I wondering if it might be worth discussing when ‘not’ to take Rapa. Over Christmas I contracted COVID for the first time. I’ve had three shots and while it wasn’t the worst I’ve felt, I felt pretty beat up for a few days. At the time, I didn’t know that I had COVID, and I took a low does 2mg the day before testing positive. I was a little congested, but thought it would be OK.
My COVID symptoms were chills and a nasty cough, which cleared up in a few days. However, after I finally tested negative the cough started up again. Yesterday I went to the doctors and had an X-ray and I have a bacterial infection in my lungs. Currently being treated with Arzithromycin, on top of that I’m having some serious balance issues, which is really disconcerting. Crossing fingers that it’s just transitory.
I’m not sure if it’s the Rapa, but It has given me pause, particularly when I’m starting to feel run down.
As we’re all flying blind a little here, I thought it might be worth getting people’s thoughts on when to avoid doses. What are protocols for when they’re feeling sick or maybe have minor surgical procedures?
I had a case of covid, joint pain, malaise, etc. after taking two Pfizer shots, a booster, and while taking rapamycin. So, I am not sure if rapamycin made any difference. But, it does beg the question, why the f**k didn’t the covid shots keep me from getting covid? Did the covid shots actually do anything? My decades of getting flu shots every year and not getting the flu is what I expected from the covid shots. So, I had the covid shots + booster shot + covid, I don’t think I am going to get any more covid vaccines of any kind.
My understanding is that the COVID vaccine doesn’t prevent you from getting Covid, it just lowers your risk of getting seriously ill and being hospitalized. All of my immediate friends who have been infected recently have had their fourth boosters and all had very minor symptoms. My last booster was about 14 months ago and I was pretty sick. I believe your antibody response to the virus wanes over time. I have to admit I felt like I was three and done, but I might reconsider now. It also seems as though the virus us mutating rapidly and I’m not sure if the Vaccine manufacturers have caught up yet.
Regarding your bout of COVID I guess it would be hard for you to know if Rapa worsened your symptoms as you take it continuously. Interestingly, I tested negative for COVID and then decided to take another Rapa dose the week after and tested positive for COVID the next day. It may not have been the Rapa, but I can’t rule it out.
A few days before Christmas took my fourth shot the Pfizer booster and the next day had symptoms meaning I had covid… and a booster to even more tax my immune system.
Also, I took my regular rapamycin 12 ng/mL 3 days after the booster. Day after dosing rapa…full positive covid test on two different kits. Three days later… tested negative… had a stuffy nose. Continued my gym workout at home. Really was nothing.
Did 2.5 years of rapamycin boost my immunity and vaccinations to it being nothing.
Thing is … I will never know… just no longer think covid-19 is an issue of concern for me. Nada.
I am somewhat loathed to post this because I don’t want to start a pro-vax anti-vax war here on Rapamycin news. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this one. This is just my opinion as someone who had two Pfizer shots plus the booster and still got what I would say was a little more than a mild case, at least subjectively. I was taking rapamycin at the time.
“Imagine a vaccine so safe you have to be threatened to take it, for a disease so deadly you have to be tested to know you have it.” -anonymous
What short memories people have. The Pfizer vaccine was marketed as a preventative.
Dr. Fauci said publicly that it was a preventative vaccine.
This is not a conspiracy theory. It is fact and a matter of public record.
This is why I am pi$$ed that after I got three shots I got covid. There is no reason also to believe it prevented the spread.
"Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.
“Fauci says herd immunity possible by fall, ‘normality’ by end of 2021”
Fauci goes on to say, “We know for sure it’s very, very good, 94%, 95% in protecting you against clinically recognizable disease…” At this point, the narrator interjects repeating, “Clinically recognizable disease,” and then adds, “But not COVID?”
Furthermore, Fauci’s statements match clinical trial data for vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19.
“Clinical trials showed the Moderna vaccine was more than 94% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in people 18 and older, and the Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective.”
Well, they can parse their words however they want to, but they were very misleading.
After the fact it looks like the fix was in:
“Pfizer vaccine was 95% effective.” Against what? Getting it. Spreading it. No symptoms.
To this I say Hardy har har and BS>“Boosters would prevent ‘essentially every COVID death,’ White House official says”
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine
Respectfully, I think we should I think keep things focused on Rapamycin. There’s no point getting into a conversation about vaccine efficacy as it’s not really all that relevant.
I’m really curious to hear people opinions on when they feel the need to skip Rapa and if they have any concerns about it. The range of doses people take seem to vary wildly.
Is anyone tracking their immune function? I know that intervene immune track immune function for their TRIIM trials. Although it’s quite expensive you can also take this test through UCLA.
Seems as though it might be an interesting test to do to see what affect, if any Rapa has on the immune system.
Thanks Paul - yes, lets keep vaccine discussions and diet (keto vs. …) off this site.
I’m sure these types of discussions are not why people are coming here.
Merely replying to the topic you brought up When NOT to take Rapamycin
Just sharing my experience of covid while taking rapamycin. My apologies for wandering off field.
Enough said.
Hey Charles,
I hope you don’t think that I was being dismissive or trying to ‘shut you down’ I was attempting to add some context to my COVID symptoms. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know if Rap had any affect on my immune response. But, I’d love to know how to measure Rapa’s affect on immune function, and I’m also really curious to know how people handle things like Covid or Flu. Do you skip a dose? Do we know if transplant patients are told to skip doses if they contract a virus? I remember reading about the paper that showed an increase in flu vaccine response, but did it do that because it primed the immune system- as you mentioned you’ve been taking it for a while. Could it have a negative affect if taken it during a virus? Does it lower immune response? Seems as though we’re all flying blind a bit. Mice in labs live in sterile environments, but we aren’t that fortunate. Rapa clearly has some benefits, but like anything and especially with a drug that hasn’t been tested for longevity humans there are some risks.
Anyway, again, I didn’t intend to offend 
Has anyone on this thread addressed the original question? When should a person avoid taking Rapamycin? There is a risk of making a bacterial infection worse so I would quit taking it if I suspected a urinary tract infection, bacterial pneumonia, bacterial skin infection, etc. Dr. Green thinks Rapamycin improves the immune response to viral infections such as Covid. I don’t know about any of it. I am just an old engineer who was too lazy to get any Covid vaccines.
My doctor wants me to take the pneumococcal vaccine. (PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJ VACC PCV13 (PREVNAR-13). This is generally recommended for those over 65. Given that it is a “live” vaccine against strains of bacteria that cause pneumococcal disease, I wouldn’t think it wise to take while under rapamycin. This is just conjecture on my part as I don’t have an expert knowledge on how this vaccine works.
It was posted on the forum that rapamycin may be protective for aged mice to pneumococcal pneumonia
See - Rapamycin not Dietary Restriction improves resilience against pathogens: a meta-analysis - #4 by rivasp12
If you are having a bacterial infection or are at risk of having one, you should not be taking Rapa. If you have COVID or are at serious risk of getting it, I would stop taking Rapamycin.
Any time you are taking antibiotics, you should not be taking Rapamycin.
I would also stop taking Rapamycin at least 10 days before receiving a vaccine.
I stopped my weekly rapa dose when I got my first shingles vaccine. I wanted to make sure I got a good immune response from the vaccine and will likely do the same on the second dose. That vaccine kicked my butt pretty hard but I really want to reduce the risk of getting shingles later in life.
Other discussions related to this, for people interested:
Here: How long after you receive your moderna booster vaccine can one resumed taking your Rapamycin dose?
I caught a head cold last week so I skipped my weekly rapamycin dose. I have a history of developing sinus infections from colds so didn’t want to risk it. Fortunately, no infection this time so just resumed my dosing (3mg with a cup of grapefruit juice).
Fauci is a master bull shit arti$t!
Disclaimer: personal experience only, not suggesting anything scientific can be gleaned.
I have been on Rapamycin for a year. In that timeframe (knock on wood) I have not gotten COVID or a cold. My family (which I share tight quarters with) has had many colds (some quite awful) and one bought of COVID. I have had some symptoms, scratchy throat or achy glands a few times that never materialized into anything. I tested negative many many times when experiencing these symptoms. Lastly, I was boosted twice over the year and never stopped Rapa. Just kept on truck-in’.
I also contracted Covid right around Xmas. I did take Rapa though among other things. My reason was that Rapa was supposed to prevent cytokine storm. I think it did. On day 6 I already tested negative. I also was taking an antibiotic to prevent bacterial infection developing in my lungs. Glad I did it. About balance: I lost balance for couple days and had strong needle like pain in my ears. I think Covid attacked everything above shoulders in my case. I also lost voice for 3 days. I was vaccinated (2 Pfizer vaccines), but not boosted. My bloodwork immediately after Covid showed elevated triglycerides and HA1C. All the rest was within norm including FG.
Thanks for that insight Lara. In hindsight, it might have been worthwhile me having some antibiotics on hand. I know from my genetic testing that I have a high chance of severe Covid because my immune system is inflammatory. My balance still isn’t right, although it seems to be settling down.
Were you prescribed that when you first started Rapamycin? As I mentioned the thing that I found interesting was my negative COVID test, then after another Rapa dose I tested positive again.
It sounds as though everyone’s experience varies massively. It would probably be good for people starting to have some guidelines, although I’m not sure where they would come from.
That’s really interesting. I wonder if regular Rapamycin could be boosting your response. That said, I avoided it for 3 years and have been at conferences and in offices where people around me have regularly tested positive. I was beginning to feel that was one of the lucky few who had some natural immunity.
I suppose the only way to know would be to find a way to track immune functioning, but it seems incredibly expensive right now.