Used to dye fabrics for 150 years methylene blue was also the first synthetically engineered drug used in humans.
There’s a reason that methylene blue (MB) has a kind of space-age, industrial-type sound to it – its first use was as an industrial chemical. Check out the recent citations on the compound and you’ll find more discussions of nanowires, dye removal, and light degradation than of its health-enhancing properties.
For most of its long history (it was created in 1876), methylene blue has better been known for its ability to dye fabrics a rich blue color than anything else. (It’s now touted as an eco-friendly dye due to its easy biodegradability and is even being studied as a possible ecologically friendly energy source.)
Methylene blue is not some mad doctor’s good idea that has grabbed the public’s attention. It’s received quite a bit of study – albeit animal model study – over time and even played a fundamental role in the development of medicine. The first synthetically produced compound to be used as a drug, it’s helped open the door to our modern pharmacology.
It didn’t take long (1891) for methylene blue to be used (effectively in some patients) to treat malaria and it is still being explored as a treatment adjunct. (The fact that it turned the patient’s urine and feces bright blue was a turn-off.) In less picky animals (fish), methylene blue has long been used as an antifungal.
In the 1920s, MB’s use as an antipsychotic helped open the door to the development of antidepressants. Over time, this versatile compound has been used in medicine as a redox indicator, a stain used in medical testing, and is FDA-approved for use to enhance oxygen delivery in a disorder called methemoglobinemia.
Most recently, it’s been touted as a possible anti-aging, mitochondrial boosting, blood vessel enhancing, sepsis busting, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-malaria drug.
Unique Mitochondrial Enhancer?
Methylene blue may be able to enhance activity and protect against damage in the electron transport chain – where ATP is finally made.
Much of the interest in MB recently has evolved around its effects on the mitochondria. One review noted the “remarkable role” MB plays in its ability to stimulate mitochondrial respiration (reportedly by about 30%) and increase cellular oxygen consumption in the electron transport chain.
MB’s mitochondrial abilities lie in its ability to enhance the activity of the last stage of the ATP-making process in the electron transfer chain. The Krebs, or citric acid, cycle ends with the production of two compounds – NADH and FADH2 – that contribute electrons to the electron transport chain, which ultimately produces ATP.
MB is apparently to pick up electrons from NADH at the first part of the chain and quickly shunt them forward to the 3rd part. This potentially allows MB to bypass any damage that might be present in the first three parts of the chain and help the last part of the electron transport chain by increasing electron flows to it.
Fisher found that the last part of the electron transport chain was the one that was most disturbed in ME/CFS.
MB has also been shown to stimulate autophagy and reduce neuroinflammation in animal models. Autophagy is a mitochondrial cleanup process that may have gone awry in ME/CFS as well.
Neuroprotective Agent?
The first three parts of the electron transport chain are massive producers of “reactive oxidative species (ROS)”; i.e. oxygenated free radicals including the highly reactive highly reactive peroxynitrite (ONOO−) which can cause extensive damage to the lipids covering our cells. (Martin Pall’s ONOO- hypothesis proposed that peroxynitrite was causing major damage in ME/CFS).
It’s thought that the mitochondrial degradation found in major neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease and traumatic brain injury probably occurs in the first three stages of the electron transport chain.
One paper suggested that MB’s unique ability to bypass the first three parts of the electron chain – and thus the parts of the chain that produce ROS – might make it a unique neuroprotective agent. Animal studies suggest that MB might be neuroprotective in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury.
MB’s neuroprotective properties and its ability to boost serotonin and dopamine levels have also led it to be explored as an antidepressant.
Cognition Enhancer?
Animal studies suggest MB can help with cognition but few human studies have been done.
A lab culture study suggested that MB can increase cellular oxygen consumption rates and reduce anaerobic glycolysis in neurons potentially giving in neuroprotective properties.
An interesting animal study suggested that MB might be beneficial for conditions involving chronic cerebral hypoperfusion; i.e. conditions associated with chronically low blood flows in the brain which can cause “mild cognitive impairment” – a category of illness that ME/CFS may fit. Another animal study asserted that MB “provides a novel strategy for neuroprotection against both chronic and acute neurological diseases involving mitochondrial dysfunction.” Using both low-level laser therapy and MB improved cognition in sleep-deprived mice.
Note that while five studies over the past year suggest that methylene blue has positive effects in neuroinflammation, cognition, etc., none involved humans and all were lab or animal studies. One small study did suggest it might have modest cognitive benefits.
THE GIST
- Methylene blue (MB) has a kind of space-age, industrial-type sound to it for a reason – its first use was as an industrial chemical.
- For most of its long history (it was created in 1876), methylene blue has better been known for its ability to dye fabrics a rich blue color than anything else but it’s not some mad doctor’s good idea. The first synthetically produced compound to be used as a drug, it’s helped open the door to our modern pharmacology.
- In the 1920s, MB’s use as an antipsychotic helped open the door to the development of antidepressants. Over time, this versatile compound has been used in medicine as a redox indicator, a stain used in medical testing, and is FDA-approved for use to enhance oxygen delivery in a disorder called methemoglobinemia.
- Most recently, it’s been touted as a possible anti-aging, mitochondrial boosting, blood vessel enhancing, sepsis busting, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, and anti-malaria drug.
- This strange compound appears to have unique mitochondrial-enhancing capabilities. One review noted the “remarkable role” MB plays in its ability to stimulate mitochondrial respiration (reportedly by about 30%) and increase cellular oxygen consumption in the electron transport chain. Its ability to reduce the production of free radicals in the mitochondria suggests it may be particularly helpful in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Animal studies and a few human studies suggest methylene blue or MB may be able to help with cognition, improve energy levels and mood. While anecdotal reports suggest MB can help with memory, energy, mental clarity, and sleep, with only a few small human studies available its effects in humans are unclear.
- Still, MB is not expensive, is readily available, and when purchased from labs that provide certifications of purity and is NOT being used with in conjunction with SSRI antidepressants see blog) it appears to be quite safe. See the end of the blog for dosage.
Combination Therapy?
One review recommended combining methylene blue with “normobaric hyperoxia treatment”, which involves breathing air with higher than usual levels of oxygen – and is similar, but different, from hyperbaric oxygen therapy which takes place in a pressurized environment. One study found that the combination further reduced neuroinflammation and increased mitochondrial functioning.
Another animal study suggested that using MB with “hypothermia” (cold treatment) improved its ability to reduce neuroinflammation and increase mitochondrial activity and cognition.
Side Effects and Warnings
Methylene Blue appears to be quite safe at the dosages recommended, with one proviso. Because it’s a potent MAO (monamine oxidase) inhibitor that blocks the breakdown of neurotransmitters if used in conjunction with SSRI antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, and others, it could cause a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome. Nootropicsexpert.com states serotonin syndrome “becomes a big problem” at about 2 mg/kg. This is not an idle threat – case reports exist in the literature of methylene blue causing this.
Nootropicsexpert.com includes 5-HTP, bupropion, buspirone, citalopram, clomipramine, doxepin, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, MAOIs like Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate, milnacipran, mirtazapine, paroxetine, rasagiline, sertraline, selegiline, St. John’s wort, trazodone, tryptophan, Zimelidine, and venlafaxine in the list of contraindicated drugs for MB.
MB may cause your urine to turn green or blue, may cause mild gut discomfort, which may be alleviated by taking it with food, and may (rarely) cause headaches. Nootropicsexpert.com reports that blue urine will usually occur at “doses roughly exceeding 500 mcg” and that mixing MB with ascorbic acid 3 hours before taking it might help with that.
Using Methylene Blue
Nootropicsexpert.com notes there is no recommended dosage but that the dosage ranges from 0.5 – 4 mg/kg(0.23 – 1.8 mg /lb.) of body weight per day. That would translate to about 360 mg/day for a 200 lb person at the high end – a dose they believe is probably too high. They recommend starting at the low end and then going from there. Note that taking too much MB can be counterproductive because at high doses, it can swipe electrons from the electron transport chain.
Lowest dose per day
- 100 lbs / 45 kgs = 23 mg/day
- 150 lb / 68 kgs = 34 mg/day
- 200 lbs / 90 kgs = 46 mg/day
Because MB has a half-life of five hours, nootropicsexpert.com states it can be taken twice a day. It doesn’t need to be taken with a meal.
Finding Methylene Blue
CTZL appears to provide a good source of MB. (Health Rising is not affiliated with CTZL)
Pharmaceutical-grade: because industrial-grade methylene blue can be full of toxic contaminants, you must use only pharmaceutical-grade methylene blue. Nootropicsexpert.com, however, states that even pharmaceutical-grade MB can contain heavy metals (but that they are not a problem at low doses). It recommends using brands such as CZTL Methylene Blue that have an independent, 3rd party Certificate of Analysis which shows the levels of contaminants.
CZTL ships in 1-gram containers of powder and states it provides detailed dosage and mixing instructions in each shipment. A Certificate of Analysis (CofA) that verifies the purity of the Methylene Blue is included in each purchase. Check out an FAQ from CZTL.
With 1 gram of MB costing $30 at CZTL, it appears to be fairly affordable if my numbers are correct (1,000 mg/46 mg/day [100-lb person] = 23-day supply of 2 doses a day at the lowest dose. Buying in larger doses (5 gms – $70) would bring the cost down to .65 cents a day for a 100-lb. person at the lowest dose.
Applying The Arseneau Test
The Arseneau test assesses the factors below to help decide whether or not to try a treatment:
- The credibility of the source – animal studies and some good blogs – quality is pretty good.
- Quality of the evidence – lacking. While quite a few lab and animal studies attest to MB’s possible effectiveness as a potential mitochondrial enhancer, neuroprotector, cognition helper, sleep enhancer, etc., only a few small human studies have been done.
- The benefit, the cost, and the risk–benefit analysis – the benefit appears moderate, the cost is fairly low and the risk appears low (unless using it with SSRIs or other MAO-enhancing drugs or supplements) so long as MB is purchased from an independent, lab-certified source. Once those restrictions have been met, MB looks like a good shot.
Check out a good resource on MB – including the best ways to use it, what supplements might support it, and who might not do well on it.
Conclusion
Who knew that an industrial chemical (properly processed) might be helpful in diseases like ME/CFS and long COVID? I heard about it when I learned that an ME/CFS expert was recommending that his/her patients try it. Its potential ability to increase mitochondrial activity, protect neurons, tamp down neuroinflammation, and improve cognition and mood makes it an intriguing possibility for disorders like chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, and long COVID which share these issues.
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Exploring the new treatment options that have sprung up over the past year or so has been fun. From methylene blue to nicotine patches to guanfacine to metformin to anti-clotting/anti-platelet drugs to monoclonal antibodies – stellate ganglion blocks the list seems to go on and on – and should continue to expand.
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Interesting! Thanks Cort for sharing these various new treatment options and for all your amazing research and write ups this year. Looking forward to more in 2024!
Warning: take only one single drop in water if you want to try this out. I took one drop of methylene blue (not a dropper, only one single drop) and had an immediate allergic reaction to it. My face and throat started to swell and turned bright red. I don’t have allergies to anything so it was quite a surprise to me. I was working with a medical doctor who had suggested it, but after telling him of my reaction, he said that a small percentage of people could have a negative/allergic reaction and I should not take it again. So please be very careful as this is powerful stuff. I would say only try it if someone is home with you just in case you have an allergic reaction.
Yes, this is not a common reaction at all – but a good warning to start low!
As a medication, it is mainly used to treat methemoglobinemia by chemically reducing the ferric iron in hemoglobin to ferrous iron
Thank you for the warning!!
Thanks – I have some more on my list – and I’ll bet we’ll see much more in 24.
I recently tried a drug for Interstitial Cystitis called Uribel, which has methylene blue as one of its components. Had no idea about the substance’s background or other uses. In my case, I had problems with one of Uribel’s other components but did think it worked in the short-term to dampen pain. (Now I wish I’d paid more attention to how I felt overall….) The blue-green urine is INSANE. I’ve also used a different IC drug that dyes the urine orange, but blue was a whole other level of weird!
Good to know update on using MB for energy issues! I never used it but it’s a possibility now. The tick borne illness community has been using MB for years. There are other concerns you didn’t mention and possible side effects. A G6PD blood test is recommended before using! It’s also recommended to only use MB from a compounding pharmacy. I don’t think I’d trust a non-pharmaceutical company even with a (hopefully) legitimate 3rd party certification. I trust Dr Marty Ross to provide accurate info as he got me through several tick borne illnesses. See his post here on using MB. https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/methylene-blue-for-lyme-and-bartonella
Interesting. I have Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability and a long-standing diagnosis of ME/CFS. I was told by the Professor who diagnosed me with FQAD that CFS is not uncommon in FQAD patients. The genes thought to be involved in FQAD are G6PD and MTHFR. The MTHFR gene is also proposed to be associated with chronic pain and fatigue. I would choose to be G6PD and MTHFR blood tested before trying out MB.
Thank you for that info! MTHFR actually consists of lots of genes. I don’t have all of them equaling MTHFR but enough to cause issues.I just searched my 23 & me data and found that I do have a G6PD deficiency. I’m at a high risk of severe anemia if I take the dapsone/ artesunate anti-malarial treatment. Could explain my CFS issues as well. And I’ll avoid Fluoroquinolones too! Praying all the on-going work with gene therapies will provide us help someday!
Hi Fellow Floxie ! Ditto here with MTHFR SNP’s. I’m very cautious / hesitant to try new therapies for my CFS. We don’t detox very well at all !!
Oh gosh. Certainly dud not research MB and MTHFR. I am now returning the product enroute. Probably for the best as I’ve just started 1.5 LDN. Also, nor having a dr to monitor is not very wise either. Clearly, I was not thinking? Doctors in US do not think MTHFR c677tt is a big deal. It is not recommended to be tested for. It’s all too confusing for me. Thank you.
Sounds good, Cort,
Are there ANY human clinical trials being done now?
Or contemplated?
Yes, a good number are underway.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?intr=methylene%20blue&aggFilters=status:act%20rec%20not
Morning Cort. There is an error in the post. You report the half life as 5 days and can be taken twice a day. This is very unusual and could potentially lead to toxicity over time as the level in the body steadily increases. I checked the website you cite and the half life is 5 hours which makes makes twice daily sensible. Hope this helps.
Whoops – yes, should be 5 hours – I will change it. Thanks!
Thank you for this Cort. Interesting. I have Fluoroquinolone Associated Disability (from taking prescribed Fluoroquinolone antibiotics) and a long-standing diagnosis of ME/CFS. I was told by the Professor who diagnosed me with FQAD that CFS is not uncommon in FQAD patients. The genes thought to be involved in FQAD are G6PD and MTHFR. The MTHFR gene is also proposed to be associated with chronic pain and fatigue. I would choose to be G6PD and MTHFR blood tested before trying out MB.
I am homozygous fir mthfr c677tt. Are you saying there will be negative effects. I don’t find any solid evidence on this snp only vendors pushing there supplements. Do you have any conclusive evidence this has effected you? Not Ben Lynch please.
No, I’m not saying there will be negative effects from taking MB. I am saying I have been permanently negatively affected by Fluoroquinolone antibiotics and left with lifelong disabilities. I have a medical diagnosis of FQAD from one of the two UK experts in Fluoroquinolones. As one of the genes involved in FQAD is MTHFR I would be very wary of trying MB.
Thank you for the clarification. You have me wondering. Doesn’t mthfr have many genes? I’m so sorry about your injuries from that awful drug. Should be taken off market.
You’re welcome Maureen. As I understand it there is just the one MTHFR gene but many possible mutations. Two of the mutations appear to be the most studied. But I’m not a Geneticist. I do have a couple of gene mutations myself (CHEK2 and HER2) so I undertand a bit about genetics. Thank you for your comment about Fluoroquinolones. I think they should only be used in an intensive care setting and as a last resort where all other options possible have failed or are off the table.
I agree. They are extremely dangerous. I had to go on cipro recently as I have infection very hard to treat. Within 48 hrs I dev pain in my shoulder and knee. Stopped at once. Weeks later I still feel it.
Nice article. I used to order regularly from mitolab.com. I always found them the purest. But I stopped taking last year for some reason. This article has made me reconsider!
Do their prices include delivery – it’s not obvious.
Ten USD. My credit card read international charge. Was 80USD for 5 gram powder. Shipped from California via USPS. However, I am returning after comments in reference to MTHFR.
MB is listed as a carcinogen, so that has to be taken into consideration too, despite using very low dosages.
I got Covid very early, Jan. 2020, it hit me very hard. I was unable to breathe, but did not want to go to hospital. For a year and a half it lingered in my lungs, I had trouble walking up a hill without stopping to get a breath. (am a runner when I have energy). A woman I know from Russia sent me a research article regarding the efficacy of MB for Covid. (all links to this article have since disappeared since invasion of Ukraine. I can only assume it is related to sanctions, it was in Russian on a Russian website and needed google translate to read). I was understandably nervous but had tried many different things, so finally tried it. Ordered it, started taking only 3 drops a day. Within a week and a half I had no more lung symptoms. Three drops, that is all, never turned my urine blue. I took it for 3 months, and have since taken it anytime I get tick bites, or flu or other illness is contracted. My mother has used it on a persistent sinus infection, infection gone, this after many antibiotics to no effect. But for me, it had no effect on my ME/CFS symptoms. However, I was taking a small dose, very small, so I would not discount any possibilities with MB. There are plenty of articles about MB and both lyme and covid on the web, I have included a couple.
https://drtoddmaderis.com/methylene-blue-for-lyme-disease-and-bartonella
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7409924/
Found the original article I referred to that was in Russian, this one has a google translate key in upper right hand corner. I would caution people, as the article Cort posted does, that MB is widely available all over the internet, most of it is dye quality.
Find one that is USP quality from a reputable source.
https://trends.rbc.ru/trends/innovation/5f1a9dd39a79474cf7f7bb35
Thanks so much for this, Cort – I had been wondering about MB, so this was timely. Worth a try for sure. I bought some nicotine patches and want to try them first. One thing at a time :). My neurologist just put me on gabapentin for neuropathy that got much worse after I had to stop my IVIG treatments. Does anyone know if gabapentin interacts with nicotine or with MB?
Also, here’s a funny: was I the only one who kept reading the website you listed as Nootropic Sexperts dot com? 🙂 I blame long COVID brain fog for my gutter-thoughts – LOL.
Can someone tell me best place to purchase?
I’m very poor
This is where I bought mine, it is directly from the pharmacy supplier. There are other people on the internet selling it with the same label, but I was concerned about adulteration. BIOPHARM INC. The link below is to the only MB that is USP grade, I believe they sell others that are cheaper, not USP however.
https://www.bphchem.com/product/methylene-blue-1-usp-grade-60-ml-1-drop-contains-0-5-mg-of-methylene-blue/
How do you measure your doses? I bought a scale that measures grams in decimals but am still having a terrible time measuring .02 grams (20 mg) with the liquid.
Hi Sarah. The post you replied to was my third, I believe. If you scroll up you will see what I wrote about my experience with it. I was only taking 3 drops. It never turned my urine blue, it was a very minimal amount. But it worked for me at that amount, however, I am only 140 pounds. It seemed very benign, had absolutely no side effects for me. I also would take a few drops and mix them with a saline solution in a nose spray bottle for cleaning out sinuses, which it also seemed to do very well. I hasten to point out, per above, I was taking it for Covid, it did not seem to help ME/CFS for me, at the amount I was taking.
amy, my eyes saw that too! haha!
Hahaha! Glad to know I’m not the only sick puppy here (double entendre 😆)
Not connected to this article, but I see van Campen, Rowe and Visser have another useful study out this month:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38138257/
“Worsening Symptoms Associated with Larger Cerebral Blood Flow Abnormalities during Tilt-Testing in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)”
Thank you for all your hard work in 2023, Cort.
Now we know this the next step must be find out what is causing the reduced blood flow into the brain. Reduced blood volume? Or an incorrect response from the autonomic nervous system that causes the blood vessels to open or constrict too much. Or is more blood sent to the muscles or the stomach/intestines?
All three have been found, some by the above researchers, some by dysautonomia researchers. Another cause of this pattern of hypoperfusion is auto-immune (antibodies causing the arteries to the brain to constrict by interfering with receptors that control vasoconstriction).
Vanderbilt University has a study into the excessive blood being diverted to the digestion underway. There is now a simple way to measure this, and a possible substance to treat it (although it’s not on the market as a medication yet).
https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05375968
There’s a new device out in Europe that measures blood volume simply and easily. Although it doesn’t identify the cause, at least if patients and doctors know low blood volume is a factor they can take steps to improve it. The device is being used for research in the US. I hope it will be in use clincially soon.
https://detalo-health.com/
As to the ANS not controlling the blood flow properly (would that be baroreceptors?), I’m afraid I don’t know of anything happening in that area. Perhaps this will turn out to be the same as the auto-immune cause. There are researchers working on this aspect. Dr Peter Novak recently published a cae study about a patient with orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome who he treated with IVIg. It’s possible he is using various kinds of immunotherapy, including those that are easier to access and cheaper than IVIg.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32984564/
So there is good stuff happening, albeit slowly. In the near future, I would like to see everyone with ME/CFS having their blood volume checked and being assessed for orthostatic intolerance, as these symptoms can often be improved. And I would like to see transcranial Doppler ultrasound routinely used to assess cerebral blood flow. It’s not expensive and there’s no radiation involved. The folks at Stichting CardioZorg are already doing a good job on this.
If I win the lottery, I’ll be purchasing one of those blood volume devices for the hospital in my nearest capital city, which has a clinic that treats dysautonomia, or for any hospital or clinic that promises to use it widely for ME/CFS, dysautonomia, heart and kidney failure, and blood diseases. (There’s no specialist ME/CFS clinic in my country.)
If wishes were horses …!
Thx Sarah for your information. I hope you win the lottery or me…. lol
For what it’s worth, a functional/integrative dr prescribed this treatment last year for my daughter following all the protocols described in the article. He recommended red light therapy along with it. She kept with it for 6 weeks with no change. Warning: It can stain the toilet bowl.
I have read where red light therapy 600nm is supposed to activate mb. I have some but have not tried it since I am on Trazodone for sleep
I take MB every day. It is the best anti-depressant I have ever found. I use the CZTL crystals which I dilute 1 gram in 100ml of distilled water. I stopped my 5-HTP for two weeks before I began, and then I worked up to one ml with breakfast and one ml with lunch, six days a week and one day off.
When you take B vitamins your urine becomes bright yellow, almost flourescent. Add the MB to that and you get a flourescent green! I like it.
I put one ml of the mixture in a 000 capsule with an eyedropper, close it, then swallow it immediately with food before it starts to dissolve. If you just take the liquid, your tongue will become blue and everyone will think you’re a lizard. I hear some people suck it up with a straw so it lands at the back of your mouth, not on your tongue.
This has become basic for me. Basic like LDN. I’m more calm, I’m less irritable, I don’t snap at people anymore, etc. I will continue to take this indefinitely.
Just be careful when you mix it because the little crystals will fly all over the place. Maybe do it outside. They send you a little funnel which helps a lot. I mix it on the kitchen counter on a Corel plate using a blue dropper bottle I bought on Amazon. If I drop some, it washes right off the plate or the porcelain sink with plain water. Even if I get a drop on my finger, it washes off with some cleanser. But don’t get it on your clothes – it is used to dye blue jeans blue.
Start with a drop to see if you have the genetic mutation that causes you to react badly. You’ll know with one drop. If it’s ok, then move up drop at a time.
Very helpful, thank you. I laughed at your little art project (blue + yellow = green)!
You’re welcome, Amy.
If you don’t want to measure anything, and don’t mind a blue tongue, you can buy these troches of MB here:
https://troscriptions.com/
You can swallow them if you don’t want to let them dissolve in your mouth.
Hi Ann1,
Are you referring to the MTHFR mutation? Do tou have it? Happy to hear it is not interfering with your LDN. May I ask how long you have been on both treatments? Also, is your MB from CTZL?
Continued success.
test
my comment did not post.
Thanks for your response. I have it and now I’m concerned!
Maureen,
Then I think you should not take it. If you do, you’ll feel sick, but you won’t be damaged in any way. Just stop taking it.
TY! The benefits to me seem to outweigh the negatives! Will know soon enough! Thank yiu fir your response Ann1!, much appreciated.
Maureen,
Yes, the MTHFR mutation. I don’t have it. I’ve been on LDN for 3 years and MB for 7 months.
Yes, I buy it from CTZL.
Good summary here: https://nootropicsexpert.com/methylene-blue/
Eeek – warning – I just took my first dose and now have bright blue lips and tongue!! (And it tasted pretty vile too.) I think there has to be a better way to take this stuff – so will try diluting in a full glass of water next time. Any other suggestions would be very welcome!
blue lips!
And blue wee for 24 hours! So this morning I tried coating my tongue with milk before drinking a full glass through a straw. I missed the lips but now have a bright blue tongue again! This feels like the most weird thing I’ve done yet – not sure I will get to day 3 unless I see some very rapid benefit today…
Add Vitamin C with the MB solution in water gets rid of the blue after a few minutes.Then you can drink without getting a blue tongue or lips
Thanks for the tip MW – I just tried that and feels like I’m back in the school chemistry lab! I had to add 2 full teaspoons of C to my 5ml MB in a glass of water – and hey presto, the solution changed to a bright chlorophyl green – which looks a lot more appetising than the blue toilet cleaner. But I still ended up with a blue tongue! I’ll keep experimenting and post again if I come up with any more answers…
Martin, put your drops into an empty 000 capsule and then swallow it immediately before the capsule starts to dissolve. No blue lips, no blue tongue, and you can fit 1ml into a 000 capsule. You will, however, still get blue urine.
That sounds like a good solution Ann – and I also had a reply from CZTL support suggesting to mix it with Ascorbic Acid (Vit C) + (optional) Potassium Bicarbonate 1000mg. That did the trick! However after 3 days trial at 5ml per day I haven’t detected any benefit so am going to pause until I see some stronger evidence to keep going. Keen to hear other’s experience with this…
Definitely dilute in a glass of water! I use a straw too, no problems beside a slightly stained tongue which wears off quickly.
Would also exercise extreme caution trying it with LDN. It’s a shame that so many people will have no help to try this safely with physician support.
HR, I take both every day and have had no problems.
Old pharmacopoeia are coming back! When I was growing up, there was always a bottle of methylene blue in the family medicine cabinet. It’s primary use was to cure mouth sores.
Later on, when I gave birth to my son, in 1985, we lived in Tunisia, working on a project. The country’s French colonial past had a lasting influence on the medical practices. Methylene Blue and Gentian Violet were used a lot. My very white and sensitive skinned baby’s diaper rash could get very bad extreme summer heat, very hard water. I even ironed the diapers to make them softer. When the pharmacist told me about Gentian Violet, it brought back my childhood memories of Methylene Blue and I dabbed my baby’s bottom at the first sign of a rash. It was like a miracle cure! His cute little touchy was always blue but hey! It beat being perpetually red and sore.
When we came back to Canada, I kept that medication found anew in our medicine cabinet.
So now, I find that it can be ingested? Big pharmas are certainly not in favour of such a cheap medication’s resurgence!
Thank you so much for sharing with us, Cort.
I have a couple aquariums and know methylene blue as a fish medication so this caught me by surprise 😂 it’s a very interesting idea though!
So I’ve been trying MB for 9 days now for M.E., 6 days at the full dose of 50mg (I’m around 100kg).
Bad news first – no big change in energy levels apart from some jitteriness which wore off after 48hrs. Possibly some overall improvement in physical health, but well within my normal range (my health fluctuates wildly, so it’s hard to tell).
Good news: definite improvement in brainfog and a *massive* improvement in my ability to communicate. As a rule, I really struggle to talk (my concentration cuts out halfway through a sentence with a feeling almost as if I’ve pulled a muscle in my brain – horrible), but suddenly I’m downright chatty! I haven’t been able to talk this easily in 6 years. Back then my health was around 30-40%, whereas now I’m at 5-10% – so this represents a really huge shift.
I plan to keep taking it. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if the improved cognition translated into broader benefits in the long term due to, e.g., better autonomic function. But I’d be happy even if this is all I get.
Many thanks Cort for the recommend!
Nice! Thanks, Adrian for letting us know 🙂
Unfortunately, the benefits didn’t last. A day or two after posting, I began to feel muzzy-headed and mentally sedated. Overall health went downhill. Reduced the dosage after a fortnight down to 30mg and the side effects wore off, but my ME is still worse overall. Hard to tell if there’s still any improvement to my ability to communicate as I’ve been so poorly. The bad spell of health could just be coincidence (it fluctuates) so I’ll give the meth blue a little longer at the lower dose, just in case.
Thanks for taking the time to return here with this helpful update, Adrian!
Hi Cort, I have just received 1gm of Methylene from CZTL.
I am a little confused with the dosage regime.
At the lower dose of 0.5mg/day for a 45kg person =23mg/day you later go on to say (1,000 mg/46 mg/day [100-lb(45kg)person
Shouldn’t it be 23mg/day split over 2 doses = 11 1/2 x 2 if you choose to dose twice daily?
Look I’ve probably got it wrong but there it is anyway.
CZTL preparation instructions I find a little incomplete.
It states to prepare a 1% solution mix 1gm in 100ml water but does not go on to give examples of dosage options for body weight. It tells you what conditions to store it under which I presume they are referring to the MB + water mix not powder but not the shelf life of mixture if stored as instructed.
As an added note Dr Been recommends not going above 1mg/kg/day.
Maye the ancient Celts had the right idea when they painted their bodies blue!
My functional MD put me on MB about 8 months ago for my ME/CFS. It does seem to have a subtle but real effect on energy —- but have to be incredibly vigilant not to air cold meds, alcohol, etc. However, since it leaves the system quickly and stopping it seems to have no side effects , if those counter indicated meds are needed, just stop taking for a day or 2
PS I get it from a certified lab in FL and only use as directed -once a day
I have been taking methylene blue as prescribed off label by my functional
MD for about 7 months— it has increased my energy in subtle ways -ie I feel better when I take it.
Get it from a certified lab/ pharmacy by Rx in Florida. 25 mg a day; I weigh 140. NEVER try to self-dose or buy it from internet!
I am VERY careful about drug and alcohol interactions- he just prescribed flexible for frozen back but will wait 4 days off MB to take.
Reading comments below about fluoroquinone antibiotics—I believe being given those for a UTI was the precipitating event for getting CFS! Never the same since and list it as something I’m “ allergic” to.
Anyway, depending on your doc, worth discussing
Affected by an Elhers-Danlos syndroma and a Mast cell activation syndrome, methylene blue change my life. It has improved massively so many thing that I have issue to believe it even I live it. My doctors are totally amazed about these changes. I have a friend with EDS who try MB with same impressive effet, and also disturbed about how fast and strong it as been.
As MCAS “owner” i’m was using monoclonal antibodies and oxygenotherapy before MB and continue as it have a positive effet. Even I reduced massively the O2 flow since MB, from 4l/m to 1l/m
There is more and more publication about links between long covid and SED. and some suspition that long covid can be someting like a trigger of MCAS on SED patients.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pmrj.13120
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12026-022-09280-1
https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/45/7/379