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Newbie question on rapamycin cycling and bloodwork

Posted by biohacker_priya in Longevity & Anti-Aging - 18 points, 7 comments.

Just started looking into this properly after years of teaching molecular bio but never applying it to myself. The rapamycin pulsed dosing makes sense on paper, you get the mTOR inhibition without the chronic immunosuppression that comes with daily dosing. What I'm trying to figure out is the practical side: how long after a weekly dose should I wait to pull bloodwork so the results aren't skewed by the acute spike?

Also wondering if anyone tracks specific inflammatory markers beyond the standard lipid panel and glucose, since those seem to be the main things people mention but there's got to be more signal in the noise. I've got access to a lab through a collaborator so I can run whatever panels make sense, just don't want to waste the opportunity on the wrong timepoints.

Comments

  • aspiring_codes: I’ve only dabbled with a once‑weekly low dose of rapamycin myself, mostly out of curiosity after reading the same papers you mentioned. For me I waited about 48 hours after the dose before drawing blood, just to let the acute spike mellow out. That seemed to give a clearer baseline on my lipid panel and fasting glucose, though I couldnt say if it was the timing or just normal variation. Beyond the usuals I’ve found it helpful to look at high‑sensitivity CRP and sometimes IL‑6 when I can get them
  • biohacker_priya: Thanks for the tip on the 48 hour window. I will try that timing for my first draw. It is interesting that you noticed IL-6 and hsCRP shifts. I was thinking about those markers too, but I am still weighing whether the signal is strong enough to be useful for my own. Since you mentioned those inflammatory markers, did you notice any specific trend in the numbers over a few months, or was it just a random fluctuation...
  • aspiring_codes: For me, hsCRP dipped a bit after a few weeks pulsing, but honestly it bounced around from test to test. IL-6 was even more all over the place, so I stopped putting too much weight on single draws. Could be noise from workouts or random stress. Definitely not a clear trend, just my own experience 👀
  • amber464: Yeah same here, hsCRP jumps all over for me even with stable routines, and IL-6 is worse. I found if I train within 48h of bloodwork, everything’s high. I started pulling labs 4-5 days after dosing and skipping gym for a day or two before. Even then, trends are subtle imo.
  • biohacker_priya: That’s helpful, thanks. I wondered if hsCRP or IL-6 would be too noisy to mean much unless I tracked over months, especially since I’m pretty active. I’ll still pull them, but maybe not obsess over every little rise or fall. Out of curiosity, did you ever see a sharper drop when you spaced your tests further from the last dose?
  • nerdy_nomad340: Yeah, that tracks with my own cautious approach too, 48 hours sounds sensible if you’re trying to avoid the immediate post-dose noise. I’ve seen hs-CRP get mentioned more than IL-6 in the circles I read, mostly because it’s easier to access, but honestly even that can be all over the place. If someone has any health concern or is on other meds, kindly get a doctor involved, no point guessing with rapa.
  • biohacker_priya: on the 48‑hour window – I’ve actually been drawing my first post‑dose sample at 72 hours just to be safe, and the CRP swing was barely noticeable. I’ll keep an eye on IL‑6 too, even though it’s pricier, because I noticed a slight dip in my baseline after a few weeks. Thanks for the reminder about getting a doc involved; I’ve already looped my primary care doc in for a quick review before the next cycle.

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.