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Started ergothioneine alongside my rapamycin pulse, 4 weeks in

Posted by midwest_scientist in Longevity & Anti-Aging - 3 points, 4 comments.

So I have been taking ergothioneine for about four weeks now, 10 mg daily, on top of my weekly low-dose rapamycin. Honestly I did not expect much from it because my impression was just "expensive mushroom antioxidant" but the OCTN1 transporter thing got my attention. A compound the body specifically concentrates in stressed tissues is a bit more interesting than your average antioxidant supplement.

What I actually noticed so far: my skin seems less reactive, like normally after a long run I get this red flush on my cheeks that takes an hour to calm down, and the last couple weeks it fades faster. Could be the weather changing though, hard to say. Sleep quality felt the same. Energy maybe slightly more stable in the afternoon but that is so subjective.

The long tissue retention is appealing to me because I already pulse rapamycin weekly and did not want to add something I have to micro-manage. Taking it once a day and forgetting about it fits my style better.

Has anyone here run ergothioneine longer, like months? I am curious whether the effects build up or if it is just a slow background thing you never really feel. Also wondering if there is any reason to cycle it given the half-life is apparently weeks.

Comments

  • kenji_runs: I gave ergothioneine a go for about six weeks at 5 mg a day while doing my usual weekly rapamycin pulse. Honestly i noticed my post‑run cheek flush seemed to settle a touch faster, though it could just be the cooler weather or a bit of placebo – hard to tell without any markers. I haven’t seen much on cycling it, and given the long tissue retention i’m leaning toward keeping it steady daily unless something shows up in blood work. Have any of you checked oxidative stress markers or other labs a
  • fasted_scientist: Ngl, I tried the same dose for five weeks and my post‑run flush did seem to calm a bit quicker, but I haven’t run any oxidative stress labs yet. Curious if anyone’s seen changes in markers like GSH or MDA after a couple months.
  • midwest_scientist: Nice to hear someone else got the same flush thing, honestly that makes me think it is less likely just weather. I have not run oxidative stress markers myself, I do standard bloods twice a year but nothing like GSH or MDA. Would be really interesting to see though. Are you planning to get those labs done after a couple more weeks or just going by feel for now?
  • midwest_scientist: Funny you had the same cheek flush thing, that is the one observation I feel most confident about but even then I am not fully sure. The weather argument is annoying because I cannot rule it out. Honestly I have not pulled oxidative stress markers yet, I was planning to check F2-isoprostanes and maybe GSH/GSSG ratio at the three month mark just to see if there is anything moving. Have you got a panel you usually run for this or were you thinking of something specific? I am still figuring out wh

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