Methylene Blue -- The "Perfect Supplement" For ME/CFS (?)

[Wayne]

[EDIT on February 27, 2024 - THIS MB Product is what I'm currently using and recommending.]
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I read a fairly extensive (and excellent) ARTICLE back in February on Methylene Blue (MB), penned by Dr. Thomas Levy, one of my favorite authors on health issues. He wrote that it's a synthetic compound, but has a similar structure to Vitamin C, a vitamin he's done extensive research and writing on. Like Vit. C, MB is a potent antioxidant.

Reading this article prompted me to do some further research on it, and what I discovered about made my jaw drop to the ground. My first thought was that if all this information on MB I'm reading and running across on YouTube videos is true, then it would appear to be just about the "perfect" supplement for those with ME/CFS.

I quickly realized (both logically and intuitively) I needed to give it a try, especially since the safety profile is excellent. So I immediately made an online purchase so I could give it a trial, which I started around March 1.

Among the things that struck me as having high potential for pw/ME/CFS:

1) Well known to improve mitochondrial function. Since brain cells have some of the highest concentrations of mitochondria, it's well documented to correspondingly improve brain function as well.

2) Supports ATP production;

3) Known to increase oxygen levels in the body, particularly the brain (because of its ability to easily cross the blood brain barrier). MB apparently has an ability to "knock" or release oxygen from the hemoglobin at the center of red blood cells so in can be utilized by the body. Apparently, the more stress we're under (anybody under stress here???), the more difficult it becomes for red blood cells to release oxygen. My first thought when I ran across this was that it could explain some of the "air hunger" issues many of us have.

4) Powerful anti-fungal -- It's used in fish tanks to control fungal growth, and it's what gives aquarium's their familiar blue color. It made me think of how many of us have some level of candida overgrowth, or some other opportunistic fungal infection(s). It seems these kinds of infections are often factors in digestive disorders many of us have, like SIBO, IBS, or something that doesn't even have a name yet. After taking MB for a few weeks, I've come to believe it likely knocked out a low-grade fungal infection in my sinuses.

5) MB apparently has some potent anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It appears from THIS STUDY that it prevented 2,500 people in France being treated for cancer with MB from ever getting COVID. BTW, MB is also being used by various health care practitioners to treat Lyme, Bartonella, and other co-infections.

6) It's neuroprotective, and has been shown to improve just about any kind of brain dysfunction or disorder, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). This article Methylene Blue: Benefits, Dosing, Where To Buy, And More! says MB can increase seratonin and dopamine levels, so caution would be in order if a person is currently taking anything to increase those neurotransmitter levels, such as SSRIs or l-dopa. Even herbs or supplements that can do the same should be considered. The following is from the above linked article:

How Methylene Blue Works In The Brain​

Methylene blue works in the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Once it’s in the brain, it can reversibly inhibit MAO-A. This means that methylene blue can prevent dopamine and serotonin from breaking down, leading to increased levels of these neurotransmitters.1​

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Dopamine and serotonin are essential for cognitive function since they play primary roles in memory, focus, learning, mood, and many other aspects of brain health. By increasing levels of these neurotransmitters, methylene blue can provide significant benefits to cognitive performance and overall well-being.​

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In the body, Methylene Blue can help you when there is a problem with how the body’s cells use energy. When the body does not work right, it can’t make enough ATP, which might cause issues like too many free radicals. But methylene blue helps the cells use energy more efficiently and lowers free-radical production.​

7) It's apparently excellent for prevention and treatment of COVID, whether COVID-19 or some future variant. It features prominently in FLCCC's I-Recover Protocol (link below). I think this FLCCC website should be one that anyone with ME/CFS should become familiar with. It has great tips for prevention and treatment of COVID, and therapies for treating Long COVID. I believe I was able to knock out the last of my Long-COVID by taking MB for the past 4 months. I wondered if I would ever knock it out, as I felt I'd had long COVID for over a year.

How to Mix the Low-Dose Methylene Blue Solution in the FLCCC I-RECOVER Protocol​

There's so much more that I've run across about MB that I believe has ramifications for pw/ME/CFS, such as how it works very well synergystically with photobiomodulation to improve mitochondrial function. I think this initial post is long enough already however.

I've now had about 4 months of experience experimenting with MB, and in my next post, want to share what I've learned from those experiences, including how I went about purchasing some. Supplementing with MB has been pretty transformative for me, especially my improved energy, and the new found resilience I feel in my brain and nervous system.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Apparently, the more stress we're under (anybody under stress here???), the more difficult it becomes for red blood cells to release oxygen. My first thought when I ran across this was that it could explain some of the "air hunger" issues many of us have.

I've been under alot more stress lately, @Wayne...and this air hunger symptom has increased alot, I've really noticed. I'm gasping like a fish half the time. My insulin resistance has also been really affected (worse) By ...all this stress.

Maybe I'm going to have to try this....thank you so much for your wonderful post.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Do you think this will cause detox and herxing reactions?

 

[Wayne]

Do you think this will cause detox and herxing reactions?

Hi @Rufous McKinney -- Good question. I think it's important for anybody with ME/CFS considering supplementing with MB to be cautious, as it can cause various reactions, including herx, or detoxification reactions. These reactions are usually mild, and just stopping it until they subside will usually work.

I started very slowly at three drops a day, and worked up in 3 drop increments. The first couple of days on 3 drops, I noticed a definite new kind of relaxation in my body and psyche. It increased more so when I went up to 6 drops for a couple of days. When I got to 9 drops, I started noticing increased energy.

When I got to 12 and then 15 drops, I started to feel really happy, bordering on feeling giddy. Since it IS technically a drug, I decided to step back from that, and have now settled in at around 6-9 drops, about 5 days a week. I also noticed a bit of insomnia and a coffee like feeling at those higher doses. I've also noticed a slight headache when I take a bit too much.

I believe I was able to discern some subtleties by starting MB slowly that I might not have otherwise noticed. Below is a link to a good article on MB, and a good number of health issues it's helpful for:

The Surprising Health Benefits of Methylene Blue

I initially purchased a 3.5 oz. 1% solution bottle at Amazon, but you can also buy it for much less if you get the powder (same company) and dilute it with purified water. The ratio is 1 gram of the powder to 100 ml. (about 3.5 oz.) of water. The exact ratio is not really important, and some people like to make it both stronger and weaker than the above ratio. The 1 gram to 100 ml. ratio is the most commonly used however.

The above linked products are pharmaceutical grade (USP), which is what they recommend for taking it internally. There are other less pure grades out there for fish tanks and laboratory use.

 

[marcjf]

There is more than one paper pointing to the fact that ME/CFS may be producing less nitric oxide, like this one: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35074481/
I find it odd that a widely known nitric oxide inhibitor, like MB, would help us.

 

[brenda]

@Wayne

Thank you for that information! I had been reading about it on the Ray Peat forums, who incidently did not really approve of MB, though many of his followers do and decided to try it. I bought a bottle of pharma grade, but with my house move did not get round to trying it yet. But now I will thanks. It seems that getting the dose right is key.

 

[lenora]

How many people on here have tried MB and have had good results? I hate to invest in one more bottle of something. @Wayne, I admire your tenacity, so it has nothing to do with that I'm hoping that at least a few other people have tried MB. Yours, Lenora

 

[brenda]

 

[Wayne]

How many people on here have tried MB and have had good results? I

Hi @lenora -- There's a very good article at EarthClinic entitled The Surprising Health Benefits of Methylene Blue. It has over 200 comments, many by people who've used MB. This LINK will take you to the comments following that article that got the most "loves", or likes as they're usually called.

It has a wealth of information on how people have successfully used MB for a variety of health issues. Fortunately, there's also some cautionary notes intermingled with those as well. Below is one of those testimonials:

Chronic Bladder Infections​

Posted by MHO (Provo, UT) on 03/18/2022​

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I am an intermittent catheter user, therefore, I have chronic bladder infections. Ever since I began using Methylene Blue I have stopped getting UTIs. I use Methylene Blue 1% solution. The normal dose is 10 drops in water morning and night. I only need 2 drops morning and night. I use a straw to drink it so my teeth won't turn blue. It has the added benefit of stopping my candida symptoms.​

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Having said this, I am also very careful about what I eat: no sugar or fruit of any kind. I don't use any artificial sweeteners. I avoid wheat and other grains. I eat canned beans, eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables, and brown rice. I have to avoid nuts.​

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Here's another amazing testimonial:

Parkinson's Disease​

Posted by Jane (Fort Worth, TX) on 01/09/2009

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Hi Ted,​

I am amazed that after one and a half days of taking methylene blue with vitamin c my 85 year old dad, who has Parkinson's, initiated transfer to his wheelchair and needed much less assistance than yesterday. Yesterday he was not weight bearing much. This morning I did not pick him up to get in his chair, just guided him. I broke out into laughter of happiness!​

Thank you a million for the information you provide on earthclinic. I love seeing the results!​

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@Mary, sorry for not getting back to you sooner on your blood pressure questions. There's some information on that in the Orthomolecular Medicine article. I've only perused it so far, but MB appears to be able to quickly raise blood pressure in those who develop sepsis and experience sudden drops in blood pressure. I don't know whether or not it can affect blood pressure otherwise, but there may be answers in that fairly lengthy article.

 

[Mary]

sorry for not getting back to you sooner on your blood pressure questions. There's some information on that in the Orthomolecular Medicine article. I've only perused it so far, but MB appears to be able to quickly raise blood pressure in those who develop sepsis and experience sudden drops in blood pressure. I don't know whether or not it can affect blood pressure otherwise, but there may be answers in that fairly lengthy article.

@Wayne - thanks for your response. Can you tell me if it has affected your blood pressure at all? I linked a couple of studies about BP and MB in a different thread where you talked about MB and I don't think they mentioned sepsis. But I just would like to know your personal experience - thanks!

 

[brenda]

I started on 0.5 gm - one drop for a few days, then increased to 2 drops yesterday and had an amazing reaction. I felt more relaxed last night than for a long time and slept till 5.30 am without my usual wakening. I have had HBP pressure in the past, so have begun to take herbal tea from hibiscus flowers. I am hoping to find a UK supplier of the powder.

 

[Wayne]

Methylene Blue Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in a Lab

I thought the above post about the guy who frequently got urinary tract infections (UTIs), and was able to stop them completely by using only 3 drops daily of Methylene Blue daily was just an amazing testimonial. I then ran across an article entitled, "Methylene Blue: Understanding the Possible Uses, Benefits, and Risks". -- Below is the last section in the article. Get a load of the very last sentence!

Is methylene blue being studied for any other uses?​

Researchers are looking into whether methylene blue can be used for other conditions. This includes:​

• Alzheimer’s disease: Researchers are looking into methylene’s potential to slow memory loss in people with Alzheimer's dementia.
• Memory loss: Even outside of dementia, methylene blue’s antioxidant activity may help age-related damage that occurs over time.
• Lyme disease: Researchers looked at medications that kill the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. In a lab, methylene blue was effective at killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

I felt more relaxed last night than for a long time and slept till 5.30 am without my usual wakening.

That great @brenda! Feeling unusually relaxed was the first things I noticed as well. I hope you continue to notice what must be wonderful relaxation for you, and hopefully many other benefits as well. I don't know why I felt more relaxed, but I think part of it could be that MB is lowering my microbrial load, which I'll elaborate a bit more in a future post.

 

[brenda]

Thanks @Wayne. I thought the relaxed feeling had something to do with improved brain function.

I have been plagued with irritable bladder for 6 months, not infection, and am hoping it will help with that as it has really warn me down.

 

[Judee]

I don't know why I felt more relaxed, but I think part of it could be that MB is lowering my microbrial load

I also wonder if MB is also helping to get oxygenated blood to areas that are usually tense because they're starved for it like the coathanger pain area so many of us experience.

 

[BrightCandle]

From CBIS stuff we were talking about a lot last year I have kept up with the Cranberry supplement and honestly its cleared my UTI issues and all the kidney pain I had. Slowly but surely its worked, didn't do anything to my primary ME/CFS symptoms but over a year its eliminated most of the pain I was having. If you have these type of issues its definitely worth trying MB or Cranberry supplements to clear it in my experience. No idea if MB works, I considered it last year but passed, interested to hear peoples results with it.

 

[brenda]

On a forum for those with Interstitial Cystitis, which I think I have, they all said that cranberry was too acidic for them. I did use Cystocalm which helped, but diet has been the biggest help. I take lemon juice in hot water first thing which is surprisingly not too acidic.

 

[Mary]

@Wayne - did the methylene blue raise YOUR blood pressure?

I've found a few references which state it can raise BP but I'd like to know your personal experience - thanks!

 

[Wayne]

@Wayne - did the methylene blue raise YOUR blood pressure?

Hi @Mary, sorry for keep spacing out your blood pressure question(s). I don't monitor my blood pressure at home, and have not had it checked in quite some time. So I really don't know whether or not MB has affected it.

I have noticed a moderate improvement in my orthostatic intolerance since starting the MB (noticed it right away), which I've long attributed--at least partially--to chronic low blood pressure. Did my OI improve because my blood pressure stabilized at a slightly higher (and healthier) level? I can only guess, and my intuition isn't really filling me in at the moment. I wish I could be more helpful!

I will say however, that I don't recall anything about MB raising blood pressure to unhealthy levels in all the research I've done so far, and it's been quite a lot. So if it does occur, I suspect it doesn't happen very often. I would guess that if a person starts out at very low doses (which I recommend), then monitoring blood pressure as you increase the low doses would likely prevent any kind of spike in blood pressure that could become problematic.

 

[Mary]

@Wayne - thanks so much for your response! Maybe the methylene blue did raise your BP a liltle! Here are two studies which mention its effect on BP.

The first talks about MB raising BP in cases of septic shock, but the second one discusses inhibition of nitric oxide, which I find most worrisome.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar...ted that in,systemic vascular resistance [85].

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...inhibit,inhibition of cGMP-mediated processes.

and another one: https://journals.lww.com/cardiovasc..._methylene_blue_on_blood_pressure_and.12.aspx

There are even more, I just googled methylene blue blood pressure . . .

If I tried it I would definitely go slow monitor my BP very carefully -

 

[brenda]

I'm building up the nerve to take my BP and hope to do it tomorrow.