Rapamycin — Dose, Side Effects, Reality
Not a free lunch
Rapamycin's longevity profile is real. Its side-effect profile is also real. Mouth ulcers, lipid changes, glucose intolerance, delayed wound healing, and edge-case infection risk all show up at meaningful rates. Informed use is about finding the dose-schedule where benefit exceeds cost for YOU.
Typical longevity dose + schedule
Most longevity-clinic protocols target 5–8 mg once weekly, sometimes with cycles (e.g. 8-week on / 4-week off). This is roughly 10% of the transplant dose. Intermittent spacing gives mTOR-inhibition time to do its thing then releases it before cumulative immune suppression sets in.
Watched labs
Rapamycin can raise LDL-C and triglycerides, slightly push fasting glucose up, and modestly reduce neutrophils. Most longevity clinicians watch: lipids (quarterly), fasting glucose + HbA1c (quarterly), CBC (quarterly), hsCRP (bi-annually). Track a baseline, watch for drift.
Match side effect to cause
Connect each observed effect to the mechanism.
Who should skip it
Active infection, active cancer, post-surgical recovery, pregnancy/breastfeeding, severe metabolic disease, and immune-compromised states are contraindicated or caution categories. This is a real drug — prescription-only in the US, closely monitored in every reputable longevity practice.
Key Takeaway
Rapamycin is the most credible longevity drug currently in human use. It's also a real prescription with real side effects. Weekly low-dose schedules with quarterly monitoring are the norm in informed practice — not daily, not unsupervised, not without a clinician who knows the space.