8 ms·
What methylene blue can (and can’t) do for the brain
- fhdkweig 1y agoIt can turn it blue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylene_blue#/media/File:Gross_pathology_of_normal_brain_and_brain_of_patient_treated_with_methylene_blue_before_death.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylene_blue#/media/File:Gro...
- landl0rd 1y agoIt can also stain the heart and other tissues. But worth noting this was a much higher dose than your typical "biohacker" uses. The levels used in a hospital for things like methemoglobinemia, septic shock, whatever are many times larger. Regardless, I don't understand why biohackers are often obsessed with things like methylene blue when targeted modulators usually exist. If someone is obsessed with "mitochondrial function" I'd expect him to look at methoxatin or something along those lines before something as broadly active as methylene blue. If someone wants MAO inhibition pharmaceutical options are probably better in terms of controllable isoform affinity. I don't see any reason to prefer something less well-studied for MAO inhibition over e.g. rasagiline or moclobemide.
- dylan604 1y agoprobably for the same reasons as why people are obsessed with colloidal silver. someone once told them it was good, so they just went with it.
- wiry 1y agomaybe it has to do with how easy it is to procure?
- imoldfella 1y agoAvailability: no gatekeepers. methylene blue predates the FDA and is grandfathered. Unless you want to break the law, it will be hard to biohack with rasagiline or moclobemide. Also probably some safety in using something that's been used long enough to be grandfathered.
- landl0rd 1y agoJust about any medication you want can be freely ordered from abroad. It is not against the law to use either, as they're not controlled substances. It is illegal to sell them for medical use without complying with pharmaceutical standards and a prescription, but it is not illegal to buy them.
- hungryhobbit 1y agoI think having to order your drugs from another country is pretty clearly a "gate keeper": you're basically making the point you're trying to argue against.
- paulluuk 1y agoI order plenty of things online (From other countries) and other than having to wait a week, it's trivially easy. Is it that much different when it's medicinal products?
- quantadev 1y agoYou mean why would it be risky to ingest substances into your body from an untrusted source? I think that question answers itself.
- landl0rd 1y agoA while back I grabbed a topical corticosteroid cream from an indian subsidiary of an American pharmaceutical company because it was cheaper, faster, and easier than a dermatologist visit. It's often not a shady no-name manufacturer. Some guys in the bodybuilding world will get their steroids through Bayer's turkish subsidiary. Etc.
- andsoitis 1y ago> steroids I don’t knot that steroids is a good example to support your case. Anabolic steroids are classified as Schedule III controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in the United States.
- replwoacause 1y agoProbably because you can buy it at a dish supply store like I did almost 20 years ago.
- ajolly 1y agoPlenty of people are taking Methoxatin (PQQ) as well, I'd argue its more common to take than methylene blue.
- JKCalhoun 1y agoSent me down a rabbit hole — found the Blue Fugates of Kentucky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Fugates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Fugates Thanks, ha ha.
- tkzed49 1y agothank you, this is the only answer I want
- JKCalhoun 1y agoMaybe an irresponsible link right here: https://wikijo.blogspot.com/2007/08/chemistry-methylene-blue-prank-make.html https://wikijo.blogspot.com/2007/08/chemistry-methylene-blue...
- dchristian 1y ago> the ordered dosage of methylene blue was 1mg/kg/hr That's 5X what is considered a safe dose. Up to 2mg/kg/day is considered safe. Double that with care. But they were dosing every hour for days!
- userbinator 1y agoI like how the description says gross pathology.
- Aurornis 1y agoMethylene Blue is fascinating because it has been present in alternative medicine, biohacking, and nootropics forums for decades. It seems everyone in those communities discovers it eventually, thinks it must be a miracle substance, and then either feels nothing or has some initial positive effects that are either placebo or diminish quickly with tolerance. From the anecdotes I’ve read over the years, very few people continue taking it. They either feel nothing, get some worrying side effects, or the initial effects they experienced (or placebo) disappear after a couple days or weeks. The most positive posts seem to be correlated with people taking a dozen medications and supplements at the same time, so it’s impossible to know what’s causing their experience. Another ever-popular medication in these communities is Selegiline: Also an MAOI but selective for MAO-B at low doses (warning: it’s easier to reach MAO-A inhibition with repeated dosing, especially sublingual, than many internet sources claim). This one draws in people who are in their “dopamine explains everything” phase of learning neuroscience and think it must be a hack to get “more dopamine”. Again, few people continue it and many are confused about why they end up fatigued or tired while taking it instead of turning into the guy from Limitless. Neuropharmacology isn’t as simple as taking drugs to push neurotransmitter up. Selegiline was repurposed as an anti-depressant recently, but it’s delivered transdermally and only showed efficacy at levels high enough to be a full MAOI.
- replwoacause 1y agoExcellent summary. As someone who has taken both and spent an inordinate amount of time on Longecity, this is pretty spot on.
- arresin 1y agoI remember there was a year on the imminst where everyone was trying methylene blue and reporting amazing effects.
- landl0rd 1y agoPretty much accurate, this is also my perception. I think the whole "nootropics" and "biohacking" community would benefit from mandatory introductory reading to understand that disrupting homeostasis in a durable and meaningful way is actually darn hard to do without serious side effects.
- HiroshiSan 1y agoHere’s a much better treatment of methylene blue than this article: https://youtu.be/CnIJbbCvFdQ?si=lQ1i2Ah7ZIt6hewT https://youtu.be/CnIJbbCvFdQ?si=lQ1i2Ah7ZIt6hewT
- jdiff 1y agoIs it? I don't see any sources linked to any studies at all in the description. I do however see an extensive list of affiliate and sponsor links to everything from sketchy supplements to anti-aging clinics featuring blood analysis to the evergreen classic: penis pumps.
- HiroshiSan 1y agoThe studies referenced are highlighted and spread throughout the video for each point he talks about. I’m not sure what penis pumps have to do with the quality of his research, they’re a legitimate medical device used in patients with erectile dysfunction. [1] [1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9497591/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9497591/
- jdiff 1y agoSure, they have a legitimate function. So do ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. But they exist in a very particular and not-at-all reputable advertising niche. One that is noteworthily and heavily represented here. An hour is a significant time investment. Not linking to your sources increases the bar for verifying claims high enough that it's suspicious to not do so. I can't verify your claims about dosage. I can investigate the claims made in this article. If you want to strengthen your argument and ensure you aren't walking yourself down a path based on nothing but other people's ability to weave a narrative, you should seek out stronger sources for topics you care about.
- getcrunk 1y agoDidn’t Mel Gibson say it cures cancer? On jre
- ycomb-acct 1y agono, that was ivermectin and fenbendezole he spoke of.
- profsummergig 1y agoHow this guy is still alive after all the drugs he did in his youth, and all the testosterone/steroids he takes now, is a mystery to me. Also, overdoses on methylene blue, apparently: https://x.com/iAnonPatriot/status/1887232439770087608 https://x.com/iAnonPatriot/status/1887232439770087608
- eYrKEC2 1y agoI don't care what kind of quackery it takes to look like this at 71. Sign me up. https://x.com/craigbrockie/status/1865776415934947687 https://x.com/craigbrockie/status/1865776415934947687
- karlgkk 1y agoEating clean, daily exercise. Treating conditions with lifestyle changes instead of medication - where feasible. That’s it for most people. He’s not cracked some secret code, but he uses it to push his wacky beliefs
- eYrKEC2 1y ago"Physician heal thyself" should definitely be a baseline in the health and medical establishment -- but it aint. Being in the top 5% of healthy people for your age bracket should be table-stakes and we definitely do not have much of that.
- wonderwonder 1y agoSince I stopped going to the doctor and instead started managing my own health, I have been worlds better. I order my own blood work, healed my Achilles tendonitis on my own instead of having surgery, order my own medication where possible, etc. I still go to a dentist, get a doctor for a colonoscopy, etc as there are obviously things that I cannot do on my own. Everything else though I handle, just pulling in specialists where required. Going to a regular doctor is a lesson in frustration, they don't care, just want to prescribe whatever drug their hot pharmaceutical rep is pushing and have zero interest in working in the grey.
- perrygeo 1y agoGiven how long it's been around, the promising results, and how many people have been using it for "biohacking" for decades, it was at first a little surprising to hear how little double-blind clinical research exists. Then you realize: methylene blue can't be patented and it's manufacture is no secret. So no one is going to make big money from it, therefore no money goes into clinical research. All too familiar story, and it really calls into question the whole "clinical trials are the arbiter of truth" mentality if the one making that claim also controls the purse strings!
- spondylosaurus 1y agoI'm not sure that "can't be patented / manufacture is no secret" is necessarily the research bottleneck here, because you can make a lot of money selling analogs or derivatives of old, boring drugs. There was an interesting ProPublica story recently about a drug manufacturer raising the price of their (patented) cancer drug to eye-watering levels... and the drug in question is an analog of thalidomide! https://www.propublica.org/article/revlimid-price-cancer-celgene-drugs-fda-multiple-myeloma https://www.propublica.org/article/revlimid-price-cancer-cel... One of the claims against this company is that they were preventing other companies from getting their hands on generic thalidomide, because they didn't want competitors to do research that might uncover similar analogs. (I'm also not convinced that the results for methylene blue are especially promising or unique, but that's another matter :P)
- cogman10 1y agoIn fact, well known grifters are currently making a boatload selling it with huge markups and branding.
- why_at 1y agoI have only vaguely heard of this substance so I may be missing some important context, but I don't think this attitude really holds up under scrutiny. There's plenty of research done on things which can't be patented or used to turn a profit in some way. People do research on diet, exercise, vitamins, and pharmaceuticals which are now generic like aspirin etc. just to name a few off the top of my head. There's also public funding available for research which isn't intended to make money for any particular corporation.
- cgio 1y agoBefore taking methylene blue, and if you have genetic origins from high risk areas (Mediterranean, African, SE Asia), make sure you know that you don’t have G6PD. As with all antimalarials, G6PD may result in haemolysis. Of course it’s also on every blue dessert etc. , but don’t take your previous exposure as sign of immunity. Haemolytic episodes are possible but not given and as such you can consume the substance with minor signs for years and still end up with an episode.
- drob518 1y agoI took it daily for a couple months, at a good sized dose (approx 20 drops per day). I stopped because 1. I didn’t notice any difference. 2. It’s really messy, as in it (semi permanently) stains your counter tops blue if you so much as let a fraction of a drop land somewhere, including the dehydrated dust. I ended up buying some lab glassware cleaner to help clean it up. 3. It temporarily stains your teeth blue. It also turns your urine blue/green, but that’s no big deal as long as you’re expecting it. That said, I also didn’t experience any negative effects that I could perceive.
- arresin 1y agoIt’s like that song
- yapyap 1y agoSounds like it gets you in the mood for the 2024 Schoolboy Q album ‘Blue Lips’
- unsupp0rted 1y ago> It also turns your urine blue/green Doesn't it also turn your internal organs blue/green? Not concerning per se... but concerning.
- drob518 1y agoI never looked. Seriously, methylene blue has been used as a drug for more than 100 years. IIRC, it’s the first drug the FDA approved. I think the body clears it reasonably quickly and I would not expect it to permanently stain your insides.
- elcapitan 1y agoSounds like something you should only consume in Heisenberg quality.
- kweks 1y agoAlternatively, if your tropical or marine fish ever suffer from white-spot disease (actually a nasty protozoan), you use methylene blue to kill the parasite.
- aitchnyu 1y agoKnew it from fishkeeping and how it stains everything except glass. Then I saw it helps make the less-than-natural environment to certify biodegradable plastic. Didnt know human consumption is still permitted.
- carbocation 1y agoMethylene blue is a vasopressor, particularly good at reversing vasoplegia after cardiopulmonary bypass.
- mintplant 1y agoIs anyone else getting an ActivityStreams JSON dump of this post instead of an HTML view?
- neuroelectron 1y agoThis article author doesn't really seem to understand anything, he simplifies things that are complicated like serotonin and other hormone balancing and complicates things that are simple like mitochondria electron exchange. You can't really come to any conclusions from this except that methylene blue is possibly nootropic and people are experimenting with it.
- heavyset_go 1y agoPlease be careful with this. It is a powerful MAOI. Someone I know lost their son who was trying to treat their depression with methylene blue. They had a fever, seized out and died, all symptoms of severe serotonin syndrome.
- p1dda 1y agoTo improve your health never start with adding a chemical! Instead remove chemicals and toxins first and foremost.
- andsoitis 1y ago> To improve your health never start with adding a chemical! Instead remove chemicals Vitamins are chemicals.
- p1dda 1y ago[flagged]
- hello_computer 1y agoThis is true. I've had so many problems where the pills and creams were time and money down the drain, and the solution was to cut something out of my diet or lifestyle. Less is more.
- healsdata 1y agoYes, all those people trying to get rid of pneumonia should stop antibiotics and try organic detergent instead.
- 1Sebastian 1y ago[dead]
- ChrisMarshallNY 1y ago> (MAO) inhibitor That triggered my "uh-oh" alarm. Anyone familiar with MAO inhibitors as a psych med, know that they can have really serious side effects, when you eat certain things (like chocolate or caffeine). It can kill you[0]. However, I guess that this stuff doesn't have those side effects. [0] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539848/#:~:text=MAOIs%20prevent%20the%20breakdown%20of,hypertensive%20reaction%2C%20with%20accompanying%20morbidity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539848/#:~:text=MAOIs%...
- A7C3D5 1y agoI am prescribed an MAOI (tranylcypromine). Coffee and chocolate are perfectly safe to eat, along with most foods. The foods you really need to avoid are highly aged cheese, leftover or improperly stored meats, and fermented foods like soy sauce or kimchi. Even of those foods to avoid, you typically need to eat large quantites of them on an empty stomach to get a life threatening reaction.
- ChrisMarshallNY 1y agoAh. Thanks for the clarification. I had heard chocolate and coffee, but I have no personal experience.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]