The Daiwa Health Development site says that their BRM4 product "has been shown in clinical studies to enhance the immune system by increasing the activity of the white blood cells.* Scientific research indicates that the active ingredient in BRM4 ® can enhance Natural Killer (NK) cell function, increase the count of T and B lymphocytes, strengthen and increase the macrophages and cytokines.”
The preceding quote is from BRM4 ® 500mg | Daiwa Health Development, Inc.
I don’t have personal experience with it, but it sounds harmless at worst…derived from rice bran modified by an enzyme from shiitake mushrooms. The site continues “shown to be safe with no harmful side effects.”
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Hello all!
I think I’m also with more bacterial infections with rapa being the cause.
In my case, I started cycles of rapa 1mg 2mg, 4mg , 6mg, 7mg. So I’m in the 5th cycle.
Between 3rd and 4th, I started cough, with bacteria in the phlegm (that I didn’t have for years… I’m in excellent health, no smoker, excellent diet…). My body healed completely, and 16 days after last rapa, I took another rapa dose (6mg), again it returned stronger, my cough appears as a long time smoker. I thought maybe coincidence, maybe body fighting something that was overthere from the past… I healed completely, no rush, 22 days after last rapa, I took another rapa dose (7mg), and 24 hours after, Cough with bacteria on phlegm. So not believing in coincidence, and not normal in my health this bacteria infections. Pretty sure it is the rapa.
So cough and bacteria, are my side effects for rapa.
during this last months, that I started rapa, I also started metaformin. I discovered, that maximum for me is 500mg. And atm I’m using just when getting a high carb meal.)
In my body feeling the 1g/day of metaformin, 500mg, in the two main meals, for me, sure was excessive, and I can not describe well but I was not feeling well.
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What is your CRP? …
It sounds like maybe 4mg is the optimal dose for you, as you had no side effects up to that point…
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If you are getting a bacterial infection every time you take Rapamycin, I’d do a thorough study of your environment to determine where this bacteria is coming from and eliminate the source. Rapamycin does not come with bacteria!
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I can report my experience. I had a lot of strep throat infections when I was a child and as a result my tonsils were enlarged, swollen and whenever my immunity dropped I would get an infection (from endogenous bacteria populating my inflamed tonsils). Last years these infections were with abscesses forming in my throat, which is rather painful condition if you can imagine. Since starting rapamycin (6mg/week/7 months) I had no infection and my tonsils decreased in size are much less swollen and inflamed. I am scheduled for a surgery in January to remove them, but since my experience with rapamycin I am thinking to postpone my final decision.
DId you have any bloodwork done, tested for bacterial infection?
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Hello all ,thanks for the support.
@John_Hemming my CRP last time tested, 0.03 mg/dL (60 days ago,in this test, below 0.1mg/dl is low risk of cardio disease)
@RapAdmin thanks for the suggestion of the probably 4mg of optimal dose. I was trying to get higher rapa to enter the “brain barrier”, but probably will stay lower for more time, and will see the possibility of raising in the future…
@DeStrider nice point lol, yes, rapa doesnt come with bacteria, and there is logic on this.
The thing is, before rapa, no problems with bacterias, during rapa cough with bacterias.
I use clean clothes, regular change in bed sheets, hepa filters in office and bedroom(too much I know), good overall enviroment. and travels not happened, in last 90 days, but I travel, sometimes by bus during night, airplanes, where I sleep with strange people side by side… and no problem with bacteria and cough. So now, is something about rapa that is messing with this bacteria/cough.
Anyway, I dont know if I can identify with @scta123 enlarged tonsils. but I lived in a city until 7 years ago, that I suffered badly of allergic rhinitis. (Curitiba, the city is champion on giving allergic rhinitis to their population.) But when I moved from there, I thought I was cured, and I don’t know of any sequelae that would have remained in my body. Like the enlarged tonsils described. but yes there is this possibility, I will check and report on this in the future. (but appears to me that the infection of this coughs are more on the lungs, not in the mouth/tonsils). The message that I understood that you sent, (and I think is a possibility) is that maybe there is something in my body, that my body is fighting right now, but can be better in some months, and rapa can help on this? @scta123 ? optimistic view of the situation of course.
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That CRP Is not really indicative of a recent infection.
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I probably wanted to point out that rapamycin will change your immune function, optimize it and that in the interim time you can expect that these changes might not be un uphill road all the time and that is good to stick with it for a while.
Like @John_Hemming pointed out your CRP is not indicative for a recent bacterial infection your cough might be something else. If you have allergies note that rapamycin has an effect on allergies maybe the cough has something to do with allergies?
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I’m getting them too - food poisonings. But I quickly recover. I’ll probably adjust the dose
Does the quick recovery mean not so bad immune system? Is it threatening to continue to have these minor infections?
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just claryfing,
CRP done before this cough/bacteria/rapa situation. So normal to not appear infection on it. I will repeat blood exams next month
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But how did you know it is bacterial? Bacterial infection are usually presented with high fever and high CRP. This is the easiest way to diagnose. If you did not have fever and did not measure CRP it would be almost impossible to say it is bacterial. Or correct me if I am wrong.
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CRP also drops back down reasonably quickly (over a few weeks). Hence if you don’t measure it close to the time (and after) the infection you may not see this.
Hello @scta123. I learned in the past about different colors of the mucus, can translate in a simplified diagnosis. In my case, appeared that body was fighting an infection.
(I didnt have fever, and the high CRP is an incognita. I didnt measure it during this coughs.
You think this is enough for diagnosis? 
Could also be just a bad allergic rhinitis or allergic bronchitis… You should have seen a doctor IMO.
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ok, so correcting
What I want to say is: during rapa, I started cough with yellow/green in the phlegm,
and I will keep you guys updated if there is new info.
and I didn’t feel that I needed a doctor for this.
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My husband had a couple URI’s basically back to back when we started rapa early this year. He has mild copd. It was winter and we both work in the medical field around people with various respiratory diseases fwiw. He was treated by a doctor both times. I briefly wondered if he was going to be able to continue rapa because he was needing his inhaler so much. I encouraged him to take a break from rapa during the infections, lower his dose and in combination with proper treatment the issue resolved. He has been doing great since that initial hiccup.
The tricky thing about not getting a work up for possible respiratory infection is it could linger and eventually develop into pneumonia which can be quite serious. I’m not trying to fear monger and I’m not a doctor. I just believe consistently colored mucus is a possible sign that there could be an infection present and should be taken seriously. I don’t personally think a person necessarily needs to give up on rapamycin altogether but if there’s any possibility of a respiratory infection the most responsible thing to do is get that cleared up.
Something was definitely going on with my husband’s lungs early on and it did resolve but he used antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler as prescribed by the doctor to get it sorted out. I obviously don’t know you or your situation and everyone is different but I figured I’d share my husband’s experience in case it might help.
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