Dr. Benjamin H. Krasne, M.D.
Board-certified physicianBoard-certified in anesthesiology, he reads medications and metabolism with a pharmacologist's eye, which shapes how he doses weight loss and longevity care.
Low-dose rapamycin with lab monitoring
Rapamycin online for longevity, with lab monitoring
Rapamycin (sirolimus) is a transplant drug that some clinicians now prescribe off-label, at low weekly doses, for healthy aging. We help you decide whether it is reasonable for you and monitor you if you start.
- Free 5–10 minute consultation
- One low dose each week
- $99 a month, no insurance needed
Free to book. You pay only if you go ahead with treatment.
$99per month
Licensed U.S. clinician review
Visit: Phone or video, 5–10 minutes
$99/motransparent price
5–10 minphone or video
No insuranceneeded
LicensedU.S. clinicians
Why get rapamycin through My IV Doctors
An honest evidence review
Your clinician explains what's known, including mouse lifespan data and the PEARL trial, so you can decide whether off-label rapamycin is reasonable for you.
Labs before and during
Lab orders before you start and during treatment track lipids, glucose and blood counts, so problems can be caught and your dose adjusted.
Dosing that fits you
Weekly doses commonly fall around 3–6 mg. Your clinician may start lower and adjust based on how you feel and what your labs show.
Support between visits
You keep ongoing access to your care team for questions about vaccines, surgery, infections or side effects while you take rapamycin.
How to get rapamycin online
- 1
Pick a time for your free visit
Pick phone or video. In about 5–10 minutes, a licensed clinician reviews your health, medicines and reasons for considering rapamycin.
- 2
Get baseline labs
Typical tests include a lipid panel, fasting glucose or HbA1c, a complete blood count, and kidney and liver function, so later changes can be compared against your own starting point.
- 3
Start a low weekly dose
If your clinician decides rapamycin is suitable, the prescription goes to a licensed U.S. pharmacy. You take one dose on the same day each week.
- 4
Recheck labs and adjust
Repeat labs are commonly done a couple of months after starting and then at longer intervals. Your clinician adjusts, pauses or stops the dose based on results and side effects.
Who can take rapamycin for longevity?
Healthy middle-aged and older adults
Most people considering rapamycin are in good health and want to add a medication to an already solid base of exercise, sleep and risk-factor control.
Willing to get regular blood tests
Rapamycin can shift cholesterol, blood sugar and blood counts, so you need baseline labs and periodic rechecks to stay on it safely.
Comfortable with early evidence
You should be at ease taking a drug whose benefit for human aging is unproven, knowing the main reasons for using it come from animal studies and early human trials.
Pregnant or immunocompromised
Rapamycin isn't used in pregnancy or when trying for a baby. It's also avoided with frequent or active infections or a weakened immune system, and after recent cancer treatment unless your oncologist agrees.
Upcoming surgery or slow wound healing
Because it can slow healing, it is usually paused before and after planned procedures. Your clinician will plan the timing with you.
Rapamycin for longevity vs. transplant use
| Feature | Longevity protocol | Transplant use |
|---|---|---|
| FDA status | Off-label | FDA-approved to prevent kidney transplant rejection |
| Dosing pattern | About 3–6 mg once weekly | Continuous dosing |
| Goal | Brief, intermittent mTOR inhibition | Constant mTOR blockade |
| Human evidence | Small trials, mostly on safety | Established use after transplant |
What is rapamycin?
Rapamycin, also called sirolimus, is FDA-approved to help prevent kidney transplant rejection and to treat a rare lung disease called lymphangioleiomyomatosis. In transplant care it is taken every day to keep the immune system from attacking the new organ.
Interest in aging comes from animal research. In the National Institute on Aging's Interventions Testing Program, which runs the same experiment at several labs, rapamycin increased average and maximum lifespan in male and female mice, even when treatment began in late middle age. Few compounds have held up that consistently.
People are not mice, and there is no proof yet that rapamycin lengthens human life. Longevity use is off-label and relies on small, intermittent doses that are much lower than transplant dosing. The goal is to touch the growth pathway the drug targets without the steady immune suppression transplant patients need.
Rapamycin dosage for longevity
Rapamycin blocks a protein complex called mTORC1, a central switch that tells cells to grow when nutrients are plentiful. When mTORC1 is quieted, cells lean toward maintenance and recycling, a process called autophagy. This is one reason researchers link rapamycin to some of the cellular effects seen with calorie restriction.
Longevity protocols aim for brief, intermittent mTOR inhibition rather than the constant blockade used after transplants. A once-weekly dose, commonly in the range of about 3–6 mg, gives the body several days to recover between doses. Your clinician may start lower and adjust based on how you feel and what your labs show.
A few practical points apply to almost everyone. Take your dose on the same day each week. Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, which can raise rapamycin levels. Talk with your clinician before vaccines, and plan pauses around surgery or any significant infection.
Rapamycin research in humans
The largest published placebo-controlled trial of rapamycin for healthy aging is PEARL. It followed 114 adults aged 50 to 85 for 48 weeks on 5 mg or 10 mg weekly or placebo. Rapamycin did not change the main outcome, visceral fat. Serious side effects were similar across groups, and some secondary signals in women, such as lean mass, were described by the authors as preliminary.
That is useful safety information, but it is not evidence that rapamycin lengthens life or prevents disease in people. A good clinician will present it that way and revisit the decision as new data arrive.
- Strongest evidence: lifespan extension in mice across several labs
- Human data: small trials, mostly on safety and short-term markers
- Unknown: long-term benefit or harm in healthy people
Rapamycin side effects and safety
At transplant doses, sirolimus carries warnings about infection, slow wound healing and certain cancers, including skin cancer and lymphoma. Low weekly doses are expected to carry less risk, but they are not risk-free, which is why monitoring matters.
- Mouth sores and acne-like rashes are among the more common side effects.
- Cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar can rise; labs are used to watch for this.
- Infections may be harder to fight; hold doses and contact your clinician if you have a fever or significant infection.
- Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice, and check with your clinician before any new medicine, as many drugs change rapamycin levels.
- Avoid during pregnancy and when trying for a baby; it may also reduce fertility.
- Use sun protection, since sirolimus labeling notes an increased risk of skin cancer.
Physicians who oversee your care
Independently licensed U.S. physicians supervise every treatment we offer.
Dr. Johnathan Chance Miller, M.D.
PhysicianTrained at Columbia and Washington University, he pairs prescriptions with practical habits around food, training and sleep.
Dr. Vanessa Niles, R.N., M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
OB-GYN, board certifiedAn OB-GYN for more than 40 years and a Fellow of ACOG, she leads women's health care, from perimenopause to PCOS.
Rapamycin FAQs
Still deciding? The first consultation is free and takes about 5–10 minutes.
Book a free consultationDoes rapamycin have FDA approval for aging?
No. Rapamycin (sirolimus) is FDA-approved to prevent kidney transplant rejection and to treat lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Using it for healthy aging is off-label, which is legal when a clinician judges it appropriate.
How much does rapamycin cost?
The program is $99 per month. Your first consultation is free and no insurance is needed. Any separate lab costs are confirmed before they are ordered.
What is the typical rapamycin dose for longevity?
Longevity protocols commonly use about 3–6 mg once a week, far below daily transplant dosing. Your clinician may start lower and adjust based on side effects and lab results.
Does rapamycin extend lifespan?
It has extended lifespan in mice in several independent labs. There is no proof yet that it does the same in people, and human trials so far have been small and short.
Does low-dose rapamycin weaken your immune system?
Intermittent low doses are intended to avoid the steady immune suppression seen in transplant care, but some effect on infection risk cannot be ruled out. Your clinician will tell you when to pause, such as during a significant infection.
What are the side effects of rapamycin?
Mouth sores, acne-like rashes and stomach upset are commonly reported. Lab changes such as higher cholesterol or blood sugar can occur without symptoms, which is why monitoring is part of the plan.
What labs do I need for rapamycin?
Usually a lipid panel, glucose or HbA1c, complete blood count, and kidney and liver function before starting. These are repeated a couple of months in and then less often if results stay steady.
Can you eat grapefruit on rapamycin?
No. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can raise rapamycin levels in the blood. Ask your clinician or pharmacist before adding any new medicine or supplement for the same reason.
Should you stop rapamycin before surgery?
Usually yes, because it can slow wound healing. Tell your clinician about any planned procedure so they can advise when to pause and when to restart.
Can you take rapamycin with metformin or acarbose?
Some longevity plans combine them, since they act on different pathways. Whether a combination makes sense depends on your labs and tolerance, and your clinician will add one change at a time.
Can I get vaccines while taking rapamycin?
Check with your clinician before any vaccine. Rapamycin may affect how your immune system responds, and some vaccines may need to be timed around a dose.
How long can you take rapamycin?
There is no fixed course. Some people take it for a defined period and reassess, and others continue as long as labs stay acceptable. Your clinician reviews the decision regularly.
Who should not take rapamycin?
Rapamycin isn't for people who are pregnant or trying to conceive or those with frequent or active infections or a weakened immune system. Anyone with recent cancer treatment should take it only if their oncologist agrees. Your clinician will screen for other reasons during the visit.
Start rapamycin with a free consultation
Book a free 5–10 minute phone or video visit. If low-dose rapamycin is reasonable for you, the program is $99 a month, with lab monitoring and dose reviews.
Related treatments
References
- MedlinePlus: Sirolimus
- National Institute on Aging: Interventions Testing Program
- PEARL trial of low-dose rapamycin (PMC)
- FDA: Understanding unapproved use of approved drugs off label
Medically reviewed October 2026. This page is general information and not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. Read our editorial policy.
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