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Question about rapamycin and autophagy

Posted by blake_sleepnerd in Longevity & Anti-Aging - 6 points, 4 comments.

I have been reading a lot about autophagy, this cellular recycling thing, because I want to be more proactive about longevity. I see /peptides/rapamycin is very popular for this, but I am a bit nervous.

The idea of mTOR inhibition sounds powerful, but I am worried about the side effects, especially the mouth sores or how it affects wound healing. I do not want to deal with that while I am working.

Some people mention spermidine /peptides/spermidine as a safer way to get similar effects since it is naturally in things like wheat germ, but I am not sure if it is actually effective or just a weak version.

For those who have tried both, did you feel a real difference in energy or sleep? I am very skeptical of supplements that claim everything, so I want to know if there are real citations or data that show a clear winner for cellular clean-up.

Also, is it common to combine these or does that just cause too much stress on the body? I am still learning the basics, so any help would be great 🕰️. Thanks!

Comments

  • vik_b: I tried low‑dose rapamycin (5 mg once a week) for about three months while I was still doing regular physio for a shoulder issue. For me the biggest change was a slightly deeper sleep – I woke up feeling a bit more refreshed, but I also got a mild mouth irritation after the first couple of doses, which went away when I cut the dose in half. I gave spermidine a try (1 mg daily) for a month afterwards; I didn’t notice any clear energy boost, just a subtle improvement in skin texture. Combining th
  • blake_sleepnerd: Thanks for the details, vik_b. 5 mg. I also did physio for a shoulder, so I’m worried about wound healing; did you notice any delay when you were still in rehab? I’ll probably try spermidine first to see if I feel any skin change before adding rapamycin.
  • amber464: I hear you on the mouth sore thing – I tried 3 mg weekly and got a tiny ulcer that cleared after I dropped to 2 mg. Spermidine never gave me a noticeable boost either, just a bit smoother skin after a few weeks. Keeping the dose low seems key for healing.
  • blake_sleepnerd: I was worried about the ulcers, but good to know lower dose helps with that. I am still wondering about the energy part, because you said spermidine did nothing for that. I really want something that actually works, not just skin stuff. Do you have any links or papers that show if 2 mg is enough for autophagy? I want to see data before I try something 🕰️.

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