#1

N=1 F, 46yrs.
I started rapamycin at 5mg/week in Nov. 2022 and am now taking 3mg/week (as of 4/2023). I’ve taken a couple of 4-6wk breaks in that time. I don’t get a lot of labs done, so I don’t have the sorts of detailed blood/lipid results that some folks here post, but I do have a few anecdotal updates to share that might be of interest.

Annoying side effects: somewhat increased acne - not great but not dire - not so bad at 3mg as it was at 5mg/wk; headache and slight trouble getting to sleep on day of dose.

Positive effects: I have terrible allergies in spring, and I’ve noticed that for at least 72 hours after taking my weekly dose, my allergy symptoms are very significantly improved. I’ve also had moderate periodontal disease for many years, ‘pocket’ depth of 4-7mm, and at my last dental exam, had only one pocket at 4 and the rest were normal depth (1-3).

Hope that’s helpful for someone! :slight_smile:

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#2

Thank you for the update. On the allergy how is the other days further out from the dosing?

#3

Has anyone else noticed anything with allergies?

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#4

It’s more variable further out but maybe a bit better than usual? Definitely a very obvious improvement for the first 3-4 days.

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#5

Why did you reduce the dose? Any specific reason?

I don’t know how relevant is this, but I had allergy tests done this morning before ergospirometry test and I was highly allergic to cats but today allergy test showed no allergy to cats, zero. There was some allergy reaction to grass but none to cat allergens. I have no idea if my two months of 5 mg/week rapamycin had something to do with that, but I am glad it is gone. My last allergy test was done some 10 years ago.

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#6

Since the age of 50… daily used flonase for allergies in early spring and fall.

Since on Rapamycin 3 spring cycles no allergies… right now everything’s in bloom, no issues. Great!

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#7

Reduced side effects, less $, high level of uncertainty even among the most well-educated of rapa advocates about optimal dosage (so going w/ a conservative dosage seems reasonable to me).

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#8

Thank you @Thursdayrome appreciate the color. And to update when you have further experience. My mother is on the fence re taking rapa and has severe pollen allergy, so she will find this interesting to hear about.

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#9

Thanks @scta123 and @Agetron , very interesting n=1 anecdotes.

I personally have not started to take rapa, but have done meaningful fasting, 16-18/8-6 eating windows, and periods of some CR over the last decade and over that period my severe pollen allergy has gone to basically zero. Perhaps there is something similar with those “longevity pathways” and rapa’s that positively impacts allergies…?

The other thing I did over same time period as above is that I took out foods I was allergic to (according to both testing and “challenges - wheat and dairy proteins). Before seeing this chain I was thinking that that might have been the reason for my pollen (and pet) allergies diapering. But now I wonder.

Are here is some other N=1 data

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#10

There seems to be some literature on rapa perhaps helping with some forms of allergies

Have not read in detail, but here are some examples

Our data show that mouse food allergy was attenuated by rapamycin through an immunosuppressive effect and inhibition of intestinal mast cell hyperplasia.

Inhibition of mTORC1 activity by rapamycin improved the behavioral and immunological deficits of CMA mice. This effect was associated with increase of Treg associated transcription factors in the ileum of CMA mice.

These findings suggest the therapeutic implications of rapamycin in the attenuation of allergic conjunctivitis.

Rapamycin and other mTOR inhibitors might be good candidates for therapeutic drugs for food allergy.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230721447_Preventive_and_therapeutic_effects_of_rapamycin_a_mammalian_target_of_rapamycin_inhibitor_on_food_allergy_in_mice

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#11

What happens when you are exposed to an actual cat? before and after rapa. Any difference?

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#12

Its interesting - For the past 2+ decades I had really bad nasal congestion/allergic reaction from the pollen every spring. Then I started rapamycin and have not been bothered at all by spring allergies (dust/pollen, etc.). Then I went off rapamycin for participation in a clinical trial the past 4 months - and this spring my allergies were back on at a high level. I restarted rapamycin, and allergies have gone away the past 3 weeks. A small sample - but it sure seems like the rapamycin has a very positive effect from this little unplanned experiment.

There is some research on histamines and rapamycin:

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#13

Yes, very interesting indeed. The next time there is a survey here or perhaps when you talk with Matt K and others about the different surveys of rapa users that they are conduction mention that they perhaps should add a question or two about this.

Thanks for the articles.

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#14

That one and the paper below suggest that Metformin also can have these type of effects.

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#15

Well I was avoiding cats, since I had allergic reaction, which would be mostly red itchy eyes and skin rash but that was not the main problem. Mostly my nose mucosa would swell for days, first thing was snoring, later I might get sinus infections and since my immunity would drop and I would often develop peritonsillar abscess (very painful - not recommend). Yesterday I wanted to try how it is now. Went to my friend who has a cat and who’s home I always avoided. I had no reaction what so ever. But I have no idea whether it was rapamycin indeed as I avoided cats like plague for last years and consequently did not develop the chain of symptoms I described. Last time it was in 2020.

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#16

Another example, but still not sure it is rapamycin. Would be great though. I have EIA and have been using albuterol spray before running. Yesterday I was doing my regular checkup (once every 5 years I guess, but might be that I skipped the one 5 years ago) with my pulmonologist (that is why I had all the allergy tests done etc.) and one of the test that was scheduled was also ergospirometry (aka VO2max test). I always need to do it in the doctors office without using albuterol spray and my results are quite poor usually. I do not have results from yesterday but seemed that I was doing much better than usual without using the spray, maybe something has changed in regards of histamine in my body.

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#17

@Thursdayrome To reduce costs I’ve started taking my rapa with grapefruit juice and (sometimes) olive oil.

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#18

Re: periodontal disease (PD). Rapa may well cause a change in periodontal disease clinical measurements. If it reduces the “host inflammatory response” then gingival bleeding as well as pocket depth could be reduced. PD is caused by gram-negative bacteria that live in pockets, resulting in an inflammatory response including gingival inflammation and bone resorption. The bacteria may also directly cause bone loss. There are so many methods to reduce PD: excellent hygiene, local and systemic anti-bacterial therapy, nutrition, etc. so at this time, observational studies are needed as to Rapa’s effects. Hope we can start them!

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#19

OP is there a reason you haven’t gotten lab work? It is very important to ensure your body is tolerating it

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#20

I agree with this. It is very important to get regular blood tests done. Atleast every 3-6 months. Bare minimum blood tests I would get is full blood count, lipids, blood sugar, liver/kidney.

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