of improved autophagy.
It is, however, good that people are trying different dosing strategies.
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But rapamycin is not an off switch. It just tunes down mTOR.
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Its an up and down question. I would like the tuning to go up and down so that when it is āupā it is higher for longer.
Is there any particular reason for that?
If I consider hyperfunction theory that stipulates that mTOR is accelerating it would make more sense to tune it down all the time? Or do you see it differently?
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I see it differently. I donāt agree with hyperfunction theory. I think I have explained lots of times what I think the issue is.
As a general principle if something has developed through evolution I wish to avoid interfering with it too much. For a short term effect there may be merit, but effectively hobbling part of normal cellular function strikes me as a flawed strategy.
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My understanding of the hypergrowth theory is that mTOR up/down cycle gets unbalanced toward the on end of the spectrum. Perhaps this is an evolutionary adaptation that allows older people to compete with younger adults but at the cost of accelerating aging. To slow aging we should re-establish a balanced mTOR cycle. Rapa and other meds can turn down mTOR while nature (just remove the meds) aided by resistance training, leucine, calorie surplus, etc. will turn it back up. I believe the issue with dosing rapa (and other similar meds) too high or too often is the āturn downā effect stays in place, and we do not get a recovered cycle. If this is incorrect Iād appreciate any correction from anyone here.
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Of course mice are not human, but on mice they give a large dose very often and it makes them live longer and feel better.
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@Bicep When I take a higher dose 1 week apart, I feel worse and get certain immune issues (mouth ulcers, gum/ skin infections). I also think I lose some ability to maintain strength due to worse recovery from hard cardio or strength workouts. Maybe itās the combination of rapa and other things I do.
As you say, I am not a mouse living in a cage in a temperature, pathogen controlled environment. I also eat a wide variety of foods and consume other chemicals, unlike a mouse in a ITP study. And maybe my stress level is worse than a mouse protected from predators, but I donāt know.
The mouse model is better than nothing but still isnāt very good. Scientific studies on people using rapa for healthspan would be wonderful.
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Right there with you. We are individuals with different needs and though a drug can maybe help me at some dose doesnāt really mean in many cases that it would help you.
Some of the mice live longer by quite a bit and some others die early. Median is a good place to look, but doesnāt tell me what dose to give what mouse. Sooo tough to know what to do here.
It is easy to take the dose that doesnāt have side effects. Thatās reasonable. And the story that weāre told about Mtor getting stuck on in old age, and the benefits of autophagy, and as a senomorphic it can slow the inflammation in the blood vessels. These are reasons it should work on everyone really. But it probably doesnāt.
Side effects like high fasting blood sugar and lipids gone wild are what slow me down. And it happens to mice and they still live longer. So I take the dose that comes without side effects.
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Three main side effects, one good, one bad, one average Iāve noticed.
The good, it appears to be a major fat reducer for me. I was as lean as Iāve ever been after months of being on it. Took a break from it, while taking sglt2 inhibitor, and still increased my fat to average dad bod level. Noticed it was the rapa reducing the fat and making me look cosmetically much better.
The bad, it lowers my libido/energy. While off it, the other supplements in my stack kept me at a very virile 45 years old. Back on it, sex drive zapped. We can argue if that in itself is good or bad, as a lot of people donāt want to see middle aged major woman chasers, and it keeps your mind on better things 
But stillā¦
The sleep, its easier for me to get to sleep, but my sleep is a little chippier. It averages out I guess
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Went back to the doctor who confirmed it is either a bacterial or fungal infection. Itās not COVID, influenza, RSV or adenovirus. The other antibiotics didnāt work, so Iām taking another stronger course. The doctor was surprised that the infection is taking so long to clear up and was wondering if my immune system has been weakened.
This is the downside of Rapamycin. 
Donāt take Rapa when sick.
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Good luck. Rapa is very confusing to me. It can cause immunological issues but it also can boost the immune system. I get the occasional infection (mouth, elbow, neck) but I never get sick (cold, sinus infection, bronchitis, flu) anymore. It feels like the upward progression of physical fitness: regular workouts make me stronger over time but in the short run after each workout I am tired and weak. If the lion comes for me after a workout, all my efforts will not save me.
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