Bryan Johnson, a 47-year-old tech entrepreneur who has spent millions trying to look younger and live longer, has stopped taking a medicine he used for years. Johnson, who takes 54 pills every morning, discovered that his strict routine to stay young wasn’t as helpful as he thought.
He used to take a drug called rapamycin, which is given to transplant patients to help them avoid organ rejection. Even though it hasn’t been approved by the FDA for anti-aging, some doctors suggest it because it helped extend the lives of mice in tests. Johnson said he was on a very intense plan when it came to taking rapamycin, yet he realized it may be causing him more problems than benefits.
In a new Netflix documentary about him called “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever,” Johnson explained his journey with this drug. Although he believed taking rapamycin could lead to a longer life, he admitted that he stopped taking it after nearly five years, and now thinks it might be more harmful than good.
He tested different doses but started to notice health issues like skin infections, abnormal fat levels in his blood, high blood sugar, and a faster heart rate. Doctors, including Dr. Oliver Zolman who appears in the documentary, warned that rapamycin can weaken the immune system, leading to serious infections.
Bryan spends about $2 million a year on medical tests and treatments, along with making changes to his diet, exercise, and sleep routines in hopes of slowing down aging. He’s even tried a plasma exchange, where his blood fluid is replaced with a special protein. Since selling his payment processing business to eBay, he has dedicated himself to finding ways to stop aging altogether.
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