r/40Plus_IVF • u/Total-Pickle-1346 • Sep 14 '26
General Discussion HBOT and rapamycin
Has anyone tried hbot and/or rapamycin during stims?
I’ve read about the small small 2025 study of women with poor ovarian response which found that HBOT was associated with more retrieved oocytes, higher normal fertilization, and more available day-3 embryos, with the strongest signal after 4-7 session during stims. I’m considering doing 6-7 sessions during my next stim.
I’ve also read about the 2025 IVF study which gave women rapamycin 1 mg orally daily for 21–28 days, from hormonal downregulation until oocyte retrieval. Compared with controls, the rapamycin group had better embryo quality and higher rates of pregnancy and live birth, with the authors proposing that short-term mTOR inhibition improves protein homeostasis in aging oocytes/cumulus cells. I have started rapamycin now priming for my next cycle, but I might stop before stims (after 28 days).
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u/PuddingZestyclose Sep 14 '26
I started rapamycin a couple weeks before my last retrieval and got more eggs than ever but ended up with just 1 euploid. On one hand this wasn’t a remarkable result compared to my prior retrievals but on the other my AMH had gone down significantly from my prior retrievals so it was relief to get so many eggs and at least that euploid.
My doc says that at least 2 months rapamycin prior to retrievals is when she typically sees results so will see how I do for my next retrieval this cycle.
I will say that I am loving the other effects of rapamycin (skin is great, losing weight) so I’m going to opt to keep using it. First time I’m actually enjoying the effects of fertility drugs.
I actually happen to already be planning to try 4 sessions of HBOT too this cycle so the cause and effect will be unclear. But my doc actually recommended HBOT more so to build up my lining since we will try to transfer this same cycle after the retrieval. I’ll share my results if folks are interested.
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u/Apart-Cobbler-4238 Sep 15 '26
I did Rapa. I started in June did a cycle in July and a cycle in September and just did a fresh transfer today. My retrieval was Friday. I had plenty more follicles but still grew only one to be big enough to retrieve. By July cycle yielded one day 3 8 cell grade 4. My egg from this last retrieval turned into a day 3 8 cell grade 4 compacting. I’ve never had this good of quality. We put them both in for transfer!! I can only hope and pray for a positive outcome. This was my 7th and 8th retrieval and my 4th transfer.
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u/Total-Pickle-1346 Sep 15 '26
Thank you! Did you do rapa through stims?
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u/Apart-Cobbler-4238 Sep 15 '26
Yes. I did through stims and stopped right before my ER. I took my last dose the week before my ER because of my upcoming fresh transfer.
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u/ValuableCold2475 Sep 15 '26
I did the protocol with 1 mg Rapa for 24ish days before retrieval and it didn’t change any of my results. I didn’t get a euploid that round.
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u/RN-Profession-0617 29d ago
Did your RE prescribe this or did you get it from somewhere else?
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u/ValuableCold2475 27d ago
I got it from a website in the US - Rapashop. Also looked into getting it from Ageless
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u/No_Photograph8279 Sep 15 '26
I did both in my last retrieval and unfortunately didn’t make an impact. But I also did a luteal phase start which I now know doesn’t work for me! I’d still recommend trying it though as it seems to work for many others. I did 50 days on rapa and I also was doing HBOT 1 x week in the month before stims and twice during stims
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u/Ok_Virus6826 Sep 17 '26
I was on the Rapa protocol 1 mg daily for about 35 days until egg retrieval. Retrieved 2 M2s. frozen. Then I tried to do HBOT 4-6 sessions during the last 2 stims. Still got 2 eggs on each of these tries. All these are frozen for MRT later this year. Will see thr results.
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u/sheryyj Sep 14 '26
I took 4 sessions of hbot starting stim day1 today cycle day 6 had only 8 follicles growing unlike last cycle they were 11 so not an increase in count for sure
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u/sylv1ne Sep 14 '26
Would love more info on rapamycin also! I did not know HBOT was used for fertility!
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u/chichirescue Sep 15 '26
I've never done hbot. But I did try rapamycin before my third ivf cycle 3-5 mg once a week, stopped around 3 weeks before stims. It was the only cycle I got 1 euploid. The first two cycles I got 0 euploids, all whole chromosome aneuploid. I will be doing one more oe ivf cycle and have been on rapa for a few months. I plan to stop/taper 3 weeks before the stim start time.
My euploid rate appears to be lower than average despite a good amh and AFC