Anyone tried the DIY TRIIM protocol? HGH + retatrutide + DHEA for actual age reversal

Nine participants is such a small sample that I would not change my protocol based on the TRIIM results alone. The concept is interesting and GH plus DHEA is a reasonable longevity stack regardless. But selling it as age reversal is a stretch at this point. Happy to revisit when there is more data.

This is fascinating. I had not heard of the TRIIM study before. So the basic protocol is GH plus DHEA and they saw measurable changes in epigenetic age markers? What was the metformin doing in the original study - insulin sensitisation while on GH?

GH plus DHEA I can get behind as general health support. The epigenetic clock angle I am more sceptical about - the clocks themselves are still being validated. But the compounds are well tolerated so the downside risk is low. I run GH year round anyway at 1-2IU so DHEA is not much of an addition.

Yes - metformin was included to counteract the insulin resistance that exogenous GH induces. The retatrutide substitution makes sense mechanistically because it handles insulin sensitivity through a different pathway while also contributing to fat loss. The data on retatrutide for this specific use case does not exist yet but the reasoning is sound.

I added DHEA at 50mg about 3 months ago alongside my GH protocol. Cannot say I notice a dramatic difference but my sleep quality has improved and recovery feels slightly better. Probably too many variables to attribute it to the DHEA specifically but I am going to keep running it.

TRIIM study is 9 participants. That is a pilot result, not a study. Interesting enough to follow up on, not enough to rebuild a stack around. The epigenetic clock tech is promising but the sample size means nothing is proven. GH and DHEA together are nothing new here. The retatrutide substitution for metformin is the only genuinely new angle worth discussing.

Running GH plus DHEA already for other reasons. The TRIIM framework just puts a label on what a lot of guys here are already doing. The retatrutide swap for metformin is the interesting part - better insulin sensitivity profile and no gut issues. Wouldnt start a longevity protocol just for epigenetic clock numbers but if you are running GH already the additions are minimal effort.

The injection fatigue from stacking GH plus a GLP-1 plus DHEA is real. Tried running all three at once for 12 weeks. GH morning, GLP-1 twice weekly, DHEA oral. It is manageable but you have to actually want to do it. The epigenetic clock data is interesting but I need to see a bigger trial before I call it age reversal.

I follow this with interest. The protocol appeals to me for the GH component which I run already. The Horvath clock measurement requires access to private testing services in France that are expensive to access properly. Anyone here actually tracking biological age markers and seeing movement over 6-12 months? The scientific basis is reasonable in principle even with the small trial size.

Nine participants. That is not a study, that is a case report. Epigenetic clocks measuring meaningful change in a group that small is not a result you build a protocol around. People have been injecting DIY nonsense based on far worse though, so crack on.

The TRIIM trial was designed by Greg Fahy out of UCLA - nine participants, all male, 51-65, HGH plus DHEA plus metformin for a year. The epigenetic clock reversal finding got a lot of traction but the number one issue is that the Horvath clock has significant individual variation even in the same person on the same day depending on what tissue you sample. The retatrutide substitution makes pharmacological sense for insulin sensitization since metformin is essentially competing with the same pathway at lower efficacy. Retatrutide hits GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors - the net insulin sensitizing effect is stronger and the glucagon component adds fat oxidation that metformin cannot. Worth watching but I would not call this proven longevity medicine yet.

Been following Fahy's work for a couple years now. The epigenetic reversal data is real but the sample size makes it hard to know what actually caused it. Subbing reta for metformin is clever and makes sense, reta just does more. DHEA sourcing is easy, it's OTC in the US at basically any supplement shop. Running this long-term without regular bloodwork is asking for trouble though, you need to know where your DHEA metabolites are sitting.

Fahy has been working on this for 20 years. The 2019 publication got a lot of attention but longevity medicine is still basically where bodybuilding science was in the 80s - lots of anecdote and not much controlled data. That said, half of what we've been doing for 30 years in this community ended up being right eventually. DHEA at 100mg daily is worth the experiment if your hormone panel can absorb the DHT load. The injection stacking problem is real for anyone already pinning GH twice a day.

I ran a version of this for six months last year. DHEA 50mg daily, GH at 2 IU fasted AM, metformin 500mg twice daily. My IGF-1 at baseline was 148 ng/ml, after six months it was 167 ng/ml. Subjectively I noticed better sleep within four weeks. I did not use retatrutide because the supply here in Germany was inconsistent at the time. My concern with epigenetic clock measurements is the cost - a Horvath clock test is not cheap and you need multiple data points over time to draw any conclusions. Running bloodwork every three months minimum if you attempt this.

The triple receptor agonism of retatrutide versus metformin's AMPK pathway activation is an interesting substitution from a pharmacological standpoint. Retatrutide hits GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors - the net insulin sensitizing effect is stronger and the glucagon component adds fat oxidation that metformin cannot. The concern is GLP-1-mediated IGF-1 suppression at higher retatrutide doses, which could potentially work against the GH component of the protocol. Low dose Reta at 0.5-1mg weekly probably avoids this problem. DHEA 50mg daily is the sensible starting point, escalate to 100mg based on labs.

I read the original TRIIM paper and found it interesting but I cannot work out how to measure whether it is actually doing anything without running expensive tests every few months. Has anyone tracked this properly using commercial epigenetic tests? For someone who has not run GH yet, is this something to consider later or is it basically only relevant for people already deep into the stack?

The aesthetic approach to longevity appeals to me more than the polypharmacy approach. GH at a therapeutic dose, DHEA in the physiological range, good diet and bloodwork twice yearly. I am skeptical of adding retatrutide to a longevity stack unless body composition is the primary goal. Sleep quality improvement on low-dose GH is real and well-documented, that alone justifies the protocol for me without adding further compounds.

Had no idea Fahy had been working on this for so long. The DHEA thing is interesting because it's basically easy to source here in Australia. Anyone using an at-home epigenetic test kit to track this? Keen to understand how you would actually know if the protocol is working beyond just bloodwork.

Running GH for recovery already and the idea of stacking DHEA on top is interesting. Getting consistent GH supply here takes effort so I wouldn't want to add more layers without knowing what to measure. The injection frequency with reta plus GH twice daily would be a lot for me personally. Good thread though, learned a few things I didn't know about the Fahy work.

I knew about the TRIIM study but didn't understand the retatrutide substitution until this thread. Makes sense from a mechanism standpoint now that it's been explained. DHEA at 50mg I could start tomorrow, it's easy to get here. The metformin side effect profile I don't enjoy so reta as a substitute would actually suit me better personally.