It has been some time since I last updated everyone on Wally, my 14-year-old dachshund who started taking rapamycin in December 2022. I apologize for the delay! Wally has now received his 7th through 14th doses in recent weeks, with an updated weekly dosage of 1mg.
For background information see this post
Previous updates: 2nd dose, 3rd dose, 4-5th doses, 6th dose
Overall, Wally is doing well. Although I have not noticed any new dramatic improvements, he has been showing gradual positive changes in certain areas. For instance, the small lumps around his body have continued to flatten out.
One thing I have noticed is that Wally has become more eager to push his physical limits. I have to watch him carefully to ensure he doesn’t run up and down the stairs too often, as he tends to overexert himself and avoid using a sore leg, resting more as a result.
In the past few years, I have reduced the amount of dry food Wally eats per meal to avoid causing him any weight-related issues. However, on rapamycin, Wally has become very lean and has the body of a much younger dog. In fact, he has started asking for additional food, which I have given him occasionally. His body looks great, and I attribute the changes to rapamycin since his exercise levels and schedule have remained the same.
Wally’s energy levels are still high compared to his behavior before taking rapamycin. Recently, I gave him a stuffed squeaker toy left over from Christmas, and he loved it. It’s been a while since he has shown such sustained interest in a new toy, and it made me happy to see him enjoy himself.
Fortunately, Wally has not experienced any side effects like vomiting or diarrhea.
On the human front, my spouse and I both took epigenetic tests to determine our biological age before starting rapamycin ourselves. Eric, who is 36 years old, had an epigenetic test age average of 39, while I (Tom), who am 37, had an epigenetic test age average of 33. We’re not sure what accounts for the difference in age tests, but we’re looking forward to re-testing in the future to determine the effectiveness of rapamycin in reducing our epigenetic age.
The two of us have been taking 2mg each week with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Everything has been great! We are not expecting any major changes at our age. Instead, we’re hoping to slow the aging process in ways that our future selves will be thankful for. Seeing Wally’s immediate improvements at his advanced age has been incredible, and I hope when we re-test our epigenetic ages in the future we will see some evidence of slowing or reversing the aging process.
Some minor changes I have noticed with myself is that my veins are starting to pop more and when I exercise, my ability to focus is higher than before rapamycin. I also notice that I have to urinate more and on the dosage days, I sleep a little longer.
Thank you for following our rapamycin journey! We will continue to provide updates on both Wally and ourselves. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
