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Rapamycin, drug used in cancer therapy, emerges as powerful anti-aging remedy

192 points| cwwc | 3 years ago |age.mpg.de

223 comments

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[+] evo_9|3 years ago|reply
I'm a month into taking rapa and already I feel like it's having a noticeable effect. I'm curious what others on this threads dosage looks like. If you prefer to keep it private, you can email me directly (my email is on my profile).

I'm currently taking 2mg once a week on my rest day; I started with 1mg and after 1 month added another MG. I'll continue each month until I reach 8MG once a week, which is the dosage the doc I worked with in Texas to get my prescription recommended and most people seem to take.

Also - I would say that NMN + Rapa is a completely life altering combination for anyone 50+. I feel like I can lift harder and longer now than when I was in my 40's and things seem to be getting easier the farther into my rapa routine I get.

Also also - you can find rapamycin online / overseas under its other name - Sirolimus - and the cost is a little lower than getting a proper US prescription.

[+] jamesdmiller|3 years ago|reply
I have been taking Rapamycin for 19 weeks and NR and Metformin (for anti-aging) for much longer and I can't see any difference. I'm 50+. I generally, however, feel excellent, as well as I remember when I was younger so long as I have gotten lots of sleep and don't have a cold. When I'm sick or tired I feel much worse than I did, however.
[+] pstuart|3 years ago|reply
Finding a doctor who's up to "non-traditional" support can be a challenge, but you've inspired me to start that search.
[+] gadders|3 years ago|reply
What's NMN?
[+] jonathan-adly|3 years ago|reply
Just putting this out there, I am a PharmD and this is totally real and the traditional medical establishment is really behind. It is positive effects are beyond doubt - the argument against it is usually "we don't know what the side effects if 100m+ went on it for 20+ years". (which is also 100% true, but that's where patient autonomy comes in). Also, there are some questions about how much are really the positive effects.

Anyway, I am tinkering with something in that space - feel free to reach out if you want explore being a co-founder. (email in about)

[+] BiteCode_dev|3 years ago|reply
What makes me scared about this is that it's immunosuppressive. The immune system is a very important part of the human body, and I worry that taking it could have terrible health impact after years of acting on your body lines of defense.

What can you tell me about it?

[+] Traubenfuchs|3 years ago|reply
Do you have a personal comment on the long and scary list of side effects it causes?
[+] orangepurple|3 years ago|reply
The bigger story with rapamycin is that the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays an absolutely crucial role in major diseases of modern civilization. One of the ways to inhibit mTOR for free is to simply stop consuming nutrients for extended periods of time.
[+] CrispCas13|3 years ago|reply
As added information: metformin, a common anti-diabetic drug, is a inhibitor of mTOR. It potential adverse effects are less severe than rapamycin but are still significant. Specifically, long term usage can cause renal damage. Its mechanism of action has yet to be fully elucidated.
[+] wobbleblob|3 years ago|reply
Ages ago, I had a colleague who was deeply into hacking of his mTOR pathway. Among other things, this included a permanent calorie deficit and removal of all protein from his diet.

I don't know if he's still alive. Maybe it was working a bit too well, I recall he looked like an extremely tall 13 year old with anorexia.

[+] Tepix|3 years ago|reply
> ... to simply stop consuming nutrients for extended periods of time

That is not simple for most people.

[+] nils-m-holm|3 years ago|reply
> One of the ways to inhibit mTOR for free to simply stop consuming nutrients for extended periods of time.

What is an extended period of time in this context? I happen to consume all my meals within seven hours every day and only drink water in between. Would that help?

(Not doing this for health reasons, it is just a habit.)

[+] JumpCrisscross|3 years ago|reply
> ways to inhibit mTOR for free to simply stop consuming nutrients for extended periods of time

How frequently and for how long must one fast to see this?

[+] w10-1|3 years ago|reply
Please, people. It's bonkers to jump from fruit fly results to humans.

Before you take any drug chronically - particularly something KNOWN to block a gene cascade receptor - be sure there are good studies (sufficiently powered, peer-reviewed, phase-III studies in humans with actual endpoints and significant positive results).

And be sure the "researchers" you're relying are not just PhD's or retired doctors regurgitating dubious studies.

Remember: the essence of a good scam is that it is partly true.

Readers will get more longevity from walking instead of reading these studies. Avoiding toenail fungus will improve your lives more. Those have real data behind them.

[+] quanum_burrito|3 years ago|reply
I have taken this drug several times of the past 10 years. Each time it had a different effect on my immune system and body systems. The first attempt, it really helped with ridding my body of sustained fluid in my lungs. In more recent times it had helped with the same thing. I have a lung disease and it's not a simple thing to treat so they take care to treat it with some new treatments like rapamycin. I am simply stating that I had different and somewhat difficult times while being on the drug. The lung disease that I have is not common and I am immunocompromised, so being on an immunosuppressant drug like this really made me feel ill. I had the influenza A one year while being on it, as well as a couple of cases of pneumonia that put me into a funk. I am glad I was on it, though because it got me to where I need to be. The liquid form tastes disgusting( ya gonna need a chaser) but the pill is not so bad. It did really effect my joints and muscle systems, I was taking from 2 mg down to .5 mg and each time the doses made me feel extremely tired. I am glad that this med is helping people and I hope all that are taking it, are taking this medication seriously. It is no easy task to be on. Drink lots of water. Best wishes
[+] dsign|3 years ago|reply
When somebody asks about what is the next big thing, I always think on anti-aging. If you think that you don’t want to live forever, imagine that today when you arrive home you find a note saying that you will die exactly 1531[^1] days from today. How would you feel?

With that said, I would stay away from miracle drugs, because no two human beings have the same physiology. But that’s not an unsolvable problem.

[^1]: It’s a random number to “erase hope”. Not knowing when we are going to die keep us slightly hopeful and perky, our mind away from the problem.

[+] lijogdfljk|3 years ago|reply
Honestly, at peace lol. I don't really care about living.

My primary desire for living atm is keeping my family safe, providing for them, etc. Beyond that, i am living just because i am - and i enjoy life as much as i don't want to _not_ enjoy time i'm here anyway.

[+] abcc8|3 years ago|reply
I would argue that a miracle anti aging drug would work well for the majority of the population, much like NSAIDs work well for the majority of the population. Bonus points for being cheap and easy to synthesize.
[+] fatuna|3 years ago|reply
I think this is a great example of "what's good for the individual, is bad for humanity as a whole". Imagine we'd discovered a drug that adds 100 years to a persons natural life. Now imagine this drug was discovered 100 years ago. J.D. Rockefeller and the likes would still be alive and influencing politics. I can't even begin to think how much humanity would stagnate after such an invention.

See also the Planck principle: "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck%27s_principle

[+] rr888|3 years ago|reply
I agree. But would be interested in staying younger/stronger/healthier for the same lifespan.
[+] deegles|3 years ago|reply
I'm 35, have been taking 6mg of rapamycin per week for about a year. It's hard to assign the effects directly to it since I've been taking other supplements and also fixing up my diet + exercise. That being said, I am quite sure that it has reduced general aches and pains, reduced visceral fat and I now have less gray hair compared to when I started. It did slightly increase my glucose and lipids, but still within safe ranges AFAICT. I'll continue to take it until I notice real adverse effects.
[+] WastingMyTime89|3 years ago|reply
This comment is quintessential to the issue with HN.

So you are quite young, just had a complete change of lifestyle and your take away is that the beneficial effect comes from the drug you take randomly amongst a cocktail of other things.

Interesting.

[+] DoreenMichele|3 years ago|reply
I now have less gray hair compared to when I started.

I've never taken rapamycin nor even heard of it before today. I have less gray hair than I had twenty years ago.

My understanding is that gray hair suggests a B vitamin deficiency, especially PABA, and a need for adrenal support.

[+] meremortals|3 years ago|reply
How does one find a doctor willing to prescribe these kinds of drugs for anti aging?
[+] nik_s|3 years ago|reply
You can order these drugs in bulk from chemical vendors for research purposes (i.e. non-human use). Chemscene, to name just one, sells Rapamacyn at 1440 USD for 5g.

EDIT: I clearly don't recommend you buying this and taking it by the way. You're never quite sure about the purity nor about how to dose this effectively as a layperson without access to a lab. It's also possibly completely illegal, depending on your local laws.

[+] sinenomine|3 years ago|reply
I'm not taking Rapamycin due to costs and immune system concerns, but when researching this niche (specifically, I'm interested in senolytics) I have found this forum with this list of doctors https://age-reversal.net/physician-directory/

Maybe it could help you.

[+] aaaaaaaaaaab|3 years ago|reply
Pool your money with others and order in bulk from Asian or Sourh American suppliers. No questions asked. There are specific subreddits/forums for this kind of stuff.
[+] coolstepa|3 years ago|reply
There is a super interesting Radiolab episode on the scientist who discovered Rapamycin, and how he himself was taking it to combat colon cancer. It's really good, and the ending has you quite puzzled.

https://radiolab.org/episodes/dirty-drug-and-ice-cream-tub

[+] tootie|3 years ago|reply
Yeah, the story is absolutely bananas. Not just the personal effort of the scientist, but what in the world even made them think to try any of this. The "Rapa" in the name is from Rapa Nui because this was a chemical found in a random soil sample from Easter Island. This deserves some conspiracy theories.
[+] rdedev|3 years ago|reply
After reading the following article I've tempered my expectations from ramapycin

https://khn.org/news/a-fountain-of-youth-pill-sure-if-youre-...

The drug has been known for a long time but human trials always seems elusive

[+] phkahler|3 years ago|reply
>> The drug has been known for a long time but human trials always seems elusive

Human trials of this will likely never happen. At least not publicly.

[+] fnordpiglet|3 years ago|reply
I just have this painting of myself that keeps getting older
[+] enviclash|3 years ago|reply
If it is a reliable alternative to a medicine with similar effects, I advocate for fasting. I try doing it once per week until 2pm, and once per month till dinner. At some point (years in my case) it became a pleasure.
[+] ilaksh|3 years ago|reply
The idea that you could just take a pill one time and be "protected from aging" or something sounds ludicrous. Would be interested to see people reproduce these results and have them supposedly transfer over to humans. Humans are a much longer time scale.

I always go back to the SENS concept of having several different problems to solve related to built up damage, cells that won't die, etc.

[+] swayvil|3 years ago|reply
What's the latest on bloodboys?

That is : periodic blood transfusion from healthy young vegan donor.

It works very well. Rejuvenates ancient billionaires.

Surely it's superpopular among the oligarchs. Probably not the kind of thing you want in the news (vampires!).

The technical term is Parabiosis.

These guys offer the service : https://www.ambrosiaplasma.com/

[+] mtlmtlmtlmtl|3 years ago|reply
It's so strange to me that is is legal in the US when prostitution isn't(in most states).

Not that I think prostitution should be illegal, but it's basically the same thing.

[+] deegles|3 years ago|reply
My understanding is that simple plasma dilution (plasmapheresis) has the same or better results. Though some of the sources I saw said that a centrifugal plasmapheresis machine is better than the membrane-based machines.
[+] isoprophlex|3 years ago|reply
Every day we stray further from god's light
[+] nradov|3 years ago|reply
Dr. Peter Attia did a thorough summary several months ago of what we know about rapamycin as an anti-aging therapy. There are plausible reasons to think it might be safe and effective, but human studies are lacking. This is a promising area for future research.

https://peterattiamd.com/ama35/